2018 BOA San Antonio?

[Bandisdope]

Gosh I've been making so many predictions (I swear this is the last one  )

 

1. Ronald Reagan

2. Claudia Taylor Johnson

3. Flowermound

4. Woodlands

5. Vista Ridge

6. Hebron

7. Vandegrift

8. Keller

9. James Bowie

10. Leander

11. Marcus

12. Cedar Park

13. Coppell/Cedar Ridge/Hendrickson

14. Coppell/Cedar Ridge/Hendrickson

15. Coppell/Cedar Ridge/Hendrickson

16. Timber Creek/LD Bell/Prosper

17. LD Bell/Timber Creek/Prosper

18. Prosper/LD Bell/Timber Creek

19. Seven Lakes/Pearland/Oak Ridge

20. Pearland/Oak Ridge/Seven Lakes

[Samuel Culper]

  On 10/31/2018 at 9:02 PM, LeanderMomma said:

Hey, can I just give MAJOR props to the person who puts out these AMAZING Vista Ridge Ranger Band videos every week? These things are masterpieces in and of themselves!

He's a talented dude. His daughter is on the cymbal line.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/31/2018 at 9:09 PM, Samuel Culper said:

He's a talented dude. His daughter is on the cymbal line.

 

man, when those cymbal girls spin around on that compass and then LICK the edge of their cymbals?  That is FANTASTIC!

[scoobydoo]

  On 10/31/2018 at 9:11 PM, LeanderMomma said:

man, when those cymbal girls spin around on that compass and then LICK the edge of their cymbals?  That is FANTASTIC!

Ya, Round Rock's former cymbal tech works with Vista Ridge now. Round Rock use to do the cymbal lick.

[Samuel Culper]

  On 10/31/2018 at 9:17 PM, scoobydoo said:

Ya, Round Rock's former cymbal tech works with Vista Ridge now. Round Rock use to do the cymbal lick.

And we are going to miss her next year. She is a first time mom-to-be.

[scoobydoo]

  On 10/31/2018 at 9:26 PM, Samuel Culper said:

And we are going to miss her next year. She is a first time mom-to-be.

That's nice to hear. So now that will make Round Rock's percussion director a dad.

[Mash]

  On 10/31/2018 at 8:46 PM, gregorydf01 said:

Agreed, the Teamwork among the students, parents, staff etc... is amazing for Band Programs.   Got to love this example (see video link) of teamwork from Vista Ridge about the Silver Band members who don't have a Marching Spot in the show but are critical components of the show and the Band, can't do it without the full team!  

I love that they recognized them!  These band members usually are forgotten and they all work their butts off!  And the best part is the other band member recognizing them.  It warms my heart.

 

I am proud to be associated with Vista, a band with a great spirit and a warm heart.

[A Testing Trumpet]

Final Panel Predictions----

 

 

 

--(Adjudication Panel 1)--

“Locks”:

Ronald Reagan H.S., TX

Hebron H.S., TX

 

“Advance outright bubble”:

Leander H.S., TX

Keller H.S., TX

Hendrickson H.S., TX

----------------------------

Cedar Park H.S., TX

Cedar Ridge H.S., TX

Westlake H.S., TX

LD Bell H.S., TX

 

“Potential upsets to finals advancers”:

Round Rock H.S., TX

Timber Creek H.S., TX

Smithson Valley H.S., TX

Clear Brook H.S., TX

T.W. College Park H.S., TX

Lehman H.S., TX

 

 

--(Adjudication Panel 2)--

“Locks”:

Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

Flower Mound H.S., TX

 

“Advance outright bubble”:

The Woodlands H.S., TX

Vandegrift H.S., TX

Vista Ridge H.S., TX

---------------------------------

James Bowie H.S., TX

Marcus H.S., TX

 

“Potential upsets to finals advancers”:

Pearland H.S., TX

Winston Churchill H.S., TX

Oak Ridge H.S., TX

Coppell H.S., TX

Westwood H.S., TX

Jack C. Hays H.S., TX

Seven Lakes H.S., TX  

Prosper H.S., TX / New Braunfels H.S., TX (Can’t choose between)

