Area To State

[BandAManiac]

Hi I was just wondering on how many bands will advance to state from each Area??

[TxRaider13]

  Cpaiz55 said:

Hi I was just wondering on how many bands will advance to state from each Area??

 

 

Enough to make state difficult in both 3A and 5A

[Xenon]

  Cpaiz55 said:

Hi I was just wondering on how many bands will advance to state from each Area??

This thread has the information you are looking for.

 

http://www.txbands.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4520

[king_leonides]

Thirty-eight. That is the grand total that will advance to 5A state finals.

 

I don't know when the contest will start. But they can handle 4 bands per hour, approximately. (The judges have to take breaks. They are not robots, even though some scoring decisions make me wonder....)

 

The prelim contest will likely need to start sometime at about 7 A.M. and run through 5 P.M. Then finals will start that evening. There needs to be a break between prelims and finals, if anything just to clear out the building, and re-seat the patrons. Plus I am sure the judges and officials need some dinner.

 

Ten bands make finals. Add in retreat, and the show should wrap up at about 10:30 or 11 P.M., assuming that everything goes according to plan. If there are any delays or scoring disputes, then this could easily go past midnight.

 

I really think UIL should consider scrapping the prelims/finals format, if they are going to have this high number of bands at finals.

 

(p.s., think this is tough? This is effectively what Area G did, to host their area competition. It didn't wrap until after midnight as well.)

Edited October 29, 2012 by king_leonides

[king_leonides]

The obvious follow-up question is this: Should Area G be broken up into 2 separate areas? They are sending nearly 40 bands to area finals. Should they be broken into 2 areas, so that their area contest does not last until 1 A.M. in the morning?

 

Sheesh.

[clarineticorn]

  king_leonides said:

Thirty-eight. That is the grand total that will advance to 5A state finals.

 

I don't know when the contest will start. But they can handle 4 bands per hour, approximately. (The judges have to take breaks. They are not robots, even though some scoring decisions make me wonder....)

 

The prelim contest will likely need to start sometime at about 7 A.M. and run through 5 P.M. Then finals will start that evening. There needs to be a break between prelims and finals, if anything just to clear out the building, and re-seat the patrons. Plus I am sure the judges and officials need some dinner.

 

Ten bands make finals. Add in retreat, and the show should wrap up at about 10:30 or 11 P.M., assuming that everything goes according to plan. If there are any delays or scoring disputes, then this could easily go past midnight.

 

I really think UIL should consider scrapping the prelims/finals format, if they are going to have this high number of bands at finals.

 

(p.s., think this is tough? This is effectively what Area G did, to host their area competition. It didn't wrap until after midnight as well.)

 

State will begin at 7:30 in the morning on Tuesday, November 6th, with Harlingen South performing first. Prelims will end at 6:30ish, and finals begin at 8:15.

Edited October 30, 2012 by clarineticorn

[Montoya]

  king_leonides said:

The obvious follow-up question is this: Should Area G be broken up into 2 separate areas? They are sending nearly 40 bands to area finals. Should they be broken into 2 areas, so that their area contest does not last until 1 A.M. in the morning?

 

Sheesh.

 

 

Apparently, this option was actually presented. It would've resulted in one less band advancing to state. It was voted down.

[Donezo]

I still wouldn't be surprised if we saw another realignment soon. I think the 2001-2005 region/area alignment was ideal, but apparently no one agrees with me!

[jmj]

  Donezo said:

I still wouldn't be surprised if we saw another realignment soon. I think the 2001-2005 region/area alignment was ideal, but apparently no one agrees with me!

 

If I remember correctly, that alignment had Region 9 (Conroe, Spring, Klein ISDs) as part of Area D along with Central Texas and had Region 12 (North East ISD) in Area E along with the Katy/Cy-Fair schools. I actually liked that alignment myself.

 

However, I cannot really remember how Areas B and C were configured then. Were Duncanville and Bell both in Area B at that time?

[Donezo]

  jmj said:

If I remember correctly, that alignment had Region 9 (Conroe, Spring, Klein ISDs) as part of Area D along with Central Texas and had Region 12 (North East ISD) in Area E along with the Katy/Cy-Fair schools. I actually liked that alignment myself.

 

However, I cannot really remember how Areas B and C were configured then. Were Duncanville and Bell both in Area B at that time?

 

If we went back to that alignment, Area B would be LD Bell/Haltom/Richland/Duncanville/Coppell/Keller, etc. Area C would be Marcus/Hebron/Berkner/Rowlett/Plano East, etc.

