We've all said for years how different kids are - it's very evident in our profession. There are more electives, more opportunities, and more distractions present in kids lives today than ever before. This shows up in every facet of how we teach now.
While a A 1 should sound like a 1, expecting a 2A rural band of 28 kids to sound like a 75-member 5A or 6A band with a team of teachers and lesson instructors simply isn't appropriate. Expecting a CC middle school second band to sound like a CCC suburban first band isn't appropriate either. Most judges try to "take the school size and age into account" yet many simply don't know what an appropriate, characteristic sound is for a small school ensemble.
That's why we see ..irregular.. UIL ratings events like this one, and part of why many 4A-down UIL events usually average a full rating point lower than 5A-6A events statewide, in my twenty+ years' experience.
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