Anybody who has lived in Texas for any time at all knows that Friday night football is as closely related to the culture as longhorn cattle and Tex-Mex cuisine.
As the sun sets, football stadiums across the Lone Star state come to life with cheering youngsters, supporters and relatives. And although the battle for the pigskin is without a doubt the main attraction, the half-time marching band show has become and integral part of the evening's festivities.
Despite what some people believe, the musical pieces played during half-time shows aren't chosen at random or based on the an individual's personal taste. They must be chosen from the UIL Prescribed Music List, or PML. Music Directors often spend a large part of their summer vacations finding the right marching band music for their band members.
The UIL Web site states, "The Music Program of the UIL is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas. Each year approximately one half million middle school, junior high and high school students reap the benefits of participation in the ten UIL music events."
Marching bands are limited to eight hours of practice per week by the UIL. The process of selecting the ideal piece from the PML can be a painstaking one, and normally takes months instead of weeks. The band director has to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the band members. The selection must also be hard enough to rate points from the judges while still appealing to the fans.
The other ingredient of UIL marching band contests, along with the actual music itself, is the marching routine. Therefore, band directors must also give consideration to whether or not the band members can actually master the marching portion of the program with adequate precision. In other words, does it appeal to the eyes as well as the ears?
The Texas UIL says that, there are currently about 500,000 middle school and high school students involved with public school music programs and 27,000 marching bands across the state.
As the sun sets, football stadiums across the Lone Star state come to life with cheering youngsters, supporters and relatives. And although the battle for the pigskin is without a doubt the main attraction, the half-time marching band show has become and integral part of the evening's festivities.
Despite what some people believe, the musical pieces played during half-time shows aren't chosen at random or based on the an individual's personal taste. They must be chosen from the UIL Prescribed Music List, or PML. Music Directors often spend a large part of their summer vacations finding the right marching band music for their band members.
The UIL Web site states, "The Music Program of the UIL is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas. Each year approximately one half million middle school, junior high and high school students reap the benefits of participation in the ten UIL music events."
Marching bands are limited to eight hours of practice per week by the UIL. The process of selecting the ideal piece from the PML can be a painstaking one, and normally takes months instead of weeks. The band director has to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the band members. The selection must also be hard enough to rate points from the judges while still appealing to the fans.
The other ingredient of UIL marching band contests, along with the actual music itself, is the marching routine. Therefore, band directors must also give consideration to whether or not the band members can actually master the marching portion of the program with adequate precision. In other words, does it appeal to the eyes as well as the ears?
The Texas UIL says that, there are currently about 500,000 middle school and high school students involved with public school music programs and 27,000 marching bands across the state.
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Pender's Music Co. is a leading sheet music provider for Texas UIL music. We're dedicated to providing the largest selection and customer service that's second to none.
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