 

Also, the Ft. Bend schools would be out of E and into F with Brazoswood/Pearland/Clear Lake, etc. San Antonio schools would be out of G and into E with the NEISD schools.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Donezo

[whitewing09]

I think it's really interesting that the current realignment has half of the SA bands going to area D and half going to area G (I don't know the actually ratio of bands going to the either area). I'm assuming the same was true in the last alignment (Some schools going to area E, others to area G)

 

If anything, they just need to unstack Area D.

[Donezo]

  whitewing09 said:

I think it's really interesting that the current realignment has half of the SA bands going to area D and half going to area G (I don't know the actually ratio of bands going to the either area). I'm assuming the same was true in the last alignment (Some schools going to area E, others to area G)

 

If anything, they just need to unstack Area D.

 

I think all the SA schools were in Area E in the last alignment, but I'm not completely sure.

 

Area D will always be problematic because of how deep the Austin area is. However, there aren't enough regions over there to spread out across areas the way that Houston and DFW can do with their schools. It doesn't help that with either alignment, you either throw Reagan/Johnson or The Woodlands/Spring into the mix along with the other strong programs their regions bring with them.

[skill]

  Donezo said:

I think all the SA schools were in Area E in the last alignment, but I'm not completely sure.

 

Area D will always be problematic because of how deep the Austin area is. However, there aren't enough regions over there to spread out across areas the way that Houston and DFW can do with their schools. It doesn't help that with either alignment, you either throw Reagan/Johnson or The Woodlands/Spring into the mix along with the other strong programs their regions bring with them.

 

Area D has amazing bands! I was so impressed with all the bands up in Round Rock, but on the flip side, the bands that literally lock a spot every time has made it really hard for an up and coming competing band to work itself into the mix.

 

I understand that there are only so many regions, but this is a huge state with some huge cities and it just seems as if some regions aren't quite as fairly divided. This is just my opinion.

[jmj]

It's just really tough. I think about this all the time and with the current model, no matter which way you configure it, there's always going to be some really good band that ends up sitting home just because the numbers didn't work out quite right. I always think of the positive is, what a good problem to have! The level of high quality of all bands in general in this state is just ridiculous.

Edited October 30, 2012 by jmj

[mellopwn1]

  Donezo said:

I think all the SA schools were in Area E in the last alignment, but I'm not completely sure.

 

I think Area E is one of the weakest areas right now and could use the extra competition from the San Antonio schools. This would also lighten up the competition at Area D if CTJ/Reagan/Churchill, etc. were to make an exodus to E.

[Donezo]

  mellopwn1 said:

I think Area E is one of the weakest areas right now and could use the extra competition from the San Antonio schools. This would also lighten up the competition at Area D if CTJ/Reagan/Churchill, etc. were to make an exodus to E.

 

What's funny is that there are so many 1st division bands in 5A region 12 that Area E probably would have just wound up with its four advancing groups plus Reagan and Johnson. Area E used to regularly advance 6-ish bands when the SA schools were there. Although it's possible that Churchill and/or Judson could have been strong enough to knock one of the Houston groups out.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Donezo

[TXWestside]

  Ragneo said:

Kind of reminds me of Area A right now. If I'm not mistaken, I know some West Texans don't like the idea that DFW bands usually take up most of the finals/state spots in 5A, and would like Area A to consist of exclusively West Texas. From my side though (being in DFW and in Area A), it gives me a chance to go to state because I'm not competing against the already strong Area B. However, the spots we take are from bands in Odessa, El Paso, Lubbock, etc.

 

If a lot of the SA schools took spots from the Houston schools, I would imagine a lot of discourse.

 

(However, it's a little different than Area A, because one of the main arguments is that West Texas marching band is quite different from bands in DFW, in terms of finances, support, etc.)

 

 

That's a good point, but then that's not fair to the still great, other bands in the DFW area to have to go up against the ridiculously great bands like Marcus and L.D. Bell etc... Then, bands like Odessa and Midland (which are good bands) get the chance to go to State when bands like Keller or even Timber Creek really deserve it more. I know it's weird but it's all give and take, that way the competition is as tight and fair as possible.

[Drummantx]

  Ragneo said:

Kind of reminds me of Area A right now. If I'm not mistaken, I know some West Texans don't like the idea that DFW bands usually take up most of the finals/state spots in 5A, and would like Area A to consist of exclusively West Texas. From my side though (being in DFW and in Area A), it gives me a chance to go to state because I'm not competing against the already strong Area B. However, the spots we take are from bands in Odessa, El Paso, Lubbock, etc.

 

If a lot of the SA schools took spots from the Houston schools, I would imagine a lot of discourse.

 

(However, it's a little different than Area A, because one of the main arguments is that West Texas marching band is quite different from bands in DFW, in terms of finances, support, etc.)

