2023 BOA Grand National Championships (Nov. 9-11)

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 10/20/2023 at 11:38 PM, packwick said:

not my fave from them either but betting against Avon is a hard bet to take lol. top 3 at Nats since what, 2007??? that's approachin' 20 years!!! crazy impressive!!

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You are correct. It's also like a tradition which seems will never be broken. But like Marion Catholic's streak, it can be broken. I am looking forward to when that happens, whenever that is.

[packwick]

ok Fisher's had me clapping at my computer screen like the complete weirdo i am. ugh, somebody get me some eggnog, i don't even like eggnog!!!

amazing Christmas aesthetic, the costuming, all that shimmery red, the set pieces, so nicely balanced across the field w/ the staging. the jazziness, the personality, the general positive feelings, it's so darn mirthful. amaaazing singing by the soloist, what a lovely way to end the show too w/ the full band carol. BY FAR my favorite Nats bubble band. so much creative wit on display here, subversion of expectations. best holiday show yet. way to go guys!!

[Vidal28]

  On 10/21/2023 at 12:45 AM, packwick said:

ok Fisher's had me clapping at my computer screen like the complete weirdo i am. ugh, somebody get me some eggnog, i don't even like eggnog!!!

amazing Christmas aesthetic, the costuming, all that shimmery red, the set pieces, so nicely balanced across the field w/ the staging. the jazziness, the personality, the general positive feelings, it's so darn mirthful. amaaazing singing by the soloist, what a lovely way to end the show too w/ the full band carol. BY FAR my favorite Nats bubble band. so much creative wit on display here, subversion of expectations. best holiday show yet. way to go guys!!

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The way I outwardly show my expression are mainly lots of “sheesh!!”, “wow that’s really cool”, “didn’t expect that!”, phrases of that nature coming out of my mouth, and I usually reserve that for when I see shows live. It’s hard to move me more than that but it has happened!  The way you describe this show, haven’t seen it before or heard a second of it, but it definitely gets me rooting for it more come Grand Nats, holiday shows are great and lots of good fun!

being distinct from the crowd in that regard do help them stand out and be more memorable too. Best of luck to them!

[packwick]

  On 10/21/2023 at 1:09 AM, Vidal28 said:

The way I outwardly show my expression are mainly lots of “sheesh!!”, “wow that’s really cool”, “didn’t expect that!”, phrases of that nature coming out of my mouth, and I usually reserve that for when I see shows live. It’s hard to move me more than that but it has happened!  The way you describe this show, haven’t seen it before or heard a second of it, but it definitely gets me rooting for it more come Grand Nats, holiday shows are great and lots of good fun!

being distinct from the crowd in that regard do help them stand out and be more memorable too. Best of luck to them!

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they def have some cleaning to do but obviously i luuuv the overall vibe. it coulda been so much cheesier.

[packwick]

oooo Carmel over Avon as expected at Indy Super Regional prelims, but it seems like it's a helllluva lot closer than i woulda had it lol. Carmel only wins music perf, shares visual w/ Avon (downstairs 1st place for Avon i would guess? maybe??), and Avon w/ effect. quickly looks at panel... hmmm... not quite as sold on the braaain tickler are we? lol

in other news here's a vid of CTJ from area today lol. some pretty major updates, love the extended impact moments. def looking and sounding better too!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8m6alA9MkpY

[ChristopherRoden]

  On 10/21/2023 at 9:07 PM, packwick said:

oooo Carmel over Avon as expected at Indy Super Regional prelims, but it seems like it's a helllluva lot closer than i woulda had it lol. Carmel only wins music perf, shares visual w/ Avon (downstairs 1st place for Avon i would guess? maybe??), and Avon w/ effect. quickly looks at panel... hmmm... not quite as sold on the braaain tickler are we? lol

in other news here's a vid of CTJ from area today lol. some pretty major updates, love the extended impact moments. def looking and sounding better too!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8m6alA9MkpY

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Woah huge improvements from the last video I saw. It’s rlly coming together! 

