As I look towards coaching groups of students and preparing my own private students for the TMEA All-State orchestra this year, I thought it might be enlightening to take a real accounting of where most accepted TMEA All-State students are coming from.
Every year, I discuss with my teacher friends the extremely uneven distribution of students by area, but as students are grouped by school district, rather than area, it's difficult to have an accurate picture of reality. The data I used is publicly available, and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
I think it's common knowledge that Houston and Dallas perform much better than San Antonio. I don't think it's common knowledge that Houston performs better by more than a factor of 10, or that El Paso produces nearly as many All-State students as San Antonio.
One could argue that the areas that do best (Fort Bend, Plano, Round Rock) are the most affluent and developed in Texas, or that those areas also have more prominent non-profit music schools and symphony orchestras.
However, this massively uneven distribution should begin a serious conversation about the whole point of an All-State Orchestra. What can be done to increase student acceptance in San Antonio and across the state? Why does this competition favor wealthy, well-developed areas, that obviously have no lack of music opportunities?
When I participated in PMEA (Pennsylvania's equivalent) All State, students were drawn in nearly equal numbers by region. The entire state was represented. Students from out of the way counties had an equal shot. Something's amiss here in Texas.
Matt
Every year, I discuss with my teacher friends the extremely uneven distribution of students by area, but as students are grouped by school district, rather than area, it's difficult to have an accurate picture of reality. The data I used is publicly available, and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
I think it's common knowledge that Houston and Dallas perform much better than San Antonio. I don't think it's common knowledge that Houston performs better by more than a factor of 10, or that El Paso produces nearly as many All-State students as San Antonio.
One could argue that the areas that do best (Fort Bend, Plano, Round Rock) are the most affluent and developed in Texas, or that those areas also have more prominent non-profit music schools and symphony orchestras.
However, this massively uneven distribution should begin a serious conversation about the whole point of an All-State Orchestra. What can be done to increase student acceptance in San Antonio and across the state? Why does this competition favor wealthy, well-developed areas, that obviously have no lack of music opportunities?
When I participated in PMEA (Pennsylvania's equivalent) All State, students were drawn in nearly equal numbers by region. The entire state was represented. Students from out of the way counties had an equal shot. Something's amiss here in Texas.
Matt
Edit:
Might as well include the breakdown by ISD. It was sometimes difficult to group ISDs to a metro area. My line of thinking was: Where are these kids driving to lessons? If they were within an hour of a major city center, they got grouped there. It's impossible to separate Dallas and Fort Worth, or Dallas from Plano.
San Antonio and Austin are 90 minutes apart in ideal conditions, so I don't see the point in grouping them together.
San Antonio only had students from Northside, Northeast, and Judson.
I certainly could have include students from Boerne or surrounding suburbs of San Antonio, had there been any All-Staters from those areas.
Breakdown by ISD:
Violin
112 violinists total.
Houston: 46 Accepted Students
Fort Bend 17, Humble 1, Clear Creek 5, Katy 7, Houston 6, St. Agnes 1, Spring Branch 1
Alief 1, Cypress Fairbanks 2, Conroe 1, Klein 1, “Non-ISD #23” 2, “Non-ISD #27” 1
Dallas/Fort Worth: 32 Accepted Students
Arlington 3, Plano 12, Frisco 7, Richardson 1, Allen 2, Lewisville 1, Dallas 2, Northwest 1, Hurst Euless Bedford 2, “Non-ISD 7” 1
Austin: 18 Accepted Students
Austin 2, Round Rock 15, Leander 1
San Antonio: 3 Accepted Students
Northeast 1, Northside 2
College Station: 3 Accepted Students
College Station 2, CSISD 1
McAllen TX: 2 Accepted Students
South TX 2
Lubbock: 2 Accepted Students
Lubbock 2
El Paso: 2 Accepted Students
El Paso 2
Tyler: 2 Accepted Students
Tyler 2
Beaumont: 1 Accepted student
Beaumont 1
Home School, location unidentifiable: 1
Might as well include the breakdown by ISD. It was sometimes difficult to group ISDs to a metro area. My line of thinking was: Where are these kids driving to lessons? If they were within an hour of a major city center, they got grouped there. It's impossible to separate Dallas and Fort Worth, or Dallas from Plano.
San Antonio and Austin are 90 minutes apart in ideal conditions, so I don't see the point in grouping them together.
San Antonio only had students from Northside, Northeast, and Judson.
I certainly could have include students from Boerne or surrounding suburbs of San Antonio, had there been any All-Staters from those areas.
Breakdown by ISD:
Violin
112 violinists total.
