TMAA - Texas Music Adjudicators Association

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

It is imperative to review the requirements below prior to beginning an application.
Application Process for TMAA Membership
Updated March 2022

TMAA Conflict of Interest Policy (July 21, 2021)

All TMAA members must prevent any real or perceived conflict of interest between adjudication of a UIL evaluation/contest and any organization participating in that event. Refer to the UIL C & CR Section 1112: Adjudication for further clarification.

Applications are reviewed and approved each year at the summer conventions and at the TMEA convention.

New Membership

In order to be considered for active membership in the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA) all candidates must satisfy the following components:

  1. Successful teaching component

    • Every candidate must have five (5) years of Texas UIL music participation (UIL Concert & Sight Reading or UIL Marching) as the primary conductor of an ensemble in the judging field in which he/she is applying.

    • For the Mariachi Division, every candidate must have three (3) years of participation in the Texas UIL State Mariachi Festival as the primary conductor of a Mariachi ensemble if applying during the 2020-2021 school year. This requirement will increase by each subsequent year until 5 years of experience is reached during the 2022-2023 school year.

    • Under certain circumstances, an assistant director who isn't the primary conductor of an ensemble may be eligible. See section 4(b) under Superior Performance Component

  2. Employment in music education component.

    • Every candidate must be currently employed in the state of Texas,or TRS pension retired, as one of the following:

      1. a public school or college music educator

      2. a public school music administrator

      3. an educational consultant in the field of application

      4. a professional musician - A professional musician is defined as someone whose primary source of income is derived from performing professionally and/or teaching private music lessons. Being enrolled in a college music degree program does not automatically confer “professional musician” status to a member.


  3. Workshop component

    • Within four years prior to application for membership (including the year of application), every candidate must have completed a TMAA workshop in the performance areas (band, choir, orchestra, marching band and/or mariachi) in which he or she is applying. Example: Applying in 2019 - must have attended a workshop in 2019, 2018, 2017 or 2016.

  4. Superior performance component

    • Directors of public school music groups (grades 7-12)

      1. Lead, or primary directors for an ensemble must have earned a Sweepstakes Award (Division I rating in Concert and Division I rating in Sight Reading) at Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) Concert & Sight Reading Evaluations in each area of application (Band, Choir, Orchestra), or a Division I rating at the UIL Marching Contest or a Division I or II rating at the UIL State Mariachi Festival in three of the past five years. This includes the year of application if the UIL evaluation or contest has already occurred for that year at the time of application.

      2. Assistant directors, who are using ratings for an ensemble for which they were not the primary conductor, must submit a letter of recommendation from the lead or primary conductor of the ensemble. This letter should detail the responsibilities of the assistant director related to the ensemble preparation for the UIL evaluation or contest.

      3. Primary conductors of college/university music organizations or public school music administrators must submit documentation attesting to five years of teaching experience and participation in UIL music evaluations/contests as the primary conductor of an ensemble in the areas of application (band, choir, orchestra, marching band and/or mariachi). For the Mariachi Division, this must be three years of participation at the UIL Region medium ensemble contest as the primary conductor of a Mariachi ensemble during the 2020-2021 school year and increasing each subsequent year until 5 years of experiences is reached during the 2022-2023 school year. All applicants must also submit three letters of recommendation from current TMAA active members in the division of application. These letters must state qualifications of the candidate relating to their teaching or judging experiences. In addition, the university/college conductor or public school music administrators must have earned at least Division I ratings in both concert and sight reading, Division I in marching, or Division I or II ratings at the UIL State Mariachi Festival during three of the last five years prior to becoming a university/college conductor or public school music administrator.

      4. Former directors who serve as educational consultants and are still actively involved in the profession must submit documentation attesting to five years of teaching experience and participation in UIL music evaluations/contests as the primary conductor of an ensemble in the area of application (band, choir, orchestra, marching band and/or mariachi). They must also submit three letters of recommendation from directors they have recently worked with in a consultant role in the division of application. These letters must validate their position as an educational consultant who is still actively involved in the profession. In addition, they must have earned at least Division I ratings in both concert and sight reading, Division I in marching, or Division I or II ratings at the UIL State Mariachi Festival during three of the last five years before leaving full-time teaching in the public schools.

  5. Adjudicator/clinician component - This component will be added to the Mariachi Division in the future. All Mariachi members will begin as provisional members.

    1. A candidate must have served as an adjudicator in a Texas UIL music evaluation in his or her areas of application (choir, band, orchestra, marching band and/or mariachi) in at least two different regions within the five years prior to the application being reviewed for approval by the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Performance Practices (CSAPP). For Marching Band, at least one of these two must be a UIL Region Marching Contest and area/state can be used for the second one. The five-year period includes the current year if the contest for the area of application has taken place at the time the application is reviewed by the CSAPP. Being an adjudicator for the TMEA Honor Band/Orchestra Competition, the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series, UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest or other local/school district contests/festivals cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.

      2. or

    2. A candidate may satisfy the adjudicator/clinician component by serving once as an adjudicator in a Texas UIL music evaluation/contest and once as a clinician-conductor of a Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) or Association of Texas Small School Bands (ATSSB) All-Region group in his or her area of application within five years prior to application for membership.

