2018 BOA San Antonio?

[Rackmaster]

 

Other than this year, consistency = cedar park.

[BandWatcher]

@BandWatcher:

I think you missed the point as well. CP was in panel 1. Bowie was ONE SPOT out of finals, by a small margin. Both bands should be proud of their achievements over the year. To not only imply, but blatantly say, that Bell and Westlake somehow didn’t deserve to be in finals in favor of the other two bands, is absurd.

Your point about questioning the judging methods without impugning the quality of the students is 100% valid, but your tone, objections, patronizing tone, and general lack of respect completely invalidates your point. Please be more aware of the general tone your posts have been giving off.

 

EDIT:

I just went back and reread your original post and I thought it might be worthwhile to break down why some of your other points are problematic.

 

>Nothing against LD Bell and Westlake, but they were in finals because of lucking into panel 1. Finals scores back that up.

Again, CP was also in Panel 1. Bell went from 14 in prelims to 14 in finals. Westlake went from 11-13. Neither of those are suspect at all.

 

>Either BOA needs to get their judging panels to be more consistent (not sure how you do that since they’re people and prone to subjective differences)

Seems like you answered your own question there.

 

>you cap the contest at 60 bands and go back to one panel over two days.

Sorry, who does this help? The opportunity for so many bands to attend such an elite super regional is an absolute privilege. Marching band and MFA are about one thing - music education. Competition is secondary. To impose a cap now would be ridiculous.

 

 

>What’s been communicated today is that luck is every bit as important as show design and skill.

I mean, yes, that's correct. Show time is a huge factor in how well bands do - it makes and breaks bands every year, and that's that. There's no way around it, we participate in a subjective competition of the pageantry arts. It's an unfortunate reality.

 

>Cedar Park not getting to perform at Waco might have factored but Bowie’s trajectory all season has been higher than Bell, Westlake, even Cedar Ridge and Hendrickson.

Not sure what your point here is. I didn't get to watch SA, but perhaps the judges saw things differently than you did? Perhaps the other bands simply had better performances? Bowie is a phenomenal band and has faced extreme adversity with a brutal staff change in 2016. They've bounced back. They'll bounce again.

 

>Both CP’s and Bowie’s prelims runs were plenty good enough.

I'm sure they were! They're phenomenal bands. But that's your opinion. The reality is, the judges saw something different in Bell and Westlake, also phenomenal bands. One performance, one contest, will not ruin a band. Keep in mind Bowie has another huge competition they're gearing up for, which I'm sure they're going into with an added intensity.

Sigh. If I’ve been proactively snarky, it’s because I’m speaking up for friends who can’t do so without being accused of bias. I believe, however, that my snark has been exclusively a case of responding in kind to other members of your “community”.

 

I marched 4 years in a Texas 5A high school program and 3 years in college. But the sentiment seems to be that I don’t know what I’m talking about.

 

Just never mind.

[meursault]

Sigh. If I’ve been proactively snarky, it’s because I’m speaking up for friends who can’t do so without being accused of bias. I believe, however, that my snark has been exclusively a case of responding in kind to other members of your “community”.

 

I marched 4 years in a Texas 5A high school program and 3 years in college. But the sentiment seems to be that I don’t know what I’m talking about.

 

Just never mind.

I marched 4 years at a successful 6A program and study music at an ivy league university. Most people on this forum have marched, or are marching. My background, and your background, by nature, doesn't make my argument any better or worse than yours (that is, in fact, a well-known logical fallacy: the argument of authority). The points you presented, combined with the tone of your argument, are what I'm refuting.

 

And you have been snarky, and downright rude, to members of other bands without providing any sound information to back it up. I highly doubt the staff at Bowie and CP are telling their kids, or the parents, "the only reason we didn't advance to finals is because of the new judging system." That's not how highly successful programs operate. They'll be back and better than ever next year.

 

Never mind, indeed.

[Guest]

Sigh. If I’ve been proactively snarky, it’s because I’m speaking up for friends who can’t do so without being accused of bias. I believe, however, that my snark has been exclusively a case of responding in kind to other members of your “community”.

 

I marched 4 years in a Texas 5A high school program and 3 years in college. But the sentiment seems to be that I don’t know what I’m talking about.

 

Just never mind.

I marched 4 years of a successful 6A band, 3 years of college band, and have marched multiple years of DCI and I will glady admit I dont always know what im talking about.

