5A finalists

[aaron067]

  paradigm1220 said:

What exactly do you mean by "play" the system? We (Langham) use our talent to the best of our abilities to achieve the best performance we can deliver. Our show Enigma was our best ever in my opinion; the arrangement of actual music, our extremely difficult drill, and some visuals/props (ick) are what place us among the State finalists.

 

Btw, while we were in warm-up I overheard another band playing Nimrod, who was it?

Berkner's show included arranged sections of Nimrod in it.

 

As for the post by Moose, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know about Langham, but Coppell and Duncanville both had very similar drill by the same designer. Their primary difficult comes from playing music that maintains its original compositional integrity, which means they don't dumb it down to make marching and playing easier. I'm not insinuating that other bands play easier music, but marching band arrangements are written with drill and visual effects in mind. Bands like Coppell and Duncanville put the music first and then have drill designed that can be marched while playing the music. Considering this, both schools are lucky enough to have a drill designer that can write effective drill without making it seem overly complicated, but by no means did either of them have "retarted easy" drill. The simple truth is that they both have directors that know how to clean drill. I'm quite positive that both could play only 50% of the time and march like Bell the other 50% if they wanted to. Note that L.D. Bell is in a class of its own as far as difficulty and success are concerned, though. No one can touch them.

 

Disclaimer: I am in no way supporting the traditional style of Coppell and Duncanville over bands that have chosen to pursue a more contemporary style, simply pointing out why Moose was incorrect in making his rediculuous assumption.

[Snillor]

Congrats to all of the bands that made finals!

 

But something sparked my curiousity...

 

Does anyone know if any of the bands in the first block of performances made it? I know that Cedar Park and Woodlands played in the first few performances... and I was a little surprised that they didn't make it.

[Hawkeye]

http://www.uil.utexas.edu/music/smbc_info2005.html

 

Do you mean the 8 to 9:45 block?

 

 

Duncanville made it.

[itsstephenyo]

  aaron067 said:

Considering this, both schools are lucky enough to have a drill designer that can write effective drill without making it seem overly complicated, but by no means did either of them have "retarted easy" drill. The simple truth is that they both have directors that know how to clean drill.

Sure, having a director that knows how to clean drill is good, but having easy drill also helps a ton. I've seen Coppell several times this year. I was not impressed visually. Clean, yes. But wow, they barely move compared to other bands.

[Shiloh Phoenix]

I think the entire Richland section of the stands(me included) was DEAD silent when they announced akins in finals last. Oh well, I have absolutely no regrets about my performance, you can't complain when you have an insanely cool solo on tuba that you get to wear freakin sunglasses for.

 

Great job to all the bands that made it, and I'm personally casting my vote for Bell as 2006 GN champions. Great job guys. you know how to throw off THE vibe.

[mattthetrumpeter]

i am one of the woodlands bands biggest non-alumnus supporters. i watched them in their preliminary performance and they were just not on top of their game. the performance was good, but nowhere near the quality that they have already established for themselves numerous times in this season.

 

other than marcus, who was absolutely fantastic, my favorite of the night was bowie. they werent as clean visually as the other bands, but they sounded absolutely phenomenal. not making finals last saturday at BOA obviously gave them something to prove, and they did so in wonderful fashion.

 

im hoping that this same thing will happen to the woodlands on saturday at grand nationals. best of luck to the woodlands and all texas bands.

[radchad]

When it comes to a tie in marching band (especially at UIL), the bands involved are then placed in relation to their GE score.

 

For example, all three bands could have had a 93, but one of them had .1 higher in GE. That band will get the higher placing.

[Band_Freak]

  radchad said:

When it comes to a tie in marching band (especially at UIL), the bands involved are then placed in relation to their GE score.

 

For example, all three bands could have had a 93, but one of them had .1 higher in GE. That band will get the higher placing.

That's a joke......right?

[aggietrumpet327]

On the topic of Coppell and easy drill...

