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UIL Area B 2022
Aquaflamma85 and 5 others reacted to 1998-2018 for a topic
“You’re entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine. Yours is informed by no better evidence than mine is..” Objection. Facts not in evidence. This statement has no basis for support and is therefore purely speculative. “But I will say that there is evidence.” Anecdotal evidence is largely meaningless, only empirical evidence matters. Due to the nature of this forum and some participant’s preferences neither of us will be allowed to openly discuss the evidence and I have no desire to take this conversation outside the forum. I’ve been down this path enough times before. Hang on to your opinion if it helps you rationalize outcomes and enjoy competitions. It didn’t help me when I was getting started. “I will say also that I have heard, with my own ears, directors communicating that the phenomena does occur.” So have I, generally from Directors struggling to rationalize their programs difficulties breaking through to the next level. Saying something happens doesn’t make it true. “I’ve heard judges say it does occur.” No comment. Addressing this directly would require breaking our programs Code of Conduct. I’m not going to do that. However, I will add that I notice you didn’t indicate whether the judges you heard said they have personally made decisions based on reputation or if they were saying they know about others who admit to doing it. “So it’s not just my opinion.” Correct. Unfortunately it’s a very widely held fallacy. Again, that doesn’t make it true. “If you reread my original post, I don’t quibble with it.” No need. I noted that the first time. I’m not convinced that bears any relevance on the subject. “Your esoteric explanation really dances around the key word- it’s subjective. Just like gymnastics and ice skating - and therefore it uses criterion that aren’t objective.” This activity is a combination of science and art. Of course it’s subjective; I did not suggest otherwise. One of the issues in UIL judging is that the relative value of these subjective preferences are not well defined. For example, are musical and visual accuracy more or less valuable than demand? This example, to a certain extent, also falls on a sliding scale of subjectivity but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better defined through documented video training examples. The NFL and NCAA use this option to clarify pass interference rules changing from well defined objectivity in the ‘70’s to the highly subjective mess of today’s game. Another example would be whether music and drill demand have higher value when performed in combination versus being performed separately. This one is actually defined on the judging sheet but we routinely see some bands highly rewarded for what amounts to “park and play” even though this is clearly not in compliance with the current judging sheet. Adjudication based entirely, or even just heavily, on personal preferences is not sustainable. As for the esoteric nature of my comment, you seem to have missed the point. There are people on this forum who can, and will, learn when given the opportunity, simply because they want too. “Like reputation.“ Where exactly is “reputation” on the judging sheet? I’m not saying there are no Judges that have ever been influenced by reputation. But I am saying that it is a very small minority and also highly inappropriate. All a Judge has is their own reputation which is why they don’t let a bands reputation influence the outcome of a competition. Each performance must speak for itself or integrity and credibility is lost. “Boxing” An interesting example. A few years ago I asked a Judge I’ve known for decades about his decision regarding First and Second place at DCI Finals in Indianapolis. He talked me through the details and then said, “If you want to beat the World Champion, you have to do it decisively and leave no question about it.” On the surface that statement might appear to support the idea of reputation influencing a Judge but further discussion revealed that’s not what he was talking about. If you want to break through to the next level, kick down the door. Win decisively. Leave no doubt. “And that’s irrefutable.” Hardly, but you have made it clear you have no intention of being persuaded which is why I originally indicated I was done with this conversation. I chose to reengage because of the possibility that someone else will be open to the information and learn a new perspective. Thereby giving up on a tired fallacy, while gaining a better understanding of the adjudication process and more satisfying enjoyment of the contests they attend. It worked for me. Yeah, I know. My wife always tells me, “Too many words.” 🙄6 points -
