LKendrick

I think they’re definite top half. Johnson is going to be hard for anyone to beat IMO. My top half are: 1. Johnson 2-6. Braswell/Clovis/Lake Ridge/Permian/Sachse Azle and Del Rio could sneak in there. Summit too. Sharyland did well at McAllen too.

They’re after two probably finalists/top half finalists, they’ll be fine. Especially this year 😈

These stood out to me in 4A: Alvarado The Footlifter by Henry Filmore Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger (4) Khan by Julie Giroux (4) Anna Entry March of the Boyars Johan Halvorsen O Magnum Mysterium by Morton Lauridsen (4) Vesuvius by Frank Ticheli (5) Argyle Onward-Upward March by Karl King Mock Morris by Percy Grainger (4) Southern Harmony by Donald Grantham (5) Canton Florentiner March Julius Fučík Irish Tune from County by Percy Grainger (4) Suite of Old American Dances by Robert Russell Bennett (5) Canyon Children's March by Percy Grainger First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst (5) Until the Scars by John Mackey (5) China Spring Glory of the Yankee Navy by John Phillip Sousa The Engulfed Cathedral by Claude Debussy (5) Ride by Samuel Hazo (5) Krum III. March - "Folk Songs from Somerset" by Ralph Vaughn Williams Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre (4) Reluctant Joys by Brant Karick (5) Little Cypress Mauriceville Amparito Roca by Jaime Teixidor Dusk by Steven Bryant (4) Until the Scars by John Mackey (5) Melissa Commando March by Samuel Barber Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughn Williams (4) With Heart and Voice by David Gillingham (4) North Lamar Honey Boys on Parade by Edward Cupero The Falls by Rosano Galante (5) Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson (5) Canyon, China Spring, and North Lamar with two grade 5s and Argyle with Southern Harmony in terms of programming definitely seem like the most difficult, but lots of great music in there.

San Antonio in 2017 was my first BOA experience and first time seeing some of the top tier bands live (had just been to regional stuff up in the panhandle prior to that). Hebron came on in prelims and good lord. I knew on video they sounded incredible and that they were one of the better playing bands, but I wasn't ready for the volume they had and the clarity of everything they did. The opening minutes of that show with the woodwinds multiple tonguing and their mellos just tearing it up was pretty overwhelming. That whole weekend was mind blowing, definitely still my favorite set of shows top to bottom of the three years I've gone live and the ~10 years of following the activity. Very eye opening to what high school kids are capable of.

Winston Churchill was fantastic, really pretty and phenomenally executed show. SUPER tight across the board performance wise. I think Bryan has a show more aimed at peaking in Dayton, but that's certainly not to take away from WC. Clearly the top 2 in that class. Really excited to catch both among many others in a few weeks at the Southwest Power Regional.

Agreed on Bryan. They're gonna do really well in Dayton.

I’m glad Tascosa moved down, they were having to drive 200 miles round trip minimum for all their away games, Frenship in Lubbock was the closest 6A and then the Permian basin schools and Abilene. I’m excited about there being 3 potential advancers, this contest had the top 3 separated by 1 ordinal last time, Permian tied the 2nd place band in prelims and finals but lost the tie breaker and didn’t get to advance. As stated above, all 15 of these bands get 1s very consistently, so we should probably have 3 advance. The makeup here has changed a lot over the years with the Keller/Fort Worth schools getting removed, then the zones experiment in 2014, and the resurgence of Permian as a state contender. El Paso Coronado has a job listing on TMEA for head director so that’ll mix things up. Eastlake is coming off a strong season, they’ll do very well visually. Pebble Hills is stronger every year, they’ll do really well. Permian has been pretty consistent over the last 4 seasons, though their finish in Duncanville this fall has me excited for what they could do next year. Montwood, Frenship, Americas, etc. are all strong as well. Despite being only 15 bands, this should be fun to watch.

I just got done with playing all the Dark Souls/Bloodborne games. Some fantastic music in there, especially in the latter. Will always want to hear more video game stuff on the field, there is some amazing stuff in there. These definitely stuck out to me:

I loved that show, easily my favorite of theirs from a design perspective.

I love love loved Orion.

Absolutely, it was a blast.