[A Testing Trumpet]

Final Finalist Predictions :

Advance Outright---

Ronald Reagan H.S., TX

Hebron H.S., TX

Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX

Flower Mound H.S., TX

Keller H.S., TX

Hendrickson H.S., TX

Leander H.S., TX

The Woodlands H.S., TX

Vandegrift H.S., TX

Vista Ridge H.S., TX

 

Next 4 Advancement--

Cedar Park H.S., TX

James Bowie H.S., TX

Cedar Ridge H.S., TX

Marcus H.S., TX

 

Fighting to take a spot from the next 4-

Westlake H.S., TX

LD Bell H.S., TX

Round Rock H.S., TX

Timber Creek H.S., TX

Pearland H.S., TX

Winston Churchill H.S., TX

Oak Ridge H.S., TX

Coppell H.S., TX

Westwood H.S., TX

Haltom H.S., TX 

Jack C. Hays H.S., TX

Seven Lakes H.S., TX  

Prosper H.S., TX

New Braunfels H.S., TX

Smithson Valley H.S., TX

[b_radon_inSA]

I would love to see Seven Lakes jump into the mix this year.  I saw them in McAllen and met some of their Road crew as well.  Great up and coming band.  There is so much talent this year and the bands are all so close.  It is going to come down to who is "ON" the most.  I just wish I could watch more bands but Crew duties call and those trucks don't load themselves.  Best of luck to everybody participating this weekend (and on Monday-Wednesday)!!  Yell for all the kids when they take the field....and be sure to give the road crew some love too.  Stadium rehearsal calls!!!  

[abtwitch]

I did the "painstaking" job of finding videos and watching all of the top 50 groups from BOA San Antonio 2017, so I thought I would make my predictions for who will be in the gunning for top 50 instead of just finals. So many great shows that get overlooked, especially once you get passed the top 30.

Panel 1:

Friday:
Block 1:
8:15 Smithson Valley - coming off of a premiere in Area finals
10:00 Hendrickson - state qualifier, consistent BOA finalist since 2016

Block 3:
2:15 Rouse - contender for class AA title after their fantastic showing at Austin in early season
2:45 Weiss - another contender for class AA just 2 slots after Rouse, just coming off their fantastic showing at St. Louis ahead of groups like Owasso and Grain Valley
3:00 Lake Travis - yet another year in Area finals, stronger than last year
3:15 Westlake - state qualifier, a hard maybe for BOA finals though
3:45 Round Rock - the way their show has improved since early season is shocking, wouldn't be surprised to see them sneaking back into finals
4:00 Cedar Ridge - not a massive fan of the show, but they perform the heck out of it and I'd be surprised seeing them missing finals

Block 5:
7:15 Leander - had an incredible performance at Austin and is improved from last year's show immensly
7:30 Ronald Reagan - already has a notable BOA title from Houston above other powerhouses, in contention for gold
7:45 Cedar Park - as has been mentioned, hasn't missed BOA finals in over a decade and showing no signs of missing again
8:00 Del Rio - a valley group on the rise with a finals appearance at Midland already this year
8:15 Pflugerville - just dropped down to 5A, but stronger than ever; big surprise with them one out of finals at Austin and has the potential to really bring at the Alamodome
8:30 Keller Central - has been consistently in the top half of BOA San Antonio consistently and was just on the outside of finals at Bedford this year
9:00 J.E. Taylor - had a fantastic showing at Area this past weekend and will be performing again for the state marching contest
9:30 Keller - easily a lock for finals after their very impressive performance at every competition they've been to this year