2022 6A UIL State
peshbandkid and 4 others reacted to crunchycookie3 for a topic
absolutely atrocious ❤️5 points -
2022 6A UIL State
the terminator and 4 others reacted to bchorn for a topic
I honestly don't care about the acoustics. I'm tired of those Indianapolis schools having the luxury every year of participating in grand nationals while sleeping in their own beds and racking up all these finishes in finals. Let's see those schools start paying for trips to DFW and having to compete with the big boys of Texas.5 points -
Oh, I wish this were actually true! You're very generous! To my mind, Hebron's sheer musical virtuosity will be hard to top. And since 2018, they've really upped their visual game as well. The show is also very consistently entertaining, even more than 2021. Last year, they swept the captions here, but if you look at the actual recaps, it was a somewhat messy sweep. Only 3 of the 7 judges had them in 1st. (That's actually one of the reasons I don't think they would have won Nationals last year, and probably would have landed 2nd or even 3rd, given how much the GE judges united behind Carmel in 2nd.) My bet is that Hebron increases that number of 1st places this year in finals. I'm thinking last year was their Flower Mound 2015; this year could be more like their Flower Mound 2016. Beyond that, it's impossible to predict. The early season results were too close, and even more than that, just watching the shows I have trouble deciding what I think will score higher overall, if one person can even judge that. At the end of the day, the scores are the result of 7 different people's opinions thrown together, each seeking a sort of perfect, guided subjectivity. Now, when I focus on individual parts of shows, I can see clear strengths and weaknesses. Reagan, just as an example, has spectacular visual moments, but the pacing of the show is a little off (maybe intentionally breaking the marching music mold) and causes parts of the show to drag a little bit, which may be why they've placed higher in visual effect than music effect. Vista's show is very thrilling and well-designed, but sometimes it looks like they may have bitten off more than they could completely chew, and the performance suffers a little. Things like that. I could do this for every band. My hope is that all of the performers can put aside any of their anxieties regarding the mysterious scoring process and just go out there and do what they always do. Like I said to the performers last year, everyone is on your side, even the people judging! Nobody wants to see you fail!4 points
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So I have seen a number of comments this year about a Texas Trophy for the winner of BOA San Antonio. The Bands of Claudia Taylor Johnson Foundation and the CTJ Band Parents Assc. serve as the host program of the BOA San Antonio Super Regional. While it will not happen this year, the bands of CTJ Foundation has made the request to MFA/BOA to create a traveling trophy similar to the grand nationals eagle (Kevin) Trophy. I hope that we can have this in place for next years BOA San Antonio Super Regional. I have heard a number of suggestions for the trophy to include the "armadillo" and the "road runner" - there is interest in UTSA in sponsoring the Texas Road Runner trophy but I will keep you all posted as this develops. It would be my intent that, that the trophy would recognize the previous winners of BOA San Antonio since it became a Super Regional on November 1st 2003 (FYI - San Antonio was the first Super Regional). those would include the following 2003 - Westfield 2004 - Reagan 2005 - Reagan 2006 - LD Bell 2007 - Marcus 2008 - LD Bell 2009 - LD Bell 2010 - Marcus 2011 - LD Bell 2012 - Marcus 2013 - The Woodlands 2014 - Claudia Taylor Johnson 2015 - Flower Mound 2016 - Flower Mound 2017 - Claudia Taylor Johnson 2018 - Flower Mound 2019 - Reagan 2020 - Cancelled due to Covid 2021 - Hebron once we have support of MFA/BOA, we will create a poll to decide the name of the trophy - including the nickname of the trophy - FYI - the Woodlands is credited with naming the Eagle as Kevin after hosting him in 2013. welcome your thoughts.2 points
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2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
JWork and one other reacted to LostChoirGuy for a topic
