JediSaxSolis

The whole IRC chat system is pretty complicated. Could you explain the setup procedures to getting into IRC chats?

Are you from Cinco Ranch? If so, the tenor definitely deserved it. I enjoyed competing with him.

Hmm... I seriously think ALL the area judges that judge for TMEA need to be college music professors who know what they're doing; the amount of extra pay would be worth it for the students. I'm not really bummed since I really didn't put that much effort into preparing my music this year, but some of my friends prepared beyond expectation and played the best in the room; however they ended up getting shafted because the judging was nothing but inconsistent. (At least for the Sax and Trombone rooms) This is exactly why I don't go overboard in preparing the state etudes, because judging is always a problem; always. If TMEA chairmans make an effort to get some credible judges in, then maybe I'll reconsider my practice habits for next year.

Area F tomorrow, right? See y'all there.

So you're going to LU for Area F January 5th, too? I'll be there for tenor sax, anyone else here trying out for sax at Area F? Haha, both my parents went to LU. It can't be that bad, can it? Their degrees seem to be doing pretty well.

Anyone else Region 17? I've been practicing enough to get by, hopefully. I really don't like the whole region process, though. Sure, you can practice a lot, but judging is a whole different story. So I mean, take your pick. I'll stick my focus to jazz region.

TWCP? Considering the way The Woodlands is starting to divide up the district...I wouldn't be surprised to see The Woodlands HS make a fall to the College Park...they're up and rising. It's Hendrickson's time to shine, too. They're extremely underrated, in my opinion. Definitely one of my personal favorites. Clear Brook is another that's on the rise...they should represent well at GN. I've noticed Alvin HS has started to put a kick in their band. Give 'em time.

Congrats to Poteet; I heard you guys had a great show. I was hoping Hendrickson would've placed higher; that band is deserving of many awards. Congratulations to Friendswood, as well. I'll get to talk to you guys this weekend at the Region 17 Jazz clinic/concert.

Interesting recaps, Mike. I always liked reading others' recaps sheets. Nice job on the pics, too. Very well done.

I don't know...iPods used in context with a marching show is all that's needed to re-emphasize the fact that G.E. presents a major role in the BOA judging system.

Man...what a weekend. Just got back about an hour ago. First, I'm going to say this has definitely been the most competitive and awesome marching contest I've ever competed in. I would say it was on an even higher level than last year's UIL 5A State Marching Contest. I had loads of fun. Sure, a lot of the time was spent marching and watching bands, but getting to relax in downtown SA today was awesome, too. As for Finals results, I'm not going to get into that. I really didn't feel they were anywhere near accurate (spots 4-10 were inconsistent, in my opinion). Honestly, I thought Colleyville Heritage deserved to be in the top 10, Cedar Park should've placed higher, and where was Coppell? Everyone performed extremely well, but I think several poor judgments were made. Results aside, we had a blast performing our show. The adrenaline rush was unlike any before and we won't be forgetting the performances yesterday anytime soon. There's nothing like looking back and saying that everyone in the group gave it their all. Having that high level of competition between bands is really what makes marching band and BOA stick out to me; which is why I enjoy it so much. I also met several of you at the MeetMe. Great compietition!

Well, I was there, but only for about a minute or two (we had to leave quickly). It was nice meeting you all.

I'm not sure what you really have against us, but I can guarantee you we're going to be very focused and competitive come 12:15 PM. Anyways, hope to see some of you at the MeetMe. Good luck to everyone!

There was a time my freshman year...I think it was BOA Arlington 2005...we had a big tear in the middle of the show between brass and woodwind. I don't think we've had any significantly terrible things happen to us on the field, but in the stands, that's another story. Sometimes you just want to watch the football team, right? haha

If our band makes finals and/or doesn't disperse too quickly, you can bet I'll be there!

Man...this contest is going to be intense, no doubt. Probably the most intense I'll ever go to. Good luck.

Football? I think I'll stick to watching it, haha. One of you mentioned ultimate frisbee? That's a pretty big deal down here, too. Both our jazz bands do an annual basketball tournament with a big cook-off at the end of the year. Those are always fun.

That's gotta' be one of the main things I see that gives peers a hard time within a band program. Learning to gain respect from your peers in a program like this isn't easy. Unfortunately, some learn it the hard way. What you say about Seniority is true...that's exactly why I didn't really exert much effort to get section leader for this year (Junior year). Generally, the respected peers are those that know what they're doing, those that have a sensible personality/full of optimism, and those that know how to effectively give off that persona of success. You can be pessimistic and yell all you want to towards your peers, but it doesn't get ya' anywhere. I think it's kind of fun to sit back and watch how some people go about trying to rank up through the various levels of respect. You can definitley learn from their successes and their mistakes. That's why I think it's so important to identify a positive role model within the band when you first join, so you can find your own style to making what worked for them; work for you, too. It's like a game...you stay on top of the game and you reap the rewards in the end.

I've always preferred quick/classy visuals. I never really liked all the fruity and 'cutesy' stuff. Like...a marching show is a marching show...it doesn't need balloons and fireworks. Some of our band booster parents once suggested wearing raincoats/goulashes and other ridiculous theater appliances...I'm glad our directors decided to let us keep our dignity. We've got part of the dance in our show, but it does increase the Visual (if done well) and GE of the show; so I'm all for it. Also...I mean, it is a popular dance right now; that's what society is into. As long as it doesn't become an obsession and a necessity to a marching show, I don't have too much of a problem with it.

I'm not even kidding, I have about 600 songs from the Legend of Zelda franchise on my iPod. About 300 Mario songs, and other various video game tracks ( Banjo-Kazooie, etc.). To me, music is one of the main reasons I like video gaming so much. There's so many great and talented composers/arrangers out in the video game industry. Koji Kondo, Grant Kirkhope, etc etc. I know several links that also highlight the VideoGamePianist, and I've even come across some CDs of Nintendo songs re-created by a big band. Martin Leung is quite the piano player. eBay can be your best friend when looking for video game music; rest assured. If you're really intent on finding video game music, look into importing; that's a definite guarantee you'll find what you're looking for.\ One of my most anticipated titles that I'm waiting for for great music is none other than Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It's going to be amazing, no doubt. There's a plethora of composers working on it; it's going to be great.

We were told of the accident and hope you are all ok. You guys were also very classy Saturday night which was very cool. The respect level I have for you all is very high. Best of luck to you all at Area...state all the way.

After reading various forums' messages ( I read much more than I do post), I thought I'd start a thread full of powerful opinions. I guess it's not entirely up to these 3 prestigious marching/music contest institutions alone, but any if you want to be particular (USSBA, ToB, etc.) What I want to know, is what is your favorite and why. Anyone can say that they like any one contest institution over the other, but why exactly? I used to belong to a forum where I was extremely active; we had nothing but debates and serious discussion. However, that forum was shut down so I've gone elsewhere. Intuitive/intelligent discussion is what keeps me coming back, so let's see it happen! Of course, keep message intensity to a mininum and keep it respectful.

The link works fine for me.

Hmm...meeting for a 6 AM run-through with a performance at 12 PM? Good luck to all; I'm looking forward to it.

Fantastic read, Michael. I'm looking forward to seeing the BOA recaps tomorrow.