Rhapsodie

I see where you are coming from, but your reasoning does not make sense logically with how the judging system works. After each band performs, the judges provide a score for that band which is handed in and tabulated. They are not allowed to change the score, nor converse with other judges; and they really have no idea who advanced. It is not like they sit down for coffee and discuss the matter of who should go on and who should not after all bands have performed (though how cute would that be?!) They may not agree with who is the "right" top 4-7 to go to state, which often happens. However, it is the overall point system that determines this. So I disagree with you about state being "when the ranking is supposed to happen". From Area prelims to Area finals to State prelims to State finals, the bands are ranked in the same manner. The State Marching Band Contest appears more definitive because that's each band's last time to perform, the road stops there. They do not announce winners at the Area Contest because Area is simply a precursor to State, which you nicely explained. However, that does not mean there was not a 1st-whatever place. The judges are always ranking - it is the system that decides who advances/wins in the end. I think you brought this up (maybe?) to explain why certain bands beat other bands at Area, but lose to them at State. What a gray area for discussion! I think the reason is more attributed to the fact that bands sound different in a huge space like the Alamodome, and the judges are sitting very high up, watching forms more clearly and from an entirely whole perspective. A chord heard outside might sound nice, but in such a resonant, enclosed space, might sound superbly glorious or might point out a band's more subtle flaws. Who knows! Things change and things stay the same, I suppose. Now factor in different judges, biases, perhaps different musical standards, etc... and you have yourself one smokin' hot mess. UIL State prelims are the epitome of the term HAM.

1. Clements 2. Cypress Falls 3. Stephen F. Austin 4. Morton Ranch 5. Langham Creek 6. Seven Lakes 7. Cy-Fair 8. James E. Taylor 9. Katy 10. Cypress Ranch My finals predictions and placements. I actually wanted to put Langham Creek much lower but due to politics and such we will see.

Well, the State Marching Contest is a "whole other ballgame", so to speak. I haven't checked to see who the judges are this year, but typically the judges are college directors or celebrated high school band directors. It certainly is political as well. Case in point, when L.D. Bell finished 3rd in 2012 behind a good heap of bands who probably should have placed higher. If you analyze Langham Creek's preliminary finishes from 2008 to 2012, you will notice a decline. A setting like the Alamodome does not suit a band like Langham Creek very well. I find that Langham Creek sounds pretty good for the most part, but very "medium". Their dynamic range is limited, but the Berry Center hides this well. Speaking of, I'm not a fan of the Berry Center. It is too dissimilar from other football stadiums in its acoustics and certainly allows Cy-Fair ISD schools an advantage. Langham Creek's largest forte sound has clarity (a wonderful quality) but lacks deeper resonance and projection. As a listener, I haven't observed much risk-taking in their program choices or ensemble playing either. However, they always play with good sounds in each section. Cy-Falls is a band that has taken risks in the past two years. They are aiming for a larger sound, yet with the same essence of clarity and balance. While they don't always sound as nice, I can see them reaching greater heights because of these risks.

The UIL Area Marching contest is known for being a very political and highly biased event, especially in Area E. If you look through past years and observe the judges of this Area, you will notice that Tom Bennett and Marion West have been judges, both who have worked or work at The University of Houston and have strong friendships with the directors of Langham Creek and Jersey Village High Schools. While it is true that the Langham Creek band has a rich musical history, much of that history has nothing to do with the state of the program currently. The last strong marching band performance given by Langham Creek was in 2008, when the band placed moderately well at the State Marching Contest performing the music of Bela Bartok. I was there for their Area Finals performance in '08 and was very impressed. Two years later, I attended the Finals again with a group of fellow musicians. It was very obvious that Langham Creek was not the best band there, nor even among the top 5 contenders (though certainly worthy of making finals). However, they finished with a 2nd place win. The political influence at these contests is overwhelming. Langham Creek has ridden the coattails of its prior successes for far too long, which most people are in agreement about. Baredex, you sited how Morton Ranch made the finals of Lone Star Preview in 2012, which Langham did not. I wonder why that is? The answer is because none of the judges had any connection to Langham Creek, allowing their performance to be fairly scored. I believe the school has many merits to its music program, especially its concert band. But in the marching band realm, it is given far too much credit where credit is not due. The school is an average marching band with off and on performances. Many times the judges selected for these contests are older and come from a different generation; they associate Langham Creek with the school it once was in the late 90s and early 2000s. The reason this is bothersome is because other marching bands are making a splash in this area. They must work so much harder, though, to impress judges because they have no celebrated history to rely upon. They have no political clout, basically. Three Katy ISD schools - James E. Taylor, Morton Ranch, and Seven Lakes - are great examples. They are programs that are on the rise, with hard-working students and fantastic leadership. What I mean by all this is that Langham Creek can give a "poor" performance and still place above other schools due to the weight its name carries. The judges selected for Area E this year are a great batch, and as always, I hope they will be fair and honest about what they see/hear. (P.S. Tom Shine has never judged this Area before. He did judge the Region 23 Marching contest in 2013.) If Langham Creek does advance, I hope it is because they give an incredible performance that is worthy of beating other schools. My predictions listed alphabetically: Top 5: Clements (high contender for 1st place) Cy-Fair Cy-Falls Morton Ranch SFA Bottom 5: Cinco Ranch (I'm iffy about this. Their program is better this year but still unclean.) Cypress Ranch James E. Taylor Langham Creek (could beat out someone in Top 5) Seven Lakes (could beat out someone in Top 5) On the Bubble: Cypress Creek (doing really well this season!) , Jersey Village, Katy, William B. Travis