4A State Results Discussion

[fhstrombone]

  RudeOne said:

Way to keep it classy Friendswood.

 

Wow no wonder your name is "rudeone." That post was not an attack on other schools. I was just stating that our show may have been too complex for our own good, but we did our best and enjoyed performing it.

[Bandlover]

  fhstrombone said:

Just to clarify, I am not bitter at all about how we did, on the contrary; I am extremely proud of how well we performed.

 

 

You guys were great all year, you always are.

[fhstrombone]

  Bandlover said:

You guys were great all year, you always are.

 

Thank you! That really means a lot!

[fhstrombone]

  dawsontrumpet2011 said:

I know DS music was really watered down early in the marching season. At Friendswood, the trumpets had the woodwind feature because the clarinets couldnt play the technique. But this weekend the woodwinds had THEIR feature and threw down on it!

 

Just curious, where did you get this information?

[Nope]

  fhstrombone said:

That post was not an attack on other schools.

 

I hate to be brutally honest here but when you post things like excuses for why your program wasn't the best it makes you look arrogant and it reflects poorly on your program, regardless of the intentions of the post. Most young people on here don't know that...Words from the wise for all those youngsters reading.

[Donezo]

  bchorn said:

Yeah, this was my thought as well. Area D was tough enough in 5A without Cedar Park, Hendrickson and Lake Travis. Throw in the San Antonio north schools and now 5a Area D is going to be filthy tough. On the other end, this move will allow more 4A Area D bands to advance to state.

 

Bottom line is that Area D 4A/5A is loaded with elite bands.

 

Ugh why can't we just send the SA schools back to Area E where they belong. That area could use a kick in the pants! Area D would still be intense, but with a little more breathing room.

Edited November 11, 2011 by Donezo

[FoobYen]

  dawsontrumpet2011 said:

I know DS music was really watered down early in the marching season. At Friendswood, the trumpets had the woodwind feature because the clarinets couldnt play the technique. But this weekend the woodwinds had THEIR feature and threw down on it!

 

 

Check out the performance at Friendswood:

The woodwind highlights at about 1:40 and 4:50 and 6:20 are the same. They may have improved but there was no trading of features among sections. At about 7:30, the woodwinds get a bit lost under the brass but it became balanced as the season progressed.

 

Sorry, but "watered down" deserved a response Everyone improves musically and with the drill as the season progresses, though, so it was fun to see many of the shows at State that we had seen performed earlier in the fall.

 

Congratulations to all who invested their whole hearts into this season. It was fun to watch!!!!

[BandDad101]

I thouoght Calallen had an extremely touching show. It was presented very well. People sitting around us became very emotional during their performance. For a small band I thought they marched and played very well.

[FoobYen]

  BandDad101 said:

I thouoght Calallen had an extremely touching show. It was presented very well. People sitting around us became very emotional during their performance. For a small band I thought they marched and played very well.

 

Quite a fitting show for today

[cphs.saxophone.34]

  weasleby said:

Does anyone know of a link to a video of the 4A finals awards ceremony? Thanks.

 

I couldn't find a full length announcement, but here is a facebook video uploaded by one of the band parents of CP of when they announced first place. I don't know if y'all can view it though since it is on someone's profile.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2590049040668

[Jo Ann]

Lake Travis definitely was not a stand still band at all. Very few moments in their show would fit this. Of course I am biased towards Lake Travis, but I believe their show was one of the most beautiful and the most aesthetically pleasing.

 

  borchnork said:

From the groups I saw, I think it's fair to say that MOST of the bands didn't fall into this category at all. They were all spectacular, really well played shows. Heck, some of my favorite shows didn't even finish top 5 this year.

[Jo Ann]

I agree drummantx......

 

  Drummantx said:

Cedar Park didn't run away with it.

 

http://utdirect.utexas.edu/uilsmbc/lbw2_sc...;s_display_sw=R

 

Them and dripping springs were very close.

 

AMAZING bands, congrats to all!

[Jo Ann]

Our band students at Lake Travis are taught pride, dignity, and professionalism.... It is instilled in them to be congratulatory towards their competitors and to not be boastful and ostentatious.. They are a class act.....

 

  borchnork said:

I was extremely proud to see Lake Travis congratulate CP and DS on their gold and silver placements in the stands at the dome.

[borchnork]

  Jo Ann said:

Our band students at Lake Travis are taught pride, dignity, and professionalism.... It is instilled in them to be congratulatory towards their competitors and to not be boastful and ostentatious.. They are a class act.....

 

I got to see the show live in finals. Definitely one of my favorite shows at that competition. I still LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE your Cello and Flute solos. Absolutely superior. Everything was executed really well.

 

It was such a tight competition. I have no idea how the judges decided the placements. I know I wouldn't have been able to do it.