Welp, have finally had a chance to rest and decompress after an amazing weekend. My thoughts here: http://www.txbands.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7550-thoughts-on-my-first-grand-nationals/

Claudia Taylor Johnson - "The Circle of Life", 6th Place (93.25) Oh. My. God. This show was a party!!! I liked it in San Antonio, but they kicked up the energy ten notches since then and made some nice changes, the most obvious of which was the back and forth between the saxophone and trombone soloists who were just NAILS. The crowd reaction that got after that was incredible, and they still had three or four minutes of show left! I Just Can’t Wait to Be King was easily the heart of that show, and they made everyone fall in love with them. The energy that they perform their music and choreography with is second to none, they are performers in every sense of the word. They definitely saved their best performance of the season for finals too, they were on fire. Thank you for entertaining and blowing us all away, it was incredible. Leander - "Radioactive", 5th Place (94.3) This is easily my favorite Leander show ever, they were so masterful at building tension and releasing it throughout that show, and the closer was the prime example of that in the show. As soon as that countdown timer hit zero and the Oppenheimer quote played they blew the house down. That was a FINALE. And that was all courtesy of the performers, a show is only as good as the kids performing it and they sold it. Amazing musical performance from them, that show is HARD and they had some of the best moments I’ve ever heard from them over the weekend. I hope they keep up these kinds of shows, because it was a blast. Carmel - "Eternal Beloved", 4th Place (94.575) Finally got to see Carmel live! Even if it wasn’t a four peat for them I can still see why they were so dominant, they do so many things well musically and visually. Their musicality is breathtaking at times, some sublime entrances, releases, builds, etc. Thought this show really came together at GN, I LOVE the front half of the show especially. Guard is still going strong, ESPECIALLY that male featured performer, he’s incredible. And shout out to that soloist, it’s not easy carrying that much of the show on your back, and finals was easily the best performance of that I heard, so great job! Hebron - "Among the Stars", 3rd Place/Music (95.55) Full honesty time, when I saw this show live the first time in Duncanville on the 26th of October, I didn’t think they could clean it. Hebron has some of the best kids on the planet but this show was HARD HARD HARD, closer especially. Even in San Antonio I was seeing progress but not sure if it would be able to peak. Well, GN finals happened, and it did. Far and away their best performance of the season. They reached for the stars on this one, one of the hardest HS shows I’ve ever seen. They really kicked up the visual difficulty this year in addition to the bonkers musical stuff as well, great job there. Loved the way Impossible Dream was woven throughout and finally shined in the closer, and as always amazing job by their soloists. Avon - "unBaroquen", 2nd Place/Visual (96.7) After prelims, I didn’t think this was getting beat. This show was seamless perfection, every single thing in there like the eight perfect notes was perfectly placed and performed. Very tight musical performance, their trumpet section especially was fantastic. But visually, oh man. Best high school colorguard I have ever seen, by a lot. The tosses, clarity, energy, etc. was just all top tier. If there was a guard caption, this would surely win it. And they are running that whole show and making it look effortless, I’d make it about a minute into that show and pass out. They are amazing. I’ve also heard how they kick things up on finals night, and boy did they do it, that performance was something special. Part of me is shocked that didn’t win, but when I watched who did, it’s just a testament to how amazing this season was. Vandegrift - "Aria, Queen of the Night", 1st Place/General Effect (97.175) Pure. That’s the word that comes to mind. If you take away the mostly aesthetic props this show was just a band marching and playing at the top tier. I’ll gush about music in a second but they can MARCH. Individual technique was sublime and their form control was about as good as I’ve seen in the HS world. And that dance, team, couldn’t think of a better theme for them to encapsulate. The way this band plays is just everything I want in a band. The tone, alignment, clarity, and just everything about how they play is jaw dropping. And then they shape, phrase, and interpret that playing better than anyone else in my eyes. Loved their interpretation of the Lacrimosa ballad, there was an attitude to it that was aided so well by their incredible and musical drumline and that top tier trombone soloist, that arrival in the ballad was easily one of the better constructed and executed moments of the season. I love props and electronics and costuming when they’re used right, but I am glad this show won. Huge congratulations on an incredible first attendance to GN, I certainly hope it’s not the last. All in all an amazing weekend, the bands, the parents, the environment, the performances, and the experience was incredible to be a part of. I am already planning on going in 2020, there is a lot said on the comparison between GN and San Antonio, and having done both I can say you will get very different experiences that are both equally special, but there is just something about GN that felt special. So glad I got to experience it with some amazing people too, feel so fortunate to be able to contribute to the live blog and work alongside that group. What an amazing way to conclude an amazing 2019 marching season, already excited for 2020!

