2021 BOA Austin (Sept. 25)

[FaultLineBlues]

Pretty stoked to see such positive early reception to my old program in Cedar Ridge! I just hope they can keep the momentum to BOA Austin and beyond and not stagnate. CR has been through quite a lot in terms of instability, with 4 head director changes in the 11 years the school has been open, and somewhere around 8 director changes in general, so it makes me excited to see them continue to do well even after ANOTHER head director change this year. 

[ohwell]

There is no doubt CTJ is going to win this. Judges love them

[BandFan59]

I am also leaning towards a CTJ win, with Vandegrift maybe snatching the music caption. With the level that they are currently performing at combined with the difficulty of their show, I don't see anyone catching CTJ at this event.

[zoomer]

22 hours ago, XCTFG Mom said:

Festival of Bands was last night. I'm no longer a band mom and just a band spectator.  If I were to rank the Round Rock ISD bands it would go down like this:

 

1. Cedar Ridge
2. Westwood
3. Round Rock
4. McNeil
5. Stony Point

 

Cedar Ridge's show is fun and clean. Their guard is stunning and I caught myself clapping and getting into it from the get go.  Their music is spot on and just so relatable. The drill design is perfect. They are a finals lock for sure, and I see great things for them this year.

 

Westwood is a cute fun show. They have their opener nailed. They "sounded," the best out of the bands that were out there. They need to have their percussion follow their drum major. 

 

Round Rock just sounded and looked uninspired. The drill was dirty. Their sound was off for as many kids as they had out there. The show was boring. It was really surprising. 

 

McNeil has so much potential. And Stony Point just needs help. 

Was it really necessary to include the stony point comment 

[Hard Core Band Fan]

2 hours ago, zoomer said:

Was it really necessary to include the stony point comment 

It's her opinion. Is she not entitled to express it? 

[principalagent]

17 minutes ago, Hard Core Band Fan said:

It's her opinion. Is she not entitled to express it? 

She of course is, but that doesn’t mean it’s always proper. These are teenagers at the end of the day, and Stony Point is in a kinda weird and probably not fun spot as a sort of odd man out in a district where the bulk of the bands are very successful. It’s one thing when we punch up—nobody’s feelings should be all that hurt by saying (all examples) that Vandegrift is boring and FloMo is stale and CTJ is a mess (but at the very least, *how* those opinions are expressed *here* should matter too!). Those bands and their results speak for themselves above any of our opinions. But going after Stony Point, when the poster is very clearly not a Stony Point parent and likely one of a school near the top of the RRISD pecking order, is probably past the appropriate mark for this forum.
 

Having been a student on this forum (but not admitting to how long ago!), we definitely read it, and sometimes it’s hard for it not to sting a bit. Even if you’re a Hebron or Reagan or TWHS kid. 

[Rubisco]

Based on at least a couple of the previous posts, I can see the saltiness of the season has arrived! ?

I think I would rather see criticisms that are at least a little constructive, rather than just general, base expressions of negativity. (Who does that help?) I understand everyone has their opinions and rivalries, that's fine, but a little decorum goes a long way.

Let's also remember, we're still in the middle of a pandemic.

[CTJBandPops]

1 hour ago, principalagent said:

She of course is, but that doesn’t mean it’s always proper. These are teenagers at the end of the day, and Stony Point is in a kinda weird and probably not fun spot as a sort of odd man out in a district where the bulk of the bands are very successful. It’s one thing when we punch up—nobody’s feelings should be all that hurt by saying (all examples) that Vandegrift is boring and FloMo is stale and CTJ is a mess (but at the very least, *how* those opinions are expressed *here* should matter too!). Those bands and their results speak for themselves above any of our opinions. But going after Stony Point, when the poster is very clearly not a Stony Point parent and likely one of a school near the top of the RRISD pecking order, is probably past the appropriate mark for this forum.
 

