UIL CHECKLIST

Sandra Vandertulip, TODA Past President (2015-2016)

“UIL.” It conjures up a plethora of emotions in all music directors. For some of us, our fondest memories come from UIL days. The day they got it perfect–the smiles and cheers on the bus afterwards; even the funny mishaps from those days. But, for a good deal of us, the emotion is dread.Feelings of fear and anxiety can come from the unknown. As a young teacher, I remember watching the “masters” as they cruised through UIL without batting an eye, and I always remember wanting experience. Hopefully, you will find some of these tips and tricks helpful.

Read the rules! You may find information you never knew about that can actually help you, or you may find out you have more flexibility than you thought you did.
Be prepared! Start early. Map out your program in August or September. Select music that fits your group, plays to its strengths, and is an attainable goal by your evaluation. A good mix of keys, time signatures, tempos, and styles are always good. It can also help you in the sight-reading room, as you can refer back to those pieces. Successful programming is more than half the battle.
Consider doing a UIL PML piece at your Fall or Winter Concert! This gives you a backup plan if you get to Spring semester and one of your pieces is overwhelming a group.
Practice sight-reading daily! You don’t have to sight read an entire piece every day, but a few minutes a day on 4–16 measures will boost confidence and processing/decoding skills for your students.
Have a sight reading procedure for the Sight-Reading room! I always wrote down a plan on a note card, mapping out crucial times where I anticipated where I should be in the process. With the pilot program this past year, I made only a few adjustments to my procedure, as it worked just about the same. For an eight minute Instructional Period, my process looked like this:

3 Minute Score Study - Use a silent metronome and sticky notes. Figure out how you’re going to give cues, and conduct through any tricky transitions
Beginning - Say key, any fingerings to address, time signature, tempo, and style. Then, GO!
Seven Minute Warning - Be “into the piece.”
Four Minute Warning - Be through the piece. This is the crucial time. Address the “trick” – basses entering on beat 2, a D.C. al Coda, difficult rhythm, transitions, staggered entrances, etc.
Three Minute Warning - Be close to finishing any transitions.
Two Minute Warning - Go over the ending.
One Minute - Go over the beginning. Talk through it as they shadow bow it a couple of times, and then do a “no sound” start once or twice.
Fifteen Second Warning - Say, “in fifteen seconds, they will call time. We will turn our music over and play a concert G (or whatever the key is) and then, when the judges are ready, we will turn our music over and begin.” When they call time, you aren’t supposed to say anything, so build it into your instruction time.

Have a timeline for a successful UIL Season! Fall Semester - select & order UIL music, make a calendar of rehearsals, schedule a Pre-UIL Concert two to three weeks before UIL, add short sight-reading exercises into your routine, and book clinicians to work with your ensemble in early Spring semester. December/January - enter your group in UIL, do district travel forms, order buses, order scores. Spring Semester - make sight-reading exercises longer, record rehearsals, and listen to them. Week Before UIL - confirm buses, print your Form 1s, number measures in scores, complete seating charts, print an itinerary, make sure you have excused your students from the classes they will miss, and have a meal/snack plan in place. Day Before UIL - pack your “Go” bag. Day Of UIL - Smile! Relax! The preparation is done! Enjoy your students. If you feel confident, they will too.

Beginning of Fall Semester – Select and order your UIL music. Make a calendar of before and after school rehearsals. Schedule a Pre-UIL Concert two to three weeks before UIL, and have judges write commentary.
Fall – Begin adding small, short sight-reading exercises into your daily and weekly routine. Book clinicians to come listen and work with your ensemble in early Spring semester.
December/January – Enter your group in UIL. Do district travel forms, order buses, and turn everything in. Order scores if you haven’t already.
Spring Semester – Make sight-reading exercises longer. Record rehearsals, and listen to them. Consider recording from a different place in the room, such as the back.
The Week Before UIL – Complete your checklist!

Call transportation to confirm buses;
Print your Form 1s and have your principal sign;
Number all measures in your scores;
Complete two seating charts per group;
Print an itinerary for each group and student;
Make sure you have excused your students from the classes they will miss;
Have a meal/snack plan in place.

Day Before UIL
- Call transportation to confirm buses;

Go over the itinerary with students;
Set up your room for the next day;
Pack your “Go Bag” with: scores, baton, tuner/metronome, rosin, strings, bows, rock stops, keyboard/amplifier, percussion equipment, harp, harp strings, extra music, thank you list, bottle of water, tissues, judges scores, set up charts, and Form 1s.

Day Of UIL

Dress professionally;
Arrive early;
Be ready for something to go wrong;
Remind your students to be on their best behavior;
Smile! Relax! The preparation is done! Enjoy your students. If you feel confident, they will too;
Have everything ready to turn into the contest office. Thank the workers.
Embrace the feedback from the judges. We’re all here to learn.
Celebrate the day!