ClaireAnnette07

I think it's called Lincolnshire Posey...I could be wrong, though Anyway, I miss concert band! I was listening to the 2nd movement of "Second Suite in F" and wanted to cry because I played the clarinet solo as a sophomore. I hope I made a spot in the UT Wind Symphony, but I bombed my audtion and I heard how badly I played, so I probably didn't. Ugh.

Mannnn..somehow I lost what I just typed, and it was this BIG long explanation, too. Anyway, the reason why I think my old region did it (region 19) was because there weren't enough 4A students who made region and they needed people to advance, so they held pre-area auditions. At least, that's what I always assumed, since hardly any of us ever made region in the clarinet room. I advanced to 4A area 9th-11th grades, even though I technically only made region my junior year (alternate in 10th grade, thanks to a broken finger, but I was called in and did the concert & got the patch!). Basically, we just auditioned before the region seating/area qualification for 5A. It was pretty easy. I wish I could have done 4A my senior year..I could have advanced to area! I made region band as a senior as well, but I had to place in the top 12 for 5A area thanks to our school's new classification...and I got 16th. Myann.. Andy, they held area auditions at Lamar in January 2004 and in 2006. I went to 4A area in '04,'05 & '06, and UH was in '05 which leads me to believe that they switch the sites every year for Area F. I'll admit, UH was better....because Lamar STINKS and is far away. Have fun, and don't get lost! hehehe

It's okay..just think positive I feel you on skipping school. I slept through Chemistry again....for like, the 5th time this semester. I shouldn't have picked an 8AM class on my worst subject

The University of Texas football team has accepted an invitation to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego or something. It's not the ROSE BOWL, but it's another game I get to watch on TV!

Also, it's not good to practice a ton before tryouts. I did that in-between 4A area qualification tryouts and region band seating when I was a junior. Needless to say, I got 48th out of 54 clarinets that day or something like that. If I hadn't done that, I could have easily been in the 30s at least.

Try being in the 2nd region band..it SUCKED! If only I would have had one more year..lol. Who's Cody from Kingwood? I don't remember him from last year, I guess because he failed biology or whatever it was

Hey, that's awesome! I know you wanted first, but second is still really great. Congrats!

I never had nerves of steel, which is what hindered me from making 5A area last year. My last etude was a train wreck, and after I played, I knew I was done. Worst thing was that I was a senior. UGH! I have a band audition for a spot in the UT Wind Symphony on Thursday & I hope my nerves can settle. I am already so freaked!

I already made state. Like 5 seconds ago. I made it 10 times. (if you don't watch the "Karen" skit on SNL, my apologies..I hope I'm not the ONLY one who watches that..)

Mann. Tough competition this year! I hope it's not as bad as last year since we '07 prodigies graduated Good luck tomorrow! Show those Kingwood kids who Andy REALLY is..mwah ha. On a side note, I feel extremely OLD. But glad I don't have to go through a 5th year of the nail-biting, reed cracking, obsessively practicing fall semester!

I sprained my ankle just walking across the street three weeks ago....TRUE STORY. I am a huge klutz, however. I get it from my mama

My mom actually sustained a band injury when I was a freshman... I remember we were playing Dickinson during an away game that time. She was a band parent back then, and when her and some of the other band parents were moving one of the xylophones to the other side of the stadium, my petite mama tripped over her own two feet and fell flat on her face! What's worse is that it was their homecoming, and she fell right next to all of the homecoming court, the cheerleaders AND the band! She was SO embarassed! Did I mention that the game was televised as well? We didn't get home in time to see the news, so we never found out if her faceplant was shown throughout all of the Houston viewing area I, on the other hand, missed the entire thing!

Aw, I miss region! I feel so lazy lol Andy, don't feel bad about getting 3rd. You know you'll do better on Saturday. Isn't this what happened last year, too? You'll do great! Congrats on making region again!

