TMEA Honor Band 2012

[rowlettband]

Anything about rowlett? Just wondering about how my alma mater are doing.

Edited June 16, 2012 by rowlettband

[Xenon]

We just finished listening to The Woodlands here at Area D. They have a fantastic recording. I want a copy of it for my own enjoyment.

 

Edit: spring was like a two headed monster. El salon Mexico was very problematic, but OMG, Belkis was just absolutely downright amazing with gorgeous ensemble color and richness. I completely understand why there was a split panel at region. Also, their volume was so loud that the snares on the drums behind us were resonating.

[Rubisco]

  Xenon said:

We just finished listening to The Woodlands here at Area D. They have a fantastic recording. I want a copy of it for my own enjoyment.

 

Edit: spring was like a two headed monster. El salon Mexico was very problematic, but OMG, Belkis was just absolutely downright amazing with gorgeous ensemble color and richness. I completely understand why there was a split panel at region. Also, their volume was so loud that the snares on the drums behind us were resonating.

 

Yay! You're there! I'm just happy that we'll get the results ASAP. I'm assuming the other recordings are being played right now. Unless the difference in quality between the regions is very substantial, I'm expecting rankings to be all over the place.

[Xenon]

Coppell has one of the best sets of clarinet players that I have ever heard. Another great recording with fantastic timing, but the clarinets shone so much that they increased the exposure of the brass in a way that could stick out in the mind of the judges.

 

I bet you are right and the rankings are going to be all over the place. Are they going to pick regimented cleanliness or color and richness?

[Xenon]

You can take this post with a grain of salt since I'm related to the program, but Duncanville has a great recording. There are a ton of little technical issues, like the oboe completely landing on the wrong note during a solo, but the color and richness and power is amazing. And the ending to pictures shows it all off. And the kid in the audience showing up multiple times in the otherwise amazing recording of school for scandal is so sad that it is comical.

[Rubisco]

  Xenon said:

You can take this post with a grain of salt since I'm related to the program, but Duncanville has a great recording. There are a ton of little technical issues, like the oboe completely landing on the wrong note during a solo, but the color and richness and power is amazing. And the ending to pictures shows it all off. And the kid in the audience showing up multiple times in the otherwise amazing recording of school for scandal is so sad that it is comical.

No need for salt. Saying that Duncanville sounds great is like saying that you think ice cream tastes good. If anybody else were there, they'd probably say the same thing.

Have the other two bands performed? Time to put you on the spot: who do you think will advance?

[Xenon]

  Rubisco said:

No need for salt. Saying that Duncanville sounds great is like saying that you think ice cream tastes good. If anybody else were there, they'd probably say the same thing.

Have the other two bands performed? Time to put you on the spot: who do you think will advance?

 

Leander went first and Westwood is playing right now.

 

This area is so crazy that I can't be sure of anything. It is completely up to this judging panel and what their preferences are. Clean vs color/texture. My personal picks to advance are Duncanville and TW, but I could see Spring pushing either one out. And an outside chance of Coppell making it in there too. It completely depends. None of these tapes are perfect, by far, and any of the judges could latch on to any little thing.

[Xenon]

Ok, the moment everyone has been waiting for.

 

We don't have any results yet because Duncanville and Spring are tied for 2nd, so we have to have a re-hearing of both.

 

I do believe that that means that The Woodlands is in first, but I don't have confirmation.

[Rubisco]

  Xenon said:

Ok, the moment everyone has been waiting for.

 

We don't have any results yet because Duncanville and Spring are tied for 2nd, so we have to have a re-hearing of both.

 

I do believe that that means that The Woodlands is in first, but I don't have confirmation.

 

Honestly, this just makes my stomach churn. With all these top-notch groups, you knew something like that was bound to happen.

[rtrezza]

Have you heard anything about area C?

[Xenon]

  rtrezza said:

Have you heard anything about area C?

 

Area C should still be listening. The 5As didn't start until 1pm

 

We just finished rehearing Spring. Duncanville next.

 

I just don't know how to judge these two appart from eachother. Springs Belkis is the single best piece we have heard all day from any group, but their el salon Mexico is towards the other end of the spectrum among the top 4 here. Duncanville is much more consistent, but every piece has flaws.

 

Completely up to the judges.

[Xenon]

Spoke too soon...