      3. or

    3. A candidate may satisfy the adjudicator/clinician component by serving at least once as a conductor of an All-State group in the areas of application within the five years prior to applying for membership.

  6. Provisional membership

    • Provisional membership is earned by candidates who successfully complete components 1-4 listed above and are awaiting the completion of the adjudicator/clinician component.

Maintaining Provisional Membership

  • Provisional members pay annual dues and their names are listed in the Provisional Judging List on the TMAA website. Provisional memberships remain in effect for five years (not including the year membership is approved) and expire on December 31st.

  • Dues – If a provisional member fails to pay annual dues by the February 1 deadline of each year, they will be placed on probation, removed from the TMAA judging lists, and will be subject to a $50 reinstatement fee in addition to the annual dues. Members who fail to pay their dues by March 1, will have their memberships terminated. Reinstatement, by reapplication for membership, will not be allowed for a period of one year.

  • Workshop Attendance – If a provisional member fails to attend a judging workshop every four years, they will be placed on probation, removed from the TMAA judging lists, and will be subject to a $50 reinstatement fee. Once the reinstatement fee is received, your name will be returned to regular status while awaiting your attendance at your required judging workshop. You will be given one year to attend a workshop and or your membership will be terminated. Reinstatement, by reapplication for membership, will not be allowed for a period of one year.

  • General Business Meeting Attendance - The member must participate in the TMAA online business meeting each year prior to being able to pay yearly dues.

  • If active status is not gained during the five-year period, the candidate may reapply for membership by submitting a new application that includes documentation of required ratings earned during three of the preceding five years and attendance at a judging workshop within the preceding four years.

  • Provisional members wishing to move to active membership may do so by submitting a new membership application including documentation of required ratings earned during three of the preceding five years, judging workshop attendance during the preceding four years, and two adjudicating/clinician activities as detailed in Section 5 above.

Maintaining Active Membership

In order to maintain active membership in TMAA, current members must satisfy the following components:

  1. Employment in music education component

    • The member must continue employment, or retired, as one of the following:

      1. a public school or college music educator

      2. a public school or college music administrator

      3. an educational consultant in the field of membership

      4. a professional musician - A professional musician is defined as someone whose primary source of income is derived from performing professionally and/or teaching private music lessons. Being enrolled in a college music degree program does not automatically confer “professional musician” status to a member.

  2. Workshop component - The member must attend a TMAA judging workshop in each of his or her judging performance area(s) at least once during each four-year period. Example: Last workshop 2018 – must attend another workshop by December 31, 2022.

    If an active member fails to attend a judging workshop every four years, they will be placed on probation, removed from the TMAA judging lists, and will be subject to a $50 reinstatement fee. Once the reinstatement fee is received, your name will be returned to regular status while awaiting your attendance at your required judging workshop. You will be given one year to attend a workshop or your membership will be terminated. Reinstatement, by reapplication for membership, will not be allowed for a period of one year.

  3. General Business Meeting Attendance - The member must participate in the TMAA online business meeting each year prior to being able to pay yearly dues.

  4. Dues component - The member must pay annual dues. If an active member fails to pay annual dues by the February 1 deadline of each year, they will be placed on probation, removed from the TMAA judging lists, and will be subject to a $50 reinstatement fee in addition to the annual dues. Members who fail to pay their dues by March 1, will have their memberships terminated. Reinstatement, by reapplication for membership, will not be allowed for a period of one year.

  5. Adjudicator/clinician component - During each five-year period, members must have served, or been invited to serve twice,

    1. as an adjudicator at UIL music events in their division of membership (Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation, UIL Marching Contest, or UIL Region Mariachi Contest,

      2. or

    2. as a clinician/conductor for a TMEA or ATSSB region ensemble,

      3. or

    3. as a conductor of an All-State group in the appropriate performance areas.

      4. Members may combine adjudicator and clinic activities and the five-year period to adjudicate or be invited twice consists of the current year and the previous 4 years. The five-year period moves forward each time we enter a new calendar year. Example: If it is currently 2019, then the five-year look back period is from 2015 through 2019.

      In addition, a member may apply to have an adjudicating experience in an official state or national music organization contest satisfy the adjudicator/clinician requirement. Documentation must be submitted by the member and is subject to approval by the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Performance Practices (CSAPP) of TMAA.

    Requirements for Retired Membership Category

    1. Members who have retired from positions of music teaching, music administration, or professional musician may continue their membership in TMAA, with the exception of those who pursue full-time careers in areas that would be considered to be a conflict of interest. This conflict of interest would be defined as serving as a clinician-consultant for or receiving any financial compensation directly, or through an employer or third party (i.e., Booster Club), for any services or products provided to any school organization in that region or area and conference during the current school year.

    2. Retired members shall conform to all other components required of active members.

    Conflict of Interest Statement Pertaining to All Memberships

      All TMAA members must prevent any real or perceived conflict of interest between adjudication of a UIL evaluation/contest and any organization participating in that event. Refer to the UIL C & CR Section 1112: Adjudication for further clarification.

Online Application

Open April 1 - May 31 and November 1 - December 31

Some school district servers block saving to the servers where the applications are saved. If you have trouble saving the information input in Part 2A and 2B of the application, try using a personal computer that is not using the district network.

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