Yeah, I have a couple of friends who just graduated from DP, and they're rivalry with LaPorte is intense...like, they went around tagging students' cars & I even heard something about LaPorte putting a dead deer on DP's lawn. Ick. The closest I've ever seen was someone who wrote "Channelview f****** sucks!" and "North Shore rules!" on our roof window when I was a freshman in high school; it ended up being a senior prank from OUR school. Unfortunately, we've never played North Shore in football in the four years I was there, which just shows how dumb some of the '04 seniors were

because your football team sucks (jk...) Why is my math professor such a jerk? He gave us a midterm the day before Thanksgiving when all of my other profs. cancelled class

Haha, thats so true. I'm done with classes by 2PM, and I was like "What do I do now?!" Haha..well, now that we're at the end of the semester, I have plenty of school work to keep me busy

In my high school, the Pit was mainly made up of people who played an instrument but couldn't march because they were in volleyball, etc. and never had time to learn the show and also sometimes had games during the football games & would drive back in time for halftime. That doesn't mean that they weren't talented...most of them were first-year pit members, and they had to learn a completely new instrument within a matter of 6 weeks while doing their other sport. I also know that percussion music is a little different than what woodwinds or brass play, so they also had to relearn how to read parts of music. It was tough for them, and I was amazed how quickly some of them picked up the xylophone or bells or even the pit cymbals! Basically said, they are an important part of the band. When we couldn't see the drum majors, we would listen to pit for tempo (especially if it was a woodwind part of the show) and they really busted their butt trying to manage demanding sports with marching band.

I tripped over my band director's foot one year...but he was in my way in the middle of practice and shouldn't have been in the field anyway lol I sprained my ankle today. We had a fire alarm go off in my dorm, and as I was walking away from the building, i tripped over the curb and heard my ankle pop. Thank god for the on campus emergency room!!

I definitely agree with you...being a senior section leader for me was easier than it was my junior year. I was the only section leader, and the seniors we had tried to tell me how to do my job and tell me I was wrong when trying to correct something..it was frustrating! Just watch out for the fellow seniors, because they'll try to walk all over you. Especially if they're your friends lol (and I hated having to tell them to shut up all the time)

He's the only person I've met through here....but we graduated from the same high school & go to the same college =]

True, true....when I was having a ton of trouble in AP Calculus last year, which doesn't even count towards eligibility in UIL, my band director was very understanding when I would miss parts of band practice to go to tutorials. I was clarinet section leader, as well, which made this an even bigger deal. Basically, he really wanted all of us to pass, even if it had nothing to do towards eligibility. Not to mention he gave me several letters of recommendation when I was applying for scholarships last year, and I got two really great scholarships, so that was pretty awesome too

I remember meeting some people in my region through txbands, and how several of us from my band tried to convince the band director that we needed a band page through here. He, of course, didn't create one until AFTER we graduated =( Oh, and it was cool how crazyjakeup created the "Things That Rock" forum for me because "I'm not a pessimist." I'm still not one, by the way...

I'll be the first one to admit that marching band + school is tough. Since i was in the dual credit program junior and senior years, I began school at 7AM and stayed until nearly 7PM everyday. Then, I had tons of homework since I was in almost all AP classes as well, then I went to bed. It was exhausting and sometimes I thought it was unbearable, but I think it was worth it in the end. It's not like marching band lasts forever..only a few months..and I had a blast doing it in high school. I wouldn't trade that experience for all the free afternoons I "missed out" on in four years!

I hate, despise, and detest the blue box. I just hate them because you can hardly ever find a reed that works, isn't too buzzy, or isn't too soft. I love Rue Lepics. I wish I could have them, but they're more expensive and I can't find a place to buy them in person,so I have to buy them online, which I hate. I use the "silver box" (V12s, I think) because I can't use Rue Lepics and they're better than the blue box, in my opinion

I actually do know Clear Brook; not only do I live in the Clear Creek area (when I'm not in college haha. I'm actually new to that area..) but my friends & I caught their shows after our band performed in UIL when they were still in region 19. I've always thought they were great, so I couldn't really say they're a RISING band, but they're really really amazing. Galena Park, in my opinion, is a rising band that not many people have heard of. My old high school (Channelview) band always competed against them in 4A, and they've really improved over the last few years. They even made alternate to state this year in Area F, which is AMAZING for a band who used to be in the bottom of area rankings. They. Even. Beat. Santa Fe (*insert triumphant music here*). I'm really amazed with these people and because I knew a lot of people there in high school, I guess I am a little biased. There really is no mistaking how they're a rising band though....and I believe it's all because of their motivation to succeed