 

Area C:

 

1. Berkner

2. Plano East

3. McKinney Boyd

4. Rowlett

[Xenon]

Area D

 

1. Coppell

2. Spring

3. Duncanville

4. The Woodlands

5. Westwood

6. Leander

[aaron067]

  Xenon said:

Area D

 

1. Coppell

2. Spring

3. Duncanville

4. The Woodlands

5. Westwood

6. Leander

 

Wow... I'm really excited for Coppell since I worked there all through my college years, but I'm so disappointed for Duncanville. I don't know if this is the first time they haven't made it out of Area, but this is certainly a testament to the ridiculous strength of Area D.

[Rubisco]

  Xenon said:

Area D

 

1. Coppell

2. Spring

3. Duncanville

4. The Woodlands

5. Westwood

6. Leander

 

Oh, wow!

[Xenon]

I'm home now, after fighting the Downtown Dallas rush hour traffic.

 

While it isn't what I predicted, nor expected, it isn't a surprise. This Area is absolutely crazy beyond belief. It is a shame that some of these potential State Finalists won't be moving on, but that doesn't diminish their performances.

 

Congratulations to Coppell and Spring on their deserved advancements to the State level!

[boydbronco94]

  Xenon said:

Spoke too soon...

 

Area C:

 

1. Berkner

2. Plano East

3. McKinney Boyd

4. Rowlett

 

Thanks for posting these results! I have been refreshing the TMEA Entry List for about 30 minutes now, but nothing has been updated... It is a shame that we came in third, but I have heard only great things from all four bands that competed in Area C!! I am a little disappointed considering the amount of work we put into our program this year, but we have come so far as a band program since I was a freshman (and McKinney Boyd was only 3 years young at the time). I can't wait to see what my alma mater will bring to the table in years to come! Best of luck to the bands that have advanced to the State-Round, and congratulations to those who even fell a little short this time around. Especially in Areas C and D, it is no small feat to come this far!

[vacon3`]

Area F has Brazoswood and Clear Lake advancing to state!

[mellopwn1]

  vacon3` said:

Area F has Brazoswood and Clear Lake advancing to state!

 

As always

[Xenon]

Area E 5A:

1. CT Johnson

2. Westlake

3. Jersey Village

4. Langham Creek

5. Bowie

6. Reagan

7. O'Connor

8. Brandeis

 

 

Area E 3A:

1. Fredericksburg

2. LaVernia

3. Boerne

4. Bellville

5. Canyon Lake

[evang1993]

Does anybody know who got first in Area F? Brazoswood or Clear Lake?

[Xenon]

Area A 3A:

 

1. Lone Star (Frisco). 11122

2. Ranchview (Valley Ranch) 11223

3. Argyle 23335

4. Aubrey 34455

5. Pampa 44455

[buzz]

  Xenon said:

Area A 3A:

 

1. Lone Star (Frisco). 11122

2. Ranchview (Valley Ranch) 11223

3. Argyle 23335

4. Aubrey 34455

5. Pampa 44455

 

Wow... didn't expect Argyle to not make it to State! I wonder how/if this will affect marching season.

[takigan]

I don't think it has anything to do with Argyle losing their touch....Ranchview was the Honor Band runner-up last go-round. So since North Lamar (the band that beat them and became the Honor Band) isn't competing for obvious reasons, the only band that is really standing in their way of winning it all is the 2009 champ who was ineligible to compete back in Summer 2010: Argyle. Normally, they'd both get to advance, though there was a bit of an anomaly this year in Frisco Lonestar.

 

3A's like Argyle, Ranchview and Lone Star are unusual. They're situated in the middle of an expanding metropolis. If a school is built in such a rapidly growing area, it's usually designed to house as many students as possible (thus becoming a 4A or 5A school by default) to facilitate the growth. So these "suburban 3As" are quite rare. The overwhelming majority of 3As in this State come from small towns. The name of the school is often also the name of the town. The band then inherits the challenges of small-town culture....challenges which make it harder for them to compete on a broader stage. Schools like Argyle and Ranchview are more similar to Marcus, or Cedar Park, or the Woodlands than they are to their other 3A bretheren scattered across the plains and pastures of the state.

