Each year, bands and orchestras from each middle and high school are expected to participate in the performance assessment festivals held during the month of March. The assessment festival is a forum that encourages the development of musicians in a large ensemble setting. Each ensemble must perform three concert selections, two of which must be selected from the Maryland Band Director’s Association (MBDA) or Maryland Orchestra Director’s Association (MODA) list on stage. During this time, three adjudicators, who are respected educators from across the state, critique the performance that is open to the public. Immediately following, the ensemble moves to a closed location called sight-reading, which is adjudicated by a single adjudicator. In the sight-reading room, the ensemble must perform a musical selection they have never seen before for a fourth and final rating calculated into the group’s on stage performance. The final part of the performance assessment is the required listening component, where each group must listen to two other performances from participating schools. At the conclusion, each ensemble is given a final overall rating, and if qualifies, has a chance to participate in the Maryland State Assessment Festival.