OK, we are less than a day away from the start of this contest and I am so excited! I haven't spent as much time actually watching videos this year as normal, so for most of these bands, this will be my first time seeing their show all season. There is a lot of talk about who will make finals (rightfully so) but I wanted to give a shoutout to so many other great bands that deserve recognition. I decided to create a list of my top 25 from each panel as well as a simulation for the top 11+11+8 if there had been a semifinals. I do not know enough about the lower classification bands to guess the hypothetical advancers based on class so I did not do that. If anyone knows how to create spoiler tags here, please let me know so I can make this wall of text appear nicer. Panel 1 Top 25 (in alphabetical order) Argyle Bowie College Park CT Johnson Cy Fair Cy Woods Del Rio Flower Mound Forney Foster Friendswood Glenn Hays Hendrickson Keller Keller Central Lake Travis Leander Marcus O'Connor Pearland Reagan Round Rock Sachse Timber Creek Panel 2 Top 25 (in alphabetical order) Alexander Brandeis Cedar Park Cedar Ridge Coppell Dawson Dripping Springs Hebron Highland Park JE Taylor Klein Oak LD Bell McNeil Oak Ridge Rock Hill Rouse Seven Lakes The Woodlands Vandegrift Vista Ridge Waxahachie Westlake Westwood Wylie Wylie East Semifinalists: Panel 1 Top 11 (in alphabetical order) Bowie CT Johnson Cy Fair Flower Mound Hendrickson Keller Marcus Pearland Reagan Round Rock Timber Creek Panel 2 Top 11 (in alphabetical order) Cedar Park Cedar Ridge Coppell Hebron LD Bell Rouse The Woodlands Vandegrift Vista Ridge Waxahachie Westlake Next 8 (in alphabetical order) Brandeis (Panel 2) Keller Central (Panel 1) Lake Travis (Panel 1) Leander (Panel 1) Rock Hill (Panel 2) Westwood (Panel 2) Wylie (Panel 2) Wylie East (Panel 2) Finalists: Panel 1 Top 5 (in alphabetical order) CT Johnson Flower Mound Marcus Reagan Round Rock Panel 2 Top 5 (in alphabetical order) Cedar Park Coppell Hebron Vista Ridge Vandegrift Next 4 (in alphabetical order) Cedar Ridge (Panel 2) Cy Fair (Panel 1) Keller (Panel 1) The Woodlands (Panel 2) Top 40 (in order) 1. Hebron (Panel 2) 2. Vandegrift (Panel 2) 3. Flower Mound (Panel 1) 4. Vista Ridge (Panel 2) 5. Cedar Park (Panel 2) 6. CT Johnson (Panel 1) 7. Reagan (Panel 1) 8. Coppell (Panel 2) 9. Marcus (Panel 1) 10. Cedar Ridge (Panel 2) 11. The Woodlands (Panel 2) 12. Round Rock (Panel 1) 13. Cy Fair (Panel 1) 14. Keller (Panel 1) 15. Rouse (Panel 2) 16. Westlake (Panel 2) 17. Pearland (Panel 1) 18. LD Bell (Panel 2) 19. Timber Creek (Panel 1) 20. Waxahachie (Panel 2) 21. Bowie (Panel 1) 22. Hendrickson (Panel 1) 23. Leander (Panel 1) 24. Wylie East (Panel 2) 25. Westwood (Panel 2) 26. Wylie (Panel 2) 27. Lake Travis (Panel 1) 28. Rock Hill (Panel 2) 29. Keller Central (Panel 1) 30. Brandeis (Panel 2) 31. Forney (Panel 1) 32. Seven Lakes (Panel 2) 33. Sachse (Panel 1) 34. Friendswood (Panel 1) 35. Klein Oak (Panel 2) 36. Cy Woods (Panel 1) 37. Foster (Panel 1) 38. Dripping Springs (Panel 2) 39. Oak Ridge (Panel 2) 40. Alexander (Panel 2) 41. Dawson (Panel 2) 42. College Park (Panel 1) 43. JE Taylor (Panel 2) 44. Argyle (Panel 1) 45. Highland Park (Panel 2) 46. O'Connor (Panel 1) 47. McNeil (Panel 2) 48. Hays (Panel 1) 49. Azle (Panel 2) 50. Churchill (Panel 2) Please forgive me for the length of this post!2 points -
2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
NoCommonSense and one other reacted to packwick for a topic
lol, but the mental image of looking up at the press box and seeing a bunch of hoary old judges looking through binoculars like Rear Window creepers is actually amusing. also CR's show simply isn't satanic enough. missed opportunity to have the gargoyles make a pentagram and sacrifice a goat in the middle of the field.2 points -
2022 6A UIL State
cwtx and one other reacted to Tubalord11 for a topic
Yeah I do agree. I think TC is over Bell for UIL and will most likely make state finals, but I think bell is over them for boa2 points -
2022 6A UIL State
Mash and one other reacted to FaultLineBlues for a topic
Genuine PSA from the bottom of my heart. If you find yourself in San Antonio, after the contest has ended, late at night and you're looking for something to eat with your family? Do NOT go to the Denny's near the Alamodome. It is a nightmare on earth. I went there last year and my girlfriend and I didn't get our food for two hours, and apparently every bus driver in the area had decided to show up and have the loudest possible conversation, about the most vile stuff possible. They also somehow managed to get three rounds of food before anyone else in our area got anything lmao I don't think I've seen true defeat in a face until we hit the second hour of waiting for food, and the family behind us (which I believe was from the Woodlands, they were very patient and understanding) literally started to fall asleep. That doesn't even begin to talk about the homeless people that would wander into the store and have to be escorted out regularly. So please, if you're hungry late after BOA, just eat somewhere else. Yard House maybe? It's more pricey but it's better than that darn Denny's, that's for sure. Heck, even a McDonald's would beat that Denny's.2 points -
