It’s Time to Rethink the Prescribed Music List Revision Process
By Richard Floyd | Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:56 AM
As most of you probably know by now the University Interscholastic League is celebrating its 100th Anniversary during the 2009-2010 school year. Music has been a member of the UIL family for better than 60 of those years. As I have looked back at our history it has been interesting to see how some things have changed dramatically while others have remained static for decades.
A case in point would be the process that we follow to revise our Prescribed Music List. The “order of worship” consists of appointing a committee of five to seven people in band, choir and orchestra, who have four years to study the PML, consider additions and deletions and make recommendations that are incorporated into the list for the next four years. Then, the new cycle begins. This process has remained basically unchanged since at least the 1960s when I served on the PML Revision Committee.
Yet, over the past decade technology has dramatically changed virtually every aspect of how we deal with print music and audio recordings. And, at the same time, everything I hear and read suggests that there are many more changes to come. In addition, our Prescribed Music List is now maintained in an electronic database online so there is no need to wait four years to complete a revision in order to print a new book. We can amend the list immediately with just a few keystrokes.
Consequently, it would seem the time is right to rethink how we go about maintaining and revising our list. To that end, the members of the current PML Committees are going to convene on MLK Day at the UIL office in Austin to consider redesigning how these committees function. Some of the concepts that will be explored include:
• Consider restructuring our committees so they look more like our sight-reading music selection committees or technical advisory committee. Thus, members would serve for a specified rotating term so there are always new and old members at the table. There would be a commitment to have representation from all levels of contest performance from Grade 1 to Grade 5.
• Develop a timeline that allows for modifications to the list annually. Since the list is now maintained in an electronic format, there is no need to wait four years because we have to print a new book.
• To this end, have the committees meet annually to review only new releases. In reality once the “pop” titles and programmatic selections are eliminated the remaining stack of music is fairly small and manageable.
• Look at the possibility of creating a feature on the UIL Web site that affords band, choir and orchestra directors the opportunity to electronically submit titles for consideration by the committees. The submission could include title, composer, publisher, link to recording and other pertinent information.
• Examine the relevance of the Grade III Solo and Ensemble List which for the most part is only used by entry level freshmen. As a result, of the 84,400 solos entered this past spring, only 10 percent were Grade III. In the ensemble category the percentage was even less at four percent. Thus, the question becomes, "Has the structure of our programs changed over the years while we have clung to a model that was developed some 60 years ago?"
• Finally, we do need to see if we can be more cost-effective in our meeting structure. In the past the UIL has pretty much given the committees a "blank check" and freedom to meet as often and as long as needed to get the job done. However, in the current economy all UIL directors are being asked to be more frugal and look for ways to reduce travel and meeting costs. Hopefully, electronic communication can help us achieve this objective.
I have sat in this chair long enough to know that many directors become uneasy when there is any discussion of change in how we “do business.” On the other hand, I think it is important that we look at this not so much as change for change’s sake but rather an opportunity to create a more efficient, timely and comprehensive way to maintain and enhance the quality of repertoire that we believe provides the best musical experiences for our students. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome.
On a totally different topic, I want to share some exciting news with you. Composer’s Datebook is a feature of National Public Radio and produced by Minnesota Public Radio in cooperation with the American Composers Forum. It has been broadcast on Public Radio and Classical Radio stations across the nation for several years. Each two-minute daily segment contains a discussion of a composer, composition or special moment in music history.
During 2010, 50 of these segments will feature music for winds and wind band composers. These segments have been made possible through the support of the College Band Directors National Association, and it has been exciting for me personally to spearhead this project. Let me encourage you to go online and sign up to receive a daily email that includes the two minute feature that will be broadcast that day. The link is: http://composersdatebook.publicradio.org/about/
This feature would be of interest to many of your students as well. Enjoy!