UNTcompmaj47

I am not insulting their show, in fact I've made long drives to show my support in the stands and I always cheer for every band out there. I suppose that once you see all your former band directors go on to become head band directors at other schools you realize what an honor it was to be in the program when I was. I'm wishing WC and all other bands the very best for this weekend's Super Regional contest and Grand Nationals. I am content with the students are doing, I am not impressed with the musical selections and visual design, but it is just my opinion. I in no way was insulting my own Alma mater.

It is an entertaining show and the kids are doing a great job with what they've been given, I just am sad to say the music they picked for this show set them up for a tough season. 300 music dealing with the coliseum??? Greece and Roman Coliseums are hardly the same thing, not to mention the score to the film 300 has been heavily criticized for stealing/copying from Elliot Goldenthal. Pines of Rome would have been a great musical selection, but they dropped this idea from the show.

Churchill is going to have a tough year this year in my honest opinion. Their music book is really a shame. There is little shaping, counterpoint, or style to it, it is simply repeated blocked chords and motives at double forte. I wish they had better designers, for the kids sake!!! (And this is coming from an alum as well)

She is indeed well qualified. Her BM and MM degrees are from well respected university music programs and UT Austin is probably THE best for wind conducting if not one of the top 5 in the nation. I don't think her qualifications are in dispute at all, and if they were, just looking at her bio should impress most.

There is no "bias." Being from a program like Churchill with all that tradition, you may not realize that many many other bands in this state have indeed improved dramatically. There is no longer a reasonable expectation to place a certain way consistently without earning it. Nobody "deserves" to be somewhere in this state, it is all about executing to the best of your ability and doing what you know you should do. I think most bands give it their all and at this point that is all that matters. At the end of the day, it is in the hands of a few individuals to write what they saw and heard to the best of their ability on THAT performance only. There is no bias towards or against anybody. I think it is unfair to criticize judges. Their role in the spirit of the activity is minimal, it is really about art and the experiences gained through performance. Go out there and have fun, be competitive, enjoy what you are doing. That is what truly matters the most!

I believe Dean Westman arranged Churchill's music this year. Does that make him look lazy?

Does anybody find this to be a rather disappointing situation? It is as if music, one of the fine arts, is being taken less seriously every year. I can understand a football teams need and appreciation for a marching band to be present at their games, but to be excluded from one of their own contests to prevent being absent from more than one game??? I see this as placing less importance on the arts and more importance on sports, yet Marching band itself is a sport...so what are they getting at? I'm sure Langham Creek accepted these conditions without any problems, but does anyone else feel it is a shame for this to have happened to them? Who knows what may have happened, but at least a chance to make finals is better than none at all. I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks of this situation. Congratulations to all competing bands at BOA Houston!