2019 BOA San Antonio

[LHSax]

Well, if there’s ever a year the bottom half/top half break gets broken through......

[gr8n8]

  On 11/2/2019 at 9:44 PM, BandFan59 said:

 

Round Rock beat out Coppell in Panel 1...not sure how I feel about that. Congratulations to all finals bands regardless!

Me either. Coppell deserves to be in finals, IMO.

[aspenmoonlight]

  On 11/2/2019 at 9:48 PM, DeepEllum said:

Flower Mound is not in the top 7.

How do you know that? They listed finals bands in random order. Right???

[LostChoirGuy]

I'm curious what the score cutoff was this year. I can't imagine Coppell or any of the other bubble bands not getting at least close to a 90.

[BlueCircle]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:05 PM, gr8n8 said:

Me either. Coppell deserves to be in finals, IMO.

A lot of bands deserve to be in finals here, but only 14 can. I know I’m stating the obvious but I like how competitive it is...it makes things interesting for the years to come.

[DeepEllum]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:06 PM, aspenmoonlight said:

 

How do you know that? They listed finals bands in random order. Right???

Schedule. Last 7 bands to go are too 7 bands. Flomo is in the first 7 to go.

[SpartanBandAlum]

Recaps for this’ll be interesting. I have a feeling some big changes to my SA spreadsheet are coming

[GetStraightToIt]

When will recaps come out? Will we have to wait until the contest is over?

[tpresley]

I think I answered my own question. They’re UIL 6A right?

[Omega]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:07 PM, LostChoirGuy said:

I'm curious what the score cutoff was this year. I can't imagine Coppell or any of the other bubble bands not getting at least close to a 90.

I would not use numbers so much as I would use margins as they tell the real story. Also, with the 2 panel format you can't compare scores between panels. 

[Zqpper]

Haven't heard much about Pearland but, Congrats to them for making finals! Also very happy to see that James Bowie Made finals!

[WILKINSON]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:12 PM, Omega said:

I would not use numbers so much as I would use margins as they tell the real story. Also, with the 2 panel format you can't compare scores between panels.

Correct, as it was essentially two separate contests.

[MarchingBandNerd]

Congratulations to all the bands (finalist or not)! As a former Houston-area band kid, I’m especially proud of Pearland for finally breaking into finals. It’s been a long time coming for them, let me tell you! Ronald Reagan has always been a favorite of mine as well, so the very real possibility of them taking the gold made this weekend that much more awesome!

I haven’t seen any of the finalist band performances yet either, so I’m super excited for tonight! Best of luck to everyone!

[Band2013]

I will say Round Rock had a great prelims run they deserved a finals spot. CR changed their show alot, which hurt them. For example in the ballad they removed the alot of playing and put visual instead. That made no sense to me, but hopefully they will learn from the experience.

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:12 PM, Omega said:

I would not use numbers so much as I would use margins as they tell the real story. Also, with the 2 panel format you can't compare scores between panels.

That is true about margins, but unfortunately even with the two panels you have to compare scores. This is how they get the last 4 spots for finals.

[BrendanBand001]

  On 11/2/2019 at 9:46 PM, Nny14 said:

When's the last time a band missed a normal regional finals but made San Antonio?

Round Rock this year! Missed finals in Austin.

[gmtb617]

Pearland!!! YES!!!

 

(Minor boasting ) I’m proud that I included them on my “finalist hopefuls” list. Massively overlooked. Trainscapes in 2017 landed them 12th in Houston and 17th in SA. This show landed them 6th in Houston (and I thought it was deserved), so...

 

So proud of them!

 

Also RR in finals is making 6 Texas bands in GN a “pipe dream” more likely to come true.

[tpresley]

I thought wakeland would make finals. Where did they go wrong?

[SpartanBandAlum]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:17 PM, BrendanBand001 said:

Round Rock this year! Missed finals in Austin.

I think he meant before this year lol

[vbassoon]

When has a non Austin finalist made SA finals and DFW champ not be top half in prelims. Crazy stuff.

[Band_dad_of_2]

  On 11/2/2019 at 6:52 PM, PLC137 said:

Yep.  It's like a farm program.  To my amazement, they strongly encourage kids starting in 6th grade to take private lessons.  They line up the instructors and steer kids to them, carving out time during normal rehearsal or before/after school.  Rates are fixed by the district based - typically about $20-$25 per half hour (not bad consider I pay $38 for half hour of piano lessons).  The curriculum is coordinated with the directors.  

 

As far as I know, they don't do any actual marching performance in middle school.  There's a middle school night, but it is stand and play.  Around April or May they start inviting the middle school kids to practice with the high school kids in after school "camps."  All that helps build excitement.  I remember because my Class'19 graduate came home from a camp really energized about joining the band.

 

Maybe other districts do the same.

There's a lot of talk about how money plays the biggest part....I don't think that's true.  Money won't build a progam...lots of kids being encouraged/taught by middle school/high school directors is just as important.

 

As I've stated in another thread, the size of the program has more to do with a program's success than money and, as you say above, the extension of the program to the middle schools is crucial.  That's where the HS and MS directors working to keep kids in band becomes vital.  Combine that with parents who are encouraging kids to be a part of something special and you have a successful program.

 

A good middle school retention rate will do as much for a high school band as money. If a band program has a huge talent pool, tryouts become serious business.  The bands are able to pick out the best players and still have a large JV band.

 

Bands without that depth struggle to keep up and will likely never see the success of the top tier bands.

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:19 PM, tpresley said:

I thought wakeland would make finals. Where did they go wrong?

When competing at the top, the way Wakeland is- there is no need to ask this question. It would be much easier to discuss what went right as there is much to be said about Wakeland's phenomenal show. However the judges must have found that there were at least 14 other shows in which more went right that they were able to reward more points for.

[Band_dad_of_2]

  Quote

 

A good middle school retention rate will do as much for a high school band as money. If a band program has a huge talent pool, tryouts become serious business.  The bands are able to pick out the best players and still have a large JV band.

 

Bands without that depth struggle to keep up and will likely never see the success of the top tier bands.

 

 

One more thing....kudos to the programs that have made this model work.  That process takes a lot of years and a lot of patience to pull off.

[david19c]

Anyone get a recording of Vista Ridge prelims???

[Band_dad_of_2]

  On 11/2/2019 at 10:26 PM, LostChoirGuy said:

When competing at the top, the way Wakeland is- there is no need to ask this question. It would be much easier to discuss what went right as there is much to be said about Wakeland's phenomenal show. However the judges must have found that there were at least 14 other shows in which more went right that they were able to reward more points for.

 

Great answer!

 

To the OP, sometimes a performance is just not good enough.  This is one of the hardest competitions around.  Just because a band doesn't make finals do NOT mean they aren't great or that something went wrong.