BOA Arlington Regional Schedule - Oct. 10

[northtexasbandfan]

Carroll H.S., TX 7:15 a.m.
Stony Point H.S., TX 7:30 a.m.
North Crowley H.S., TX 7:45 a.m.
Independence H.S., TX 8:00 a.m.
Prosper H.S., TX 8:15 a.m.
Colleyville Heritage H.S., TX 8:30 a.m.
Azle H.S., TX 8:45 a.m.
Mansfield H.S., TX 9:00 a.m. 

James Martin, TX 9:45 a.m.
Coppell, TX 10:00 a.m.
Keller, TX 10:15 a.m.
L.V. Berkner, TX 10:30 a.m.
John H. Guyer, TX 10:45 a.m.
Pflugerville, TX 11:00 a.m.
Skiatook, OK 11:15 a.m.
Jenks, OK 11:30 a.m.

Round Rock, TX 12:30 p.m.
Wakeland, TX 12:45 p.m.
Keller Fossil Ridge, TX 1:00 p.m.
Marcus, TX 1:15 p.m.
Richland, TX 1:30 p.m.
Aledo, TX 1:45 p.m.
Liberty, TX 2:00 p.m.
Legacy, TX 2:15 p.m.

L.D. Bell, TX 3:00 p.m.
Flower Mound, TX 3:15 p.m.
Keller Central, TX 3:30 p.m.
Birdville, TX 3:45 p.m.
Timber Creek, TX 4:00 p.m.
Waxahachie, TX 4:15 p.m.
Byron Nelson, TX 4:30 p.m.
Hebron H.S., TX 4:45 p.m. 

University of Texas at Arlington (exhibition) 5:00 p.m.

[HighSchoolBandNerd212]

Judges:

Music - Scott-Lee Atchison, Wayne Markworth, Clifton Smith, W. Dale Warren

Visual - Bruce Jones, Tim Ochran, Robert Soloman

Chief Judge - Gary Markham

[Xenon]

Picking 10 for this is super hard!

[LKendrick]

  On 9/20/2015 at 7:18 PM, Xenon said:

Picking 10 for this is super hard!

Agreed, there's 18 or so that I'd say could be in depending on who is having a good/bad year.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

With 4 of the 5 Texas bands going to the Grand Nationals competing in this one, I think this will be quite interesting. It could only be more fun if The Woodlands were there!

 

Can't wait to see Marcus, LD Bell, and Flower Mound also...

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 9/20/2015 at 7:18 PM, Xenon said:

Picking 10 for this is super hard!

 

Hey, go ahead and give it a try! You're usually pretty close to the mark, if I remember right.

[Rubisco]

Hebron, Marcus, LD Bell, Round Rock, Flower Mound, Coppell, Keller, Keller Central, Wakeland, and... Richland? Pflugerville and Berkner also stand out. I don't know. All the Texas regionals are stuffed with excellent programs this year. It makes predicting things difficult.

[knoxisawesome348]

I've gotten to see good, recent videos of Hebron, Flower Mound, Marcus, Keller, Keller Central, and Wakeland. I also got to see Round Rock live in BOA Austin preliminaries. That just leaves LD Bell, Coppell, Richland, and a few others that I haven't seen. The top 4 (Marcus, Hebron, RR, and FloMo) should be very tight. 

 

 

A few thoughts on Hebron: Holy CRAP they're playing a ridiculously large amount of notes. Right now some of the super difficult technical passages don't seem entirely locked in, but by San Antonio and Grand Nationals this show will be a monster. Last year my favorite soloist was the Leander clarinet player, but this year it may be Hebron's tenor saxophonist. The ballad has a big tenor sax solo and he or she is just killing it. It's emotional and technically insane, ending on a super high altissimo note that very few saxophone players at the high school level could even dream of pulling off. I have no idea where Hebron gets all of these insane woodwind players. I also personally like this show more than world of wonder - the music GE is top notch.

 

If I had to guess how the top 4 bands will end up with 2 weeks of cleaning:

 

Music - Marcus/Hebron

Visual - Round Rock

GE - Hebron

 

1. Hebron

2. Marcus

3. Round Rock

4. Flower Mound

 

Bell could also be in this mix, but we'll see. Also, Wakeland is my dark horse for this competition - they're doing spectacularly. 

[Rubisco]

If I had to choose my overall favorite from the shows that I've seen, it would be Marcus. I don't think it's a great Marcus show, at least not right now, but compared to the others, Marcus is just performing at a higher level. There are some issues with heroics and intonation that I'm not used to hearing from them, but then, all the other groups suffer from those issues as well. Maybe Marcus' show isn't the most exciting, but it's the most elegant.

 

I think Hebron's music is technically very impressive. They play a veritable flurry of notes, although it isn't all clicking right now. I ADORE the ballad, and I'm happy that they've taken the unsentimental (and somewhat sultry) route this year, because that's going to make them stand out. One thing I'm not thrilled about is the visual. I think it could be cleaner, and more engaging. Unlike Knox, I don't think this show is as strong as World of Wonder, but I think it could be with some more bells and whistles.

