Contest Information and Explanations

Tafa Band Program is a member of Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) and offers the band students opportunities to participate in contests and events through the TPSMEA organization.

All Region/All State Band/All State Jazz Band

Auditions are recorded in the fall for Region/All State and in January for Middle School Honor Band.. TPSMEA sets the required audition music which the band directors make accessible in the summer or at the beginning of the school year.  

All State Band and Jazz Band is made up of the top players from participating members state wide. The clinic and concert are held in the Dallas area the last weekend of January.  Any student who auditions and is selected but chooses not to participate will not be allowed to audition the following year per TPSMEA rules.  Please make sure you are to participate if you choose to audition for this elite group.  There is an audition fee for this event as well as cost for travel, hotel, and food for students who are chosen for this prestigious band.  Students who make the All State Band are required to stay in the hotel to participate. TAFA offers transportation the weekend of the event and hotel supervision via the TAFA Band Directors. Parents are expected to attend the concert and provide transportation home.

All Region Band is made up of the top students from the North Texas Region. Students may chose to audition for the Region Band only. The Region audition is taken from the Region/All State entries - any student auditioning for All State is automatically entered into the Region Band audition.  Region Band clinic and concert is held in mid - late February and is hosted in the North Texas area .  Students who make the Region Band may choose to travel with TAFA and stay in the TAFA sponsored hotel or may provide their own transportation and stay at home over night. Cost for this event includes audition fee and participation/music fee and food. Optional cost is TAFA provided transportation, hotel, and food.

*Eligible students -  Region/All State - Any grade level student in Wind Ensemble, any high School aged student in Symphonic Band .  All State Jazz Band - any student in the top performing TAFA Jazz Band

Middle School Honor Band - 

Auditions for MSHB are recorded in January.  TPSMEA sets the required audition music which the band directors make accessible in the summer or at the beginning of the school year.  

Middle School Honor Band is made up of the top students from all over the state of Texas.  The MSHBand clinic and concert is held in mid - late February and is hosted in the North Texas area. Students who make the MSHBand may choose to travel with TAFA and stay in the TAFA sponsored hotel or may provide their own transportation and stay at home over night. Cost for this event includes audition fee and participation/music fee and food. Optional cost is TAFA provided transportation and hotel. Parents are expected to attend the concert and provide transportation home.

*eligilble students - any student in WE, Symphonic or Concert Band who is 5th -8th grade. 

Solo and Ensemble Contest  - held the first Saturday at Greenhill School in Dallas. Students have the opportunity to perform a select solo piece with piano accompaniment or a select unaccompanied solo piece or perform with a small ensemble group for a professional instrumentalist and receive constructive critique and a rating of Superior (I), Excellent (II), Good (III), or Needs iImprovement (IV). Students receiving a rating of Superior on a UIL PML listed solo receive a medal or a ribbon for non UIL PML listed solos.  

TPSMEA Concert and Sight Reading Contest -  On selected years Wind Ensemble participates in the Concert and Sight Reading Contest.  This contest is  similar to the public school UIL Concert and Sight Reading contest.  Elite Band Directors from across the state critique the performance of participating bands and give them written comments to encourage musical growth and the success of the program, giving ideas for improvement and constructive assesment. The bands are given a  rating based on their performance I - superior, II - excellent, III - good, !V -fair.