TruthMatters

The stream has been bad the entire time for me and now it's just stopped....Way to go NFHS....

Is anyone else's NFHS feed choppy? Running it on a firestick on TV...

I can see that. But my original post was called absurd and stupid so I felt my response was way more friendly. But got it for future posts.

Since you posted this right after my response but not after other similar responses. What in my response was snarky/nasty that was different than others. I'd gladly remove it but I didn't see anything in mine that was in anyway "nasty".

Little late, but I believe my post has way more truth than yours. Maybe the top 4 or 5 non-TX bands can make finals in SA and definitely Avon/Carmel/BA can be top 6 and compete for the win. But after that you'd see a lot of TX in the next 20 to 30 bands easily. GN is top heavy with bands that never leave their region for whatever reason, but let's not pretend the top 30 in GN can even come close to the Top 30 in BOA SA. The fact that most of the GN bands refuse to come to TX when TX bands have to spend almost $400K+ to get to Indy is testament to who is not afraid to venture into other competitions. Many examples of bands in TX who don't make UIL or BOA SA finals making it in GN finals and/or finishing right at the bubble of finals. Results > your feelings. GN is a title, it does not reflect quality and / or even that the top bands around the nation every year attend. It's nothing more than a glorified Super Regional with few TX bands thrown in. This takes nothing away from how awesome Avon, Carmel, BA, and many of the others are, but the depth at GN is just not there compared to SA.

It works well for BOA, but like you mentioned there is always the viewpoint that jumping from 7th to top 3 or 4 (or 5th) never happens. I think we would have to look at the recent state competition placements to see if UIL is any differemt. Has any bottom half state finals band jumped 3 or 4 slots in finals or did they kind of stay within 1 or 2 slots of their prelims positioning. Again, I dont have 100% confirmation that top half / bottom half is happening. The minutes posted from May suggested it was approved for 2024 implementation but thats the last I have seen publicly posted on it.

It is the BOA model. So to expand what Sideswipper said. Basicallly the random draw shared above is still relevant, but also depends on if you finished in the 1 to 5 position in prelims or the 6 to 10 position. The top 5 would use their order in the draw to set their finals performance time but are guaranteed one of the last 5 performance slots. The bottom 5 would perform in the first 5 performance slots but the draw would determine what order in that that they perform. Edit: along with helping ensure the top prelims bands perform in the later slots this now tells the public who the top 5/6 prelims bands were. The directors always knew, but now most of the general public will have an idea. Hope that helps.

I believe they also are implementing the top half bottom half for area finals this year. It was proposed and the notes say it was recommended for implementation in Fall 2024. Does anyone have final verification that this will indeed happen?

Nice! Excited to see them with everything on the field!

Valid points. A lot of the comments do tend to focus on them not having as difficult a music book. But they play the heck out of the one they do have. 🙂 Also they are the first high school marching band to make me forget the band and stare at the color guard for an entire show! Now it's leaked over into DCI with just being dazzled with BD, BC, Crown, Boston guards!

It's interesting the last 3 years that TWHS always seems to be one of those "people rank them lower" than they end up bands. I get that Leander and Lewisville ISDs are powerhouses, but why doesn't TWHS get the same powerhouse type treatment as the others? I haven't seen anything in the last 3 years to say they aren't a lock for finals at any comp they go to and aren't almost a lock for top 6 for them also. Maybe I am wrong in how people see TWHS, but it's just felt they get a little less appreciation/respect than the non-Houston bands. No affiliation with TWHS other than I really appreciate their excellence and cheer for them as a "Houston" area band. Oh and not even directed at anything you said Packwick, just a general observation.

Compared to this comp GN is a joke. We could easily have 5 or 6 bands that don't make finals here who would make GN finals.

I get it, but every school can have reasons why they want to be in a certain slot versus another. The choice to do BOA SA and Nationals is the schools choice and BOA can't always make exceptions for everyone. Then they have to worry about distance traveled, who has money to stay 2 nights in a hotel versus 1, those who may be going to state 6A on Monday, and etc., Sometimes the logistics work out well. Sometimes they don't. Given their performance last year I'd say Panel 2 was more 3 locks with Hebron, CP, and VR and then next 7. I don't see LD Bell or CTJ having any advantage over the other schools listed especially with Rouse's and Westlake's showing in this weekends competition. For Panel 1 it can go a million different ways. So stacked!!!!

Yeah, lot's of great bands going to be on the outside looking in for finals!

I equate the Leander / Austin BOA to the Lewisville UIL Area comp. The 5th/6th/7th maybe 8th place bands in those comps could probably get 2nd (and very likely top 5) in almost any other Area comp. Crazy talented bands in those districts!

Looks from field level like a great show. Can't wait to see it this weekend from high cam!

Look up 2022 and 2023. Yeah and in 2022 also. Pearland is always a beast at the end of the year. No slight to them at all, they are really pushing for top 7 and I am excited for any Houston area band to join the Woodlands in representing at the top.

They do not use field mics or amp their ensemble. The show wouldn't work with it given how separated their ensemble is throughout the show. Also, BOA highly discourages this and have some recommended changes to better clarify it. Current BOA: However, when amplification of only specific individuals during full ensemble passages leads to an intentional misrepresentation of the band sound as a whole, the instructional leadership has strayed from the core values and beliefs stated above. Such misrepresentation of acoustic qualities, by enhancing the performance of only a few players, is unacceptable and must be selfregulated by the participating bands. Proposed Changes: In consideration of the Bands of America philosophy, we recommend the following be implemented for the 2023 BOA season and beyond. • Amplifying individuals (wind players) through a soundboard during tutti sections leads to an intentional misrepresentation of what is being performed by the total ensemble. This misrepresentation of acoustic quality by enhancing a few individuals is unacceptable. • Soloists and featured ensembles may use microphones during their feature section but must be muted from amplification when not being featured. • Where a participating band has a limited number of performers (e.g., one player to a part), the use of individual microphones is acceptable.

Again, results >>>> than what people think or say. Does Cy-Fair go for more GE centric shows, probably. But Bridgeland's show last year was far from a UIL centric design and both had extremely amazing results and were very close in all competitions (BOA and UIL). Again, I don't know who will come out on top. I hope all bands in the area keep improving and Area I start making yearly dents in BOA and UIL finals.

Tell me you're a homer without telling me you're a homer. For the record, Cy-Fair won the Area (yes, in UIL) in 2022, and finished 1 point behind them in Area in 2023 along with making state finals with them and finishing 1 pt behind them again in Finals. That is far from a "don't normally do well in UIL" performance result. I don't know who will win, but at least speak in facts.