Having been a student on this forum (but not admitting to how long ago!), we definitely read it, and sometimes it’s hard for it not to sting a bit. Even if you’re a Hebron or Reagan or TWHS kid. 

well put - I am just glad that it is not me in the doghouse this time

[Hard Core Band Fan]

1 hour ago, principalagent said:

She of course is, but that doesn’t mean it’s always proper. These are teenagers at the end of the day, and Stony Point is in a kinda weird and probably not fun spot as a sort of odd man out in a district where the bulk of the bands are very successful. It’s one thing when we punch up—nobody’s feelings should be all that hurt by saying (all examples) that Vandegrift is boring and FloMo is stale and CTJ is a mess (but at the very least, *how* those opinions are expressed *here* should matter too!). Those bands and their results speak for themselves above any of our opinions. But going after Stony Point, when the poster is very clearly not a Stony Point parent and likely one of a school near the top of the RRISD pecking order, is probably past the appropriate mark for this forum.
 

Having been a student on this forum (but not admitting to how long ago!), we definitely read it, and sometimes it’s hard for it not to sting a bit. Even if you’re a Hebron or Reagan or TWHS kid. 

Okay, then she does not have the right to express her opinion, her way. Got it.

[principalagent]

40 minutes ago, banddad84 said:

well put - I am just glad that it is not me in the doghouse this time

Season is young! We haven’t even had a drumline competition in the state yet ?

[Hard Core Band Fan]

14 minutes ago, IPlayDrumsAndStuff said:

That's literally not what he said, she can express her opinion however she wants, but she's not immune to criticism of how her opinion came across. Get over yourself lol

And you are subject to criticism as well for your comments. Where you are wrong is where you tell me what to do. You don't have the right to do that without subjecting yourself to criticism. Sounds like you need to get over yourself and heed your own advice. I just like to for people to be able to air their opinions whether they are popular, or not. I didn't say I agreed with her, but I don't have to, to be okay with what she said. I know my opinions are not popular here which is why I rarely post anymore. There was a time when people could be honest and open here, years ago. Differing opinions are not welcome here any more and when someone breaks with the ranks, they pay the price for it.

 

[MoonLite]

People should be able to express their opinions, but be extremely careful when doing so. Members from bands you may be talking about will see this. At the end of the day, everyone is working hard towards having a great season. And that's all that matters : D

[Nny14]

27 minutes ago, MoonLite said:

People should be able to express their opinions, but be extremely careful when doing so. Members from bands you may be talking about will see this. At the end of the day, everyone is working hard towards having a great season. And that's all that matters : D

As someone who's made some pretty tactless comments in the past, I agree with this. There really isn't any need for trash talking or dogpiling in the realm of high school marching band. If you don't believe the things you say about a program, which ultimately consists of a bunch of kids doing something they love, needs to be taken into consideration then you need some self-reflection on your part.

[abtwitch]

Think about it like this:

Imagine if someone in the txbands.com live blog put "I'm extremely unimpressed with this program, next" when talking about a smaller program in a different position than the BOA powerhouses they're competing against. People would get outraged and rightfully so, some of the kids marching read that stuff and it often means more to them than their actual results. Less kids may read the forums, but they are definitely on here. I would know as someone who has teched at high schools in recent years and is heavily involved in the community.

You can criticize any band program and I have plenty that I do voice on occasion, but when making those criticisms you have to put yourself in the shoes of those performers and think about how they would take them. Condescendingly saying a program "needs help" when you have positive things to say about every other program at an event is crossing that line. This isn't a "muh freedom of speech" thing, it's a "understand that your words do have an effect on others and you are to an extent responsible for those reactions" thing.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

2 hours ago, abtwitch said:

Think about it like this:

Imagine if someone in the txbands.com live blog put "I'm extremely unimpressed with this program, next" when talking about a smaller program in a different position than the BOA powerhouses they're competing against. People would get outraged and rightfully so, some of the kids marching read that stuff and it often means more to them than their actual results. Less kids may read the forums, but they are definitely on here. I would know as someone who has teched at high schools in recent years and is heavily involved in the community.

You can criticize any band program and I have plenty that I do voice on occasion, but when making those criticisms you have to put yourself in the shoes of those performers and think about how they would take them. Condescendingly saying a program "needs help" when you have positive things to say about every other program at an event is crossing that line. This isn't a "muh freedom of speech" thing, it's a "understand that your words do have an effect on others and you are to an extent responsible for those reactions" thing.

