Category Archives: UIL | PML

Glasses and pen sitting on top of sheet music

Sight Reading Central

Make sight reading simple! Pender’s has tons of resources for practicing sight reading skills. These products will help your students grow their sight reading abilities and feel confident prior to competition!

Previous UIL Sight Reading Pieces

Texas UIL Band Sight Reading
Texas UIL Choral Sight Reading
Texas UIL / PML Orchestra Sight Reading

Other Great Sight Reading Resources

Band

Something to Read by Jerry West
Something to Read – Level 1 by Jerry West
Something Else to Read by Jerry West
Progressive Sight Reading Tunes by Roger Winslow

Choir

SMART (Sight Singing Made Accessible, Readable, Teachable) Series by Denise Eaton
SMART (Sight Singing Made Accessible, Readable, Teachable) Modulations by Denise Eaton

Orchestra

Progressive Sight Reading Tunes (Unison Edition) by Roger Winslow
Progressive Sight Reading Tunes (Harmonized Edition) by Roger Winslow
Sight Reading Book for String Orchestra by Jerry West

Get Ready for Texas UIL Solo and Ensemble

Get Ready for Texas UIL Solo & Ensemble

Need music for Texas UIL Solo & Ensemble? We’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled the Prescribed Music Lists for your perusal — just choose your student’s instrument section and arrangement and our website will guide you to the exact music selections for your class!

To get started, select your section and arrangement below:
Woodwind Solo
Woodwind Ensemble
Brass Solo
Brass Ensemble
Percussion Solo
Percussion Ensemble
String
Vocal

Want some help from our staff? Here at Pender’s we are well-versed in UIL performance requirements and would be happy to help you find the right composition. Give us a call at 800-772-5918 to talk with us today!

Get Ready for 2018 contest season

It’s Time to Prep for Spring 2018 Contests!

The 2018 contest season is just around the corner, and here at Pender’s we have all the band and orchestra music you need! Our prescribed music lists make it easy to find your sheet music, and our friendly staff are experts when it comes to performance requirements for state contests — they can help you find whatever you’re looking for!

Check out these lists on our website to find new music, marching materials, sightreading, and more!

Texas UIL Band PML Additions 2017 – 2018
Texas UIL Band PML
Texas Concert Band Marches
Texas UIL Band Sightreading
Texas UIL String Orchestra PML
Texas UIL Orchestra Sightreading

Oklahoma OSSAA Band
Oklahoma OSSAA Orchestra

Mississippi Band
Mississippi Band Sightreading

Don’t forget to order competition scores for the judging panel! For assistance locating materials, give us a call at 800-772-5918. We’d love to help, and best of luck competing in 2018!

2017 Spring Contests

Prepare for 2017 Competitions with Music for Band & Orchestra

Are your music students ready to take on their competitions in 2017? Find all the band and orchestra contest music you’ll need right here at Pender’s. Our knowledgeable staff is well-versed in the performance requirements for state contests and can help you find the composition you’re looking for. You can also click the following links and browse the lists on our website for new music, marching materials, sightreading, and more:

Texas UIL Band PML Additions 2016 – 2017
Texas UIL Band PML
Texas Concert Band Marches
Texas UIL Band Sightreading
Texas UIL String Orchestra PML
Texas UIL Orchestra Sightreading


Oklahoma OSSAA Band
Oklahoma OSSAA Orchestra

Mississippi Band
Mississippi Band Sightreading

Don’t forget to order competition scores for the judging panel! For assistance locating materials, give us a call at 800-772-5918. We’d be delighted to help you find exactly what you need!

Texas UIL Contest Music

UIL Contest Music for Band, Choir and Orchestra

Get your student musicians ready for Texas UIL!  Find band, choir and orchestra contest music from the complete Texas UIL PML (Prescribed Music List). Begin by choosing a category below, and our website will guide you to the appropriate music selections for your band, choir, or orchestra’s contest.

CHOOSE CATEGORY:
UIL Band Contest and Sightreading Music
UIL Choral Contest and Sightreading Music
UIL Orchestra Contest and Sightreading Music

Our knowledgeable staff are well-versed in the performance requirements for state UIL contests and can guide you in selecting the right composition. If you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, find us in-store or give us a call at 800-772-5918. We’d be delighted to help you find exactly what you need.

TX UIL Solo and Ensemble

Get Ready for TX UIL Solo & Ensemble

Equip your student musicians with solo and ensemble music from the complete Texas UIL PML (Prescribed Music List). Begin by choosing your student’s instrument section and arrangement. From there, our website will guide you to the appropriate music selections for your class.

CHOOSE SECTION AND ARRANGEMENT:
Woodwind Solo
Woodwind Ensemble
Brass Solo
Brass Ensemble
Percussion Solo
Percussion Ensemble
String
Vocal

Our knowledgeable staff are well-versed in the performance requirements for TX UIL solo & ensemble, and can guide you in selecting the right composition. If you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, find us in-store or give us a call at 800-772-5918. We’d be delighted to help you find exactly what you need.

