Music Guidelines for

All Participants at 2018

NCMC WIDE MAS-AMICUS CONVENTION

The theme for NCMC Wide MAS-AMiCUS Convention 2018, “Ye are in Christ” will guide the selection of music. The
Music Committee will strive to utilize music that will ennoble the senses and allow the Holy Spirit to transform and
renew minds. In connection, musicians who wish to apply to form at the NCMC Wide MAS-AMiCUS Convention 2018
must take the following steps:

1. Read the Music Guidelines for all the participants at NCMC Wide MAS-AMiCUS Convention 2018as well as the
following instructions carefully.
2. The Song must be in line with the theme, “Ye are in Christ”.
3. Music is a precious gift of God “made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble,
and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God”. (PP 594). Music at the NCMC Wide
MAS-AMICUS Convention is intended to serve its role and “to impress the hearts with spiritual truth” (Ed 168).
4. In Harmonic treatment, music should be avoided that is saturated with the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th chords as well
as other lush sonorities. These chords, when used with restraint, produce beauty, but when used to excess
distract from the true spiritual quality of the text. (GC SDA Music Guidelines).
5. In vocal music, the raucous style common to rock, the suggestive, sentimental, breathy, crooning style of the
night-club performer, and other distortions of the human voice should be avoided. (GC SDA Music Guidelines).
In good vocal music, normally the text takes precedence over the music. Live accompaniment is both
encouraged and preferred.
6. All music should be thoughtfully and prayerfully rendered. It should maintain a judicious balance of the
emotional, intellectual, and spiritual elements. (Review and Herald, November 14, 1899).
7. To sustain an uplifting atmosphere, Music with extreme sound levels, dissonance, tempo, monotony, and
repetitiveness should be avoided.
8. No one should expect to participate without prior approval. Only the NCMC Music Coordinator will make the
final selections and time slot assignments which will be appropriate to the meeting setting.
9. Each participant is responsible for all expenses involved with travel, lodging, registrations and other expenses.
Participants arrived more than one day prior to the scheduled time slot assignment are to attend the activities of
the program. A corresponding registration will be made to those participants who are planning to stay in the
venue after their performance/s.
10. Singing should not be allowed to divert the mind from the hours of devotion. If one must be neglected, let it be
the singing. (VSS 426.1). Thus, Practices during the program are highly discouraged.
11. Music shall not exceed for 4-5 minutes for solos and small groups. For choirs, orchestral groups, and large
ensembles, presentations are limited only to 6 minutes.
12. Participants are expected to report to the backstage no later than 45 minutes before their performance time or that time will
be given to a backup and the participants will not be allowed to perform. NCMC Music Committee is not obligated to reassign
them. However, each musician/group should be prepared to perform any other music selection that the Music Coordinator
might ask them to perform at the convention from the selection(s) they were approved for. This is in case of a last minute
replacement/cancellation.
13. Each participant should follow the dress code policy.
14. The District must submit a full package for each performer to the Music Committee before participant(s) will be
considered. This package should include:
Music Committee Application form for participants.
A picture of the musician or group of musicians.
A recording of their performance (mp3 or mp4) of their selected music. (This selection cannot be changed
after approval.) Send a minimum of 2 songs from the 4 topics to be given by the NCMC MAS-AMICUS Music
Coordinator, a maximum of five songs to be considered.
A soft/hard copy of lyrics with chords or music sheet of the song to be considered.
Performance Diagram indicating the typical staging for all musicians/groups for each song to be performed.
15. The district will accept applications for music performance from ______________ until ____________ only.
16. The deadline for submission of district approved applications to the NCMC Music Committee is ______________. Decisions of
musicians approved for performance will be sent to districts on ___________.