NETexasBandFan

Funding is just hard in general for smaller schools and towns, less businesses mean less tax revenue, and people are generally lower income. It's a struggle for all of them in that part of Texas, even Pleasant Grove as far as school funds go. I keep up to date with the Texarkana area regularly, and from what I can tell the bands have really gained some support! I've never seen any of the Texas side schools with as many props as they do now, and they all have much better looking equipment. a couple of nerdy side notes that might be encouraging- Texas High jumped 19th to 13th at area in a very competitive area within 2 state years, it's unknown to me if they'll hit a peak, but they're improving to be better than ever! Pleasant Grove has always been good, state finals good sometimes, but considering they got a 2 in 2014, made area finals the next, and were even more awesome in 2017, I hope they've been improving as well! I haven't seen Arkansas in person or on video in forever, but from what I've heard their program has been turned around by a new staff, and LE last but not least LE is getting there for sure, the 2s are becoming less frequent and replaced with 1s, including occasional concert and sightreading sweepstakes, despite that they've been unable to nail all 3 for sweeps in a year, it's progress, and like you said, the shows are becoming much less stock, more well designed, and harder! Best of luck to these groups and I hope I see them in person sometime soon!

"Made state on their last state year (2016 for most, but 2017 for those who moved up from 5A)" That's why Prosper is bolder too, I think they are at least I'm on mobile.

In regards to this, Texarkana is much more suburban than urban, but due to it's location lacks a lot of things schools in DFW or other densely populated areas may have access to, such as private lesson programs, or techs. It's also considered fairly lower class outside of one school, some people even refer to areas of it as "Ghetto" but I prefer not to generalize the place. The programs there all have the potential to be great, even the much more predominately lower class LE was barely missing state by a few points in the 90s, it's just a matter of getting the school to fund the programs and getting teachers who can handle the job, and all 4 Texarkana schools have been improving greatly in their band programs, so I think that's definitely going on.

I actually already made a thread containing four states, it just happened to be a bundle of other smaller contests out in the east texas area, results of the top 3 (Redwater, Pleasant Grove, and Queen City) and captions were also posted there. Four States was definitely judged much more harshly than usual, and I think that has to do with most of the judges being from places such as DFW, Westwood, or other places with major programs. LE getting a 3 in guard and several other of the 2s were shocking. The performance definitely has room to improve as do all, but I didn't think it was a 2 by four states standards, that contest is meant to be easier.

Someone screenshotted them off a Princeton Facebook page and posted it to Instagram, hopefully it's not false information

I saw captions and I was rather shocked North Lamar didn't sweep them like last year, with even other 4As taking marching and aux from them, and Garland winning percussion. I wonder if the 4A programs this year are just on FIRE or North Lamar just has some cleaning to do.

Here's a couple of smaller contests schedules for those of you out in the east looking out for your home band! -Four States in Texarkana- Notable Bands (in schedule order) Clarksville, defending 2A state champs Queen City, 3A state finalist Redwater, 3A area finalist, won four states last year Pleasant Grove, 4A area finalist -Northeast Texas in Mount Pleasant- Notable Bands Clarksville Pewitt, 3A area finalist Queen City Pleasant Grove Paris, 4A state band Texas HS, won MP last year -Sunnyvale Invitational- Notable Bands Kaufman, 4A area finalist Mineola, 3A state champs Atlanta, consistent state band and finalist in 4A, now 3A Farmersville, 3A silver medalist Naaman Forest, won Sunnyvale last year Paris

Believe it or not, I'd put Clark and all the major 4A programs above most of the 5A and 6As here except Red Oak (unless I'm missing something, but Garland and Nimitz are the ones I see in 6A), Clark has a shot at finals for sure, good luck to you and your son!

Made state on their last state year (2016 for most, but 2017 for those who moved up from 5A)

After hours of torturing myself typing this, here's my region result thread for 2018! I decided to only do the varsity conferences advancing to Area/State this year for simplicity sakes, and so far I have only done 6A. 4A is next then finally 2A. Key Notes: in regions with 2 or less bands, both will ALWAYS advance to area. 2 bands minimum must also go to area from a region. I will edit this with results and area advancements as the year goes on 6A Area A 6A Area B 6A Area C 6A Area D 6A Area E 6A Area F 6A Area G 6A Area H 6A Area I

I've seen Berkner, it has some really neat stuff that I think will impress the crowds, and I can say I was definitely in awe myself. Haven't seen Wylie but I expect them to have kept improving, perhaps overtaking Berkner this time around.