I've marched with the Coppell band, doing very "traditional" shows, and I've marched with a drum corps where we literally ran around for 11 minutes straight. I can say that while each experience was TOTALLY different, each style presents its own unique challenges.

 

While the drill Coppell puts on the field doesn't even begin to touch the levels of complexity many groups are performing, the music is a whole different animal. I can honestly say that just about every marching arrangement that I played while at Coppell was more difficult than the concert band arrangements I've played of the same pieces. You put 250 people on the field playing this music (pretty much ALL the time...no breaks built in for visuals) and it makes just about any drill hard to clean. But it's almost like apples and oranges. Bands like Coppell and Duncanville choose to do things differently....but I don't think that should take away from what they are achieving, and I certainly wouldn't call it "retarded easy."

 

Note: I'm not saying I necessarily like these kinds of shows best. Part of the reason I march drum corps is so I could participate in a group that did things...differently than my alma mater. I will say that there are a number of high school bands that do put out very complex musical and visual packages that never cease to impress me. Ronald Reagan in the past few years I think especially has shown that you can put together a program with a good balance of insane/hard/cool musical licks along with an amazing visual package.

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

This State year was messed up. You know something is wrong when the 1st place winner in super regionals was the 2nd place winner in State.

[n3rdu5]

  Sp0ted G0rilla said:

This State year was messed up. You know something is wrong when the 1st place winner in super regionals was the 2nd place winner in State.

...are you being serious?

 

I LOVE Bell's show, more than any show I've seen or heard of this season. I was very excited when they won SA. But after seeing Marcus, I knew I wanted them to win State.

 

Winning BOA =/= winning State.

[oh_snap44]

  Sp0ted G0rilla said:

This State year was messed up. You know something is wrong when the 1st place winner in super regionals was the 2nd place winner in State.

BOA and UIL events are judged totally different. Yes, the UIL system has the reputation for being inconsistent in rankings, but that doesn't mean it's invalid or completely "messed up". Not to mention, a difference in one ranking up or down could merely be attibuted to a good or bad run. To say that the system is "messed up" this year because Bell won one contest on Saturday and came in second on Tuesday is kind of an insult to the kids at Marcus. They've been up there with Bell all year, coming in ahead of them in the Area B competition just a few weeks ago. If anything, that shows a little bit of consistency in the UIL judging system.

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

  n3rdu5 said:

...are you being serious?

 

I LOVE Bell's show, more than any show I've seen or heard of this season. I was very excited when they won SA. But after seeing Marcus, I knew I wanted them to win State.

 

Winning BOA =/= winning State.

winning BOA does not necessarly mean winning State. BOA is mainly judged on flashyness which in cludes dancing, using props, and making the colorguard do something unique, dramatic, or hardcore like what Churchill and L.D. Bell did with theirs. State is strictly judged on strait linears, spacing, music, and overall technique.

[n3rdu5]

  Sp0ted G0rilla said:

winning BOA does not necessarly mean winning State. BOA is mainly judged on flashyness which in cludes dancing, using props, and making the colorguard do something unique, dramatic, or hardcore like what Churchill and L.D. Bell did with theirs. State is strictly judged on strait linears, spacing, music, and overall technique.

Wait, before this goes on, I think we need to clarify.

 

From your post, did you mean that you wanted Bell to win State, or you thought that it was bad that they placed so high at State when they had won SA?

[itsstephenyo]

  Sp0ted G0rilla said:

winning BOA does not necessarly mean winning State. BOA is mainly judged on flashyness which in cludes dancing, using props, and making the colorguard do something unique, dramatic, or hardcore like what Churchill and L.D. Bell did with theirs. State is strictly judged on strait linears, spacing, music, and overall technique.

Obviously you don't know what BOA is about. It's not about flashiness and props. It's about the show as a total package. Show design and GE factor in a large part, but if you can't play and march in a BOA show, you don't get anywhere. Heck, part of GE is the playing aspect. If you have really good music on paper, but can't play worth a crap, you're not gonna get those GE points. Same goes for marching. Saying that BOA is all about props and colorguard is... well, just not smart.