I know very few of you would ever do this since you are so knowledgeable and wise, omnipotent really, but maybe this person didn't mean it the way you took it. Instead of immediately attacking someone and criticizing and assuming, maybe you could have asked for clarification. Not a popular thing these days giving people grace and allowing for your possible misinterpretation. How about just not worrying about it in the first place. If you disagree, PM them and have a discussion. Not as fun as having you and your friends in the forum pile on to the unfortunate person, but maybe a better course to take. Maybe your attacks are just as offensive to others. No, you'd never consider that. Obviously.

[MoonLite]

44 minutes ago, Hard Core Band Fan said:

I know very few of you would ever do this since you are so knowledgeable and wise, omnipotent really, but maybe this person didn't mean it the way you took it. Instead of immediately attacking someone and criticizing and assuming, maybe you could have asked for clarification. Not a popular thing these days giving people grace and allowing for your possible misinterpretation. How about just not worrying about it in the first place. If you disagree, PM them and have a discussion. Not as fun as having you and your friends in the forum pile on to the unfortunate person, but maybe a better course to take. Maybe your attacks are just as offensive to others. No, you'd never consider that. Obviously.

I'm sorry that you believe that this person was outright attacked. No worries. People, including yourself, make mistakes. We were simply stating that what they said was wrong. How else was their statement of, "And Stony Point just needs help" supposed to be interpreted? It could have just as easily been phrased as something like, "And Stony Point just needs a bit of improvement". Help is defined as follows- to make it easier for (someone) to do something by offering one's services or resources. Doesn't that seem a bit harsh? Stating that a program needs an aid to make their learning process easier? Now, the definition of improvement is- a thing that makes something better or is better than something else. Improvement means to help make better. Help means to make things easier, suggesting that Stony Point is not capable of becoming better without making their drill and music easier to learn. We weren't attacking said poster. Everyone has the right to state what they personally believe, but sometimes they just need to word it more appropriately.

Personally, I believe that it's a bit cringe to defend a statement such as that one. Maybe they didn't mean it that way but we interpreted it to be degrading towards Stony Point. As I'm sure you did yourself. Yet you still defend it.

Thank you for reading this, and next time don't be such a sussy baka. uwu

[BandFan59]

1 hour ago, Hard Core Band Fan said:

I know very few of you would ever do this since you are so knowledgeable and wise, omnipotent really, but maybe this person didn't mean it the way you took it. Instead of immediately attacking someone and criticizing and assuming, maybe you could have asked for clarification. Not a popular thing these days giving people grace and allowing for your possible misinterpretation. How about just not worrying about it in the first place. If you disagree, PM them and have a discussion. Not as fun as having you and your friends in the forum pile on to the unfortunate person, but maybe a better course to take. Maybe your attacks are just as offensive to others. No, you'd never consider that. Obviously.

I really don't want to be so blunt, but it seems now you are just looking for reasons to be annoyed at people here. Saying a band needs help without any further elaboration might seem harmless, but I know from experience that students read a lot of what is said on here and take it to heart. To see someone say something like that in comparison to other bands without any positive feedback or advice can be crushing to them when they work really hard for hours every week on their shows. All the posters are saying here is to just be a little more tactful and mindful of how they offer critiques knowing who browses this forum.

As for your prior statement that your opinions don't seem to be popular here, I'll offer my own opinion that you seem to have a sense of superiority that comes across in your posts as a little demeaning to other posters. Maybe consider how you talk to other people on here before criticizing how others talk on here. It's just high school marching band at the end of the day.

[MoonLite]

5 minutes ago, LeanderMomma said:

Ouch. I’ve been painting all day and missed the fun!  Where’s the popcorn?  But seriously, I have some thoughts on the subject as well.  Shocking, I know! ?

The original poster is someone I know and like, and I doubt she was expecting such vehement responses to her giving her opinion on the RRISD Festival of bands the other night. Could she have left off the Stony Point comment?  Sure. But it’s still an opinion and it’s still relevant. I do feel for those SP kids. It’s not fair that they are at the only high school in the district that seems to have school leadership that simply doesn’t care as much about marching band and therefore doesn’t hire the same caliber of staff as the rest of the district does. They DO need help, and I think it’s past time they got it. Come on SPHS!  Hire some Fine Arts staff that cares!! 

