Abbie123

Why Leander? This question is not meant to be rude , I just want to understand your perspective. Why not Vandegrift or Vista Ridge instead?

Not as strong is still very, very strong. I would not underestimate them by any stretch of the imagination. There is a high possibility that they are going to get into state finals which normally would be a huge accomplishment any other high school.

Vincent I was Talking about the Lehman Band at the Vista Ridge marching festival. (I should have been more clear) And I know you didn't have as good of a run as ya'll could have, I was there listening to you beforehand (during rehearsal). Still a really cool show, though!

BandAManic, you know, I really wasn't listening too hard at Vista Ridge, I was just trying to enjoy myself (Got myself some caramel popcorn YUM!). From the things I can remember there were some spacing and timing issues, but to definitively give you some concrete answers I would need another listen. As an audience member you had a cool show, you played together as far as any parent could tell and you had a fair number of cool moments. (The fanfare trumpet and the flute, and the compass set in the beginning were really cool!). Don't take the results of Vista Ridge to heart, the audience enjoyed it. Keep working hard, and have fun! To answer your other question I am currently not a music major but might receive a minor in flute performance if I do well enough in my classes! Hook 'em Horns! PS it's only because engineering pays better, and I kind of like building things as well. Also if you love doing something but are not in the major, just sit in that class it's so amazing, you learn so much.

Note, CapCity and UIL have different judging schemes and I was listening to it on YouTube.

Hays, First off I'd like to say you have some nice uniforms! Most of my critiques would be with the design of the show, but y'all can't really control that so I won't talk about that. Y'all did a great job with what was given to you. I would stop there normally but you did ask for critiques and don't take these personally I really want you to succeed: The drill was clean for most of the first and second movements, however, it got dirty when there were rotating diags or boxes, especially in the end. Musically there is a lot of room for improvement. In a lot of moments in the show, the trombones overpower almost the entire brass section. I get that they know how to play really well, but if you replaced that sound with the euphonium or tuba sound, the band would be more resonant (think of it as a Carolina Crown sound it's an exaggeration but it gets the point across). And I think that takes us into the topic of balance. Some moments sound fairly good but most of the time, it sounds amateurish and not because y'all are not good players trust me y'all are good players, it's just that there's a lack of balance; knowing how loud each section in the band should be at a certain part in the marching show . There's also a lack of clarity partly due to a lack of balance but also because the Technical sections don't quite match up and sometimes there's just a mush of sound. I could go on and on but I'll stop myself there. Overall a very strong performance.

I really want to see Hays but decided to go to the Vista Ridge Marching Festival instead, as there were more 4A Area contending marching bands there.

Leander: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zcRLmXG_9sM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Vista Ridge: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Xhqyt6FjWNg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh yeah! Sorry...

Here is a daring prediction: if there are four Area D spots to State, then all of them will be LISD High Schools. Hopefully there are five and I will be able to add Dripping Springs making the prediction more believable. Also an LISD High School will win 4A State this year, the question is who?

Hey were you at cap city? And did you videotape Hays?

Sorry I was referring to the vista ridge marching festival^

Area D is going to be more of a heck hole than I even imagined. Out of the 9 bands there 7 were from 4A Area D, 8 including exibition. Baritonegod44, Lehman played well (referring a post in the Dark Horses thread), and I admit that they have some volume and a very cool show concept, but in the end they got judged second to last. Its not because they are a bad band (my friend from Amarillo was blown away by them, the first hit and all); its just because Area D is so freaking hard. Vista Ridge, Leander, Vandergrift, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, and maybe Hendrickson seem like the strongest contenders out of the bands I have heard.

Did you get to video tape their performances?

^ Let me guess you go to Hays...

darn it you got there before me, haha!

There might be a few changes to the line-up this year, one last minute addition. Its not official, but when it is I'll be sure to post about it.

I know its early but any predictions?

Haha! I'm pretty sure we have the coolest directors ever, and they could care less if we participated in the wave or not... Doing the wave has sort of become a superstitious thing among the student body because the first year we didn't participate in the wave was the first year we made BOA San Antonio Finals. As for having fun, I'm pretty sure one of the priorities of the Leander Band is having fun, I mean in what other programs does a director get slimed on Halloween, play soccer with the students, and let students enjoy a fireworks show during a warm-up before finals... Sure placing in competitions is a cool thing, but we like to stay together as a family first, and have fun while doing it... And that goes to show that first impressions aren't always the entire picture! Cheers everyone ...

Latest videos: Cedar Park HS: Hebron HS: Round Rock HS: Leander HS: Cedar Ridge: Please post any more that ya'll can find...

Lake Travis at 8th is very interesting... Their show looked very solid in all the video run-throughs I saw... Maybe the competition is intensifying throughout the state this year... It will be interesting to see the results at the end of the marching season... Hendrickson 5th as well, they got 5th at a BOA Conroe the week before, I can't imagine if Round Rock or Anderson would have been there at a BOA last week or the week before...

How do you think BOA San Antonio is going to go? Since Spring, Friendswood, Leander and College Park... were all at this Competition, (and Woodlands if you count them in...)

Sorry man I didn't mean for it to be offensive... Looking back at it, I guess it came out that way...

Believe in your own band dude, anything is possible...

Spring - haven't seen them, don't know how good they are... Dawson - ( ) May not be as loud as the other bands, but they sure do have some great clarity, a touching show. Pretty clean drill. Woodwinds know how to play technique pretty well! Lots of exposed but clean drill. Beautiful flute solo in the middle and the end. Balance issues, but this was a week ago so they probably fixed them, knowing this band program. Leander - ( http://www.statesman.com/videos/news/battl...h-school/vfgcG/ ) Course I am biased because I am from this School. Cool flute solo in the beginning. Nice flugelhorn solo. There are a few clarity issues during the first brass hit... The Drill is very well designed. GE-wise I think it has potential, but then again I am biased... College Park- (video has been taken down) Very impressed with them this year... Really stepping it up... The GE in the show is pretty high, of course and I think the show design will take them far... Westfield-(No video) This is like a flute concerto for marching band... GE-wise I think this show has a lot of potential... They sound pretty big for a smallish band... Looking to do well this year. I like the cliff platform thing...! Aw man... Nah, its totally cool...