there are many dark horses this competition that could take a spot in finals it’s crazy. from timber creek, dripping springs, keller, and LD bell. any of these groups could make it. me personally i feel like timber creek and maybe dripping springs can both make it into finals2 points
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2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
BaritoneBallah and one other reacted to natertater21000 for a topic
This would match the other bird trophy for nats 🤔2 points -
Exactly, they finished less than 3 pts below 3 juggernauts and did so without a closer at Katy which changes the whole energy of their ending. I'm excited to see how the show and performance matches up to the best bands in the state and nation. I think the bands from 12 to 24 can go in any direction given quality of performance and judges preference. Gonna be an awesome competition for those last 2 or 3 spots. Houston bands have stepped it up this year but so have so many other bands. The quality of this years performances across the board is awesome!2 points
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2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
josephbandfan and one other reacted to lost for a topic
With how the last three years have gone I think it’s safer to have a prediction with one band that most people aren’t predicting in finals. Expect the unexpected they say!2 points -
2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
gregorydf01 and one other reacted to sogeg for a topic
Well, time for my predictions. Definitely gonna forget a few bands so my apologies in advance. This comp is gonna be impossible to predict accurately. Panel 1 Locks: Ronald Reagan Claudia Taylor Johnson Flower Mound Marcus Panel 2 Locks: Cedar Ridge Vista Ridge Cedar Park Vandegrift Coppell Hebron The Woodlands That makes 11 bands, with one open top 5 spot in panel 1 and 2 of panel 2 locks are in the next 4, leaving 3 spots open. Panel 1 last spot Contenders: James Bowie Round Rock Lake Travis Leander Timber Creek Keller Pearland Cy-Fair Out of these I would say Round Rock or Keller look the strongest to me (even after a week showing at area last weekend, I got to see Keller's show tonight and it feels much cleaner and more complete. Definitely not a lock given results thus far, but their show seems to be reaching its peak.) The last 2 spots seem to be anyone's game. James Bowie Westlake Keller/Round Rock (Counting them as one since I think one of them will make it into the top 5) Lake Travis Hendrickson (? Them not going to Waco makes them a wild card to me) Rouse Leander Timber Creek LD Bell Pearland Cy-Fair Waxahachie That is 11-12 bands competing for 2 spots. To narrow it down just a bit, here are the 5 bands I could see making it into these 2 spots. Westlake Keller/Round Rock Rouse Leander Pearland That leaves my final list at this: Ronald Reagan Claudia Taylor Johnson Flower Mound Marcus Cedar Ridge Vista Ridge Cedar Park Vandegrift Coppell Hebron The Woodlands Keller Round Rock Westlake (Not ordered whatsoever) Dear lord that was hard. I feel like my opinion on Keller *could* just be cope, but I was incredibly impressed by what I saw tonight compared to every other time I have seen their show.2 points -
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UIL Area B 2022
BandAlumMom and one other reacted to Gehrig4 for a topic
You’re entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine. Yours is informed by no better evidence than mine is. But I will say that there is evidence. We will agree to disagree. I will say also that I have heard, with my own ears, directors communicating that the phenomena does occur. I’ve heard judges say it does occur. It’s theoretical impossible for it NOT to occur. (And if you would like to get into that erudition - we can take this outside of this forum) So it’s not just my opinion. If you reread my original post, I don’t quibble with it. Your esoteric explanation really dances around the key word- it’s subjective. Just like gymnastics and ice skating - and therefore it uses criterion that aren’t objective. Like reputation. Boxing. Same thing. my point is that when you see teams and people begin to overcome that - it’s far more than just perfunctory. That’s the whole point. Period. Full stop. And that’s irrefutable.2 points -
2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
JWork reacted to josephbandfan for a topic
I know it was their last public performance in Keller but they didn’t have to go off like that. Like geez, save some for San Antonio. KC was also amazing. Expecting a great finish for the KISD bands.1 point -
Oh, you didn't know? They give upstairs judges binoculars before the start of the show! 🙃 Ah, but the real reason you're not connecting with it is because it's too satanic, right? 😄1 point