[TXGABandFan]

I attended both prelims and finals at UIL and was amazed at the level of playing by all of the bands. Regarding the different style bands (Coppell and Ducanville versus the BOA pack) I think you really need to analyze the entire show. While many of the BOA style bands march extremely fast, complicated drills, they do little playing during these moments. When sections are featured playing difficult music it is generally when they are standing still. I noticed several bands would march for up to 90 seconds before playing their first notes as an ensemble. Either sound effects, drums or a sectional solo played while the majority did some amazing drill move. And one band only played as an ensemble for a total of about 4 minutes........I timed it. They didn't make finals, but what is the music judge supposed to judge when you aren't playing?

 

If you noticed, Coppell and Ducanville play from start to finish pretty much as a full ensemble, spreading across the entire field with their large bands. And they play with an incredible balanced sound, especially considering how far apart the sections are. Both groups march very clean drills. Sure, they're not running around in drill formations but they are playing their instruments non-stop. So while some bands are practicing to perfect their difficult drill moves other bands are working to perfect their difficult music.

 

Now I agree, BOA style bands are generally more crowd pleasing and fun to watch. But the point of UIL is to reward those bands that are teaching their kids how to play music well while marching. It doesn't necessarily reward the show designers for a cool concept the way BOA does. A band that plays very well will generally do better than a band with a great show design at UIL.

 

However, some bands like Marcus and Bell have figured out how to impress both BOA and UIL, and I predict other bands will follow suit over the next couple of years.

[itsstephenyo]

  TXGABandFan said:

However, some bands like Marcus and Bell have figured out how to impress both BOA and UIL, and I predict other bands will follow suit over the next couple of years.

I very much agree with your last statement. As one of my friends put it, "Bands are getting so good at pleasing both BOA and UIL." Three out of four of the top bands at State also placed in the top 4 at San Antonio a few days before.

[MartinHorn]

  Xenon said:

Yes, that 3rd from Alfred Watkins was completely uncalled for. The last place was too harsh, but the judge that had SFA towards the top of the bottom tier was about right.

 

This is one of the many examples that I have of BOA judges at State being completely off the wall with their placements and thus why I believe that we should not have BOA judges judging State.

 

Note: I'm not trying to bash SFA 2004, that was just an awful run and I'm glad that they really turned it on at GN.

Maybe that's the same judge that gave L.D. Bell a 21 back in 1998. I think that judges should switch off years of judging BOA and UIL, but not complete permenate seperation.

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

  n3rdu5 said:

Wait, before this goes on, I think we need to clarify.

 

From your post, did you mean that you wanted Bell to win State, or you thought that it was bad that they placed so high at State when they had won SA?

No I did not want Bell to win I wanted either Marcus or Reagan to win. I also think that it is bad that they won SA and Silver @ State because they are completly different competitions, with one based off a more technical judging and another judged on more flashyness. Therefore this shows that the State judges were giving their good scores to more BOA bands, which is uncommon in State.

[Shiloh Phoenix]

  Sp0ted G0rilla said:

No I did not want Bell to win I wanted either Marcus or Reagan to win. I also think that it is bad that they won SA and Silver @ State because they are completly different competitions, with one based off a more technical judging and another judged on more flashyness. Therefore this shows that the State judges were giving their good scores to more BOA bands, which is uncommon in State.

could it be perhaps that bell has great show designers AND can play and march well? nah. no way.

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

  itsstephenyo said:

Obviously you don't know what BOA is about. It's not about flashiness and props. It's about the show as a total package. Show design and GE factor in a large part, but if you can't play and march in a BOA show, you don't get anywhere. Heck, part of GE is the playing aspect. If you have really good music on paper, but can't play worth a crap, you're not gonna get those GE points. Same goes for marching. Saying that BOA is all about props and colorguard is... well, just not smart.