What is MSMISP? -or- Who Wants $1000 of Free Sheet Music?

We had the good fortune to speak with TMEA about the MSMISP grant program more in depth. They were very helpful in providing answers to some of your most frequently asked questions. We thought we would share what they had to say.

 The Middle School Music Instructional Support Program (MSMISP) is a grant program from TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) for 6-8th grade Choir, Orchestra and Band directors in Texas. It will provide $1,000 (yes, a full grand!) for sheet music to programs who are selected in the 2014 – 2015 school year. If you end up going over the grand TMEA will give you then your district will be billed for the difference. Penders is offering free shipping so you can make full use of your thousand without worry.

In order to qualify the director must have current membership with TMEA and teach at a Texas middle school. Applications may be submitted from September 15, 2014 to October 15, 2014. There is a total of $500,000 that will be allocated based on current funding and size of the program. So, if you want a snapshot of your program’s chances of getting this money, simply divide your budget by the number of students you have. If your dollar-per-student is lower than the state average you will have a great shot at getting a grant.

TMEA has told us that as of September 24, 2014there are only 230 applications filed, that means that even if you have a million dollars in the your budget you should still apply. There are currently 2,800 qualified campuses in Texas so odds are most of you haven’t even heard of this program. Even if you teach programs at multiple schools you can apply, the grant money is program specific not director specific. Even private school programs can get this money so you really have no reason not to apply.

Let’s get one thing straight, though, this music may only be used for sheet music designed for a full ensemble so you won’t be able to fund your next few years of solo and ensemble with this money. It also can’t be used for pop pieces such as show tunes or accompaniment CD’s. A limited number of sight-reading pieces will be acceptable in TMEA’s view. Finally, choral applications with less than 10 individual sheets per piece will be asked to bring that number up to an amount that can serve a choir rather than can be used for perusal. TMEA’s explicit goal is to place challenging music in front of every middle school choir, orchestra and band student in Texas.

Your application will need to be submitted with a quote from a qualified vendor that includes shipping (again, Penders has free shipping on all MSMISP quotes). TMEA will review each piece and let you know if something doesn’t work for the use of the money. If you get the grant the quote will then be sent back to the vendor who will fill your order will be paid directly from TMEA. They are considering allowing refunds and exchanges in extreme scenarios only but will be subject to an approval process at TMEA before they can be completed.

On their site TMEA has outlined some criteria to help you select music appropriate for this program.

Quickly they are:

  • Works that offer insight into significant composers.
  • Works that have cultural, historical relevance as defined by the TEKS.
  • Works that extend the technical demands and musical limitations normally associated with middle school repertoire.
  • Works that can be related to other artistic genre such as dance, visual arts and literature

If you were confused by some of these points don’t worry, so were we.

First, we asked what their definition of a significant composer was. They told us it is going to be anyone of historical or musical significance to include contemporary composers (think Tichelli, Whitacre and the like) and those doing Hollywood music (John Williams, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore and others). But again, NO POP.

In regards to the last point about relating to other genres, they said a piece would qualify under this condition if it could be related to another academic subject and specifically quoted ‘Of Sailors and Whales’ by Francis McBeth to relate to literature, ‘Solitary Dancer’ by Warren Benson to relate to dance and any piece with multiple time signatures or difficult rhythms to relate to math. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list so be creative when applying this one.

While these may seem restricting, TMEA has told us that anything on the UIL list that is appropriate for the average 6 – 8th grade ensemble will be fair game but they stressed that pieces grade 3 and above are their preference. This list is primarily meant to guide your selection of music outside the UIL list.

TMEA wants to work with you to provide your students with the best music education available. They will be reviewing each application personally and will do line by line acceptance of pieces rather than whole application rejection or acceptance. If something you selected is outside their expectations they will contact you. But feel free to contact TMEA or Penders with any questions or concerns you may have.

 TMEA wants to give you $1000 in music and my barber always told me to never reject money more than once.

 Get your application in now! Penders can help you do it. If you have any more questions then please email or call us (our information is below). You can also send us your list of music and we will return your proposal within one business day so you can get your application in quickly.

 Pender’s Music Co

 band@penders.com choir@penders.com orchestra@penders.com

1 (800) 772-5918

Where Sheet Music, Competition & Creativity Collide (in TX)

If you live in the state of Texas, and you’re involved in music and education in the schools, then the two acronyms TX UIL and TX PML likely spill freely and frequently from your lips. And even if you’re not from Texas, but are involved in music education somewhere in this great country of ours, then you probably know what they mean, right? Just in case you don’t, though, here’s the information in a nutshell taken from the UIL home page: “The University Interscholastic League (UIL) exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests for schools in Texas.”

As it pertains to UIL music, of course, this includes marching band, concert band, full and string orchestra, both instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble, and choir. Solo and Ensemble music events in band, choir and orchestra are scheduled in 28 TX UIL Music Regions, and portions of the choral and instrumental sheet music to be performed must come from the Prescribed Music List (PML).

