K3v1n

Well the DVDs that I ordered just came in recently, and I held a "watching-party" this past Saturday to watch the shows. Carolina Crown definitely is better this year, and I finally get the theme of their show, "A 2econd Chance". It truly is quite amazing, especially that brass sound. Crown is known for their incredible brass line and this year once again proves just how good they can be. I really enjoyed the fact that they switched to brass-colored instruments rather than the typical and expected silver-plated instruments, it changes the ensemble sound to some degree, of which it is audible and pleasing rather than intangible or "whiny" as one might expect. -Oh and one the note of BD: THAT BRASS! I can't believe how good they sound. I am not a fan of the Blue Devils' show's, particularly in recent years, but I must say that they won for a reason, in my opinion, it would have been for brass sound, though they also topped CG, and visuals, and again I did enjoy "1930" more as a show, in fact the only one in the past 4 years I have really liked. -And congrats to Phantom for having a whole drumline sound like ONE freakin' person, and that beautiful show!

I would disagree with Crown in '09. The Grass is Always Greener has some very shaky parts visually, compared to this year. The music may not be a fan favorite, but performance-wise, I'd stick with 2010. Also as for other corps: I would have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Bluecoats show this year, I loved the theme, coupled with the dark music and some pretty cool effects overall. I don't favor the use of electronics so much but they integrated the sounds pretty well to fit the show. BD: Pretty close. I liked 2009's "1930" a little more though. Cadets: 2009. Cavvies: Wow. This 2010 show is outstanding, I enjoyed every part of this show, I'd have to say 2010. Phantom: Definitely loved their show, beautiful as ever, and the ensemble sound is fantastic.

Broken Arrow '07 Some of the best color guard work I have seen yet, synced well with the band choreography; there is a great solo towards the middle, a comment below pointed out the exact time. This is a great show all-around. Discuss. Enjoy. Also for those fans of Avon, this is one of the better recordings of Avon's State performance in '07. And finally for those who wish to see the what the fuss is all about for Avon: This is the encore version in which the camera is more stable and the sound is slightly better than the recording of the finals performance.

On a side note to terminator's previous topic, without having to interrupt his, I wanted to know what are your favorite professional symphonies/philharmonics/concert bands, and why? List specific musical selections that were exceptionally great, that maybe you heard live or have a recording of.

Great show indeed! I agree on most points, especially on that trumpet feature which I have listened to time and again, and found no errors, truly Avon's trumpet line worked their tail off for that. Not to mention their brilliantly outstanding low brass that led the performance at a much higher level than has been achieved in the past. @alinktothepresent- Thanks, you basically just ended the forum, jk . By adding the epitome of band drill and performance as your favorite, you silenced all those other lurkers who will no doubt find your conclusion to be the beez kneez, in which case there is no need for any of those fans to submit their opinion. I welcome those lurkers and others who would now try to find a show that affected them more than a nearly perfect performance with such a great deal of good drill writing and one of the best musical selections in high school marching band history. This forum topic has been repeated countless times but still remains to be one of the most controversial, so lets keep this topic going if we can, I would like to see most of the current active txbands users to post on this, not only for their invaluable opinion but also for pure entertainment, if you have a youtube link to your favorite show, post it, or post your ideas so we can all enjoy.

Don't forget Micromarching.com in conjunction to that! It makes for a great combination.

No problem, pretty cool stuff, though the recording qualities are less than desired.

(Hi-Cam view) FOUND IT.

All I can tell you is that it is likely on youtube, you just have to find the right channel. I have seen it online somewhere but it is difficult to find by just searching "Richland 2008".

I really hope that Cedar Parks movement doesn't screw up State Finals next year. That would just be a shame for us bands hoping to make state. Considering CP made 3rd at BOA Super Regional last year, in the 5A class, I really hope it doesn't just become a score monopoly for them next year.

It has everything to with it. I was simply reflecting on the appearance of the marchers, as compared to the current uniform. If you want completely off-topic then look at the writer of the article. Her grammar errors make me cringe. I wish they would go back and fix that but I guess the writer wasn't really focused or didn't proof-read the article before posting it for all to see.

From the current pattern I've seen: Dripping Springs went from 8th to 4A State Champion Cedar Park went from 8th to 4A State Champion So I'm really aiming at next year, my senior year, making Waxahachie 1st in state, it is my goal throughout this year and next to prep for just that, state finals, so we can not only keep the pattern but also solidify Waxahachie as a rising powerhouse Texas. I've seen Wakelands shows, really great stuff all around, I can see the band improving every year.

The Remaining was good. The one thing I have a quarrel with L.D. Bell about is that most of their shows since 2005 have been dark, metaphysical-based shows. Prayer for Light, The Remaining, The Quest, Exodus, etc. I actually have liked more of Marcus' shows over the years overall, especially last years music.