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I'm going all in on Texas Holdum and give TC the dark horse finals slot. If scoring holds TC was far away above LD Bell. I could see either them or Keller, but not both. Perhaps first out.1 point
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2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
Bill_Hou reacted to natertater21000 for a topic
Given the scoring trends of the last 5 years this is actually pretty low. Top score in prelims is always lower than in finals so I'm thinking somewhere between a 93.5 and a 95.00. As far as what score it would take to get into finals I'm thinking this will be similar to 2017 where a band needed to break 90 to get in, it's THAT competitive this year IMO.1 point -
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2022 6A UIL State
htxbd reacted to crunchycookie3 for a topic
Not even mentioning Cy-Fair this year is a crime. I feel like they might have an even more solid shot at finals than Bell, Keller, Timber Creek, and even TWHS.1 point -
Agree, this is where my frustration comes in. We keep hearing that GN is national and has bands from all over the country, only it's not and it doesn't. It's mostly east / central and caters to bands within 8 hours. For Texas bands who have at least a 2 day truck trip with props it's just not seemingly inclusive. I also don't care about tradition of this is where they've done it forever. Either it's truly an inclusive national event or it's not. Plus, we mostly all agree BOA SA is a way tougher competition than GN the last few years.1 point
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2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
VinoGirl reacted to Tubalord11 for a topic
Oh yeah forgot about Coppell I’d probably have them in my locks but everyone is so good I just don’t know at this point! But good luck to the Highlander bands this weekend!1 point -
2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
gregorydf01 reacted to Tubalord11 for a topic
Okay I want to also put my thoughts here as it seems everyone else is! also, there’s a possibility that I’m able to go for Friday night prelims and all the comp on Saturday. But anyways, like almost if not everyone, Hebron will once again sweep. I think the top of finals will be Hebron Flomo Vandy CR CTJ Regan Vista??? my other finalist are Marcus, Woodlands, CP. the last 4 could be so many bands, and I don’t know how but it’s a ton snd y’all know who!1 point -
@Rubisco - Missing your input on San Antonio. Any input? You are usually spot on.1 point
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In my experience the alamodome has this effect of making you feel like you’re marching on an island; the structure seems to just absorb everyone else’s sound and you’re left playing a solo basically. I never found the echo bad at all. On the other hand, AT&T has both the island effect as well as a terribly distracting echo.1 point
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2022 6A UIL State
1998-2018 reacted to LisbethMom for a topic
That and it's awful for logistics. Getting stuff in and out of that stadium is a major pain.1 point -
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2022 6A UIL State
gregorydf01 reacted to Samuel Culper for a topic
I've seen so many references to Vista Ridge/Vandegrift at Area vs State last year as if it's almost a given that the same thing will happen this year. Two points: 1 - Vista beat Vandy at Area in 2018 as well, also after finishing behind them at BOA Austin. We know how that year turned out. 2 - Vista's show this year is much stronger than last year. I think that it pretty clear. I'm not making any promises as to what will happen, that Vista will beat Vandy at either BOASA or State. But I am saying that they are a good horse to bet on to surpass most people's expectations.1 point -
2022 6A UIL State
FaultLineBlues reacted to lost for a topic
I would hardly use area scores as an indicator for SA. Just last season Vista Ridge beat Vandegrift at area and then they swapped at San Antonio. Same with a few bands last year swapping placements. It happens. Area is kind of weird and wonky all the time.1 point -
2022 6A UIL State
Hard Core Band Fan reacted to zoomer for a topic
Unfortunately that stadium is AWFUL for acoustics. As someone who has been to SA and GN in the same year, keep it in Lucas Oil.1 point -
2022 BOA San Antonio (Nov. 4 & 5)
gregorydf01 reacted to LeanderMomma for a topic
I just revised the schedule in the original post to include the new changes made by BOA to Friday’s schedule.1 point -
