aaron067

Post repeated for some reason.

Having gotten to see them live, the word "crass" comes to mind when thinking of their sound. Yes, it's powerful and that definitely elicits an emotional response from the crowd, but all of the top groups are just more refined in their execution. Maybe they'll continue to refine that volume over the next few years, but for the time being I'd be surprised to see them in the finals of a contest like BOA DFW given the depth we always see there.

It was originally scheduled at McClane, but some type of fundraiser marathon was ending at the stadium parking lot. BOA decided (appropriately) that the other event would interfere with logistics of the contest, so it was moved. I would assume they worked to ensure no double bookings of a similar sort will occur this next year.

^^^ 1st chair at Area and advancing to All-State. There's another audition in San Antonio at TMEA to determine actual All State chair order.

Waxahachie is not allowing this to affect them either. In fact, the staff was aware of the placement situation prior to the announcement and had no problem conceding to Keller in this instance. The unfortunate part of it all is that Dr. Kent couldn't be reached prior to results being announced to clarify. All that really matters is that both bands are attending State and they'll both give even stronger performances next week.

You must also remember that BOA Dallas was weeks ago, and quite a bit can change about any band's performance in that time. I'm also not sure why you've chosen Timber Creek to pick on when 4 of the 5 advancing bands were all behind Bell at BOA Dallas as well.

Most of these bands don't have any videos up, and the ones that do are at least a month old. If you haven't seen it live and don't have any sort of recent video to go off of, I don't see how anyone could make even a somewhat accurate prediction. It's seems more like these lists are based on past years, hearsay, and "hype".

There will most likely be 12 finalist bands in 6A.

I could reveal my source, but I'm pretty sure my head would end up on a platter. I just wanted to shed a bit of light since everyone was curious. Also, that band had its own set of issues that day. All sound effects and an entire synth part were missing due to some hinky electronics issue.

I can share that the last band to perform was the highest score of the morning. Unfortunately, not even the directors of participating bands know their own scores for specific captions. BOA is incredibly tight lipped.

Props all got wet. Even if they were dried off the turf was still wet, and that moisture would have transferred to props. Also, the judges' critique meetings start at 7 am in the morning.

Hebron's soloist mic was being picked up by the stadium's referee frequency and piped through the stadium speaker system. Someone up top eventually figured it out. It was no fault of Hebron's that they dealt with that issue, and the kids seemed to handle it quite well.

Football game, I believe. Possibly Homecoming?

See above post ^

Music - Hachie Visual - HP GE - Hachie Percussion - HP Guard - Centennial

Yes. One show is very simple and executed quite well visually. The other is very complex and has a lot of room to grow.

Midlothian Heritage HS 12:30 Sunnyvale HS 12:45 Lake Highlands HS 1:00 Ferris HS 1:15 DeSoto HS 1:30 Break 1:45 Legacy HS 2:00 Highland Park HS 2:15 Robert E. Lee HS 2:30 Ennis HS 2:45 Mineola HS 3:00 Break 3:15 North Forney HS 3:30 Waxahachie HS 3:45 Frisco Centennial HS 4:00 Mansfield Summit HS 4:15 Sachse HS 4:30 Mansfield HS 4:45 South Grand Prairie HS 5:00

We played Marcus last week. It seems like they've got the same style of show as usual, and they still sound great. My understanding (but I'm not certain) is they've learned their entire show, though they didn't perform all of it during halftime. That would constitute a significant departure from their traditional learning sequence and could be the reason why some people might think they're having a rough time. It's still early though, and they have plenty of time to clean before Waco.

Waxahachie will be at Waco that day, as well.

Here are results, but this is second hand info. 1 and 2 are definite, and I believe 3-5 are also accurate, though I'm not 100%. 1 - Vandegrift 2 - Flower Mound 3 - Duncanville 4 - Johnson 5 - Coppell 6 - Wylie?

You have quite a bit of incorrect information in your post. - It is a known fact that Midwest is based more on politics than it is on quality of recording. You still have to be good, but the best recordings are sometimes overlooked because there are closer connections with other directors/programs, or it's another program's "time". So, the fact that Reagan got an invite over Johnson isn't necessarily a result of the quality of the submissions (as I'm sure both were great). - Region and Area can have absolutely no correlation between judges' rankings. For instance, Waxahachie had all 1st place votes at Region last year, then got a 11223 at Area, and then won State. There's no rubric for judging Honor Band, so it's entirely subjective, and one panel can think the total opposite of another. It's a rather unfortunate flaw in the system. - I would not count Vandegrift out at all. I don't know what their recording sounds like this year, but their past recordings have been amazing (i.e. should have won 5A in 2015). - Flower Mound has no mistakes in their recording, but they also aren't playing the most difficult or the most enjoyable program out there. A band with a more difficult program and an equally impressive recording could be given more credit by the right (or wrong) panel of judges. - Just because someone says this band or that band will most likely win doesn't make it so. First of all, no person in the state has heard every band that will be at the State listening. Second, that person's musical preferences may not align with the state judging panel's. Third, where a band is heard during the day makes a difference because it's an 8 or 9 hour session. We can guess at levels, though, like saying Flower Mound, Friendswood, and whichever two of Johnson, Reagan, and Vandegrift make it out of their Area will be in the top 4. - Lopez is not competing because they dropped down to 5A the year after they won 6A. They will be eligible to submit a recording again next year. - Honor Band is not about winning the title every year possible. See below: The concept of the Honor Band originated during the term of Joe Frank, Sr., who served as Band Division Chair from 1958 to 1960. The purpose was twofold. Many educators believed that through the process of hearing and observing the results of quality teaching, directors could develop their own instructional skills to a higher level. In addition, selection of an honor band in each classification recognized communities and school systems that successfully supported music in education through their instrumental music programs. Through the years, participation has been active and the recognition of exemplary programs through the Honor Band selection process has become a most sought after goal by many directors. As a result, the quality of honor groups has remained high and the original purpose of growth and development through observation of superior teaching and performance has been addressed annually and maintains its validity. Teachers throughout the state have definitely had the opportunity to learn from master teachers by attending honor band performances and clinics. In 1958 a set of rules and regulations was developed for the selection of Honor Bands. While these guidelines have been refined on several occasions, the original policies to protect the integrity of the competition have remained intact. Ultimately, however, it is the responsibility of the participating director and administration to maintain the integrity of the Honor Band process. In order for the selection system to accomplish its purpose, all involved must honestly adhere to established procedures and share responsibility for maintaining high ethical standards. In the final analysis, preparation and participation must be consistent with worthwhile educational goals without exploitation of students or the system. The many outstanding bands that have followed established procedures through the years and emerged as TMEA Honor Bands are evidence of the strength of the concept and regulations. It is the responsibility of all music educators who participate in the honor band selection process to model their preparation and participation after these exemplary programs.

There have been a few alterations to accommodate the bands that reside within districts starting earlier. The ability to use as many hours as they like on weekends throughout the entire month of August regardless of their start date, for example. At least, I think that's been approved. I definitely remember reading about the change.

Waxahachie was ahead of Coppell at this contest in both of those year.