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 10/21/2023 at 9:07 PM, packwick said:

oooo Carmel over Avon as expected at Indy Super Regional prelims, but it seems like it's a helllluva lot closer than i woulda had it lol. Carmel only wins music perf, shares visual w/ Avon (downstairs 1st place for Avon i would guess? maybe??), and Avon w/ effect. quickly looks at panel... hmmm... not quite as sold on the braaain tickler are we? lol

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Carmel has some very spry old ladies in their guard (gray-hairs)!

[LeanderMomma]

This Carmel show is quite incredible. They swept every caption in finals, deservedly so IMO. Texas is going to have to bring it, y’all!  Perhaps Hebron knew it was going to be like this this year, so that’s why we won’t see them for over a week between 6A state and GN. I bet they do something crazy and unexpected at GN that we won’t see at UIL. 😜

[packwick]

despite the closeness of avon and carmel in prelims at the Indy Super, overall id be feeling preeetty good if i were carmel right now. 6 of the 7 judges had them in 1st in finals albeit some just barely. dominant performance in the ordinals. not the most viscerally exciting show in the world but mucho sophisticated.

reeeally liking how cinematic Hebron's music is, like right after the opening trumpet chorus w/ the woodwind runs starting up, it's like Hebron in Space!! or something lol. great sounds. musically it's just so virtuosic, so many notes, Carolina Crownish, which is def good from a perf perspective, tho maybe a little Xtina-ish at times lol, like when she overdoes the melisma. new ending is def eye popping and provides muuuuch more satisfying resolution than old one, more like a complete hero's ending.

[Rubisco]

  On 10/22/2023 at 5:41 PM, packwick said:

tho maybe a little Xtina-ish at times lol, like when she overdoes the melisma.

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😂😂😂

[Tubalord11]

  On 10/22/2023 at 5:41 PM, packwick said:

despite the closeness of avon and carmel in prelims at the Indy Super, overall id be feeling preeetty good if i were carmel right now. 6 of the 7 judges had them in 1st in finals albeit some just barely. dominant performance in the ordinals. not the most viscerally exciting show in the world but mucho sophisticated.

reeeally liking how cinematic Hebron's music is, like right after the opening trumpet chorus w/ the woodwind runs starting up, it's like Hebron in Space!! or something lol. great sounds. musically it's just so virtuosic, so many notes, Carolina Crownish, which is def good from a perf perspective, tho maybe a little Xtina-ish at times lol, like when she overdoes the melisma. new ending is def eye popping and provides muuuuch more satisfying resolution than old one, more like a complete hero's ending.

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How are you feeling about team Texas as a whole? Obviously I think it’s safe to say that Hebron, TW and Round Rock are locks at this point. CTJ, Pearland and Keller Should make finals, I feel like Dripping Springs has got a pretty solid shot, and Bowie could, def will make semis but not in my picture to make finals. 

[Tubalord11]

Woodlands area prelims: 

Round rock finals: 

 

[pancake]

  On 10/22/2023 at 6:59 PM, Tubalord11 said:

How are you feeling about team Texas as a whole? Obviously I think it’s safe to say that Hebron, TW and Round Rock are locks at this point. CTJ, Pearland and Keller Should make finals, I feel like Dripping Springs has got a pretty solid shot, and Bowie could, def will make semis but not in my picture to make finals. 

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i feel like pearland  is more of a lock than round rock, both and CTJ are pretty safe for finals imo

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/22/2023 at 5:41 PM, packwick said:

despite the closeness of avon and carmel in prelims at the Indy Super, overall id be feeling preeetty good if i were carmel right now.

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Absolutely. They are going to be tremendously difficult to beat this year!  I love Avon but I honestly never for a moment this weekend felt like any part of their show was better than Carmel.  I had Carmel sweeping the whole thing and nobody could convince me otherwise. Looks like the judges in finals agreed!  And this isn’t easy for me to say, believe me!! 🤣

Come on Hebron and the Woodlands, don’t get cocky. You absolutely MUST bring your very best performance to finals that Saturday night!!

