2019 BOA Grand National Championships

[LeanderMomma]

I do agree it will be more noticeable in Indy, but my comment about blowing people away was referring to Vandy's sound. No one produces a sound like them!

I agree on their sound and I’m torn on whether their lack of a guard will hurt them or not. I am leaning more towards saying that it could hurt them mostly because they will be up against Avon and Carmel who not only are amazing musically, but also have the top guards in the country. I’m not sure Vandy can adequately go up against those two with just a dance team, though if anyone knows how to make the best use of that dance team, it’s Vandegrift. They really use those girls in an incredibly beautiful way, and they do not detract from their shows by any means. If any band in the nation can win GN with a dance team as opposed to a full guard, it’s Vandy. But is it enough....hopefully we will see how that goes for them in the VERY near future!

[LeanderMomma]

This is a very interesting topic. I think Leander has the formula to challenge for the Eagle next year. Their guard is phenomenal as was showcased winning that second highest WGI class last year. Their score was so good they could have challenged for the win at the top level. Beyond that Leander has shown they can play with Vandy, Hebron, FloMo, CTJ, etc. Not even counting the 3A captions sweeps they won music in Austin this year, and have won it a time or two before at a regional in the last few years when perhaps they were not expected to. I think what also helps, although it is silly that it does, is politics. What is key is this will be the first time that Leander has gone to Grand Nats fairly quickly after a previous trip. They only went in 1999 and then in 2016. They are not a mainstay, although I think they will be now. I just always had this feeling even if they were capable that judging wasn't going to allow 'some Texas band that hadn't been to Indy in 17 years' to do that. Perhaps I am a little off key here, I just think there is something to it. They also have the recipe in design, and here is hoping they find just the right mix to bring to Indy next year. I enjoyed Fourth Dimension in 2016, although if I could be a little critical, I am not ever quite sure it communicated all that it needed to from a GE standpoint. To me Choral Works in 2015 did this the best. I loved Polarity, but if I had one critical comment there it would be for lack of delivering much emotion. To better illustrate my point Vista Ridge really grabbed people's hearts this year with their show. I don't think it was a GE monster or even overly visually stunning, but it just had this it factor and it was done well and it kind of had that let's get on our feet the last 30 seconds, throw babies on the field reception. If you notice with Avon and Carmel for some reason their design as it parallels with the music is astonishing. They are not always even shows that make you go crazy, but I think that is what sets them apart some times. It is the only thing I can think of really because Texas can play with them and execute with them, but I do think there is this missing variable and it is hard for me to put into words. Bands should definitely feel that they don't need to be over the top to win. Just note how Tarpon finished 5th with RP1, etc.

I don't think it hurts by any means, and you want to bring the excitement to Indy, but it very may well be that finding the perfect design, selling that design as it conveys the music, etc. and doing it clean is the magic recipe. I'd be interested in hearing some more thoughts on this.

Ohhhh I like the way you think! I would love to see Leander in contention for the Eagle next year. And your point about politics is also an interesting one. They might not come out and admit it, but I just bet you’re right about that. It wouldn’t look good if a band makes its very first trip (or first in two decades) to Indy and has crazy success over the long time bands who attend GN regularly. I had not thought of that before but it’s certainly plausible. When Leander went to Indy in 2016, the rest of the country was just starting to hear about us. Our successes were still pretty new then, and we hadn’t yet had the incredible success with our guard that we did this past winter. Now Leander has created a reputation because of our recent successes and the rest of the country knows who we are. We have proven ourselves so to speak. Again, I doubt there is a hard and fast rule that newcomers shouldn’t win, but I bet there could be an unspoken bias there. And it’s one I even understand to some extent. You have to earn respect. And that takes time and experience. Hopefully Leander will have another phenomenal year in WGI, even though we’ve moved up a class, and will be bringing an amazing design to Indy next fall. I don’t envy the design team at all!

[crossblue82]

LeanderMomma,

 

     I am a Leander band alum from way back so I am a little bias, however everything I stated I do feel as truth.  I feel looking at them this year the execution from a musical and visual standpoint is the best I've seen since this great resurgance.  Really all the pieces are there, which is why I harp on the show itself, design, and how the GE transpires from it.  They have phenomenal people doing this and they have a great formula, we will just have to see what direction they take with it.  I know I am super excited.  I plan to go to Indy myself next year.  I wanted to in 2016, but it will be more feasible for me this go around.  

