NewMexicoBandsman

My impression for this season is that LD Bell went for a slow growth approach to their show, putting together a far more difficult show than they normally do, sacrificing early season competitiveness for late-season power. As much as I'm rooting for Bowie (cause of their director,) I doubt Bowie will pull a repeat, and I disagree with the claims that this is a bad year for Bell. I would not be even slightly surprised if they took visual at SA, and not entirely surprised if they beat out Marcus. The part of this impression I don't understand is why Bell would choose a harder book than they've done in recent years on a year when they aren't going to Nats. As for Marcus being boring, I disagree. Their marching has never been the most exciting thing on the field, (though they're VERY good at it,) but their music consistently captivates me in a way other marching bands don't. I find them just as exciting, but for an entirely different reason.

2007 was my favorite. Seeing the end of Bell's Pan's labyrinth trio was awesome, and Avon's integration of the Requiem into a visually amazing show was simply stunning. I loved all the shows there, and Texas made a fine showing. About the only way I could have been happier with that year would be if Marcus had attended; I hadn't been able to watch San Antonio, and I hear only incredible things about that show. (getting a full caption sweep over the soon-to-be grand champion is no petty feat.)

As for Avon doing so well, it's hard for them not to, when they combine a Marcus/Bell level of community development and support with the lack of an 8-hour rule. I don't see them losing their place at the top in the next couple of years, or losing a place in the top three for quite some time.

Geez! I see why it would be called the Block of Death.

That would be both crazy and awesome.

Nah, it'd just be endless repetition of the first four chords of Cannon in D on electric guitar. That's all pop music is, isn't it?

Me too. But with Lucas Oil having been built with acoustics in mind, I doubt the locale will change anytime soon.

I think anyone would prefer amazing marching and good music to horrific marching and great music, but that's not a fair statment. I would prefer amazing music and good marching to horrific music and great marching. (I've heard it before. Oboe soloist sharp as a tack .) overall its also marching BAND. I think that music is at least as important as marching, and I feel that most of the students on the field are musicians first, atheletes second.

Not to mention the fact that Texas manages this incredible density of great programs despite the 8-hour rule.

true, but note that for each of these Indiana bands you named, you listed three or four comparable Texas bands. I will however amend my statement to account for your first point. Texas>Indiana>Georgia>everybody else

Generally? Texas>Indiana>Everybody else. It's hard to get a good read though, as Indiana is overrepresented at GN due to proximity. They don't have to travel as far, so the top Indiana bands can attend every year, whereas only Bell attends every year from Texas, and other bands attend now and then.

You make a good point, and Clovis is quite good for this area. But that still leaves a crazy difference between the stuff Texas puts out and what almost every other state in the country has to offer. Even American Fork would probably have to battle into the top 7 or so at SA.

On another note, I'd like to take a moment to point out how ridiculously great Texas marching band is. New Mexico has two "major" competitions, TOB and Zia. Zia is on the same day as BOA San Antonio, so Texas bands aren't prevelant there. At TOB, however, Coronado, from Texas, is a perennial champion, often getting first place overall, over the very best New Mexico has to offer. Coronado got 29th place at Texas State UIL...There's not much more I can say.

Depends on your definition of "back." If you mean, "back in the running," then yes, they're most certainly back. They've had a great showing this year, and have returned to the intensely competitive world of BOA San Antonio as a powerful contender. If by "back" you mean "back to where they were in the first half of the decade," then no, they are no longer in a position to redefine High school marching band.

Wow, that bites. Imagine the uproar if somebody tried that here. Somehow I can't see schools like those at state, many of whose bands make their football teams look silly, taking such a measure lightly.

Right, but Crown seems to typically emphasize music more, and I'm not speaking in terms of this year's result. If we judged every corp based on just what they put out this year, Phantom, for instance, would not have the huge number of supporters that it does. ;p. I think Crown typically takes a more music-centered approach, whereas Cavies tend to prioritize their visuals.

Marcus is mostly music-oriented, but to me that makes sense, especially when competing in Texas. Texas as a whole seems to emphasize music over visual, so it just makes sense to do so when competing in that arena. It seems to me that they overstretched themselves visually by trying to up their game for Grand Nats last year, and their drill was much dirtier than their usual end product. Yet this same attempt to up their game seems to have created IMO one of the best musical performances in the history of high school marching band. SO it would seem that Marcus is a program with a much greater capacity for musical performance than for visual, and when they stretch themselves, it is the visual, rather than the musical, component which suffers. What's wrong with that? I'd take an incredible sounding marching band that can also march decently over an incredible looking band which also plays decently. (Why I like Carolina Crown more than I like the Cavies.)

Marcus-LOVED Vivaldi's winter Hebron-I didn't love this show specifically so much as the improvement Hebron brought to the table this year. They seem to rachet things up every year, and this year was no exception Bowie-They were extremely clean, and kept me constantly engaged.

I may be beating a dead horse in saying this, but I really agree with Joeyz, as well as many others out there, who say that the props are NOT a major influence on Marcus's UIL success. They DO have an impact on BOA, (they help add to the feel of the show, and therefore boost GE marginally) but to seriously suggest that an experienced director, whose been brought in to give his professional opinion on the bands' visual capabilities, is going to be too distracted by the pretty lights to give a valid opinion, is, well, silly.

If I remember right, Marcus got 3rd at BOA SA in 2005 but received two of the three captions, and then did the same thing in 2006.

There have been so many great shows, it's hard to chose a favorite. Here are three of my favorites: Broken Arrow 06- So very clean, and the different colors in their uniform were used to great effect. Marcus 07- the Finale from Candide was some of the best sounding music I've heard on a marching field. Regan 03- The execution in this performance was fantastic, and I loved the concepts presented. It was a beautiful show.

I appreciate the irony of that comment