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Tssec

Posted by Rant on 5/24/2025, 9:33 am

Let the kids play!!!!! All of it!!! Every last note!!! I don’t care that you didn’t hire enough judges to keep the contest on schedule. Or how about this have the music on the list should be shorter in length?

Re: Tssec

Posted by DesertJazz on 5/28/2025, 4:49 pm, in reply to "Tssec"

Sorry to hear that happened to people… I know they said it could in advance in their materials. I think one of the problems that has to be facing them from a timing perspective is the variety of lengths of pieces. You can have a 2 minute piece or a crazy 20 minute piece - and they’re all on the list with no way to know length. UIL should really consider adding ‘standard performance length’ data to their online entries. That would then make it much simpler to add a step in scheduling and fix some of these problems.

Re: Tssec

Posted by Op on 5/25/2025, 7:17 pm, in reply to "Tssec"

I had a student who was playing a 6 minute 30 second piece. Snare solo with a track. Not going to be any longer than that. It has a track! And the judge wouldn’t let him finish it. He played exactly 3 minutes and 51 seconds of it. He was the fourth person to play on Saturday and yet he had to not play all of it because they are behind schedule??? It really is time to revamp how this contest is done. Area sites for TSSEC? Use existing marching or TMEA areas to host the contest? IDK. But I do know that the student should be able to perform the entire piece they’ve worked on.
And, yes, he made a 1. But does he automatically get outstanding performer or automatically not going to get it? If he doesn’t get it how do they know he wasn’t the best? He didn’t play all of it. If he does get it how do they know. He didn’t play all of it.

Re: Tssec

Posted by Respectfully on 5/24/2025, 9:39 pm, in reply to "Tssec"

The list should not be shortened or abriged due to TSSEC. It's already lost a ton of good, playable pieces over the years (many of which have come back, but not all).

Re: Tssec

Posted by uh on 5/27/2025, 9:22 am, in reply to "Re: Tssec"

I don't think he is asking for the list to be shortened. If the judges can't hear the entire piece then the only options are: 1. have pieces on the PML that are shorter in length 2. give longer time slots at contest

Re: Tssec

Posted by Respectfully on 5/27/2025, 2:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Tssec"

Directly quoting OP: "Or how about this have the music on the list should be shorter in length?"

I know inferencing is a thing that kids start learning in third grade, and that may have been a while ago for you. But seriously now. Make an inference. OP directly stated "music on the list should be shorter" which has two options - one, add shorter pieces, or two, cut the length of the longer pieces.

The post was clear. So is my opposition to their suggestion. Pieces on the PML should not be shortened or abridged due to the needs of TSSEC.

If TSSEC has such a problem with time, raise the fees $5 per entry and hire more judges. I can't imagine with seven major universities with music staffs within 100 miles of the contest location that they can't find worthy individuals to judge.

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