Saturday:
Block 2:
10:00 L.D. Bell - gonna really be pushing to make finals here after missing state this past weekend, strong as always despite said results
10:15 Clear Brook - was just 1 spot from qualifying for state and had a FANTASTIC performance last year at this competition
10: 30 Friendswood - not too sure about this group after their director change and surprisingly low placement at BOA Houston, but I'm not counting them out as it's been a few weeks
10:45 James Martin - similar to Keller Central, consistently in the top half and was on the outskirts of finals at Bedford
11:00 College Park - state qualifier and consistently is top half at this competition, just out of Houston finals and had a very strong showing at Lone Star Preview
11:15 Hebron - massive contender for the title and if not, still probably will win the music caption
12:00 Timber Creek - what a breakout year for them! First their first BOA title at Midland and strong showing at Bedford, they could easily slip their way into finals. Super unfortunate how they missed out on state, but they were tied with DVille and lost judge's choice
12:30 Camdenton - the third class AA title contender and our single annual out-of-stater

Panel 2:

Friday:
Block 2:
11:00 Seven Lakes - a fantastic followup to their breakout year last season, they have two BOA finals appearances under their belt this season and will be looking for another, as well as being a state qualifier
11:15 McNeil - really impressed with their show this year and we have yet to see them in BOA this season (thanks rain), as a little sister of sorts to my high school, I'm really rooting for them here
11:30 L.D. Brandeis - area finalist and was top 50 last year, been hearing really good things about them this season as well
12:30 S.D. O'Connor - despite their director change and apparent drop, I still feel like they have the ability to push the top 50 again
1:00 - Jack C. Hays - After watching a video of their area performance which earned them state alternate in one of the most competitive areas, I have no doubt that they will be in the top 50 this year after placing 51st last season

Block 4:
4:30 Winston Churchill - while still not too their old levels of performance, Churchill is still a top of the line group and will be in the top 25 for sure
4:45 Ann Richards - while still probably won't be in the top 50, will more than likely be the class A champion
5:00 Vandegrift - was top 3 last year and could easily medal again after seeing their success this season
5:45 Westwood - GO WOOD! Definitely has cleaned up their show and made significant changes that will help them with GE; probably won't make finals, but shouldn't be counted out and will be right up there
6:00 Flower Mound - no real introduction needed, area champions and defending state champion
6:15 J.B. Alexander - after medaling with their beautiful performance at McAllen early season and earning their way into the state contest for the first time in quite some time, they will be looking to make a mark on the Alamodome a few days early
6:45 James Bowie - has had incredible success this season and has really stepped it up from last year

Saturday:
Block 1:
7:15 Vista Ridge - the amount they've grown since last season is awe-inspiring, won't have their chance of making finals hurt by the early performance time
7:30 Roma - historical valley powerhouse that will more than likely have cleaned up since McAllen
7:45 Southwest - defending class AA champion that will still be competitive despite the massive gain of competition in this classification this year
9:00 Oak Ridge - what a year for them so far with their outstanding results at BOA Houston and other local competitions, could even sneak into finals very slimly
9:15 Pearland - if we learned anything from last season, it's that Pearland doesn't care what they made at BOA Houston and neither should you. Definitely looking to break into finals this year especially after their area championship title

Block 3:
12:45 The Woodlands - after their rough season last year with the hurricane, they are ready to make a comeback and are in conversation for gold
1:15 Plano East - haven't heard much about them this season, but I don't expect that they've gone anywhere
1:30 Wylie - after last year's surprising 22nd placement, they will definitely come back strong this year once again
1:45 Marcus - still a lock for finals despite them losing Drinkwater this year, don't expect anything less from them
2:00 Prosper - they've been all over the place this season, but have been in finals no matter what; definitely looking to have their first of hopefully many runs in a dome be fantastic
2:15 Coppell - were fantastic last year and even better this year, will very likely be in the top 20
2:30 Haltom - been a hot second without them at this competition, will be looking to make their return very strong after they finished 3rd at Atlanta last season
2:45 Spring - a historical Houston powerhouse and previous national champion; a shell of their former selves, but still a fantastic program to keep your eyes on
3:00 Pioneer - in a similar position as Roma following their relatively low placement at McAllen, another one of the many fantastic class AA groups here
3:15 C.T. Johnson - an obvious contender for the title considering their massive success so far this season and being the defending BOA San Antonio champion

There's my top 25 (ft. Ann Richards) from each panel with many other fantastic programs that I'm probably forgetting. Super excited for this competition, but bummed I won't be able to make it down this year.