[Jo Ann]

You are absolutely correct on all accounts borchnork

 

  borchnork said:

I got to see the show live in finals. Definitely one of my favorite shows at that competition. I still LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE your Cello and Flute solos. Absolutely superior. Everything was executed really well.

 

It was such a tight competition. I have no idea how the judges decided the placements. I know I wouldn't have been able to do it.

[TbonesRock]

It did seem like bands that moved up in finals were more "play loud and stand still" instead of playing and marching a lot at the same time.

 

As long as UIL recruits so many University-level judges for State competition, we might see that. Colleges typically have their bands learn many shows each year, as opposed to high school directors having several months to teach and tweak one show with interesting themes or stories involving intricate drill patterns per season. Colleges really can't spend a lot of time on each show, and as such, college-level directors/judges may be attracted by the more military-type of production that they are accustomed to: more standing still and blowing away the loud crowds in stadiums. It's a completely different venue.

 

I hope that Texas high school marching band directors continue to produce such fun and interesting shows as we saw in the shows of so many of the bands this year. What a day of entertainment that was! Beautiful, ingenious and fantastic shows that represent a wonderful art form, that of which nothing else can compare.

 

Congratulations to every single band member of all of the top-notch bands that represented the best of the best of 4A all across our great state. And thank you! That was the best $30 I have spent in a long time!

 

Band really is just better in Texas!

[drummerjoe]

  TbonesRock said:

It did seem like bands that moved up in finals were more "play loud and stand still" instead of playing and marching a lot at the same time.

 

As long as UIL recruits so many University-level judges for State competition, we might see that. Colleges typically have their bands learn many shows each year, as opposed to high school directors having several months to teach and tweak one show with interesting themes or stories involving intricate drill patterns per season. Colleges really can't spend a lot of time on each show, and as such, college-level directors/judges may be attracted by the more military-type of production that they are accustomed to: more standing still and blowing away the loud crowds in stadiums. It's a completely different venue.

 

Sorry to be so harsh, but I disagree entirely. Judges aren't gonna say "Hmm, that band stood still and played really loud, I like that!" I also don't think that they subconsciously favor these bands in any way. Standing still and playing loud is simply easier to do than moving and playing loud. Plus, when you stand still on an impact it adds more effect to the show, and the judges would definitely pick up on this.

 

Because there is no judge specifically watching the difficulty of a show, this is not as big of a factor in the judging scheme. Of course, there is a point where it does become a factor. If your band does curves and rotations as opposed to marching square blocks across the field, then the judge will definitely place you higher. If your band plays technically difficult passages and difficult chords instead of an easy arrangement of a common song, then the judge will definitely place you higher. It's the minute differences that are hard to pick up on, such as how much a band stands still, that don't truly affect a judges view.

[TbonesRock]

No need to be sorry. I didn't consider that to be harsh in the least!

 

And there is much on which we agree. It's just a theory, that because college bands are often so huge, the more simple formations create a huge impact. I think that college directors are just more accustomed to that.

 

It is only a personal preference for lots of movement, difficult drills, and visually stimulating shows. And standing still on an impact definitely adds more effect to the show, but when there's lots of it, as a spectator, I find I start looking at the clock, no matter how beautiful or intense the sound. Simply put, in marching season, I enjoy watching lots of marching.

 

I imagine it is really hard, as a high school band director, to decide which direction to take. Because, like you say, there is no judge specifically watching the difficulty of a show, it might be tempting to go slightly easier. I really prefer the high school band venue, where you often see really unique themes and interesting drills. The variety that we were treated to last Tuesday was fabulous. I just would never want to see that go away. And I think the band students learn much and grow with the more intricate drills and music.

 

Another thought I had, was that those kinds of risks would be more richly rewarded if, rather than having so many college-level judges, that DCI judges were in the mix. I don't know if that is even a possibility, or how that would affect the judging of woodwinds, etc.

 

High school marching band rocks! I bet everyone here can agree to that!

[fhstrombone]

Here is Friendswood's Finals video:

[Danpod]

  fhstrombone said:

I guess since you are going down this road I will also. We (Friendswood) decided not to play the "game" with our show this year. We went all out - with 98 sets, there isn't much time to stand around and relax. And maybe that is why we did not win - our show was not as easy to clean as other shows.

 

I figured you would have learned your lesson by now but apparently, you haven't. This comment was completely unprovoked. Face palm.

[eliram]

I think poteet has a very strong show this year and have a good chance at doing well at state

[eliram]

I think poteet has a very strong show this year and have a good chance at doing well at state

[jmatthews]

  On 10/14/2013 at 4:01 AM, eliram said:

I think poteet has a very strong show this year and have a good chance at doing well at state

 

This year's 4A state contest is going to be very, very close. I am excited to see how it turns out. I am hoping to get to watch it live in San Antonio.