 

 

Being from West Texas and competing in Area A twice, I've never really heard the argument of making West Texas it's own area in my region (maybe in El Paso or Midland?). If people really are thinking that, they are either stupid or don't have the drive to compete. If West Texas had its own area, it would be WAY too easy to make it to state in 4A and 5A, while the Dallas Area Schools take up most of the finals spots in 5A, they deserve them, I would rather have Area A send more good bands from Keller ISD than a bunch of mediocre ones from else where in Area A, making our own area wouldn't be fair to Keller ISD schools, Saginaw Schools, and Denton schools. While Keller/El Paso schools tend to dominate 5A, a majority of the larger schools in West Texas are 4A, and they can get past Area to state, so it's not an impossible task like some close minded people from Regions 1, 6, and 16 think it is.

 

While we really don't have the resources and finances, I wouldn't say that marching band is really different, just the talent is not widespread and only really resides in about 6 4A/5A schools in the Panhandle to Lubbock area, and 3 or 4 in the Midland area. The disadvantage we have is the lack of huge population centers like Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, ect. The pool of talent is SUBSTANTIALLY smaller than larger cities because of population, and because of that, the best directors tend to stay away from the area because it's overall not very strong, which works against the progress. That said I expect area A not to be dominated by Keller/El Paso schools any more, the schools in West Texas ARE getting stronger, and I expect more than 1 to make it past area next year in 4A.

 

 

[Donezo]

The complaint is typically that DFW area schools dominate 3/7 of the state's areas, which is a significant advantage over any other geographic area in the state. It's even worse in TMEA alignments.....at the 2008 State Honor Band contest, the top 7 bands (out of 14!) were DFW bands. That doesn't sit well in some circles. There is certainly a ton of talent in the DFW area, but when results look like they did in '08, it doesn't really feel like a "state" contest anymore. I don't know if the tension is still there, but when the Ft. Worth area schools were moved to Area A in 2006, some higher-ups in the West Texas band world were vocally unhappy.

 

It's strange to think that West Texas used to be the music education mecca. The accomplishments of Permian, Lee, Midland, Coronado, Plainview, etc. over the years speak for themselves. Then it was Houston. Then it was Dallas. The growth of top tier programs in the Austin area makes me wonder if that region is the next big thing. These things go in cycles. Maybe the next set of alignment gerrymandering will be to separate the Bowie/Westlake set from the Cedar Park/Round Rock set because the talent in Austin can no longer be contained in one area (although it would be easier to get a read on that area if those darn schools would pick a classification and stay there.) Who knows!

Edited November 1, 2012 by Donezo

[takigan]

Agreed. The 80s were about the pandhandle, the 90s about Houston and the past decade til now; DFW.

 

In the panhandle's heyday, Texas Tech and West Texas State (now A&M) were also in their golden years during that time (1980s), under Dean Killion/James Sudduth and Gary Garner respectively.

[Drummantx]

  takigan said:

Agreed. The 80s were about the pandhandle, the 90s about Houston and the past decade til now; DFW.

 

In the panhandle's heyday, Texas Tech and West Texas State (now A&M) were also in their golden years during that time (1980s), under Dean Killion/James Sudduth and Gary Garner respectively.

 

Definitely, I have had the honor of playing under Gary Garner 4 Times, that man is amazing and a legend, not that they are not at the top anymore, but so many other schools programs have gotten so much better.

[bassclaristud]

  Drummantx said:

Definitely, I have had the honor of playing under Gary Garner 4 Times, that man is amazing and a legend, not that they are not at the top anymore, but so many other schools programs have gotten so much better.

 

I've played under Gary Garner as well. He was my clinician for the All Region Band Wind Ensemble my junior year. He was AMAZING!

[whitewing09]

I think it would be fair to take away the 10 bands from area D and 15 bands from area G that are closest to San Antonio and create a whole new area.

 

I don't understand why the Dallas area has 3 area competitions, the Houston Area has 2 area competitions, Austin has 1 area competitions, and RGV area has 1 area while San Antonio is just split up.

Edited November 2, 2012 by whitewing09

[takigan]

DFW population - 6.6 million

Houston population - 6 million

Austin population - 1.8 million

San Antonio population- 2.2 million

 

I think this explains the difference in area allocations per metro, though it doesn't really explain why Austin gets its "own area" while San Antonio is more split up. TMEA has Austin split up more than UIL splits up San Antonio. At least that's my general impression, I'm not at a computer right now to be able to verify that statement...but yeah.

[Donezo]

The TMEA alignments are absolute nonsense, but they're kind of fun. Could you imagine Coppell/Duncanville/The Woodlands/Spring/Cedar Park (when they're 5A) duking it out at Area Marching Contest? There would be riots.