[A Testing Trumpet]

Very nice guide! I can tell you put a lot of work into that!

[Fwguard17]

I’m dying to know what Jeremiah and Co think about this over at horn rank. I can’t make heads or tails of who will be in finals

[BenedictCucumberpatch]

I’m curious to see how Area played a role in rankings. As some bands should drastically change positions if so.

[CTJBandPops]

  On 10/31/2018 at 11:09 PM, Asaiah said:

You can alter the URL on HornRank to see the updated list. Just change the day to 30 and add 1 to the week.

 

Edit: https://www.hornrank.com/2018/10/top-30-rankings-oct-30-2018-week-7.html?m=1

this is the lowest # of Texas bands I have seen in the top 30 in years - only 14 of the 30 spots

 

should be some big mix ups after this weekend and again the following week with both 6A state and Gts

 

I wonder if UIL state will impact next week with BOA as 6A will be decided on Tuesday night and this week we did not see results until Wednesday night as apposed to Tuesday

[BenedictCucumberpatch]

So I noticed that The Woodlands is now #13 after winning area F. I’ve seen their show and know for a fact that it is a killer. Is there something I’m missing? Or does HornRank believe that just because they placed 11nth last year their suddenly never going to be top 7.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

This is truly a year of change in so many ways with major jumps and drops in predictions. For instance, we have a 2017 Grand National finalist that is no longer ranked in the top 40 bands on Hornrank. The rankings are speculation at this point, so they may not really mean anything at all, but I find it amazing that even the perceptions of change are so radical. I wonder what we will all be thinking/feeling next Wednesday?

[A Testing Trumpet]

Truly, This is a new era of band that we are all just trying to figure out  . Certainty makes these "Predictions" a lot more Interesting. 

[1998-2018]

  On 10/31/2018 at 11:58 PM, banddad84 said:

I wonder if UIL state will impact next week with BOA as 6A will be decided on Tuesday night and this week we did not see results until Wednesday night as apposed to Tuesday

Don't count on it. The guys clearly enjoy watching UIL competitions but in the past have just as clearly stated their concerns regarding the variation in judging.

 

  On 11/1/2018 at 1:15 AM, Asaiah said:

HornRank isn't very transparent about what statistical model(s) they use to arrive at their rankings. All I know is that they weigh BOA placements more than state (UIL, ISSMA) results. I noticed Waxahachie in the "Next 10," so Area results were obviously considered, but it's unclear to what extent.

HornRank is an ambitious project, but it relies pretty heavilly on indirect comparisons, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

HornRank's Top 30 and Next Ten is openly about BOA. My understanding is the algorithm either almost or completely ignores UIL, and similar state or regional organizations. However, individual contributors do go to those competitions to stay current as the season progresses, making their own judgements regarding how the bands are improving and how they would fair under BOA standards. These judgements can be reflected in the raw data they submit to the algorithm. So while it is possible, the affect of Area or State would be indirect and very likely limited.

[CTJBandPops]

  On 11/1/2018 at 8:19 AM, 1998-2018 said:

Don't count on it. The guys clearly enjoy watching UIL competitions but in the past have just as clearly stated their concerns regarding the variation in judging.

 

 

HornRank's Top 30 and Next Ten is openly about BOA. My understanding is the algorithm either almost or completely ignores UIL, and similar state or regional organizations. However, individual contributors do go to those competitions to stay current as the season progresses, making their own judgements regarding how the bands are improving and how they would fair under BOA standards. These judgements can be reflected in the raw data they submit to the algorithm. So while it is possible, the affect of Area or State would be indirect and very likely limited.

I would have to think that the UIL Area D had an impact with CTJ/Reagan swapping spots in the ranking and the only head to head they have had all year was the recent UIL competition, but with BOA SA starting in a day, it will all be flushed out over the weekend. it will be interesting to see the changes - we know that there will be an impact based on BOA SA - so time will tell if the UIL State will impact those again - especially with only 1 band performing at GNats this year. 