[LeanderMomma]

LeanderMomma,

 

I am a Leander band alum from way back so I am a little bias, however everything I stated I do feel as truth. I feel looking at them this year the execution from a musical and visual standpoint is the best I've seen since this great resurgance. Really all the pieces are there, which is why I harp on the show itself, design, and how the GE transpires from it. They have phenomenal people doing this and they have a great formula, we will just have to see what direction they take with it. I know I am super excited. I plan to go to Indy myself next year. I wanted to in 2016, but it will be more feasible for me this go around.

Ahhh, an alumnus. That’s great. I hope you do make it to Indy next fall. I’m going to take my Leander band alumni kid as well. It was fun as a band parent in 2016, but I am thinking I will enjoy it even more next year with my band kid sitting next to me in LOS.

[CTJBandPops]

Coppell and Hebron are confirmed going. 

I have been trolling band web pages and facebook - if this is true - it would appear the first 4 semi- confirmed bands for Grand Nats in 2019

• Hebron
• Coppell
• TWHS
• CT Johnson

it could be a great year in Indy - #teamtexas - let us know if there re others confirmed to attend

[LeanderMomma]

I have been trolling band web pages and facebook - if this is true - it would appear the first 4 semi- confirmed bands for Grand Nats in 2019

• Hebron
• Coppell
• TWHS
• CT Johnson

it could be a great year in Indy - #teamtexas - let us know if there re others confirmed to attend

Leander has been confirmed for awhile now.

[BigTrombone]

And just to add to the intensity Broken Arrow H.S., OK and Park Vista H.S., FL have confirmed their attendance.

[CTJBandPops]

Leander has been confirmed for awhile now.

that puts us at 5 Texas 6A programs in Indy - hope we see some more and that Team Texas dominates the finals and the Eagle flies back to Texas

[TWHSParent]

And just to add to the intensity Broken Arrow H.S., OK and Park Vista H.S., FL have confirmed their attendance.

 

Good. Next year is setting up to be exceedingly challenging just to make finals.

[BandFriendzz]

that puts us at 5 Texas 6A programs in Indy - hope we see some more and that Team Texas dominates the finals and the Eagle flies back to Texas

I’ve heard rumors of haltom and Keller central and bell going . But I may be wrong

[abtwitch]

Westwood has been talking about it, not confirmed yet but definitely a possibility!

[CTJBandPops]

Texas has never had more than 6 attend - and never more than 4 making finals - maybe 2019 will be different 

[principalagent]

Texas had 5 in finals in 2013 and 7 attend in 2007. But even those records seem fairly likely to break.

[LeanderMomma]

And just to add to the intensity Broken Arrow H.S., OK and Park Vista H.S., FL have confirmed their attendance.

I heard this as well. For some reason I was thinking BA was for sure not coming next year, but I can’t remember why I thought that. Evidently I was wrong!

[principalagent]

It seemed BA was going on a 2 on 1 off pattern, but not anymore.

[PantherBone]

The directors at Princeton have been discussing making a trip to Grand Nats for a while, but I'm doubtful we will go in 2019 as we are going to DC in the spring and 2019 is a 5A state year.

[Guest]

 

The directors at Princeton have been discussing making a trip to Grand Nats for a while, but I'm doubtful we will go in 2019 as we are going to DC in the spring and 2019 is a 5A state year.

Im assuming theyd be 1a? If so, I could see them winning the class championship.

[PantherBone]

Im assuming theyd be 1a? If so, I could see them winning the class championship.

If Princeton went, we would be in Class 2A.

[Magma31651]

So... we're looking at possibly 6 bands?

[bingogooberman]

I feel like there will probably be some under the radar surprise attendee(s) once the roster comes out in April.

[LeanderMomma]

I feel like there will probably be some under the radar surprise attendee(s) once the roster comes out in April.

 

I think you're right.  And also that it could be a record breaking year for Texas in several ways!  

[LostChoirGuy]

Any clue what the big announcement might be on Dec 19?

[LeanderMomma]

Any clue what the big announcement might be on Dec 19?

Yeah we were pondering that in another forum. The popular consensus is that it could be a new super regional announced near Disney World in Florida. How fun would that be? It would certainly be a big draw!

[MadisonBandMan1]

 

Yeah we were pondering that in another forum. The popular consensus is that it could be a new super regional announced near Disney World in Florida. How fun would that be? It would certainly be a big draw!

DUUUUUUUDDDDDEEEE THAT WOULD BE SOOOO AWESOME!!! I would so try and get our band director to move our Disney trip to that timeframe so we can do that super on those years. I would do love to compete against TSOPE and others from that region.

[MadisonBandMan1]

What if they announced GN to be here in SA this year?