charlespercussion

I just left otherwise I would’ve

Okay thanks!

Looks like Edinburg North no showed or got moved back. Skipped straight to Harlingen.

IMPORTANT FOR ALL SHOWING UP TO THE CONTEST TODAY! It is very hot, and there is almost zero cloud coverage. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids before arriving and whilst in the stands. Also, please make an effort to stay and watch all bands. I promise they (directors and students alike) will appreciate the support. Good luck to all bands, and stay safe, everyone.

I mean if we are talking about the weather this Saturday, it's looking like the weather should be relatively the same throughout prelims. (80s and 90s). Temp. might fluctuate more in finals (70s and 60s).

For anybody wondering, yes. Only two bands will be advancing to state (as far as I know). Area G has had a drop in attendance (in competing bands) since last year.

While I agree with you on this, I think they aren’t like a mile-wide spread between each other (so to speak). I think if AHS’ visual dominates (I don’t doubt it will) there is a possibility they take Hanna again.

I want to say very quickly, this may sound at times like I am hating on AHS at times. I swear, that is not the intent of this post. While I am a former band member there, I have attempted to look at the season through a “non-partisan” lens. If anybody would like to correct me on any incorrect statements in this post, feel free to do so. The goal of this post is just to state my opinions going in to this week’s area contest. Okay this is coming from a former Laredo Alexander Band bass drum (quit after sophomore year, but I still practice music quite often). I’ve attended all of the competitions that both AHS and United have been to, and I have to say I’m not too sure how AHS is scoring so well. When it comes to percussion scores, I’m almost 100% sure that they are not going to perform well UNLESS their pit CARRIES the score. Currently, their batter percussion is a lot of freshmen, and you can tell. Furthermore, when it comes to music performance throughout the whole band, their music, while hard (I honestly see them placing first in music composition) is very unbalanced and sometimes just straight up bad. I’ve heard that they have cut a lot of members and that had caused the balance of the band to be all over the place, but that aside, I really don’t like their music as it is currently being performed compared to their previous shows (more specifically “Are We Alone?”). Also, the AHS electronics, as always, are VERY shaky on whether or not they will work, and often times, soloist microphones and/or front ensemble mics and sound effects just won’t work at all. I am aware that their sound system is confusing and difficult to get running, but its little stuff like that that takes me, personally, completely out of a show. I will say that VISUALLY, I think Alexander is unmatched in South Texas. Their visual performance ever since 2021 has always been very solid, and I definitely see them performing well there, but I honestly think their music scores will drag them down a little bit. As for United, I have really enjoyed the way their show has developed throughout this year. I attended BOA McAllen this year, and out of all of the percussion sections, United is (in my mind) undoubtedly the best. I also attended the UISD Marching Festival where I got to see Homer Hanna for the first time, but even then, I would probably say that United just edges them out (albeit, Hanna is very solid). As for the band as a whole, United DESTROYS when it comes to music. Their soloists are strong, their brass section, while not perfect, is much more balanced that Alexander, and their woodwinds are very very solid. Their electronics work wonderfully and really help in immersing you into the show. One thing to be said is that their front ensemble is sometimes unstable tempo-wise, but even then, I think they’re able to hold their own for the most part. Visually, I will be honest, they are not the cleanest, but I have definitely seen worse. As for Hanna, I’ve only seen their show once. I have no comments for them visually as I don’t remember their show too well; however, musically, I must say they are probably the best in South Texas other than Roma. I’m not a huge fan of their (Hanna’s) theme, but its whatever. All in all, I have my finalists predictions as such: *I have seen all of the shows 1. Homer Hanna HS 2. United HS 3. JBA HS 4. Weslaco HS 5. Edinburg North HS 6. PSJA ECHS 7. Harlingen HS 8. Mission HS 9. Los Fresnos HS 10. LBJ HS *note: LBJ (Johnson) HS has had an incredible amount of improvement within the past year, and if you haven’t seen their show yet, I would truly recommend viewing it. I’m not too sure if it’s just shock at how good they’ve gotten that’s giving me some hope that they make finals, but as of now, I truly believe that they have a chance at doing it. All in all, this 6A Area G contest will be interesting. I’m not 100% sure about how the top five will unfold, but I am hoping that everyone competing has a good time and is happy with the show(s) that they put on the field.