Final predictions and thoughts on what will be a very competitive super regional: 1. Hebron (M/GE) This is probably the only band I'm fairly confident in placing where I have them. Hebron has somehow raised the level for them in terms of demand both musically and visually and are putting out some absolutely insane sounds. The brass is inexplicably incredible and visually they're nailing some very difficult drill sets. No one in the country can play as good as them and I think they will repeat here and at UIL State. 2. Vandegrift It hurts me slightly to predict Vandegrift here as it would be three years in a row they place 2nd. That said, they've got another great show with some super cool music from Tron. While I prefer Juliet Letters, I really like that they're also pushing the envelope in demand and think they're doing a good job with it. They may have lost to Vista Ridge at area but I think they'll bounce back and at least grab a medal here. 3. Ronald Reagan (V) I think Reagan's show this year is a better version of what they had last year. Visually they have some really nice drill moves and I think they may have my favorite preshow of the season. They still sound excellent, especially the brass (great trombone soloists), and their color guard/dance team is phenomenal. 4. Cedar Ridge So happy to see them follow up on their fantastic season last year with an even better one! The things they're doing with an ensemble half the size of some bands here is super impressive. The brass is incredible and the percussion is top tier as always. Love this show. 5. Claudia Taylor Johnson For a show that's a little more lowkey they've still got a crazy amount of demand in their music and drill and are pulling it off. The ballad has grown on me over the season to be one of my favorites, and I think the preshow is super creative and very cool. It's not as cohesive as some of their past shows, but I still enjoy it very much. 6. Flower Mound Probably the most creative show concept I've seen anywhere this season. The artwork is super creative and well done and I love their uniforms to match it. It's not my favorite FM show, I think the drill is a little meh at certain points, but at the same time there are some moments like the ending that really blow my mind. Musically they are outstanding of course. 7. Vista Ridge There are few bands that can make me raise my eyebrows and think wow when I hear a full ensemble moment and Vista Ridge is one of them. They sound so incredible in those moments, especially the ending of their show. After watching their area performance there are a couple of timing miscues here and there, but nothing that can't be easily fixed. I'm a fan! 8. Marcus While their show is not as difficult as some other bands here, they are still remarkably clean. Visually there are some really cool moments like the pivot in the beginning set. The orchestral sound they produce is iconic and I'm expecting to see some very high performance captions. 9. Coppell Love to see them continuing their upward trajectory after a breakout season last year! They might have my favorite ballad of the season with a beautiful sax soloist. While I'm not as sold on the closer as their opener/ballad, I give them props for putting Beethoven in Havana on the field as I don't think I've ever seen that before. Really great show! 10. Cedar Park Really impressive to see them field such a massive group yet still sound very balanced and clean. Their ballad is a highlight of the season and I'm not at all surprised to see them win Waco so convincingly. There are a few moments in the drill that are a little dirty for me, but I think they are solidly in finals. 11. The Woodlands Director changes can be hard to weather, especially when you lose multiple directors, but the Woodlands are still very strong this year! The show is a little reminiscent of last year and isn't quite as heavy-hitting, but they still produce excellent sounds and their soloists are just as good as ever. 12. Round Rock It's great to see Round Rock bounce back from what was probably a disappointing season last year. Visually I think the design is much stronger than many of their recent shows, and they still sound as good as they always have. They're definitely towards the upper end of the finals bubble and I expect to see them in finals. 13. Westlake They've got a really creative show this year! I think they hit the mark on the noir theming of the show. Their clarinet soloist is really quite spectacular and the ensemble sounds excellent. Really awesome show concept and a definite crowd-pleaser. 14. Cy-Fair I would love to see them cap off their outstanding season so far with a finals appearance here! Really fantastic sounds from their brass and the uniforms make for some pretty cool visual moments when they turn around. The percussion is also very impressive and the woodwinds do a great job with their runs. Great trumpet soloist too! In the bubble: Keller, Leander, Rouse, James Bowie, Pearland, LD Bell, Timber Creek, Waxahachie, Seven Lakes, Klein Oak, Westwood, Lake Travis, Hendrickson, a dozen other bands I've forgotten. Seriously, the finals bubble is just massive. Of the bands I have listed I think any of the top 11 bands I have down could get into the top half. Any of the bands I have listed in the bubble could also get into finals and wouldn't surprise me. This contest is just ridiculously competitive.1 point
