RBC Publications Releases Popular “Texas Prep” Sight-Reading Series for Choral and Much Anticipated Volume II for Concert Band

Lakeland, Florida (January 9, 2025) – RBC Publications is thrilled to release the much anticipated second volume of Texas Prep Series: Daily Exercises Based on the State Sight-Reading Criteria series for Concert Bands and the inaugural volume of Texas Prep series for Choral. These releases come on the heels of the release of the Texas Prep series for String Orchestra in November 2024. Ideal for use by Directors – both in Texas and throughout the country and beyond – Texas Prep is designed to increase sight-reading skills and prepare students for contest adjudication.

Concert Band: The second volume of Texas Prep Series: Daily Exercises Based on the State Sight-Reading Criteria series for Concert Bands features six levels of collections written by esteemed educators and composers from Texas, Carol Brittin Chambers, Clifton Jones, William Owens, Jason K. Nitsch and Jack Wilds. Each of the six levels in the Texas Prep series follows the widely respected University Interscholastic League (UIL) sight-reading criteria for band and a progressive, pedagogic sequence. Available as full Concert Band sets, the Texas Prep series covers all keys, rhythms, and time signatures that ensembles may encounter while sight-reading under the Texas state sight-reading criteria. “Witnessing the impact of Texas’s Sight-Reading procedure has inspired us to dig deeper and create a new resource for Band Directors across the state and country,” explains Tyler Arcari, Director of Music Production and Editing. “Working directly with composers who have written for the UIL Sight-Reading, each level in the Texas Prep series provides authentic sight-reading etudes as well as fundamental exercises in rhythm and key to help ensembles best prepare for assessment.”

Choral: Completely redesigned to meet the needs of vocal groups, Texas Prep Series: Daily Exercises Based on the State Sight-Reading Criteria series for Choral is also aligned with the UIL standards. The individual octavos include numerous daily exercises in rhythm, melody, and harmony, and provide all possible voicings within each level. The teacher’s book, which encompasses all five levels of Texas Prep and UIL Sight-Reading criteria, offers a wealth of helpful resources, including piano accompaniments and notes from the authors. Texas Prep series for Choral is written by Texas composers and educators Jimmy Baas, Anna Marie Maddalena Gonzalez, and Tim Winebrenner, each of whom has extensive knowledge of UIL criteria.

As a longtime collaborator with UIL in providing musical pieces for the sight-reading portion of UIL’s assessment, RBC Publications understands the ins and outs of Texas state music education, criteria, and adjudication. Texas Prep is the Band, Choral, or Orchestra Director’s tool to assist in these endeavors.

Full Concert Band sets are available for $65 each (scores are $10 each). Choral Teacher Editions are available for $34.99 and individual octavos for $4.99. String Orchestra sets are available for $55 each (scores are $10 each).