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2014 may have just begun but the registration deadline for this year's Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival is quickly approaching.

The deadline for entries is Saturday, Feb. 1. Entries may be delivered in person at the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. on that date or mailed to P.O. Box 1301, North Battleford, S9A 3L8.

Festival organizers are allowing for late entries again this year. Late entries will be accepted until Feb. 7 with a $25 late entry fee. Registration forms are available at Sobeys and the current syllabus is posted online. Fees for solos, duets, and trios remain at $13 per entry and multiple entries are encouraged by offering the family rate of a 50 per cent discount after 10 solo entries by individual participants. Remember the entry fees are still lower than those suggested in the provincial syllabus. It is the festival's goal to encourage participation by keeping fees affordable.

The festival program cover drawing contest is again being offered. Children and youth, from the Battlefords area are invited to submit original ideas for considered use as the 2014 festival program cover. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 7. Artwork should reflect musical themes and be presented on eight and a half by 11 paper in a vertical or portrait orientation. Images may be created in a media of choice (black ink, pencil, coloured pencil, marker, crayon, pastels, acrylic, watercolour) but should have a white background. Artists must print their full name, phone number, school and grade on the back of their entry. Entries may be submitted at the band hall on Festival registration day or delivered to Kelly Waters at St. Vital School or Agi McQuaid at EMBM.

Selected pieces of artwork not chosen for the cover may also be featured within the pages of the program. Although all musical themed ideas are welcome, typically those reflecting the festival's disciplines are chosen for use in the program (solo or group singing/speaking, piano, acoustic strings, band/orchestra). The creative contributions of our young local artists always result in a unique festival for performers and family members.

The festival committee highly encourages schools to consider ensemble choral speaking entries. Schools have the option to travel to a festival venue for adjudication or, with a minimum of five group entries, request that the adjudicator come to their school to view performances. Choral speaking lends itself easily to language arts and arts education curriculum learning objectives. Speech arts offer a mechanism for creative exploration of written text using dynamics, tempo, rhythm, and dramatic expression. It is not difficult to find material that is both educationally valid and of interest to students.

The music festival committee is always looking for people to step forward and say, "How can I help?" With several of the committee members' children's high school graduation looming on the horizon, this call for committee support is more important than ever. Whether from the perspective of a parent, grandparent or supportive community member, the committee is in need of new members willing to ensure the continuation of this special annual musical event.

Please do not hesitate to contact a committee member or indicate your interest on your child's registration form. If your time is not available but you or your business would like to support the festival monetarily, consider sponsoring an award to be presented at the final gala event, or sponsoring a session for a music discipline of your choice, or being recognized as a patron or friend of the festival. Don't be shy; we have numerous options if you are supporter of local music education.

The currentschedule for music disciplines for the 2014 Battlefords Music Festival is: band March 24 - 26, strings March 27, musical theatre March 28 and 29, voice March 30 - April 1, speech arts April 2 - 4, piano April 5 - 7, with the celebratory gala April 11.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!"

?? J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone