Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 13, 2020 4:02:26 GMT -6
The first Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Championships was held in 1979.
A little about UIL from Wikipedia:
In musical competitions, schools are aligned into 33 regions (the regions themselves are set not by the UIL, but by the Texas Music Educators Association).[14] Schools of all sizes are grouped into a region.
Advancement within musical competition is not based on direct competition against other schools. Instead, musicians are compared against an established rubric (this is comparable to conformation dog shows where dogs compete against the written standard for their breed, not against other dogs of differing breeds), and all schools or individuals who are judged "Division 1" (the highest level) advance to the next level, except for state competition.
For marching band, schools compete against other schools in the same UIL conference. The 33 regions are grouped into nine areas (named A-I) for Conferences 5A and 6A, and five areas (A-E) for Conference 4A and down. All schools of all conferences compete in region competition annually, as a fall semester activity. However, in even-numbered years schools in Conferences 2A, 4A, and 6A can advance from region to area and state, and in odd-numbered years schools from Conferences 3A and 5A can advance from region to area and state, in addition to schools in Conference 1A may advance from region to state (There are no Area contests for Conference 1A, only for 2A and up). In order for bands to advance from Region to Area, they need to get an overall Division 1 from at least two Region judges, whether it be a 1-2-1, 2-1-1, 1-1-2, etc... the bands then will advance to the Area Competition. In order to make State, the band needs to make it to the Area Final competition AND make it to the top 3-5 bands to get to State. The Area and State winner is the school with the lowest ordinal score when the rankings from each judge are tabulated. For example, School 1 receives a first place score from three judges, a second place score from the fourth judge, and a fourth place score from the fifth judge. The ordinal score for School 1 is 9 (1+1+1+2+4). School 2 receives two first place scores and three second place scores. The ordinal score for School 2 is 8 (2+2+2+1+1). School 2 would be the champion despite receiving fewer first place scores because School 2's ordinal score is lower than School 1's. Thus, overall placement in the caption area for each judge is more important than the raw score awarded by the judge.[15]
In all other musical competitions (held in the spring semester), conference alignments are disregarded except for the rules regarding sight reading. Advancement in solo and small ensemble competition is from region to state, and at state the top two soloists and top ensemble are awarded medals. Individual performers may be given Outstanding Performer awards. However, advancement is limited not only to Division 1 winners, but the winners must have performed "Class 1" (difficult level) performances at region, and the performance must have been from a selection on the UIL's "Prescribed Music List" and also performed from memory (except for certain instrumental pieces which are designated as exempt from such on the List). In sight reading, schools in different conferences read different pieces, and second groups (officially called "non-varsity" groups) read different pieces from other conferences than the varsity group.
Sight Reading and medium ensembles compete at region level only. Music theory is held at state only and is open to any and all students in grades 9–12 having the permission of the school principal and school music director; the student is not required to have advanced from region in another musical contest (or even participated for that matter). Wind ensembles can advance from region to state; however, the state event is not a competition but an educational event.
Advancement within musical competition is not based on direct competition against other schools. Instead, musicians are compared against an established rubric (this is comparable to conformation dog shows where dogs compete against the written standard for their breed, not against other dogs of differing breeds), and all schools or individuals who are judged "Division 1" (the highest level) advance to the next level, except for state competition.
For marching band, schools compete against other schools in the same UIL conference. The 33 regions are grouped into nine areas (named A-I) for Conferences 5A and 6A, and five areas (A-E) for Conference 4A and down. All schools of all conferences compete in region competition annually, as a fall semester activity. However, in even-numbered years schools in Conferences 2A, 4A, and 6A can advance from region to area and state, and in odd-numbered years schools from Conferences 3A and 5A can advance from region to area and state, in addition to schools in Conference 1A may advance from region to state (There are no Area contests for Conference 1A, only for 2A and up). In order for bands to advance from Region to Area, they need to get an overall Division 1 from at least two Region judges, whether it be a 1-2-1, 2-1-1, 1-1-2, etc... the bands then will advance to the Area Competition. In order to make State, the band needs to make it to the Area Final competition AND make it to the top 3-5 bands to get to State. The Area and State winner is the school with the lowest ordinal score when the rankings from each judge are tabulated. For example, School 1 receives a first place score from three judges, a second place score from the fourth judge, and a fourth place score from the fifth judge. The ordinal score for School 1 is 9 (1+1+1+2+4). School 2 receives two first place scores and three second place scores. The ordinal score for School 2 is 8 (2+2+2+1+1). School 2 would be the champion despite receiving fewer first place scores because School 2's ordinal score is lower than School 1's. Thus, overall placement in the caption area for each judge is more important than the raw score awarded by the judge.[15]
In all other musical competitions (held in the spring semester), conference alignments are disregarded except for the rules regarding sight reading. Advancement in solo and small ensemble competition is from region to state, and at state the top two soloists and top ensemble are awarded medals. Individual performers may be given Outstanding Performer awards. However, advancement is limited not only to Division 1 winners, but the winners must have performed "Class 1" (difficult level) performances at region, and the performance must have been from a selection on the UIL's "Prescribed Music List" and also performed from memory (except for certain instrumental pieces which are designated as exempt from such on the List). In sight reading, schools in different conferences read different pieces, and second groups (officially called "non-varsity" groups) read different pieces from other conferences than the varsity group.
Sight Reading and medium ensembles compete at region level only. Music theory is held at state only and is open to any and all students in grades 9–12 having the permission of the school principal and school music director; the student is not required to have advanced from region in another musical contest (or even participated for that matter). Wind ensembles can advance from region to state; however, the state event is not a competition but an educational event.