Houston: 46 Accepted Students
Fort Bend 17, Humble 1, Clear Creek 5, Katy 7, Houston 6, St. Agnes 1, Spring Branch 1
Alief 1, Cypress Fairbanks 2, Conroe 1, Klein 1, “Non-ISD #23” 2, “Non-ISD #27” 1
Dallas/Fort Worth: 32 Accepted Students
Arlington 3, Plano 12, Frisco 7, Richardson 1, Allen 2, Lewisville 1, Dallas 2, Northwest 1, Hurst Euless Bedford 2, “Non-ISD 7” 1
Austin: 18 Accepted Students
Austin 2, Round Rock 15, Leander 1
San Antonio: 3 Accepted Students
Northeast 1, Northside 2
College Station: 3 Accepted Students
College Station 2, CSISD 1
McAllen TX: 2 Accepted Students
South TX 2
Lubbock: 2 Accepted Students
Lubbock 2
El Paso: 2 Accepted Students
El Paso 2
Tyler: 2 Accepted Students
Tyler 2
Beaumont: 1 Accepted student
Beaumont 1
Home School, location unidentifiable: 1
Viola: 42 Total
Houston: 20 Accepted Students
Pasadena 1, Humble 1, Fort Bend 6, Clear Creek 2, Houston 4, Katy 2, Conroe 1, Klein 2, Tomball 1
Dallas: 14 Accepted Students
Plano 4, Frisco 2 Arlington 5, Dallas 1, McKinney 1, Hockaday School “non-isd 20” 1
San Antonio: 3 Accepted Students
Northeast 1, Northside 1, St. Anthony Catholic 1
Austin: 2 Accepted Students
Round Rock 1, Eanes 1
El Paso: 1 Accepted Student
El Paso 1
Waco: 1 Accepted Student
Midway 1
Amarillo: 1 Accepted Student
Amarillo 1
Houston: 20 Accepted Students
Pasadena 1, Humble 1, Fort Bend 6, Clear Creek 2, Houston 4, Katy 2, Conroe 1, Klein 2, Tomball 1
Dallas: 14 Accepted Students
Plano 4, Frisco 2 Arlington 5, Dallas 1, McKinney 1, Hockaday School “non-isd 20” 1
San Antonio: 3 Accepted Students
Northeast 1, Northside 1, St. Anthony Catholic 1
Austin: 2 Accepted Students
Round Rock 1, Eanes 1
El Paso: 1 Accepted Student
El Paso 1
Waco: 1 Accepted Student
Midway 1
Amarillo: 1 Accepted Student
Amarillo 1
Cello: 42 total
Dallas: 12 Accepted
Plano 7, Arlington 1, Frisco 2, Lewisville 1, Carrolton Farmers Branch 1
Houston: 19 accepted
Spring Branch 3, Fort Bend 3, Clear Creek 3, Klein 2, Houston 4 , Katy 3, Branch 1
Austin 8: accepted
Round Rock 6, Georgetown 1, Lake travis 1
San antonio: 1 accepted
northwest 1
Lubbock: 1 accepted
lubbock 1
El paso: 1 accepted
Socorro 1
Dallas: 12 Accepted
Plano 7, Arlington 1, Frisco 2, Lewisville 1, Carrolton Farmers Branch 1
Houston: 19 accepted
Spring Branch 3, Fort Bend 3, Clear Creek 3, Klein 2, Houston 4 , Katy 3, Branch 1
Austin 8: accepted
Round Rock 6, Georgetown 1, Lake travis 1
San antonio: 1 accepted
northwest 1
Lubbock: 1 accepted
lubbock 1
El paso: 1 accepted
Socorro 1
Bass: 41 Total
Houston: 17 Accepted students
Houston 2, Humble 1, pasadena 1, clear creak 3, Klein, 2, Katy 3, Fort Bend 3, Cypress Fairbanks 2
Dallas: 9 Accepted Students
Plano 2, Dallas 2, Lewisville 2, lovejoy 1, arlington 2
Austin: 6 accepted students
Austin 4, Round Rock 1, Lake Travis 1
McAllen area, 3 accepted students
Harlingen 1, Edinburg 2
San Antonio 2 accepted students
Northside 1, Judson 1
El Paso 2 accepted students
Socorro 1, El Paso 1
Waco: 1 accepted student
Midway 1
Denton: 1 accepted student
Denton 1
Houston: 17 Accepted students
Houston 2, Humble 1, pasadena 1, clear creak 3, Klein, 2, Katy 3, Fort Bend 3, Cypress Fairbanks 2
Dallas: 9 Accepted Students
Plano 2, Dallas 2, Lewisville 2, lovejoy 1, arlington 2
Austin: 6 accepted students
Austin 4, Round Rock 1, Lake Travis 1
McAllen area, 3 accepted students
Harlingen 1, Edinburg 2
San Antonio 2 accepted students
Northside 1, Judson 1
El Paso 2 accepted students
Socorro 1, El Paso 1
Waco: 1 accepted student
Midway 1
Denton: 1 accepted student
Denton 1
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