 

I think Flower Mound's show is fascinating, eggs and all. They're very strong, compelling performers, but I think they're lacking a bit of finesse and control. I had a bit of trouble parsing the music in spots, because there wasn't enough transparency in the ensemble sound. I think some members of the band might be overblowing a bit. I think it'll be great once the issues are ironed out, but I'm wondering if they can pull it off in a couple weeks.

 

I haven't seen or heard Round Rock or LD Bell.

[LKendrick]

Are there some videos yall wanna share? Lol you can send them to me in a message if you want, I wanna see.

[LKendrick]

Nvm, did some sleuthing..........

 

So wow.  Some great shows.  Feel like I'm watching two sets.  Set one is Marcus and Flower Mound, still have to finish the show, but what they have is very complete and probably has most of the elements in.  Then Keller and Hebron.  Hebron's parent performance obviously doesn't have all the elements in (guard costuming, probably some props, show silks, ect).  Same with Keller.  

 

So Keller and Hebron.

 

Keller seems really strong for where they are early on compared to previous years.  Probably really ramping it up for nationals.  Opening is really subtle, but I think really nice.  Opening it will be incredibly lush.  Dat guard doe.  Talk about some field coverage, and they're pretty polished.  Can't wait to see the show silks, feel like the right colors could just totally fill up the field.  Musically, fantastic drumline.  Winds are solid, typical season growth should sound good on them.  Some really nice drill, and they're performing it very well.  Looking at who was in the 8 - 15 range at Grand Nationals last year, they're certainly making a case for finals.  They seem really strong relatively.  

 

Hebron.  Like I said, don't feel like this is the final form.  Like Rubisco said, I think with some elements added this can be absolutely fantastic.  Can't wait to see what color scheme they use, hope it's something along the lines of "World of Wonder", talk about GORGEOUS.  Opening is really nice, typical Hebron.  Love the visual AND aural juxtaposition between the brass and woodwinds.  Man, that guard can spin for days.  They look really solid.  Next movement.  Holy technicality batman, In November that's gonna be SICK.  The way the bring out nuances and stuff later on should prove to make that really impressive.  I really like the drill.  Might not be breakneck whiplash stuff, but the simultaneous demand per usual is really high.  Really polished in terms of design, and they're getting there performance wise.  Woah.  Ballad.  Absolutely breathtaking.  Also agree with Rubisco here, kinda sultry, playful mood that I agree will make them stand out.  That soloist, whew.  That's gonna be a huge Music GE moment at the height of that ballad.  I cannot wait to see that show in its final form.  They should definitely be in the top 6 at nationals, or at least in the running.  Music Caption contender for sure if they clean up like they usually do.  

 

Will comment on Marcus/FloMo later.  Have watched both, just don't have time at the moment.  

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 9/28/2015 at 6:04 AM, knoxisawesome348 said:

I've gotten to see good, recent videos of Hebron, Flower Mound, Marcus, Keller, Keller Central, and Wakeland. I also got to see Round Rock live in BOA Austin preliminaries. That just leaves LD Bell, Coppell, Richland, and a few others that I haven't seen. The top 4 (Marcus, Hebron, RR, and FloMo) should be very tight. 

 

 

A few thoughts on Hebron: Holy CRAP they're playing a ridiculously large amount of notes. Right now some of the super difficult technical passages don't seem entirely locked in, but by San Antonio and Grand Nationals this show will be a monster. Last year my favorite soloist was the Leander clarinet player, but this year it may be Hebron's tenor saxophonist. The ballad has a big tenor sax solo and he or she is just killing it. It's emotional and technically insane, ending on a super high altissimo note that very few saxophone players at the high school level could even dream of pulling off. I have no idea where Hebron gets all of these insane woodwind players. I also personally like this show more than world of wonder - the music GE is top notch.

 

If I had to guess how the top 4 bands will end up with 2 weeks of cleaning:

 

Music - Marcus/Hebron

Visual - Round Rock

GE - Hebron

 

1. Hebron

2. Marcus

3. Round Rock

4. Flower Mound

 

Bell could also be in this mix, but we'll see. Also, Wakeland is my dark horse for this competition - they're doing spectacularly. 

 

My guess is pretty close to yours:

 

Music - Hebron

Visual - Round Rock

GE - Hebron or Round Rock, currently leaning towards Round Rock

 

1. Hebron

2. Round Rock

3. Marcus

4. Flower Mound

 

After 4th, I don't really have a good guess. I do expect this to be very competitive in the top half. I would also expect to see Keller and LD Bell in the mix somewhere in the upper middle. I think Round Rock is charging out of the gates this year. They had their 3rd and 4th performances of the season in Austin this past weekend and did very well. Their show appears to have real potential. However it all shakes out, I think this is going to be a thrilling competition for the fans and I can't wait to see what happens.

[knoxisawesome348]

  On 9/28/2015 at 8:11 AM, Rubisco said:

I think Hebron's music is technically very impressive. They play a veritable flurry of notes, although it isn't all clicking right now. I ADORE the ballad, and I'm happy that they've taken the unsentimental (and somewhat sultry) route this year, because that's going to make them stand out. One thing I'm not thrilled about is the visual. I think it could be cleaner, and more engaging. Unlike Knox, I don't think this show is as strong as World of Wonder, but I think it could be with some more bells and whistles.