Yes it is true that music plays a huge part in BOA, but it is a fact that good band with props, hardcore colorguard, and flashyness do better in BOA than bands that do none of that. And most schools who focus on the flashyness more than the straight up technique do not do as good at State. Look at the Woodlands, they did did a very flashy show and got 2nd in BOA, but didnt make it to finals in state. Of course this is partly attributed to the fact that they played real early in State prelims, but they didnt play real late in BOA prelims either

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

  Shiloh Phoenix said:

could it be perhaps that bell has great show designers AND can play and march well? nah. no way.

The only reason that happened is because yes they do play both well, but they played real late in both prelims and finals in state, and late in Prelims and finals in BOA, not to mention that they work on their show for 2 years in a row

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

  TXGABandFan said:

I attended both prelims and finals at UIL and was amazed at the level of playing by all of the bands. Regarding the different style bands (Coppell and Ducanville versus the BOA pack) I think you really need to analyze the entire show. While many of the BOA style bands march extremely fast, complicated drills, they do little playing during these moments. When sections are featured playing difficult music it is generally when they are standing still. I noticed several bands would march for up to 90 seconds before playing their first notes as an ensemble. Either sound effects, drums or a sectional solo played while the majority did some amazing drill move. And one band only played as an ensemble for a total of about 4 minutes........I timed it. They didn't make finals, but what is the music judge supposed to judge when you aren't playing?

 

If you noticed, Coppell and Ducanville play from start to finish pretty much as a full ensemble, spreading across the entire field with their large bands. And they play with an incredible balanced sound, especially considering how far apart the sections are. Both groups march very clean drills. Sure, they're not running around in drill formations but they are playing their instruments non-stop. So while some bands are practicing to perfect their difficult drill moves other bands are working to perfect their difficult music.

 

Now I agree, BOA style bands are generally more crowd pleasing and fun to watch. But the point of UIL is to reward those bands that are teaching their kids how to play music well while marching. It doesn't necessarily reward the show designers for a cool concept the way BOA does. A band that plays very well will generally do better than a band with a great show design at UIL.

 

However, some bands like Marcus and Bell have figured out how to impress both BOA and UIL, and I predict other bands will follow suit over the next couple of years.

I totally agree with the first part about what BOA abd State is all about, but Two years ago, when L.D. Bell made first and Cedar Park made silver with the planets L.D. Bell was a much less of a BOA show and more State oriented. this year the state judges were favoring more BOA bands than State bands and Bell was one of those huge BOA bands. but I totally agree with you about Marcus.

[Sp0ted G0rilla]

One thing that is common in both UIL and BOA is that the later you play the better ou do. In state NO one in the morning block made it to finals, the only morning block performers who did make it was Bell and they were last in that block. this is really systematically wrong, because it seems that a giant portion of your show is based on the luck of a simple draw.

[itsstephenyo]

GEEZ do you know where the edit button is? Try not to post FOUR TIMES IN A ROW.

 

 

Ok, first, you say you didn't want Bell to win because they're a "BOA" band and that you wanted Marcus to win state. Then what the heck do you call Marcus' show? Purely UIL? Therein lies one faulty point. You wanted a UIL band to win, yet it's easily apparent that Marcus used elaborate props in their show, while Bell had none, though Bell made extremely good use of their guard.

 

Bell works on their show for two years? Really? Just because a band has a follow-up show doesn't mean they worked on the same stuff for two years. If you compared drill AND show music, you'll notice that nothing is recycled from Bell's last year show Ascension and The Remaining this year. Marcus, too, ended a trilogy this year. Two years ago, it was kind of an earthy theme with the large flowers. Last year was the air and birds. This year was the sea.

 

Oh, but they only do well because they rehearse their stuf for two years!!!! /end sarcasm

 

Get your facts straight, along with your beliefs before you try to argue. You obviously have no idea what you're talking about.