BOA Austin

[MadisonBandMan1]

Well now I know for sure who was in the top 5 for prelims.

[MarchingBandNerd]

I know I said I was going to be watching the live stream on FloMarching...but I wasn't aware that you had to pay a monthly subscription. I was hoping to be able to pay it all up front.

YouTube doesn't seem to be streaming it either, so if anybody has an idea of where I can watch it afterwards, please let me know!

[TWHSParent]

I know I said I was going to be watching the live stream on FloMarching...but I wasn't aware that you had to pay a monthly subscription. I was hoping to be able to pay it all up front.

YouTube doesn't seem to be streaming it either, so if anybody has an idea of where I can watch it afterwards, please let me know!

 

Yeah. You can either pay for a year, or per month. You can pay for one month, then cancel before the next payment is due, and that is perfectly fine. You aren't locked into any agreement if you go monthly. You can then watch all the contests through this time in October without paying again - but you do have to remember to cancel!

[crossblue82]

Anybody catch any word on prelims scores? I know that's usually kept pretty secret but I've seen where that information sometimes gets out. Wonder who is in better position heading into finals, Leander or CTJ?

[Fwguard17]

Lots of great bands tonight.  I waited to make any predictions until after I saw everything.  Here is what I thought:

 

1. CTJ

2. Leander

3. Vandy

4. Cedar Park

5 Round Rock

6. Hendrickson

7. Cedar Ridge

8. Bowie

9. Churchill

10. Vista Ridge

 

CTJ Sweeps Captions

 

Will comeback with analysis later...

[horns91]

Amazing Performances and extremely high scores

 

http://www.musicforall.org/resources/fall-results/2017/austin-tx-results

 

85.05 - Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

82.25 - Vandegrift H.S., TX

81.95 - Round Rock H.S., TX

81.90 - Leander H.S., TX

80.30 - Cedar Park H.S., TX

78.40 - Cedar Ridge H.S., TX

77.45 - Hendrickson H.S., TX

75.65 - Winston Churchill H.S., TX

75.00 - James Bowie H.S., TX

73.65 - Vista Ridge H.S., TX

 

Outstanding Music Performance - (tie) Vandegrift H.S., TX & Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

Outstanding Visual Performance - Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

Outstanding General Effect - Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

[bingogooberman]

lol if we were going off prelims scores i'd be killing it in the predicitions- congrats to Johnson, well deserved! 

 

bingogooberman Place 1 Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. TX Place 2 Leander H.S. TX Place 3 Vandegrift H.S. TX Place 4 Round Rock H.S. TX Place 5 Cedar Park H.S. TX Place 6 James Bowie H.S. TX Place 7 Vista Ridge H.S. TX Place 8 Winston Churchill H.S. TX Place 9 Hendrickson H.S. TX Place 10 Cedar Ridge H.S. TX Music caption Vandegrift H.S. TX GE caption Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. TX Visual caption Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. TX

[CTJBandPops]

WOW - 8 years of following BOA and never would have guessed that I would have seen such a dominant performance - LOTS of great shows in Austin and I had the top 5 sitting pretty close after prelims - but the finals performance by CTJ was amazing (as were many others) - I saw a lot of talk here about CTJ having a full show on the field this early in the season and if it would help or hurt. I would definitely say it was an advantage. the music and movements where clean though the guard was not up to the standard they have been know for - but this early with a 3 point win, this could be a great show by San Antonio. 

 

I don't see that CTJ is doing DFW or Conroe this year, so other than a trip to Midland BOA, I don't see them with any competition until San Antonio. - lots of time to polish and improve that show

 

stuck around for the encore performance - was worth seeing again.

 

With some big bands going to GNats this year that will plan for big shows and Avon going to San Antonio - the Alamo dome is going to be something else this year

[LeanderMomma]

If Pioneer keeps improving this much every year they’re going to be a very well known name soon, that was great!

I absolutely loved their show!! I'm so glad my daughter and I made the effort to get there early so we could see them. I think Pioneer is definitely a band we will see more of in the future and I hope they just keep getting better and better.

[LeanderMomma]

CTJ blew me away in every way with that show. It was brilliant. Yes, it certainly helped that they were the only band with a complete show on the field, but it was just a masterpiece. My definite favorite from them so far since I first started watching in 2013. I hope they kill it in San Antonio!

 

And Cedar Ridge!! Just WOW.

[LeanderMomma]

Sorry Leander fans -- I just don't see it.

 

Disclaimer: I said the same thing this time last year, and the year before, and the year before, and was wrong every time.

 

This time, I see a very incomplete show with way too much standing in formation and doing choreography, music that is not as sophisticated as they have done in the past, and a completely undeveloped theme. Yeah, I know it's early, and they have a long way to go to completion, but what they're putting on the field today -- especially without any semblance of a closer -- really leaves me scratching my head. There were a lot of kids who graduated and/or left the program, and the band seems a lot smaller and less powerful overall; not what I expected.

 

Here's hoping I'm wrong again.

No, I hear what you're saying. I kind of got the same sense from several bands this year, actually. Less of the "magic" that sets a band apart. Lots of awkward endings too. Yes, I know the bands only know 70% of their shows for the most part at this point, but overall I just felt like there were a LOT of so-so endings with no punch. More so than years past. I wonder if that hurts the scores at all.