 

I agree about your comments on the visual. I feel like there are certain moments where it's impressive, but others where a lot more could be added (and World of Wonder does top this show in that respect). I feel like given two weeks time, the show will be a lot cleaner, at least musically. It's definitely my favorite show I've seen so far this year.

 

As far as Round Rock goes, they are very very clean visually. Visual performance and VGE scores will be their friend this season and it looks like only Marcus could maybe take the visual caption from them at Arlington (but I doubt it). However, with a smaller band, they don't quite produce the same volume we're used to from them. With that in mind, they have a more refined sound that should come together even more in the coming weeks. I'm not 100% on board with the music design (it's an Appalachian Spring show) and the opening felt strangely drawn out to me, but I think when they add the last few minutes in it'll make more sense. I also saw their preliminary performance which according to the bloggers wasn't as strong as their finals performance. I do think if BOA Arlington was tomorrow, either they or Marcus would win. We'll see this show in Grand National finals no doubt.

[Rubisco]

Finally saw the Wakeland video, and I'm so, so impressed by it. I think they ought to be close to that top group, though I don't think they're performing their show quite at the level of Marcus or Hebron. I'm especially in love with their visual package. It's very beautifully done. And I think the Pointillism influence is perfect for something like marching band.

[Jackson1]

This will be fun to watch.  I think Marcus and Hebron are the front runners but anything can happen.  If I had to choose I would go with Marcus because I think they will be ahead in a more developed show.  I get the feeling Hebron is building slowly because of Grand Nat's.  Although at TOC they sounded great with just the opener and ballad. I have only seen Marcus at a football game but they sounded great as usual.

 

Having said that anything could happen with Round Rock, Flomo, Bell, Coppell and a couple of others who could make a run.

 

Nothing will surprise me at this one.  I am looking forward to it!!  Good luck to all of the Bands!!

[Bandbandband123]

  On 10/5/2015 at 5:46 PM, Jackson1 said:

This will be fun to watch. I think Marcus and Hebron are the front runners but anything can happen. If I had to choose I would go with Marcus because I think they will be ahead in a more developed show. I get the feeling Hebron is building slowly because of Grand Nat's. Although at TOC they sounded great with just the opener and ballad. I have only seen Marcus at a football game but they sounded great as usual.

 

Having said that anything could happen with Round Rock, Flomo, Bell, Coppell and a couple of others who could make a run.

 

Nothing will surprise me at this one. I am looking forward to it!! Good luck to all of the Bands!!

[Bandbandband123]

Agreed. Hebron has a lot to pull through on if it wants to win. Marcus and Round Rock seem like huge contenders. And since this is a GN year for Round Rock they're definitely going to be vying for that top spot. I think that Hebron may be able to to take the music caption and maybe GE if they can clean up in time but my bets for visual are on Marcus or Round Rock.

[LKendrick]

Am I the only one who think Flower Mound has an outside shot at winning as well?  The video early on and then the one two weeks ago were VERY promising, as well as their scoring at Birdville.  

 

I think they have a GE edge, we'll see.  IMO there's 4 bands that have some kind of chance at taking it, no matter how small or larger it is.  

[Statebound]

  On 10/6/2015 at 3:20 AM, LKendrick said:

Am I the only one who think Flower Mound has an outside shot at winning as well?  The video early on and then the one two weeks ago were VERY promising, as well as their scoring at Birdville.  

 

I think they have a GE edge, we'll see.  IMO there's 4 bands that have some kind of chance at taking it, no matter how small or larger it is.  

 

I've seen more Birdville contests than I can count (although not many finals ) and this contest has typically been a layup for Marcus. The fact that FloMo finishes 2nd by a point leaves the door wide open for BOA Arlington.  You could have a legitimate top 5 of Hebron, Marcus, FloMo, Round Rock or LDBell in any order.

[WestSideTrumpet16]

Has anyone seen anything on Timber Creek this year? The staff change has apparently been rough on them.

[HHS352]

Sooo I think its time to all start doing predictions...

[principalagent]

I'm personally curious to see what Cartwright being back on Bell's design team will do for them. If Reagan and Guidry says anything, we may see a welcome resurgence.

 

Also, I'm dark horsing Wakeland for the top 5. 

[justabandkid94]

Cool LD Bell hype video I found 

 

 

got a couple cool overhead shots of impact sets in there... one of which looks kinda like a throwback to The Quest

[Rubisco]

I also think Bell could have something of a resurgence. Nobody seems to know anything about their show.

[TXRondo]

1-4: Hebron, Marcus, Round Rock, Flower Mound

5-7: L.D. Bell, Coppell, Wakeland

8-9: Keller, Aledo

10-14: Central, Waxahachie, Richland, Berkner, Mansfield

15-17: Jenks(?), Pflugerville, Legacy

 

lots of depth in this regional. lots of amazing organizations. should be a fun day!