[Rubisco]

Sorry to be a space hog. Oink Oink.

 

The end of the season is officially here. Even so, after all of those early and mid-season contests (and all of those results), I’m not entirely sure how the end is going to play out. The first “last stop” is BOA San Antonio on Friday and Saturday, which is sort of the “real” State Marching Band Contest, because it includes groups of all different class sizes. Then there’s UIL 6A State prelims on Monday, followed by Election Day Finals. (Honestly, I’m much more excited about the Midterm Elections than I am about UIL State Finals, which is probably how it should be.) I’ve watched the bands grow over the course of the season, but I haven’t commented all that much. Partly, that’s due to dwindling interest in the activity -- an activity from which I’ve been removed for years. But mostly it’s because I did not want to “contaminate” the discussion, so to speak. I did not want to have any part in guiding our conversations of the groups, because occasionally I get the feeling that some people really don’t make up their own minds. But now it’s the end of the season, and I don’t care! I’ve seen recent performances of most of the top groups I mentioned earlier. And, of course, I have my rambling thoughts.

 

Reagan’s show this year is probably the best that they’ve done since 2006. For those of you who struggle with math, that was 12 years ago! That was also the last time that Mark Chambers was the head director and creative driving force of the Reagan band. Actually, since Dan Morrison took over in 2015, the Reagan band has pretty consistently out-performed even the top Reagan programs from the early Aughts. But until this year, Reagan didn’t quite recapture the magic of those earlier shows. The show this year is called Loop, and musically it is all Bach music that has been “Guidryfied.” Really, the most effective thing about this show is how Aaron Guidry has taken the Bach music and completely made it his own. At the start, a keyboardist is wheeled out onto the field playing a straight version of the Prelude in C Major – the field beautifully framed with loops in a design reminiscent of Carmel’s WGI floor in 2017 – but soon we’re into an electric pop pre-show jam, of the sort that Reagan practically invented back in the early 2000s. The opening statement is declarative. A sea of flags. A great big loopy block, with loops already turning, like gears in a giant machine. My favorite part is the arrangement of the Fugue in G Minor. It’s so willfully weird. And the drill that accompanies it – loops getting eaten up in other loops – is pretty much the perfect visual representation of Bach’s richly contrapuntal music. The past few years, I’ve found Reagan drill to be overly symmetrical, and rather blocky. I think that’s much less of an issue this year. Pretty much from start to finish, I was saying, “Oh, cool. Oh, that’s cool. Oh, that’s neat. Oh, that’s different.” But (!) is there really a goosebumps moment in this show? I feel a little bit kept at a distance. Part of the issue is that the ballad is a bit strange -- sort of Bach meets Beetlejuice. I think we get a bit of a moment at the end, with Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and the beautiful follow-the-leader drill that weaves throughout, but there’s still a bit of a struggle there. In fact, the show doesn’t seem a whole lot cleaner than it was at the beginning of the season, which isn’t necessarily all that bad of a thing, since it was already well-performed, but it might keep them from the performance captions at San Antonio.
 

Last year, I said that The Woodlands was outclassed musically at San Antonio, and they ended up in the bottom half of finals for the first time ever. I’d be surprised if that happens again this year. Synapse is the best-performed TWHS show since 2013. I have to admit, I had reservations when I first heard the title, since these quasi-scientific shows haven’t worked out well for them in the past. (Timebenders or In the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, anyone?) But this show cleverly – and clearly – plays to its theme. We’ve got the cells that are moved all over the field, and the fabric stretched out to represent the connections between them. We’ve got a music program (and even visual program) that recalls previous Woodlands shows, with Concerto for Orchestra in both the opener and closer (Hide and Seek, anyone?), and even a lick from last year’s show making an appearance at the end of the Ginastera movement. (Synapses, after all, are fundamental to the formation of memories.) During the pre-show, the band pulses out to Thom Yorke’s voice, like neurotransmitters across a synaptic cleft. At the end of the opening fanfare, a couple lines of brass players converge into what I’d like to imagine is a phospholipid bilayer, but I can’t be sure! I want to take it all in from higher up in the Dome, because I think it’ll sparkle. The Woodlands had the cleanest visual program in Texas back on October 6^th, and I think they might still have it. But part of the reason it’s so clean is because it lacks the demand we’ve come to expect from them. This is a very UIL-conscious show, and the result is a visual program that sometimes lacks the typical thrills. They’ve re-written the drill in the closer, and the final moment is difficult and exciting, but it’s tacked onto a show that otherwise could have had more of those moments. The show does have a “goosebumps” moment, though, and that’s the ballad. The music strikes the right balance between tenderness and power. As the mellophones begin to swirl, and the purple flags start to swirl, the drill curls up, and then it suddenly shifts into a block surrounded by purple flags. It is quite breathtaking, musically and visually. But is it enough? I don’t know. The Woodlands is the least-winningest previous National Champion ever. They’re a late-bloomer, but, as well-rounded as this show is, I’m wondering if this show has as much room for growth as previous shows they’ve done.