[LKendrick]

And Cedar Ridge!! Just WOW.

They might have had my favorite show of the day, so well designed where they are as a band in terms of size, talent, etc. Some incredible sounds coming out of them, AMAZING drums, and some of my favorite drill of the day at the end of Niagra Falls where the Empire State Building set gradually builds with the guard member running up through it. Great stuff.

[bandlover1994]

Any show links from finals??

[LeanderMomma]

They might have had my favorite show of the day, so well designed where they are as a band in terms of size, talent, etc. Some incredible sounds coming out of them, AMAZING drums, and some of my favorite drill of the day at the end of Niagra Falls where the Empire State Building set gradually builds with the guard member running up through it. Great stuff.

It was mesmerising, truly. I felt like I was watching the Bluecoats!! It may be my favorite as well, or at least a close 2nd with CTJ. I can't wait to see it again!

[Drum major]

No, I hear what you're saying. I kind of got the same sense from several bands this year, actually. Less of the "magic" that sets a band apart. Lots of awkward endings too. Yes, I know the bands only know 70% of their shows for the most part at this point, but overall I just felt like there were a LOT of so-so endings with no punch. More so than years past. I wonder if that hurts the scores at all.

Depends what band you are asking that question...... 

[LeanderMomma]

 

lol if we were going off prelims scores i'd be killing it in the predicitions- congrats to Johnson, well deserved!

bingogooberman Place 1 Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. TX Place 2 Leander H.S. TX Place 3 Vandegrift H.S. TX Place 4 Round Rock H.S. TX Place 5 Cedar Park H.S. TX

Yep, Leander took 2nd in prelims. We always seem to slip a bit at finals, and I never really can see an obvious reason for that. Keeps things interesting for sure!

[Captain Obvious]

No, I hear what you're saying. I kind of got the same sense from several bands this year, actually. Less of the "magic" that sets a band apart. Lots of awkward endings too. Yes, I know the bands only know 70% of their shows for the most part at this point, but overall I just felt like there were a LOT of so-so endings with no punch. More so than years past. I wonder if that hurts the scores at all.

 

I'm happy to say I was wrong again about Leander.  Looking at the scores, they held their own quite nicely thank you.

 

I know the band director isn't doing this for trophies, but you can't help but think that they know what they have to do with the closer if they want to be competing for medals in San Antonio.  I certainly want to see them challenging and beating the best of the best.  After UIL and Grand Nationals last year, I was concerned that the motivation wouldn't be there this year.  Have to give credit to the students who continue to strive for excellence.

[natertater21000]

I'm happy to say I was wrong again about Leander.  Looking at the scores, they held their own quite nicely thank you.

 

I know the band director isn't doing this for trophies, but you can't help but think that they know what they have to do with the closer if they want to be competing for medals in San Antonio.  I certainly want to see them challenging and beating the best of the best.  After UIL and Grand Nationals last year, I was concerned that the motivation wouldn't be there this year.  Have to give credit to the students who continue to strive for excellence.

Why would top half of finals at grand nats make you think motivation had gone down? I don't think anyone in or out of the band program expected them to be that low at grand nats, they had medaled at San Antonio just a week prior. As for uil I could have told you that would happen in June of that year, Leander doesn't fit as well into the uil grading rubric. The culture shift that happened in 14 isn't going away anytime soon, and definitely not because of one lower than expected placement.

[Captain Obvious]

Hey Nater,

 

I know some kids and parents in this program, and the motivation issue was mentioned as a potential pitfall going into the season.  There seems to have been a few seniors that quit the program -- maybe that is normal -- because they felt there was nothing that could top last year.  Been there, done that.  If that's true, then perhaps any motivational issues went with them.  The underclassmen certainly have another crack at UIL or perhaps even Grand Nats looking forward.

[Danpod]

That was an awesome contest!  Thanks to everyone who watched our coverage of the event and said Hello to us in the stands!  Awesome performances and good friendship won the day

[vincentlee1220]

Cedar Ridge's show was probably my favourite of the night all around.

Cedar Park's was also very fun, I love their no-frills "throw down fun technical music" type of show.

 

Also, Vandegrift and CTJ were so loud and balanced it was unreal. No other group really matched the strength of those two. Well-deserved music captions.

[Dog885]

Man, so many good shows, Cedar Park's was my personal favorite because of how fun it was. CTJ had some great music, and Churchill's ballad and concept were great as well. I didn't go to finals and my internet was spotty so I couldn't see everything, but what I did see what great. So much wind, some of our back drops and a front drop fell over and so did 4 of Rouse's. Some people tried pulling a back drop back up. It's too bad we placed 19th, some people said they might mess up on purpose to go to our homecoming dance, (mostly freshmen guard because guard is a prerequisite for our drill team) Oh well, we still have plenty of time to improve.

[Guest]

Did anyone manage to catch Pioneer early in the morning?

[wcband2019]

I heard Pioneer during their prelims warmup, I recognized Arabesque. They sounded extremely good musically, it blew me away.

[principalagent]

 

Did anyone manage to catch Pioneer early in the morning?

I'll be bold and put it this way: It'll be nice and well-deserved to have a Valley band back in state finals in one of the large classes this year.