Well, I finally made it up to Indianapolis after three years of doing BOA San Antonio and other events. It was a blast, if you haven't went before I'd highly recommend going! The four things that stood out the most for me were: - The variety of styles and approaches was really cool to see, I love Texas to death but it was really cool to see how other states approach the activity as well. What you saw from Ayala was totally different than Vandegrift which was totally different from Lawrence Township, etc. - The environment is just so cool, that stadium is definitely built for the activity and just feels......special. There's just something about that stage and field that is just so exciting. - The exhibition bands were all amazing, JSU, A&M Commerce, Missouri, and UNA were so wildly entertaining to watch. Was down low for JSU specifically, and that was an EXPERIENCE. If you have a chance to see them live, do it. You won't regret it. - Team Texas. Your camaraderie, energy, class, and just way you did what you did was top tier. The way you performed, interacted with each other and other bands, and came together as a family warmed my heart so much. Loved getting to drop by the meetup after semifinals, it was so cool to finally put some names with some faces this year! I really hope this continues for years and years to come, because it made for a special experience. Before I break down finals I want to give a shout out to Estill County and Lawrence Township, those were two shows that I HIGHLY enjoyed in semifinals. Estill County was one of the amazing KY A bands, their power for their size and very thoughtful show blew me away. When I realized that it was not about trains, but crossing over to the other side, I am using my best terminology here, shook. Was really cool seeing not only a first time GN attendee but BOA competitor do so well this season. Also, Lawrence Township. Their approach and identity that they have formed the last few years is such a breath of fresh air, it just feels so authentic. So glad they had their best finish in a few years and placed top twelve in music, they sounded amazing. Ayala - "Wonderland", 12th Place (88.1) Dark and light shows have become a big cliche in the marching band world, I see countless versions of that show every season, but Ayala this year gave such a refreshing take on it. The way the dark creeps in and out and back in again was so subtlety and tastefully done in a way that felt new, that ending with the black fabric creeping back in after getting vanquished in the ballad and closer gave me goosebumps. Really aggressive music performance, especially from their world class percussion section. And that guard, always a treat, the rifle work especially was top notch. This was probably in my top tier of favorite shows, just really fresh. Union - "The Orchestra's Guide to The Young Person", 11th Place (88.275) Very cool introduction on the chairs at the beginning of the show, they weren't marching but they were doing some very intricate foot and body work which is not easy at all. Very interesting interpretations of "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" and "Enigma Variations", thought the ballad was especially nice. Also really enjoyed the mixing of concert elements with marching ones, the drum feature where the snare drum player was mimicking along with the snareline was cool. Homestead - "The Reclamation Project", 10th Place (89.8) What a pretty show from them this year, loved the way they transformed the field from the front back of the show to the last half, I especially though the stylized Colts logo was really cute as well as the flower made up of the guard equipment in the ballad. They always have incredibly exposed and difficulty music books, and this year was no different, very nice job pulling that off. Round Rock - "A Simple Gesture", 9th Place (90.425) Round Rock’s growth over the season was great, this was definitely their strongest product by the end in a few years. Music performance especially really shined, their ensemble and section sounds were so warm, lush, and balanced and the music book played to that strength so well. Loved La Vie en Rose and the closer especially. And percussion, wow. Always a strength for them. And yes, those uniforms are still very cool. The Woodlands - "On the Town", 8th Place (91.2) Wow, what a finals run from them, EASILY their best of the season! The character these kids were given and the way they put it on was easily a highlight of the season for me, they totally made you believe you were in mid 20th century New York City. What a fun show, and what a HARD show, so much difficult choreo, drill, and music throughout the whole show that they tackled really well. Musically they had SO many fantastic soloists in small ensembles that not only played well, but played with a ton of attitude too. Bernstein fits them so well, and so did a super fun and lighthearted show. Not sure how many combos like that are out there but they should absolutely explore that again. William Mason - "Beneath the Surface" - 8th Place (91.425) We go from fun to very creepy and environmental, what an interesting show from William Mason this year. Can’t go without mentioning the aesthetic of this show first, it is striking. Pink and yellow with a very graphic print gave this show a very distinct look. Loved the preshow from the get go with all the eerie subterranean sounds as the Hindemith is introduced by a flute soloist. Very tight performance across all captions from them over the weekend, some really nice moments throughout. Glad they found their footing again last year and kept that going this year! Continued on my next post so I could get all the images in...

