Just want to clarify something on this thread because I think there are some misunderstandings.
In the ATSSB/TMEA process, students can compete in a higher track but must sign an irrevocable track agreement before the region audition process starts. Once you're in the higher track, you can't drop back down. If you don't advance in the 6A track and you're at a 5A school, you don't get to fall back on a 5A Area/State spot as a backup option.
The total number of All-State band spots for 6A is far, far higher than for 5A (for 2023, 410 vs 165 - https://www.tmea.org/all-state/instrumentation-voicing/). This partly reflects that there are some students who compete up to measure themselves against the highest-caliber musicians in the state. If you look at the results from individual Areas, you can see that there are extremely few advancing spots on the 5A track.
Some 5A schools require all of their students to compete at the 6A level. Other schools leave it up to the individual student.
I don't understand why anyone would think this is somehow unfair to 6A students. The opposite would certainly be unfair to the top 5A musicians in Texas, being locked out from the top ensembles. Or, imagine some incredible musician at a 3A school who can't get out of the ATSSB ensemble even if they're the best oboist in the state.
Personally, I am not sure why TMEA even bothers with a 5A track since the advantage of numbers at a given campus aren't as obvious or overwhelming as they might be in a group activity like marching band. Probably better just to have a joint 5A/6A with the same total number of All-State seats.