[BandWatcher]

I marched 4 years at a successful 6A program and study music at an ivy league university. Most people on this forum have marched, or are marching. My background, and your background, by nature, doesn't make my argument any better or worse than yours (that is, in fact, a well-known logical fallacy: the argument of authority). The points you presented, combined with the tone of your argument, are what I'm refuting.

 

And you have been snarky, and downright rude, to members of other bands without providing any sound information to back it up. I highly doubt the staff at Bowie and CP are telling their kids, or the parents, "the only reason we didn't advance to finals is because of the new judging system." That's not how highly successful programs operate. They'll be back and better than ever next year.

 

Never mind, indeed.

I’m sure you’re right. What could have ever come over me.

[principalagent]

Time to change the mood in the thread with some history booking!!

 

• Of course the band of the hour is Vista Ridge!! Their second ever super regional finals performance, and they shot up from 14th to 4th between them!! And set the score record for all time best San Antonio 4th place score. I think this score also lands them in the top 10 regional scores of all time, but I need to double check some Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs scores to make sure. It is definitely in the top 15. 
• Speaking of jumping from 14th, Congrats to Leander on their 3rd Super Regional Class Championship. For the past 9 years now, a Leander ISD band has won the 3A Championship at San Antonio. Vandegrift once, Leander three times, and Cedar Park five. Only the very first class championship since the 3A/4A split went to a different band, by .4 from Cedar Park. Additionally, this is the district's third time sweeping 3A class placement. They also managed this in 2013 and 2014. And likely would have in 2015.
• This marks the very first time three Leander ISD schools placed in the top half in San Antonio history. 
• Congrats are in very special order to Flower Mound on their win! They now hold the second highest regional score of all time by the slimmest of margins. Like mentioned earlier, this senior class has won San Antonio three times in four years - perhaps the best record of Texas bands in this measure. The only comparable record comes from any of Bell's senior classes between 2009 and 2012, who all won two San Antonio regionals in three years - considering that LD Bell is only a 10-12 school. However, I would give this accolade to Flower Mound in full, due to how much more competitive the landscape is now.
• Hebron was decently out of finals at the very beginning of the decade, and now has made themselves into even more of a mainstay than they were before that blip. This is their 3rd San Antonio medal, and they have not dropped out of the top half since making it back into finals in 2012. They're not the same band that did Soulja Boy on the field once
• Someone else mentioned this, but it definitely bears noting that Claudia Taylor Johnson has not fallen out of the top five in the last eight years. If they make it one more year, they will break Marcus's record.
• And speaking of Marcus's record(s). They were VERY close to having the longest streak of Top 10 performances (and I still think they might have it but just did not extend it). They are now the band with the second most consecutive San Antonio finals appearances. The first goes to...
• Ronald Reagan! The hometown hero! This year was the first since 2005 that they won a round in San Antonio. While they couldn't repeat in finals, they can be happy with the third highest Regional Score of all time.
• While without their big brother band for another year, Cedar Ridge has kept a Round Rock streak alive in finals. The district has been represented for eight years in a row now. This is also their highest placement ever. 
• In some interesting recap fuzzies: Pearland is the lowest placing band in prelims with a single digit caption placement. 9th(!) in ensemble music from 25th place. Friendswood in 37th has the same fun fact for a finals level placement - 10th in individual visual! While this could be used as judge fodder, I think it's truly a testament to how hard it is to judge this competition.
• This year marks the closest two Keller ISD bands have gotten to making finals together at San Antonio.
• There were no new San Antonio super regional finalists this weekend. If you choose not to count Avon, this is the second year in a row that has happened. The last time there were no new entries to finals was in 2012. Nine of those finalists repeated this weekend, but not one in the same placement. 
• The Austin Area continues to exert a regional dominance, with the highest representation in finals by count for the sixth year in a row (including a tie in 2015 that would likely not have been a tie under differing circumstances)
• The three finalists that did not repeat from last year all made their last San Antonio Super Regional appearance together in 2014. None of them repeated in the same place. 11 bands in total repeated from that finals.
• 10 Grand National Finalists performed Saturday night in finals. That is down from 12 last year. It goes without saying however, that all 14 bands could make it whenever they are ready.

This is what I could come up with for now.

[MadisonBandMan1]

Don’t forget flowermound’s unprecedented rise to fame. They went from like 23 to 1 in like a total of 4 years.