Also love the Oppenheimer quote that Leander uses going into their ending, it's short but perfectly placed.

Blue Knights in 2014 is my gold stand for narration done right in a marching ensemble setting. Whoever recorded it sounds authentic, the material they pulled from for it is really well written, and the implementation in the show is enhancing without getting in the way of the music. That show was emotionally captivating and fully aided by the narration, and I think if it was gone the show would lose a big chunk of what made it special. It's really hard to do it right, especially if you do it live. I thought Burleson Centennial did a nice job this year.

Nope. Maybe I got it.

Great job to everyone, but man. Mineola. They good. Really good. Really really good.

I'll try to be there.

Gonna go to my first GN. Decided after San Antonio I need to see our Texas group in Indy this year. Excited!

I was just playing along did I not do it right?

First it's the drumline, now the guard, what's next the winds?????????? THE WHOLE BAND IS GOOD??? Lets play nice everyone, and we still have another round to go today. Great job to all the bands yesterday.

Menard was awesome!

Just got home from an amazing weekend. Definitely have some thoughts. More than ever the depth of this is just mind blowing. So many good bands that I couldn't fathom how long it would take to give all of them some love. So many break out seasons for so many programs, I love seeing the progression of so many bands having so much success. Some surprising results for sure, but I think for the most part the judges got it right. There were about 15 bands who didn't make finals that I wouldn't have been shocked if they did. Thoughts on the finalists: Pearland - The ending of this show encapsulates what I loved most about it. As soon as they hit that tempo change with the FTL boxes, it's just a minute of increasing velocity, shorter moves, and constant compression of the field until it just exploded at the end. Masterfully done in terms of building tension, both musically and visually. This announcement came out of left field, but I'm so glad it did. I've loved them for a few years now, and am so happy they can now say they're a BOA San Antonio Super Regional finalist. We should have know based on them missing in Houston the last few years but doing really well at San Antonio that they were gonna be hot after their 6th place finalist appearance earlier in October. Huge congratulations, hearing them going nuts finding out they made finals was one of my favorite moments of the weekend. Keller - They are daredevils doing a show that hard, they are just flying while playing some really difficult music that whole show. Their brass has really formed a noticeable approach and achievement level the last few years, and that was no less prevalent this year. The features in Ostinato were TIGHT. Their closer was especially wild, the drill was so hard and was perfectly matched by the music, the glissandos in the trombones on top of all that were just so fun. Loving that they have maintained a high level of success. Round Rock - This show probably gets the most improved award of the year, they gave two beautiful performances over the weekend. Very lush and warm ensemble sound that made stuff like Pagliacci and La Vie en Rose really shine. Fantastic work by the percussion as always, and I though their drill was really well composed overall. I'm so excited to see them back in, and that bodes really well for Grand Nationals in two weeks. James Bowie - Their body work was top notch, in both composition and performance. They performed that stuff with so much attitude. The aggressive side to side shifting was my favorite of that. Loved the color palette as well. Music was really seamless and pretty, always like it when the stuff from Avatar is used on the field. Very happy to see them back in finals this year, I loved them last year as well. LD Bell - I really liked the concept of breaking up th tarp/panels in the middle of the file and spreading them out and changing the landscape of the field. Guard did a nice job filling all the negative space throughout the show. Really energetic music performance from them, really tight overall and the music had a very mysterious/ethereal vibe to it all. Also glad to see them back in finals again and improving quite a bit on last year as well. Flower Mound - The stark white palette they used to portray something like vitrification against was a fantastic decision, the look of this show was so great to look at. Loved the additional elements that they added to this show throughout. I thought the music they selected fit the show really well, really liked Neodammerung especially. Thought their guard really shined this year and were staged in a way that featured them really well. Really great minimalist type show once again, hope they keep doing shows like that. The Woodlands - Oh my word, easily one of my favorites of the weekend by far. This is one of those shows were the kids were given a character and they completely bought into it. From the second they walk onto the field to the second they leave they put on a SHOW. Love how they all interact with eachother on the field and even with the crowd. The music is a blast, they do straight up Bernstein really well. Tons of great soloists and small ensemble features. This show defintiely has