CTJ’s show is everything this year. I kind of mean that literally. Like, it can’t really decide what kind of show it wants to be. Is it a nautical themed show, or is it a patriotic show? Or maybe it’s an everything-in-one show? Usually, I’d say that’s not something to aspire to, but CTJ has sort of turned it into their brand. Last year was an exception, I suppose, since The Forest Through the Trees was clearly a show about rain forests, but musically, the book was all over the place – at one point transitioning from Birdland to Medea’s Dance of Vengeance. Tremendous Sea of Love is really its own thing. It opens jauntily with Lincolnshire Posy, recalling CTJ’s 2011 production, which was also the first time CTJ made National Finals. I’m wondering what inspired that choice. Perhaps the show is also somewhat of a love letter to alumni? I don’t know. I really like how the band members are carried out onto the field during the preshow, sort of wafting out from the ships. Soon the happy music turns into the tremendously difficult opener, based on Samuel Barber’s First Symphony in One Movement. This. Is. So. Difficult. So much so that I’m wondering why they’re doing it on a State year. But that’s CTJ for you, going their own way (CTJGTOW). I can see what type of show they’re going for, and I think it’s a very thrilling and effective one, but I’m kept at a distance, because I think it’s quite dirty. Lots of cover-downs are not covered down; there are lots of issues with intervals, lots of issues with forms not really even hitting before they transition to the next one. But, you know what, this show was MUCH dirtier at Austin than it is today, and at Austin, CTJ really didn’t do so badly in the visual caption. In fact, they won the visual caption in prelims and were 2^nd in visual performance in finals. This is a bit confusing, unless you take into account difficulty, which is exactly what the BOA sheets now do. I’d like to add that another outcome of having an extremely difficult visual book is that the music does suffer a bit, when the kids play on the move. It doesn’t sound like they are always in control. But, besides the obvious dirt, there is a lot to like about this show. CTJ has such a unique vision of what marching band of the future should look like. I applaud their willingness to take risks, because, let’s face it, a lot of groups in Texas wouldn’t be caught dead trying a show as difficult as Tremendous Sea of Love.

[Rubisco]

Sorry, I'm having issues with formatting. Just one second.
 

[Rubisco]

cont.

 

Flower Mound’s Pop show is pure, classic Flower Mound. They seem to like doing shows inspired by art or artists, like their Christo show from 2014, so this is definitely a concept that is in their wheelhouse. They’ve got their Andy Warhol Brillo Boxes and Campbell Soup flags. They’ve got their Keith Haring graffiti. They’ve probably got other things I don’t recognize. The opener is energetic and triumphant and, actually, a little bit reminiscent of The Woodlands’ opening fanfare in its character. Both programs use Wayne Downey, so I guess that might sort of explain it. My favorite part, of course, is the ballad, Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”. The band members scribble away on the boxes, and I hear Cyndi sing (in my head): “I see your truuue coloooors shinin’ through! I see your trueee colooors, and that’s why I looove you, so don’t be afraiiid… to let them show… your true colors… your trueee colooorrrss are beauuuutiful… like a raiiinbow.” And then, bam, we’ve got this big beautiful rainbow of flags on the field. It’s so very pretty. I also appreciate the jazziness of the arrangement. I think it’s very interesting and moving. The closer is ebullient -- clownish, even -- until the final few stirring moments, when the pairs of files split open and meld together into a block, with beautiful pink flags backfield. It’s the sort of high velocity closing moment that makes you want to stand up. Pop! isn’t the best-performed Flower Mound show I’ve heard or seen, but the performers are still pretty consistently outstanding. There are also some familiar elements in this show, like we’ve seen some of this drill before, maybe even from the Flower Mound band itself. But it doesn’t put a damper on my enthusiasm all that much.

