UNDERSTANDING BAND COMPETITIONS
CONTESTS FOR THE FULL BAND
UIL MARCHING CONTEST
Regional level:
Bands perform a marching show between 5 and 8 minutes in length and are given a rating by each of three independent judges: 1=superior; 2=excellent; 3=good; 4=fair; 5=poor. The judges cannot confer about their ratings and the FINAL rating is a consensus of the three NOT an average. For instance, a 1,1,5 is a ONE. A 5,5,1 is a FIVE, etc. The competition is NOT among the bands themselves but against a standard of excellence that has been established through the many decades of this competition. This contest was the primary competitive goal of Texas bands until 1979 when the State Marching Contest was founded. It is still the first of three parts of a "Sweepstakes" which includes Marching, Concert and Sight reading. Bands receiving a Division 1 rating at the regional level will be certified for advancement to the area contest.
Area level:
This contest is held every two years. Its sole purpose is to choose the State Qualifiers from the regions within our area. The contest uses 5 judges: 3 music judges and 2 marching judges. Each judge ranks the bands from top to bottom and the total ranks are added for a "rank total". The lowest rank total is first place. In conferences 2A/3A/4A 3 bands will be selected to the state contest. If there are 20 or more bands qualifying for area then 1 band for every 5 bands will advance to the state contest.
State level:
Similar to the area contest there are 5 judges and each judge will rank the bands from top to bottom. The lowest total of "rank points" becomes first place. The state competition will have a preliminary round and a final round.
UIL CONCERT/SIGHT READING CONTEST
This contest is held every year in the spring in all regions of the state. Bands prepare a concert program of three pieces of music chosen from the Prescribed Music List and perform for a panel of three judges who rate the bands with one of five ratings, just as in regional marching competition. Bands are not competing against each other at this contest. Immediately following the concert, bands move to another room to sight read a piece of music chosen to be read by all the bands within a class statewide. The music for sight reading is composed specifically for the contest and addresses certain fundamentals that are aligned with the curriculum for each classification.
TMEA STATE HONOR BAND
TMEA also sponsors competition every two years for concert bands to be names "State Honor Band". Bands submit a concert performance of their UIL concert contest to be judged at the region level, area and state level. At each level, a panel of five judges listen to the recorded performances without knowing the school identity. The judges rank the performances from top to bottom and the top 2 at each level advance to the next level. The performance with the lowest total "rank points' is first place. Fourteen performances are heard at the final level to select the finalists and the State Honor Band winner in each class.
ATSSB OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE SERIES
ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series is a compact disc (CD) audition program designed to select the most outstanding Class C and CC middle school bands and Class A, 2A, 3A and 4A high school bands performances in Texas each year. A band may enter one, two or three of its contest selections for consideration at the region, area and state levels. At each level, a panel of five judges listen to the recorded performances without knowing the school identification. The judges rank all marches in each class and rank the concert selections in each class. The two highest ranked marches and the three highest ranked concert selections in each class will advance to the next level. The state winners of the march and two concert selections will be presented a plaque with a copy of the CD mounted on it. The runner-up of the march and the runner-up of the concert selection in each class will receive a certificate. Presentations will be made at the ATSSB membership meeting held during the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in February.
CONTESTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL BAND STUDENT
ATSSB ALL REGION/AREA/STATE BANDS
High School Students (grades 9-12)
The Association of Texas Small School Bands sponsors individual competitions every fall that culminate in the selection of the All-State Bands that perform at the Texas Music Educators Association annual convention in February. The first level of competition is held in November with the top students advancing to the Area level in January. In each of the state areas, a designated number of the top students are selected to All-State. At each level of competition, students perform for a panel of 5 judges in a blind audition where judges do not know which students are performing. Just as in other head-to-head competitions in Texas, each judge ranks each student in comparison with each other and the lowest total of rank points is first chair. The All-Region Bands perform in a concert at the end of January each year, but the Area Band is for qualification purposes only. The All-State groups rehearse for 3 days in February prior to their performances with internationally acclaimed conductors and educators.
ATSSB ALL REGION BAND
Middle School Students (grades 7-8)
Auditions for Middle School are the same as listed above for High School however, there is no advancement beyond the region level.
UIL SOLO-ENSEMBLE CONTEST
High School Students (grades 9-12)
The only "individual" competition that the UIL sponsors for instrumentalists is held in the Winter, usually in February each year. Students choose a solo and/or an ensemble from the Prescribed Music List for their instrument and begin work in November/December. Solos must be memorized so that students can earn advancement to the State level by making a First Division at the region level. Non-memorized solos cannot advance. Judges are rating each performance compared to a statewide scale of excellence, not as a comparison of one student to another. Students earn medals for First Divisions as well as qualification to State. The Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest is held near Austin each year during the last weekend in May. Students who compete perform for judges with national and international experience, often major symphony performers and college educators. Students who earn a First Division receive a state gold medal and a few students are selected to be "Outstanding Performers" and receive State Champion medals for their work.
Middle School Students (grades 7-8)
Although not officially a UIL event the same rules apply to this region only competition as the High School. There is no state advancement for Middle School students. However, with our small school utilizing 7th and 8th grade students in the High School Band, it is possible for a Middle School student to perform in an ensemble with High School students. The majority of the ensemble must be High School students. A first division ensemble would advance to the Texas State Solo & Ensemble Contest, therefore the Middle School ensemble member would perform at the state level.
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