Hence, since the performance at least in part must come from the UIL music list that is not of your own making, the sheet music selection itself is a very important part of the process, because no individual soloist or music performance group wants to play sheet music that is either too easy or too difficult. Nor do they want to play from just any sheet music that is on the UIL music list. It needs to be sheet music that is specifically relevant to their group. Picking out what sheet music is to be played at a competition (or in essence, at a mini concert), is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the TX UIL music process. That PML piece must be representative of the overall performance level of either that one person (in a solo), or the entire group of musicians involved. Because it’s all about the competition, right? Or is it?

Students want to earn that Division One Rating at the region competitions, so that they are eligible to advance to the TX UIL State Solo and Ensemble Contest that is traditionally hosted in Austin every year on Memorial Day Weekend. The annual trek is to Austin, because it was the University of Texas at Austin that created the TX UIL in first place in 1910. So consider that. What has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world, has a more than one hundred year history, and the model from which it was created here in Texas is now emulated all over the country.

But is it really all for just the competition? Most certainly not. Yet in almost any music circle, you’ll find there is usually a constant debate about competition, its merits, and how it relates to music and the arts. There is a school of thought that since music and the arts are creative pursuits, why must competition or the participation in music contests be an integral part of it, particularly in the school classroom? It almost seems contradictory doesn’t it? Music | Creativity | Expression. What is competitive in that? How can you measure creativity? Expression?

Yet (again from the internet pages of the TX UIL), “the Music Program [specifically]…is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas.” Support…enrich…compete, too…and don’t forget to play or sing that choral octavo or instrumental sheet music as creatively and expressively as you can. Because luckily for us, UIL music and competition have and will continue to coexist beautifully together, because as anyone knows, the heart and soul of a school’s music organization is its concert ensemble, whether it be the top-level choral group, or the elite wind ensemble in the concert band program. It is by no coincidence at all that the best marching band programs are a direct reflection of the best concert bands; that the best a cappella choral groups are an extension of the premiere choir in the school; that the wind trios, brass quartets, and percussion ensembles that compete in the TX UIL music contests are usually formed from the top players of their respective programs.

So play on and compete. Seek and find the best band sheet music, choir sheet music, and instrumental sheet music which speak not only to you, but to your students as well. The time to do it is now. Christmas is right around the corner and the TX UIL music competitions will be here before you know it. Therefore, let the sheet music, competition and creativity collide, and trust Pender’s Music Co. to help you. The result will be worth it.

Helpful links:

Band PML | New Selections for 2011 | Texas UIL (slideshow)
New Texas UIL | PML Concert Band Additions for 2011-2012 (pdf)
Choral PML | New Selections for 2011 | Texas UIL (slideshow)
New Texas UIL | PML Choral Additions for 2011-2012 (pdf)
Orchestra PML | New Selections for 2011 | Texas UIL (slideshow)
New Texas UIL | PML Full & String Orchestra Additions for 2011-2012 (pdf)
Texas UIL | PML Vocal
Texas UIL | PML Instrumental
Texas UIL | PML String

 

 

Tuesday’s Tidbits: UIL Orchestra (PML)

While we realize that everyone is not as invested in the Texas UIL Prescribed Music List (PML) as we are, since two of our stores are in Texas, it still merits mention that this year there were many new titles added to the list(s), including music for full orchestra and string orchestra.

And while your particular situation may not require that you perform music from the list, that doesn’t mean that the list, in and of itself, is not indeed still a good resource when you’re simply looking for festival or competition music for other uses. That’s why we highlight it here and on our website, as well as across some of our other media channels (Slideshare, Flickr, Facebook, etc).

Just think about it….some great folks in Texas have done a lot of the work for you: reviewing, listening, and critiquing music, looking for only the best of the best in all levels for orchestra and strings. There are other states around the country that simply adopt the Texas UIL/PML list as their own, and call it day. Now, some people might call that robbery, and some people might just call it knowing when to take advantage of a good thing…..we’ll let you decide that for yourself. In the meantime, view the slideshow, download the pdf, and take a look at some great music for full orchestra and string orchestra.

Texas UIL Orchestra Sheet Music (PML): New Additions for  2011

The full orchestra/string orchestra sheet music titles that were recently added to the Texas UIL Prescribed Music List (PML) [2011].

 

And here is a link to the pdf brochure, which is on our website (also interactive):

 

Texas UIL | PML & You

The University Interscholastic League was created by The University of Texas at  Austin in 1910. It facilitates educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests, and has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world. In particular, 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.

And while your area may or may not have its own version of the UIL, there’s no doubt that the resources available from them can and are helpful to most educators, whether from the state of Texas or not. The TX UIL has been in the process of revising its Prescribed Music List, and recently, more than 100 titles were added to the band division of the list. Scroll through the slideshow below to review the latest additions, as well as to click through to audio files and pdf sample scores (where available).