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i'm catching up on area vids. great work, kiddos! first of all, ummm, COPPELL! holy cow! huge, rich sounds. loving the super groovy recap of Beethoven at the end. so rhythmically challenging. guard is large and in charge. is that opening flute from Atonement? i heard Atonement mentioned + the typewriter sounds and got super excited. brilliant novel, brilliant film. music a little muddy after opener, but sooo cool. still love FM's concept more than probably any other this year. super duper meta. super duper band. capes are tasteful and don't overwhelm the visual upstairs *cough*Broken Arrow*cough*. the skeleton of the design not my favorite from them, by that i mean just the pure drill and music, but it's still super impressive. some big big moments and big big sounds. some tuning issues here and there also, wondering how cold it was. twhs i couldn't be more proud of. super improvement. i've been around a long time now and know that a lot of bands don't weather major staff changes very well. so thank u, new directors, for stepping into the pressure cooker and managing it well, and to the kids who stuck w/ the program and kept it going strong. i'm so happy for them. they could honestly get 14th place here and i'd be thrilled. Vista Ridge. this show is such a fascination. i've professed my love for it a lot already. aggressive, intelligent, strange, always engaging. BLAZINGLY difficult, this is what u get when u don't water down a Vanderkolff drill program. performance nooot quite there imo, maybe in another week, and the guard is too small for the band, but it excites me so much i don't really care. honestly not the fairest comparison b/w vista's guard and vandy's dance team. like, honestly, i'm not going to tell as much upstairs if u lose your balance on a chaines turn, but i'm sure as f*** gonna notice if flags are going up and down at different times and rifles are dropped. waaay more exposed, waaay bigger risk. a little surprised Vandy didn't come out on top at area. maybe only a little weaker than usual, usual being like top 3 SA. i will say this, the "experimental marching" was a liiittle oversold. hahaha. it's the same Vandy visual, but w/ glow sticks. hahaha. now the music is different. more contemporary. that change is good. is the grid some sort of Matrix thing? what i love most about Cedar Ridge is i guess the clarity. i never don't know what they're going for. i really like the depth to the set, the shadowing. the character moments. the percussion. show makes perfect sense. pretty strong musically at area this past weekend. visual is simple and pretty clean. maybe i'm not connecting w/ it as much as the others bc it's a little too simple for my tastes. but they can surely execute. will look for others later. great great job everyone. can't wait for those fancy schmancy ~*inDOoR~* performances.1 point
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Would love to hear your thoughts on what you saw! Your opinions are always helpful in terms of understanding results.1 point
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2022-23 Area C Predictions?
BandMomTX2 reacted to LostChoirGuy for a topic
Unfortunately, it would take some serious gerrymandering because Area B is also ridiculous.1 point -
2022-23 Area C Predictions?
BandMomTX2 reacted to ClarinetKing for a topic
This area is a complete blood bath at this point and needs to be realigned. There are way too many state level bands in this area that aren’t getting well deserved state spots. Prosper, Sachse, Wylie, Wylie East, and Rockwall are all easily state competitors but they just aren’t all going to get a spot. Again with the bloodbath. I also hear that Prosper’s Rock hill is a very exciting up and coming program that could also be a potential state competitor after placing in finals in every competition they attended last season. McKinney also dove in head first at the WMI last year placing above many 5A state finalists and Area C state contenders but were robbed of even making finals last year at area. Prosper got moved down to 7th last year at area but let’s not forget that they were a BOA grand national finalist as recently as 2018. So honestly with how unpredictable the judging was last year there is really no way to tell.1 point