Hebron is my YES band of the year. YES, because they are finally doing some pretty inspired things with their visual program. This is the fiercest, most aggressive, most DCI-ish program from Hebron I have ever seen. Endeavor is the perfect title for this show, because this is their most difficult visual program ever. The start of the show is mild and looks a lot like something Flower Mound might do. The band members creep out from around some reflective-looking boxes, as a horn player plays the theme from the Finale of Stravinsky’s Firebird. Meanwhile, you can hear other Stravinsky pieces bubbling up from under the surface, like the trumpet player who plays part of the opening from The Rite of Spring. Musically, the opening is so rich, so colorful, but the action hasn’t really started yet. The announcer announces the band, and there’s a nice big opening statement with flags and whatnot, but suddenly it turns dissonant, and that’s when the show just rockets right off into this hybrid of the Firebird and the Rite of Spring, but filled with incredible 16th note runs that the woodwinds and brass alike perform ON THE MOVE. And this drill is NOT easy. There is so much going on visually and musically, and much of it happens very, very fast. It has what I’ve always called a “pleasing intricacy” or “pleasing complexity,” but without losing its focus. By the way, that’s one of the key characteristics I look for when I scout out Eagle-quality groups. I want a show that respects my intelligence, and part of that is not doing something overly simplistic. Hebron’s ballad is beautiful and, once again, musically colorful, but I wish there was a little bit more motion from the band during the climax. I think the drill could have continued to evolve throughout the climax. The closer sees the return of the intense drill and music, with the Infernal Dance of King Kastchei, and finally, the glorious Finale of the Firebird. My main criticisms of this show would be similar to those for CTJ. The drill is not very clean, and the music lacks control in several parts – obviously, because it is all so difficult. Often, especially at the end, it doesn’t sound like everyone is contributing to the ensemble sound. Nevertheless, I don’t want to discourage Hebron from trying shows like this in the future. I think it is a step in the right direction.

Leander’s show is called Polarity. They have these great big green column-like things all over the field, which I’m guessing are supposed to be something like magnets. I’m not entirely sure. They start out in this giant yin and yang formation with the columns spaced throughout it, and soon both the band and the columns elegantly snake around into little pods, accompanied by percussion music. The columns are then arranged into plus signs. (Positive vs. Negative, I guess?) Then it’s: BAM! BAMBAMBAMBAM! This is very aggressive and exciting music. I have absolutely no idea what it is, but that doesn’t matter so much. I do notice in the opener (and throughout the show) that Leander’s drill writer seems to love the pod formation. I mean, don’t get me wrong, every group uses it, but I think it might be getting used a little too much here. The good thing is that it’s usually counterbalanced by some attractive curvilinear form. I love how the band sort of reluctantly rushes to the saxophone player towards the end of the opener, as the magnets/columns all fall over. Maybe they are repelled by the magnets or attracted to the saxophone player? The ballad is something from Abel Korzeniowski’s Romeo and Juliet. I thought it would be Come, Gentle Night, but it’s something else. That soundtrack has a sort of sameness to it, so I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head what it is. There’s definitely some sort of romance element to this show. I love the drama of the music, especially at the end of the ballad. My favorite movement, though, is the last one. Danzon No 2. It’s just such a sexy, groovy piece. And that trombone feature. Wow! That’s exciting. The final follow-the-leader drill into the plus sign is one of the strongest visual moments of the show. They do park and play there maybe a little bit too long for my liking, and the final move-out into the scatter-form isn’t the most appealing thing, but the music is very thrilling and pretty much makes up for it.
 