On a similar note, I admit that I have been struggling with feeling bad about comments I sometimes have made as well. I recently commented that I was sad about Leander seemingly slipping due to Covid, and I have wondered if I should have kept that to myself. I know band kids read these forums and I have been beating myself up for saying anything derogatory about Leander at all. I can’t bear the thought of kids reading negative stuff we say and taking it to heart!  But on the other hand, it is an opinion, and this is a forum filled with people who have them. And it’s just hard to know what is and isn’t okay to express anymore.

Let’s definitely make an effort to build these programs up as much as possible in here, but let’s also cut each other some slack, especially in these current crazy stressful times.  

And if you are a band student and you are reading this, just know that we all care so much about each and every one of you, and we are rooting for you all to go out there and KILL IT in competition this season!!!

Well said! I personally believe that your comment about Leander was perfectly fine. Yes, they're smaller and seem to have taken a bit of a step back, as have many programs. But they're also Leander. They'll have an amazing season and rebuild their program.

[Danpod]

Let’s keep this on topic. The event is a week away and these kiddos deserve some support. I cannot wait to be back in the stands nerding out!

[CTJBandPops]

so - I will try to be the responsible grown-up here, please hang with me for just a second as I am kinda new to this.

I have seen multiple comments about band kids in that program reading this - but we now have at least a dozen of this comments that are in short, debating their program and they are in the middle of that debate.

can we PLEASE get back on the topic of BOA Austin and leave this alone - hands have been slapped, let's stop making this worst - TXBands moderators - do you have the ability to remove the last dozen or so comments that are dealing with this topic. can we PLEASE get back to talking about BOA Austin and stop dogging on each other.

thank you all for your time and have a great day - see you in Austin

[FaultLineBlues]

In a more positive comment on Stony Point, their uniform game is always on point. Their previous Black and Gold/Yellow uniforms were some of favorites for a long time, and their new Yellow and Blue ones are super striking! I'm happy for them to see them opening up BOA Austin this year, after two years of waiting, I'm betting the kids are eager to perform, even if it's early! 

[LeanderMomma]

On 9/15/2021 at 4:14 PM, FaultLineBlues said:

Pretty stoked to see such positive early reception to my old program in Cedar Ridge! I just hope they can keep the momentum to BOA Austin and beyond and not stagnate. CR has been through quite a lot in terms of instability, with 4 head director changes in the 11 years the school has been open, and somewhere around 8 director changes in general, so it makes me excited to see them continue to do well even after ANOTHER head director change this year. 

I still can’t get over how gorgeous the new uniforms are as well!  And that guard!!  ???

[BandFan95]

OMG I'm sorry. My comment wasn't even meant to be a criticism. I'm beyond mad at the district for not putting more resources to help this band out.  These poor kids kill themselves at practice every single day and they deserve SO MUCH MORE than what they are getting right now. 

I am so very sorry if my comment was taken personally. It was not meant to be that way and I got super busy to be able to respond. 

BTW, the new unis are stunning. The light color tops really pop on the field. 

[vbassoon]

34 minutes ago, XCTFG Mom said:

OMG I'm sorry. My comment wasn't even meant to be a criticism. I'm beyond mad at the district for not putting more resources to help this band out.  These poor kids kill themselves at practice every single day and they deserve SO MUCH MORE than what they are getting right now. 

I am so very sorry if my comment was taken personally. It was not meant to be that way and I got super busy to be able to respond. 

BTW, the new unis are stunning. The light color tops really pop on the field. 

no worries, i knew you meant it genuinely. we all want to see every program succeed and be competitive.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

1 hour ago, XCTFG Mom said:

OMG I'm sorry. My comment wasn't even meant to be a criticism. I'm beyond mad at the district for not putting more resources to help this band out.  These poor kids kill themselves at practice every single day and they deserve SO MUCH MORE than what they are getting right now. 

I am so very sorry if my comment was taken personally. It was not meant to be that way and I got super busy to be able to respond. 

BTW, the new unis are stunning. The light color tops really pop on the field. 

Thank you. Never did think you meant any harm.