I lived in Waxahachie for the 2008 year, moved to Richland for the 2009 year playing "Virtuosi" then moved back to Waxhachie after some family issues (namely divorce). I really liked the 2008 show "Believe" at least that's what everyone remembers Richland for as far as recent years. Woodlands show last year really deserved a top 3 placing, (CP made 3rd if I remember correctly), I specifically remember the poses at the beginning, one clarinet player was standing on one leg for a while and the music was top notch. Now that I am back in Waxhachie I hate how Cedar Park has been moved down to 4A, that will juggle the placing at state next year if they compete like they did at the 5A level. I do hope to see a good show from Woodlands at state this year, I plan on going to see the bands perform.

Wow, the results are completely different between those sources.

I like how we have seen LD Bell get a new uniform nearly every state year. Last year they made the major switch from their renound "grenadier" style to a more contemporary style featuring a very Texas-like "L.D. Bell", very different.

Is the music played on the video going to be part of the show? The opener perhaps? Or is it just "filler" music to introduce the theme? I really like the theme though.

Waxahachie got their new uniforms this year, we added white to the design and made the "W" really prominent on the front, so it really reminds me of Marcus' 2008 uniforms, but even so I believe these next few years, Waxahachie will get a morale boost, perhaps it will affect state next year, but the "newness" might wear off by then, though the incoming freshmen will love it. I still miss the old uniforms though, the classic "w" insignia was legit.

Interesting news, especially after seeing this post is several weeks old. I guess I haven't been to the MFA website for some time now.

Nice, mellopwn. One of the longest responses on a show I have seen yet. I saw the Woodlands last year, beat Richland by taking 4th (I think) at BOA Super regionals, pretty awesome show live. I hope to see again, the same quality show that I saw last year from the Woodlands.

As you can see my activity has been sufficient over these past few weeks; I only recently joined, but I hope to post at least 2 or 3 times a week. I plan to consistently post and get others to join this website so the activity can get boosted a bit. I prefer this website over many others mainly due to the information that is supplied and the members' posts who keep me busy reading over the past few years' comments.

I don't think that it is necessary but it certainly helps to have a slower or more melodic piece than the typical drill-play-hold-scream-drill-hit-play-drill-technique-play-drill-halt aspect of the band. I have seen a few shows with 6 minutes of opener-type music then a small emphasis on some quieter, or slower piece, but I don't recall seeing one completely without a "ballad".

After spending hours researching trumpets, trumpet brands and all the different parts that go into making a quality horn, I've developed a reasonable theory to why Xeno's are becoming more popular. I own a Xeno myself, the NY model, which can get very loud and very soft very quickly, and takes a ton of air to produce a sound, but the result more often than not is a beautiful tone, a great range, along with easy, unhesitant slurs, note pops, falls, screams etc. From what I know on a student standpoint, the Xeno has recently achieved popularity, not due to its slightly lower price, but rather, the quality of horn that Yamaha has produced. Earlier in the Xeno's production, the quality was much like the Bachs standard manufactured instrument. Recently though, Yamaha decided to step up its game, and in the opinion of professional trumpet players that I know along with criticisms and comments on the interweb, the quality of horn has changed dramatically, surpassing, in many people's opinion, the Bach Strad. While each horn is highly reputable, and valued, the horn truly chooses the player in this aspect. I have heard many debates between experienced trumpet players and differing opinions on a multitude of levels including tone, range, adaptability, even valve-oiling usage. But over all this, I believe that while Yamaha has indeed upped its grade of professional trumpets, the scores match up pretty well, and thus, the player must experience both horns in order to get the horn that fits his style, his usage (jazz band, orchestra, concert, marching, etc.), and his comfortability. Many aspects go into choosing a horn that fits the particular player, and an increase in popularity resulting from the increase in quality, makes the Yamaha Xeno a top contender for the market in professional horns.

This thread seams somewhat random so I though I'd post a slightly more upfront topic: I think some trumpets are paying a little too much attention to range in these posts. I know many of you can hit these notes, as a fellow screamer, but I think it is more about accuracy when it comes to notes above the staff. DCI shows players who can hit the screamer notes every time not just the piercing squeezed-out note once in a while. I've seen professional trumpets play at an extreme range, such as Maynard Ferguson, but I don't think even he was as accurate as he should have been. Trumpet: Yamaha Xeno (NY) Mouthpiece: 3c, 5c, 7c Top Note: (accurate to roughly 20:1) C above the staff

We have roughly 15-18 saxes, 2-4 baris, 3 tenors, 12-15 flutes, 20-25 clarinets, 1 piccolo, 3 bass clarinets.