titancoaster

I didnt want to put this one up until we had already established a reputation for this year (which I believe we have with winning USSBA and making finals at BOA Arlington) because I didnt want anybody to think differently of the Connally Band. In may our head band director, Chico Portillo (he has been the head director at CHS since it opened), announced that he was moving up in the district to become the head of Fine Arts for the Pflugerville school district. With that said our new Head band director is Mr. Matt Atkinson, the previous assisstant band director from Hendrickson HS. He has fit in with the Connally Band program excellently and with all the changes he has brought we are still the Connally Band, and we are having one of the best seasons we have ever had.

^^ no, what i meant to say (sry for not being more clear), our judges said to ignore the numerical score and our final placement, but the comments they left were good and accurate (and very helpful in our run for state last year)

agreed, one time we under went similar situation (USSBA Cen Tex Regional/Westlake) and our judges put on our tapes to ignore our scores becuase theu would not be accurate compared to our class since we went hours before anybody else

I think Coppell will do very well here, the only thing I dont like about their show (keep in mind I have only seen the poor quality You Tube video) is their drill writer keeps them way to tight it seems as though they only take up less than half the field and for a band as big and as white as they are it does get kind of boring to watch, but I LOVE the planets. ^(uniforms)

That is not true, one of Connally's band directors went to Marshall and she always jokes about how bad they were then, she said one year they went until homecoming (which was like mid-oct) and they stiill hadnt scored a single point all year, but on the bright side they made letterman's top ten worst things.

umm, Hendrickson is a 4A (which is why they were at state last year) so they cant make state this year, but they will be at BOA Houston. And yes THERE SHOW IS REALLY COOL, its definantly out there but very cool.

Akins had issues with their buses and were unable to attend the contest on Saturday, I was pretty upset when they didnt show up, because I really wanted to see how we compared to the previous 5A state finalists

^I agree, both of those bands should be on the must watch list. Friendswood is always a very clean well performing band, and they usually have pretty decent show concepts and designs/ Hendrickson has been a strong band for awhile now, and this year they have a very cool, off the wall show, and I think if the judges get the off the wall part of their show there is no question they will be in finals. (P.S.- All Hendrickson band members who read this, let me say this, you hosted a great competition today and your show was very cool from what I got to see/hear of it while lining up for retreat)

I believe that Marcus will win (duh) as far as the other finalists Locks: Berkner Cedar Park Hebron Possible finalists: Connally Colleyville Heritage (I have not seen this band enough to say they are a lock, but their DM's are pretty cool) Leander (always a strong contender) Georgetown (coming off an amazing year) Coppell (Great Musicians, I just have not heard anything about them this year to put them as a lock) Mansfield (Another good band that has done well at this competition in the past) Lewisville (A good band, but I just dont know if they will have what it takes to take on the big boys that are at the contest) Newman Smith (A band that was pretty good when I saw them a few years ago, but I have not seen them recently so I dont know where they will end up) As far as Connally is concerned I believe we can do very well on Oct. 4th. Our show this year is very well designed, by far the best one I have been apart of and has the possibility to be the highest scoring GE show Connally has ever seen. (I think it surpasses Ourspace by miles (the show we took to GN)) We are marching pretty clean and playing better than we usually do at this point. I think that if we preform the way we have rehearsed this week we will be in finals, but I will be honest there are a few spots that if one or two things go wrong we can just as easily go home in 15th place.

yeah our drill has had some major rewrites, but it has been alot better than last year, and really good considering its a new drill writer. We our currently learning the fourth movement (closer) but we wont preform it until atleast westlake, for USSBA hendrickson and BOA Arlington we will only do the first three movements

We had a really good run tonight of our show, it was probably the best first preformance that I have been apart of, I just wish we were staged differently while watching Stony Point's show, because from where we were we really couldnt hear them .

lol, we have two lightposts on our practice lot, but luckily one is on the ten backfield, and the other one is on like a twenty maybe eight steps behind the back hash. Not much drill goes back there and when it does you break the cardinal rule and have to march a curved path during a rehearsal.

We are doing extremely well, this is probably the fastest we have ever learned drill, we have the first 22 sets finished, and by tomorrow we will finish the first movement, and rep the opener a few times, and by next friday we hope to have the second movement finished! I cannot believe how well we are doing this year, I get gossebumbs everytime I am conducting the first hit, the brass is right in front of me and they just blow me away.

oops, I just got word our drumline is not duing bionic but they are doing their show from three years ago Synthesis which got them 1st at TCGC State

Connally is doing it, they are taping next wed. and they are playing the WDL show from last year (bionic for WDL fans)

well I will say this as far as Connally's show is concerned, our directors do not want us sharing the show info on txbands until after we have preformed it in competition and even then we usually let others talk about most of it (aka Ourspace from two years ago) And all of my directors know my nickname, so they would easily trace me if i slipped up (but that doesnt have to stop me from saying that our show ROCKS!!!)

well as for this marching season I am looking forward to a few things 1. LD Bell Grand Nats Champ vs. Marcus who beat Bell at Super Regional, I think state will be between these two bands for first and secon 2.Cedar Park, after there non-finalist ranking from last time, it will be interesting to see what they do differently in order to make it back to the top 3. 4A bands in a new world, I cant wait to see the previous 4A state finalists compete in the 5A realm and seeing how they match up (Vista Ridge, Dickinson, and Connally)

lol, thx we are very excited to compete in th 5A realm, and are very interested to see how we do in the UIL realm after last year. (oh yeah, our show is also the best show design our school has ever had_ good luck to all the 5A Area D bands, lets show the state what central texas marching bands are made of

I have seen Reagan, though it was two years ago, they remind me of a small (and I stress small) version of a band off of drumline, but I will say they are entertaining to watch (in a good way) and it made me like contemparary marching band even more

^hehe, a true bloodbath at its finest

go Bones, it looks like they have a shot of making finals at Championships and the top 3 scores are coming closer and closer BD better be careful now Phantom and Cavies are coming pretty close

yeah, I had been working on the second trumpet etude for awhile now so I have all but two lines down pretty well, but I think the first etude will take me awhile to learn, there are sooo many trills

^ I really hope i get to see that it sounds interesting, good music, and the circles theme is similiar to a Winter Drumline Show we did a few years ago, I am sure with TWCP staff it will be nothing but great

lol, I can picture it now, for the 2009 Marching Season L.D. Bell presents: High School Musical: The Marching Band of East High School (Spoiler; the end of the show the band dances and sings We're all in this together) and Marcus High School Presents: Hannah Montana (Spoiler; yes there is a huge Miley Cyrus Prop of "sorts")

Im a new DM as well, my long time goal finally came true . Good luck to all the other drum majors this year, lets make the 08/09 marching season one all fans remember, and I hope to meet any of you going to the SASI camp at U of H this weekend. (PM if you are going and want to meet up some time) Oh and Danpod, I'll see you in Arlington (and possibly SA as a fan) and I am looking forward to my chili dog.