Indeed! It's a showdown between Region 4's North Lamar and Spring Hill, who are the definitive locks for state, and Region 10's Lumberton, LCM, and Bridge City. With 3 of these 5 bands placing 1st, 3rd, and 4th in state honor band respectively, and Lumberton moving down from 5A making state in 2017. Region 4 will also have quite the show with Paris and Pleasant Grove. I'm sure the top 7 or 8 in this area could all make state in just about any other area besides B!

I believe finalists will be mostly if not the same as last year and the state bands will too, FloMo, Hebron, Marcus, Berkner, and Wylie (in last state year's order, not my prediction for this year).

These are the first 2 contests where a lot of major 4A players will make their first appearance, Princeton mainly, also throwing in the solid 5A program Red Oak (2017 Area C finalist), but this contest is almost entirely 4A state finalists and will probably be the only chance for most of these bands to meet at once before area and state levels. My bet will be on North Lamar to win, Whitesboro will easily win 3A and will have a good chance at finals without being the 3A Exhibition Mineola will be a little less interesting, and probably only that notable to east texas people rooting for their home bands, and victory is almost certainly between Tyler Lee or the major 4As Canton and Spring Hill, but it will be our only chance prior to Area to really see how Spring Hill stacks up versus it's corp-style competition in 4A.

Have you SEEN a 3A or 4A band in the past several years? I'm sure almost all successful competitive 3A or 4A bands match or exceed that price tag on a show by a long shot.

Well most schools I've seen drop from 5A to 4A don't immediately choose to go to TMEA to ATSSB for several reasons, I'm sure the main one is just leaving the All-Region circuit they're used to, or maybe they have an all-stater who hasn't graduated yet and they don't want to pull them away from the TMEA band, or maybe the director just wants to have the kids in the most competitive environment possible. But odds are, with a few exceptions at the Region level for a few Regions in rural areas, the competition will be less intense, although regardless still very competitive as All-Region and All-State, Smaller schools in ATSSB have less kids, less funding, and less programs such as private lessons, and all these contribute to the difficultly difference between the 2 circuits. As to how transitioning works, I'm not sure, I would assume directors just their kids up for the TMEA or ATSSB audition depending on what they're planning on doing.

Next year I want to not end up never completing this topic, sorry to all I disappointing by never finishing it

I've never seen a band that made the state contest the last time they had a shot, skip out on trying to advance. I'm sure most bands moving from 5A to 4A would be pushing harder than ever to take advantage of their situation.

It is where I got it, I wish they would leave these archives up because some results are so hard to find.

About to be a very respected band in 4A, they're going to throw a wrench in anyone wishing to take an open state spot in Area C.

I wish either UIL or Music For All would maybe change their dates, but neither of those organizations probably can or want to host any later than what they do now, but then again in the early days of the UIL state marching contest, it was once on December 1st (I can't remember which year that was, but I remember reading it in the Leaguer)

Most definitely

Thank you! I always make these little mistakes because the areas are so different between 1A-4A, 5A, and 6A. I need to pay more attention!

Area C, oops madea mistake Flower Mound Marcus Hebron (obviously these 3) Berkner Wylie North Mesquite McKinney Boyd That leaves 3 other spots, honestly I don't see enough of these area finalists to tell their potential, Allen could edge in again, and there's also McKinney and Sachse (I'm not 100% sure if all of these bands are in 6A next year, I'm pretty sure they all are though) Rockwall missed finals by a fair number of points but with a 10, 18, 9 in music, and 13 and 13 in marching, there's always a potential for a band like this to come back with cleaner marching and not have a random sticking out judge like that 18. 2016 Area C results: http://www.uiltexas.org/files/music/6A_Area_C_Prelims.pdf http://www.uiltexas.org/files/music/6A_Area_C_Finals.pdf

That's a lot of predictions to make, 9 areas for 6A now means there's going to be A LOT of area finalists, anywhere from 63-90 bands will advance to Area Finals (assuming each area has enough bands for finals and depending on whether they get 7 or 10 area finalists)