[LeanderMomma]

This marks the first time three Leander ISD schools placed in the top half in San Antonio history.

 

This. This is what made me the proudest on Saturday night. No other district can say that this season.

 

Now we just have to figure out how we get these Leander ISD bands a BOA SA championship!

[principalagent]

Don’t forget flowermound’s unprecedented rise to fame. They went from like 23 to 1 in like a total of 4 years.

That ignores the two times they made finals before 2013! And they were actually 18th with FloModern. And I actually think that show should have made finals so I just sit and act like it did.

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

Welp, I just popped by to say I'm proud of Haltom for their 20th spot out of 84. After a five year (?!) hiatus from this contest, I felt they returned with gusto! Kudos. Also, loved the finals. The bands were tremendous! There's simply nothing like Texas marching bands. ❤️

[BandDad4]

For a school only 10 years old this year I cannot wait to see what Timber Creek brings next year. They moved up from 23rd to 17th with more bands and increased their score signficantly. Both Vista and Timber use the same design team.

[herbaflerb]

I made this spreadsheet comparing last year's SA to this year. I plan on adding State data for 2016 and this year (when it happens), so if you want to help with that just let me know.

 

I can't seem to find Vandy's 2017 show title or TWHS' title for this year. Does anyone know what it is?

 

Spreadsheet in question: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o-Z-BxZ4OVsioTMiabZUXbESMulboP7iyzdTbFwKu_s/edit?usp=sharing

 

Edit: Just realized I put a placeholder for LD Bell 2018 as I didn't find the title for that either. Please don't be offended by "Bagpipe Nonsense". It was a very good show.

[LeanderMomma]

I made this spreadsheet comparing last year's SA to this year. I plan on adding State data for 2016 and this year (when it happens), so if you want to help with that just let me know.

 

I can't seem to find Vandy's 2017 show title or TWHS' title for this year. Does anyone know what it is?

 

Spreadsheet in question: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o-Z-BxZ4OVsioTMiabZUXbESMulboP7iyzdTbFwKu_s/edit?usp=sharing

Synapse for the Woodlands.

[LeanderMomma]

I believe Vandy was the Sound of Silence last year.

 

Edited...The Symphony of Silence.

[herbaflerb]

Synapse for the Woodlands.

 

Thanks!

[principalagent]

"Bagpipe Nonsense" I can't.

 

Also I'm not sure where the idea that Bowie and Leander wouldn't have made finals last year comes from. Round Rock did, and Bowie and Leander both made finals comfortably last year before falling.

 

Also Cedar Park did in fact go to state in 2017.

[herbaflerb]

"Bagpipe Nonsense" I can't.

 

Also I'm not sure where the idea that Bowie and Leander wouldn't have made finals last year comes from. Round Rock did, and Bowie and Leander both made finals comfortably last year before falling.

 

GN scores kind of confuse me, so what I did was compare a band's SA score vs the scores of the 12 finalists and put where they would have landed. If someone has a better way of doing it, please let me know so I can fix it. Regarding CP, I totally forgot! Thanks!

[LeanderMomma]

Thanks!

Leander 2017 was Internal Landscapes. You have our 2016 show listed. Same for Cedar Park tho I can’t remember their title for 2017.

[herbaflerb]

Leander 2017 was Internal Landscapes. You have our 2016 show listed.

 

All the videos I could find had the 2016 show I guess haha. Maybe I'm just bad at searching for videos.

[BandGuy2]

Just a couple years ago prosper placed last place at the Birdville ISD competition, and in just a few years under the new direction of John Alstrin we were only 2 out. Incredible growth.

[LeanderMomma]

All the videos I could find had the 2016 show I guess haha. Maybe I'm just bad at searching for videos.

Happy to help.

[josephbandfan]

I think cedar parks 2017 show was “Steadfast Tin Soldier” ? Unless my mind just completely made that up.

[LeanderMomma]

I think cedar parks 2017 show was “Steadfast Tin Soldier” ? Unless my mind just completely made that up.

Yes, that’s it! Great CP show, that one.

[LostChoirGuy]

Bagpipe nonsense = "how far you'll go" if I remember correctly.

[LHSbandDad]

Did I miss it or was the "Whataburger" logo off of the CTJ sideline cover?  Anyone know the story about why it was there for BOA Austin but not there for BOA SA?