some room to grow going into GN, so I'm really excited to see this in two weeks in Indianapolis. Claudia Taylor Johnson - As always they're tackling one of the most physically demanding shows on the field and doing a very admirable job of it. The velocity of this show is pretty breathtaking to watch (maybe breathless because I would be dead trying to march drill like that right now). Clearly a fan favorite, the crowd loved this both times I saw it this weekend. I Can't Wait to Be King is definitely the highlight, they just look like they are having a total blast out there. Really excited to see how this one grows over the next two weeks as well. Marcus - Wow, what a gorgeous show. Probably my favorite of theirs since 2012. Their prelims run especially was just pristine in every regard, especially musically. Everything was tight, controlled, focused, etc. But they played with a little more power this year as well which made it even better. Percussion and guard are also fantastic, they both really shined in how they were featured in this show. Woodwinds in Ruslan and Ludmilla and brass in the closer really blew me away. And good lord that oboe player, I don't know where they get these double reed kids every year but good God. Incredible. Hebron - So. Hard. Oh my gosh, the level of difficulty they're attempting is just bonkers. I saw this at DMI as well and it's already grown so much in a week. Still a lot of room left to grow, but if it gets to where I think they can get it this will be something to behold in Indianapolis. This is a really hard visual program too, they've really kicked up the difficulty in that regard that last two years. So much talent all around in every section, they just need to spend a week and a half rehearsing and they'll shine bright here in a week and a half. Leander - Goodness. I knew that closer had some stuff to add, but they far exceeded what I expected them to do. When streamers started shooting in 1812 everyone around me freaked out. The Oppenheimer quote going into that ending sent shivers shooting up my spine. Also loved the fabric stuff they added in the ballad climax, really cool stuff. They're doing a lot more technical stuff this year and some of it is REALLY hitting. The Texas contingent this year have done a great job of programming shows that will push them towards a later season but not going over the top, and Leander has hit I think the best balance of all of that. This was probably my favorite of the weekend from an entertainment standpoint, and I don't see that changing. Vista Ridge - Wow, the energy that this show added between when I saw it in Midland and now was pretty mind blowing. I've said it 20,000 times but man this show was hard, and they did an amazing job tackling that and then some. The musical timing with this drill was a ten in difficulty and they killed it. Visual performance from them was incredibly strong, both in performing the really intricate body and the really high velocity drill. Guard is better every year, percussion is so underrated and had one of my favorite features of the year, and that soloist, wow. Amazing job, never heard a bad run from her. I love that they built on last years successes, and look forward to seeing them grow into next year. Vandegrift - The top 2 bands were just marching band essence. Vandegrift as always gave a fantastic twist on some of the classical repertoire and performed the crap outta it. Clean and clear drill and a musical performance that was pure and powerful. The micro and macro shaping they do in both section features and full ensemble is mind blowing, and I don't think there are many other bands that can do that that well. The ballad in this show was them at their best. Super tasteful and fantastically performed drumline and front ensemble stuff, beautiful dancing from the Vision Dance Company, and that trombone soloist. WOW! This has huge potential at GN, and I fully expect them to bring home at least one caption. Best of luck, this is gonna be an amazing last two weeks for them. Ronald Reagan - Good lord. The presence this band had was unreal. This show was ethereal, simple, seamless, and so many other superlatives. The visual program just progressed so logically and achieved amazing effect from just straight up and incredible drill. Some of those sequences in there just blew my mind as someone who is getting into doing some visual design stuff. That moment in the ballad when the flags circle the field was just.....breathtaking. The member being taken around the field by the dance team/guard in the band outfit was so fun to watch. One of my favorite ever moments probably. Fantastic musical performance too, some really great technical moments and a POWERFUL ensemble sound. I was shocked when I got onto the field level for the encore how little was actually amplified. The "Secret World" that they immersed us all in will easily go down as an all time favorite for me and totally deserved that massive score it got. I love shows with amazing props, great electronics, and so on. But what Ronald Reagan is doing and having success with is also so refreshing. They're just an amazing marching band. I think Daniel Sanchez said it best when he said this show was no fat lean marching band. It was filet mignon. This is probably my favorite of the three years I have seen this competition live. Keep doing what you're doing.