 

Take a typical Texas 3A kid. We'll call him Jack. Jack's dad drives a truck and his mom runs a cash register in the mornings while Jack and his siblings are at school. His dad probably hates him for not making the Football team like he did back in the day, but is at least glad he's on the drumline and not the colorguard because "He didn't raise no fag son". The practice field he marches on is grass and borders a cow pasture. The head director was mowing the field himself using a riding mower from the groundskeeper's shed to keep the grass short, but weeks of marching rehearsal has worn the grass down to a plot of hard dirt. The High School has one band director, though the junior high director is often there after school...there's also a colorguard person who comes by sometimes. Jack was late to rehearsal because the chickens got out of their coop and he had to go chase them down. The snare drum he plays on is the same his uncle played on when he was in the band 20 years ago. He takes drum lessons from the drumset player at their church, but the drumset guy has never played Marimba in his life, so Jack is pretty much out of luck on getting someone to help him with his region music as the nearest music college is over 100 miles away.

 

Ranchview HS is in Irving: a large city with over a quarter million people. The school houses all of 800 kids 9-12....basically all the High School kids in the Valley Ranch subdivision. 1 in 4 students are of Asian descent. The number of students enrolled in Gifted/Talented is twice the state average. The average graduating senior earns $12,000 in scholarships to pay for their college. The student here is named Johnny. Johnny's dad sells insurance and mom does graphic design for a small startup. Their combined income is $70,000/yr. They live in a 2 story house in the 'burbs and they just bought Johnny his own pro-level Trombone, recommended to him by the Trombone Teaching Assistant from UNT who he studies with. This grad student is also teaching him Baritone so he can try out for Spirit of Atlanta in the summer, where he techs the brass. Johnny wants to be a music major. His parents are ok with this, but they'd really prefer he go into business "because there's no money in music".

 

My heart goes out to the teachers who can take a band program like Jack's and hold their own against a band program like Johnny's.

 

[Although my scenarios references true statistics, specific programs and people, the scenarios painted are purely hypothetical with regard to the relevant statistics they're based on]

[Xenon]

Area D 5A Details:

 

Overal Rank. Name - Individual Ranks = Total Rank Score After Dropping High/Low

 

1. Coppell - 11134 = 5

*2. Spring - 12244 = 8

*3. Duncanville - 12236 = 7

4. Woodlands - 23355 = 11

5. Westwood - 44556 = 14

6. Leander - 35666 = 17

 

*Tie caused by Two 2nd Place Votes (after high/low drop) rule. Tie Broken by re-hearing.

 

I don't have the specific rankings from the re-hearing.

 

 

At first glance, just by looking at the total rank scores after dropping high/low (olympic style), Duncanville (7) would have been 2nd instead of Spring (8).

 

But, there is a provision in the rules which state:

 

  TMEA Honor Band Rules said:

If a majority of the remaining three (3) judges have a band ranked as second or better, that band shall be declared as second.

Duncanville (223) and Spring (224) both had two second place votes in the remaining three judges, so both were declared to be tied for 2nd place.

 

  TMEA Honor Band Rules said:

B. Two-way ties will be broken by using the judges' preference with the following exception: A second hearing of any band's recording will occur if advancement to the next level or performance at the TMEA Convention is impacted.

 

Most ties are broken by Judges' Preference using all 5 judges, but this tie involved which of these two bands moves on to the State level, so there was a rehearing done instead. A rehearing is a wholly separate Honor Band listening/ranking/dropping-high/low etc session.

 

Just from the numbers above, you can't exactly tell how judges' preference would have worked out, but most of the scenarios with the above numbers would have lead to Duncanville winning Judges' Preference for 2nd place. Edit: I just ran the calculations and 75% of the valid permutations have Duncanville winning Judges' Preference.

 

Due to the importance of the decision, however, the TMEA rules call for both bands to be heard one right after the other to give the best possibility of a fair chance to both bands. The result of the re-hearing was that Spring earned the 2nd place spot that advances to State while Duncanville ended up in 3rd.

 

I don't know if Spring ended up with 11111, 11112, or 11122. But with how these numbers were going and how close everything was all day, I wouldn't doubt at all if it was a 11122vs11222 situation.

 

 

This Area did it's best to use all of the exception cases in the rules!

 

 

 

Edit: And I'm not trying to sound like a Duncanville homer; I'm just running the numbers on an extremely tight and overly strong Area.