FAQ
A program to recognize annually the most outstanding single performances of Class 1C and 2C/3C middle school bands and Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A high school bands in Texas. This program is the property of the Association of Texas Small School Bands and is produced, supported and adjudicated solely by its members.
Any Class 1C, 2C or Class 3C middle school band that feeds a Class 1A, 2A, 3A or 4A high school band, and any Class 1A, 2A, Class 3A, or Class 4A high school band may enter a recording provided the band director of the school entering is a current regular member of ATSSB.
A band may enter one, two, or three of its contest selections. Only UIL-approved selections may be entered. Entries must have been recorded at a UIL contest or at any other approved contest during the period from January 1 until May 20 of the current school year if the contest is approved by the ATSSB OPS State Chair. The OPS State Chair will maintain a list of approved contests. Once a contest is approved, it will remain on the list until it is removed by SBOD action.
Each selection must be uploaded as a .WAV file listing the title, composer/arranger, and publisher of the selection. Each Verification Form must be signed by the band director of the school entering, and Principal or Superintendent. Verification of UIL approval to perform any number not listed in the current UIL Prescribed Music List must accompany any such entry.
A fee of $60.00 per selection is required at the time of entry.
Conductor’s scores will not be used at any level of competition. The judges’ decisions will be based only on aesthetic standards.
Entry forms should be obtained from the ATSSB Website (https://www.atssb.org). Forms may be photocopied.
All entries are to be uploaded by May 20.
Directions are also listed in the March Newsletter on the ATSSB website (https://www.atssb.org/execsec/MAR22.pdf).
Designated Region Coordinators will assemble a panel (or panels) of judges to select advancing entries. Only ATSSB-member directors may serve as judges. Exception: After a Region or Area Coordinator has exhausted all attempts to secure ATSSB members as judges, that Region or Area Coordinator may use non-ATSSB members as judges provided those non-ATSSB members are active TMEA members. All OPS judges may be given a $100.00 honorarium, which includes all expenses. If more than 35 files are adjudicated, each judge may be paid an additional $2.50 per file adjudicated. All Region and Area Coordinators may be paid a $125 honorarium for their OPS services plus $2.50 for each file adjudicated above 35.
The panels will rank all marches in each class (Class 1C and Class 2C/3C middle school, Class 1A, Class 2A, Class 3A, and Class 4A high school), and rank the concert selections in each class. The Designated Region Coordinator will certify the TWO highest-ranked marches and the THREE highest-ranked concert selections in each of the five classes to advance to their Designated Area Coordinator on or before June 9.
Designated Area Coordinators will assemble a panel (or panels) of judges to select advancing entries and certify the TWO highest-ranked marches and the THREE highest-ranked concert selections in each of the five classes to advance to the OPS State Chair on or before June 23.
Using the same procedure as was used at Region and Area, the OPS State Chair shall assemble a panel (or panels) for each of the five classifications in conjunction with the Texas Bandmasters Association clinic in San Antonio to select the ONE outstanding march and the TWO outstanding concert selections from each class to be named the ATSSB Outstanding Performances.
After each level of competition, the official in charge shall immediately mail or email a copy of the OPS Advancement Form showing a complete list of results to the OPS State Chair and to each director who uploaded a .WAV file. Designated Region Coordinators and Designated Area Coordinators must obtain ALL forms and form letters from the ATSSB Website prior to the judging sessions.
The state winners of the march and two concert selections will be presented a plaque. The runner-up of the march in each class, and the runner-up of the concert selection in each class will receive a suitable certificate. Presentations will be made by the OPS State Chair at the general membership meeting of ATSSB in San Antonio in February of each year. The individual serving as OPS State Chair is appointed by the President of the Association.
The entire process will be overseen by a steering committee presided by the OPS State Chair and made up of the elected Class Representatives to the State Board of Directors of ATSSB. The function of the steering committee will be to review the process and to recommend changes to the State Board as needed.
COMPETITION IN THE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE SERIES
Note: In order for these festivals to remain on the approved list, no fewer than five bands must perform at the festival and all bands must be recorded with the same recording equipment. A school many not enter a digital file from one of these contests for competition in the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series if these guidelines are not followed.
Abernathy Band Festival
All Star Music Festival (Orlando, Florida)
American Buccaneer Classic (American Classics Festivals – Corpus Christi)
American Classic Music Festivals
Beach Within Reach Festival (Haltom City and North Richland Hills )
Blinn College Music Festival (Brenham)
Bullard Pre-UIL Contest and Sightreading Festival
Carthage Pre-UIL Contest
Cavalcade of Music (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Cisco Music Festival
Connally Concert & Sightreading Festival (Waco)
Dalhart Band Festival
Dallas Wind Symphony Invitational Wind Band Festival
Director’s Choice Music Festivals
E.T.C. World Events (Best in Class Championship)
Eagle Band Classic Festival (Allen)
Falcon Band Festival (Katy)
Festival Disney (Orlando, Florida)
Festival of Champions (Panama City Beach, Florida)
Festival on the Lake (Garland)
Frenship Recording Festival (Wolfforth)
Frenship Concert & Clinic (Wolfforth)
Golden Crescent Music Festival (Victoria)
Greater Southwest Music Festival (Amarillo)
Greenwood Music Festival (Midland)
Hamilton Invitational Concert Festival
Houston Symphonic Band Concert & Sightreading Contest
Howard Payne University Band Festival (Brownwood)
Kingsville, Texas, Pre-UIL Band Festival
La Joya Coyote Band Festival (La Joya)
McGregor Pre-UIL Festival
Music in the Parks (Arlington)
Ovation Festivals (any site)
Peak Music Festivals (Texas only)
PEAK Performance Festivals
Pirateland Music Festival (Lytle)
Pottsboro Pre-UIL Evaluation (Pottsboro)
Rio Grande City CISD Band Festival
Seasons Music Festivals
SHSU Concert Band Festival (Huntsville)
Smoky Mountain Music Festival (Gatlinburg, Tennessee)
Socorro I.S.D. Concert & Sightreading Contest (Brownwood)
Soundpost Music Festivals
Sounds of Spring Band Festival (Princeton)
Soundwaves Music Festival (New Braunfels)
South Coast Music Festival (Corpus Christi and Galveston )
Sundown Pre-UIL Concert Contest (Sundown)
TAPPS State Music Competition
Tarleton State University Invitational Band Festival
Temple College Band Invitational
Texas Lutheran University Band Festival (Seguin)
Texas Music Festivals (Donna)
TMEA Honor Band Performance (San Antonio)
TPSMEA Concert and Sightreading Contests
UIL Texas Wind Ensemble Contest
USBANDS Texas Concert Band Festival (Boerne)
UTB Invitation Band Festival (Brownsville, Texas)
Wagner Noel PAC Pre-UIL Concert Festival (Odessa)
Westside Pre-UIL (Houston)
Wink Band Festival (Wink)
Zapata Band Festival
Sets are not available for sale. OPS CDs are no longer produced. ATSSB members are given access to PDDs (Permanent Digital Downloads) of the winning entries – 1 march and two Concert selections from each class 1C, 2C/3C, 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A.