Solo & Ensemble

All band students will learn a solo and/or an ensemble and perform it in front of an audience

Where can I perform?

• UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest: February - Perform in front of a judge and receive a rating and feedback. MUST pass off for a director by January (Date TBD)

• Spring Concert: May (TBD) - Selected solos and/or ensembles will have the chance to perform their music at the spring concert. 

• Other community performances (LCISD Central Office, Barnes and Noble, nursing homes) with director approval

What can I perform?

• UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest: A solo or ensemble selected from the UIL Prescribed Music List

• Spring Concert: Any piece approved by a band director (or private lessons teacher)

Requirements:

• Every Lubbock-Cooper Liberty High School Band student is required to perform a solo or an ensemble for an audience that has been approved by a director.

For UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest, you may do up to TWO events (two solos, two ensembles, one solo/one ensemble), regardless of the instrument you are playing. Band students who are also in orchestra may also do an event for Orchestra Solo and Ensemble but may enter no more than three events total.

If you wish to perform in two ensembles for UIL, the following restrictions must be observed:

• Two small ensembles, provided they are different event codes or different instrumentation under the same event code and different music is performed.

• Saxophone players may participate in two saxophone quartets, provided different music is performed.

How to Prepare a Solo or Ensemble

Define

• Look up the title of your piece (especially if it is in another language) and see what it means.

• Look up and write in the definitions of any descriptive musical words you don’t know.

Research

• Who composed the piece? What time period did he/she live in? Where is he/she from?

• After finding the time period of the piece, identify any musical notations or styles that may be specific to this period. 

• What instrument was the piece originally for? Was it written for an event or dedicated to a person?

• Can you find any other facts relevant to the piece that could help you understand it better? 

Signatures

• What notes are in your key signature? Find those notes in the piece and mark them in. 

• Identify any changes of key signature throughout the piece.

• Identify your time signature. How many beats are in a measure? What note gets the beat? 

Notation

• Look through your piece and identify any types of musical markings you don’t know. Try looking them up online or asking a director.

• Are there any notes that you don’t know how to play? Look up the fingerings.

• Find rhythms you don’t know and write in the downbeats, then upbeats, then any further subdivision. Ask for help if you need it.

• Number all of your measures.

Tempo

• Identify your starting tempo and any tempo changes throughout the piece.

• Start fast pieces at around half tempo. For extra slow pieces, think in 8th notes.

Musicality

• Pay attention to articulations, phrase markings, dynamics, and other musical information printed in your piece.

• Identify phrases and shaping in your piece. Know where you are going to or coming away from. 

Example Practice Schedule

USE A METRONOME

Week 1- January 5

• Complete the “How to Prepare” page

• Play through the entire piece and identify problem spots that you will need to practice or get help with.
  
  

Week 2- January 11

• This week’s goal is the LAST third of your piece. Count up the number of measures and divide by 3. Aim for 50%-60% tempo. If you are memorizing your piece, you need to begin memorizing as you go. Don’t wait.
  
  

Week 3- January 18

• This week’s goal is to learn the FIRST third of your piece. Aim for 50%-60% tempo.
  
  

Week 4- January 25

• This week’s goal is to learn the MIDDLE third of your piece.

• By the end of this week,  you should be able to play through the whole piece at around 70% tempo.
  
  

Week 5- February 1

• You should be able to play through your entire piece at 80% tempo (and memorized if applicable).

• Listen to recordings with accompaniment if you can. Learn how the piano part goes during any of your rests.

• Continue to break down problem sections and isolate trouble spots.
  
  

Week 6- February 8

• Begin to practice in the bigger picture. Play longer and longer chunks at full tempo (and memorized).
  
  

Week 7- February 15

• Perform for as many different people as you can. Practice being nervous. 

• Occasionally spot check any problem spots.
  
  

Solo and Ensemble- February 20