[Rubisco]

cont.

 

Vandegrift came for blood this year. The show is called Rise. The band members start off clustered on side one around a beautiful purple bow. It looks like it’s pointed into the ground, but for a moment you think the Vision Dance Company is going to pick it up and shoot it into the audience. Let me tell, those girls know how to MOVE. The dancing is so beautiful, so elegant, and the purple that they wear really pops on the field. They also use flags, which benefits Vandegrift’s visual program quite a bit, I think. At the beginning of the show, the war drums start up, and a shaft of band members slowly proceeds out from the center of the formation. Then, there are those face-melting chords from the War Dance from Belkis, Queen of Sheba. Holy cow! You have to see this show live, because the quality of the sound, combined with the sheer volume and power, is just out of this world. Yep, that’s your reigning Texas State Honor Band declaring itself right off the bat. I really enjoy the final push in the opener into the company front, both musically and visually. Then, the dancers are wheeled out on crescent moons for the ballad. For me, this is the movement that’s a little bit bloodless. There’s just a sort of austere quality to it that makes it difficult to warm up to, at least until the big climax, with all those pretty purple flags. (Who doesn’t love purple flags?) The show takes off again with the Concerto for Orchestra. Thankfully, this arrangement doesn’t sound all that much like The Woodlands’ version. (I think few people would want to hear the same thing twice in one night.) That double-tongued flute feature is super duper impressive, and it’s the sort of musicianship that speaks to the quality of the music programs in Texas. (In fact, I’m hard-pressed to think of a group out of the state of Texas that would have something like that in their show.) The Vision Dance company takes a page from Reagan with an eye-popping dress change. The show ends energetically with the dancers running over to the arrow that has planted itself on side two. One of them climbs up it heroically -- “rises”, I should say. I wonder if the designers were inspired by the Paramount WGI show from this past year, when they all climb up that mast. Anyway, I think Vandegrift’s show is a fairly well-rounded one. While there is definitely some persistent visual dirt, and maybe it’s not the most artsy-fartsy show of the bunch, Rise gets you on your feet.

Vista Ridge is having a moment right now, one that could very well continue in San Antonio. They won UIL Area H over Vandegrift and Leander – no easy feat, obviously. But when you watch their show, it’s not hard to tell why. The show is called Lost and Found. There are three compasses on the field that spin around, sort of like the props from Pride of Cincinnati’s Wanderlust show a couple years ago at WGI. What strikes me first is how gentle the opening is. Most groups this year (and every year) come out blazing, but Vista Ridge opens with a warm, beautiful chorale. Then they segue into a quirky bassoon feature, and then there’s quirky music from the rest of the band, until it all sort of congeals into a full-blown opener. There’s a workmanlike quality to this music, like somebody skillfully tinkering away. The drill reflects that very, very well. I believe this is Richard Hinshaw drill. At the very least, it looks a lot like what you’d see from Avon, with all those follow-the-leader blocks, with all that… intricacy, I guess. It’s among the very cleanest shows in Texas this year both musically and visually, at least during the opener. I do think the parts at the end are significantly dirtier than the opener, but none of it is easy, and all of it is impressive. Overall, this is really quite a striking improvement over last year’s show. And last year was an excellent, finals-worthy show. They’re producing one of the most focused, well-balanced ensemble sounds of the year. Drawbacks? There is something a little off about the pacing. Maybe it’s the return to another slow movement after we’ve just had our ballad, and then the sudden speed up to the end. The show feels almost a little abridged as a result. But it’s a strong final moment, as that fabric gets pulled to the middle compass, which starts to spin. The band moves forward into a company front with flags behind them. Beautiful stuff, Vista Ridge!
 

[Rubisco]

I was going to post this over at Music For All, but the lack of apostrophes was infuriating. Probably, I should have posted it into Notepad first, like I did to fix the formatting issues here. Also, tagged as spam. Go figure!