Westfield

[treblemaker]

Wow it's only March and we already have our first "watch out" of the season..

[euphownz]

I don't get it...what am I missing?

[manuel_pablo]

  Joeywestfieldtrumpet said:

Oh, Joey...

[Gltokensp06]

Yeah 2003 was a bit of a rollercoaster for Westfield. We won Grand Nats, (finally) and we lost the man that mad Westfield what it was. The next two years sucked cause we did the same show twice, (practically) and of course when you lose legacy like Philip Geiger, you have tension of judgement and respect. The older people tried to make it a smooth transition but you can't help what people say or think.

2004 was a bit of an experimental year with Westfield. We were a bit risque with the show concept and too much was tried to be packed into one show. Concert season was fairly good. We always could play our horns and drums. That didn't change.

2005 My last years was the settling of issues so to speak. We calmed down a bit with the help of the juniors who really stepped up and help out us seniors that year. We gel'd more than the previous year and the marching show did much better than it's similar predicessor. Concert season was again fairly good. We still sounded pretty great, if Jodi Rhodes knew one thing, she knew tonal quality. She had a good ear.

 

I would say the main reason for the slope, was middle school directors not pushing and making them care like they did us. We were challenged when I was in middle school but not so much anymore. Takes a good foundation to make a great player and there is always the prodigy child in every school but you are only as strong as your weakest member.

 

Anyways, shout out to all my Westfield peeps. It's Andrew Christian if you didn't know already. Peace.

[chavonw1986]

Hey Andrew!! One of my babies, how sweet. This is Chavon.

 

  Gltokensp06 said:

Yeah 2003 was a bit of a rollercoaster for Westfield. We won Grand Nats, (finally) and we lost the man that mad Westfield what it was. The next two years sucked cause we did the same show twice, (practically) and of course when you lose legacy like Philip Geiger, you have tension of judgement and respect. The older people tried to make it a smooth transition but you can't help what people say or think.

2004 was a bit of an experimental year with Westfield. We were a bit risque with the show concept and too much was tried to be packed into one show. Concert season was fairly good. We always could play our horns and drums. That didn't change.

2005 My last years was the settling of issues so to speak. We calmed down a bit with the help of the juniors who really stepped up and help out us seniors that year. We gel'd more than the previous year and the marching show did much better than it's similar predicessor. Concert season was again fairly good. We still sounded pretty great, if Jodi Rhodes knew one thing, she knew tonal quality. She had a good ear.

 

I would say the main reason for the slope, was middle school directors not pushing and making them care like they did us. We were challenged when I was in middle school but not so much anymore. Takes a good foundation to make a great player and there is always the prodigy child in every school but you are only as strong as your weakest member.

 

Anyways, shout out to all my Westfield peeps. It's Andrew Christian if you didn't know already. Peace.

[whitewing09]

  On 2/22/2009 at 12:47 AM, euphownz said:

Well I wouldn't really consider it better...becuase he was second band director at one of the top school in the state, and now he's going to be one spot higher at a brand new school, that is going to be nowhere near as good.

Doesn't seem like a positive.

In the words of my lesson teacher: I would rather be the crap of the cream, than the cream of the crap.

 

[i had to resurrect this]

 

It's great how vande went from the new school to a force to be reckon with in like 2 years, then on to state champion and premiere TX band. 

[Hard Core Band Fan]

Well, now Westfield has Mark Calima as head director. He did an excellent job at Cedar Ridge!

[takigan]

https://youtu.be/lXqrNHLL8l0?t=6m49s

I miss the old Westfield.  The old Westfield that turned their shakos around to look "gansta" and bring rappers onto the field.

[Guest]

  On 2/22/2009 at 12:47 AM, euphownz said:

Well I wouldn't really consider it better...becuase he was second band director at one of the top school in the state, and now he's going to be one spot higher at a brand new school, that is going to be nowhere near as good.

Doesn't seem like a positive.

In the words of my lesson teacher: I would rather be the crap of the cream, than the cream of the crap.

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This aged well 

[Rubisco]

He sounded so confident, too! Hahaha.

Speaking of Westfield, alas, I gave up on them a long time ago. Still decent enough, but obviously not the program I knew. I focus my attention on other Houston groups now. Come on, Seven Lakes and Cypress Woods! Hahaha. Actually, I think the top spot at the North Houston BOA regional may be open this year with the changes happening at TWHS. Maybe the other Houston regional, too, but Reagan has weathered their director change pretty well and is still clearly a national finalist quality band.

[Guest]

  On 5/19/2022 at 9:08 PM, Rubisco said:

He sounded so confident, too! Hahaha.

Speaking of Westfield, alas, I gave up on them a long time ago. Still decent enough, but obviously not the program I knew. I focus my attention on other Houston groups now. Come on, Seven Lakes and Cypress Woods! Hahaha. Actually, I think the top spot at the North Houston BOA regional may be open this year with the changes happening at TWHS. Maybe the other Houston regional, too, but Reagan has weathered their director change pretty well and is still clearly a national finalist quality band.

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Watch Westfields 2014 show and then watch their 2019 and 2021 shows. They are rising in the ranks again very fast. 

[oddlynormal]

  On 5/20/2022 at 6:01 PM, Cityscapes said:

Watch Westfields 2014 show and then watch their 2019 and 2021 shows. They are rising in the ranks again very fast. 

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They too are going under another head director change.  Same at Spring High School.  Things are getting rough out there!

[DFWBD]

  On 2/21/2009 at 5:34 AM, euphownz said:

Now there's a topic I do not understand.

I see all these videos of like Westfield doing amazing at marching in the 90's, and people talking about them being the best band of that era, but I never hear about them making finals in any major competitions lately.

What is the deal? Did they get a major staff change or something?

Or did they just stop caring as much?...

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The 90’s were 30 years ago.  You could say what happened to Richardson ISD? What happened to Permian? What happened to Longview?  What happened to Duncanville?

Of course the kids and directors still care!  But situations change, neighborhoods change, school populations change, directors change.  

It’s very possible we’ll be saying What happened to Hebron in 30 years. 

[josephbandfan]

  On 6/25/2022 at 5:33 PM, DFWBD said:

The 90’s were 30 years ago.  You could say what happened to Richardson ISD? What happened to Permian? What happened to Longview?  What happened to Duncanville?

Of course the kids and directors still care!  But situations change, neighborhoods change, school populations change, directors change.  

It’s very possible we’ll be saying What happened to Hebron in 30 years. 

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That member hasn't been online for over a decade so not sure the message will be received 🤣. But what you say is true and it will be wild to see how different things look in even a couple years.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 2/21/2009 at 9:46 PM, euphownz said:

I hope something like that doesn't happen to our school..I'm from Cedar Park, and next year our head marching band director is resigning, and our school is branching off...

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  On 2/21/2009 at 10:19 PM, aaron067 said:

Isn't your marching band director taking over at the new school? I would call that a promotion, not a resignation.

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  On 2/22/2009 at 12:47 AM, euphownz said:

Well I wouldn't really consider it better...becuase he was second band director at one of the top school in the state, and now he's going to be one spot higher at a brand new school, that is going to be nowhere near as good.

Expand  

Well THIS comment aged well…or not. 🤣🤣🤣