[Vidal28]

  On 10/22/2023 at 5:41 PM, packwick said:

despite the closeness of avon and carmel in prelims at the Indy Super, overall id be feeling preeetty good if i were carmel right now. 6 of the 7 judges had them in 1st in finals albeit some just barely. dominant performance in the ordinals. not the most viscerally exciting show in the world but mucho sophisticated.

reeeally liking how cinematic Hebron's music is, like right after the opening trumpet chorus w/ the woodwind runs starting up, it's like Hebron in Space!! or something lol. great sounds. musically it's just so virtuosic, so many notes, Carolina Crownish, which is def good from a perf perspective, tho maybe a little Xtina-ish at times lol, like when she overdoes the melisma. new ending is def eye popping and provides muuuuch more satisfying resolution than old one, more like a complete hero's ending.

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I think Hebron can do cinematic really well, especially during their Grand Nats years, their shows have more room to breath and develop and I expect there to be some elongation still of their show apart from their UIL product, like was mentioned here recently!! The full version probably isn’t out there until Grand Nats if I were to guess.

[packwick]

  On 10/22/2023 at 6:59 PM, Tubalord11 said:

How are you feeling about team Texas as a whole? Obviously I think it’s safe to say that Hebron, TW and Round Rock are locks at this point. CTJ, Pearland and Keller Should make finals, I feel like Dripping Springs has got a pretty solid shot, and Bowie could, def will make semis but not in my picture to make finals. 

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my feelings prob aren't different from most besides maybe who ends up on top.

i think pearland is also a lock and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they end up being the highest placing Cartwright band at Nats this yr.

agreed that Round Rock, Keller, and CTJ should be safe, im at a loss as to who would replace them, my glance at the schedule just now only produced 14 strong finalist possibilities.

biggest shift for me from my pre-season predictions = being hotter on dripping springs than bowie. would love to see em both in, but that would prob mean neither Brownsburg nor Fishers. musically i think DS is strong enough for finals. Bowie's show is beautiful but needs a lot of cleaning. thinkin Brownsburg prob boots one of em out, tho id rather see Fishers in finals. but fishers also needs a lot of cleaning...

[Tubalord11]

Ik they aren't going to Nats this year, but there's a video of Tarpon's victory run from last night on YT, definitely recommend checking it out because my god if they were going this year, I could see them winning! I feel like I'm watching a more recent BD show, guard is WOW, they march at such a high level, and it's a fun yet challenging and well executed music book! Seeing the BA kids freak out at the end made me a little emotional ngl. it's why the band community is the best, because no matter how good or bad your band did, the kids always seem to support one another. Hoping they are able to come into Nats next year with this incredible season and make some magic happen 

[LostChoirGuy]

So I don't know who is the color guard instructor(s) at The Woodlands, but I have this thought that at least a handful of the 500+ guard members they have (only a slight exaggeration) will go on to become instructors themselves some day spreading whatever magic they learned and we will see programs executing at this level all across the state.  Maybe it's a fever dream but that would be amazing for the progress of visual programs throughout Texas.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

Seeing Round Rock's area finals performance makes me feel much better about their chances for GN finals. They have improved greatly in the last few weeks. I love the trombone feature towards the end and the soprano trombone glissando is a very effective and tasty treat.

Also, the Woodlands show is really coming along nicely and their guard is just fantastic. 

[TWHSPercDad]

  On 10/22/2023 at 11:09 PM, LostChoirGuy said:

So I don't know who is the color guard instructor(s) at The Woodlands, but I have this thought that at least a handful of the 500+ guard members they have (only a slight exaggeration) will go on to become instructors themselves some day spreading whatever magic they learned and we will see programs executing at this level all across the state.  Maybe it's a fever dream but that would be amazing for the progress of visual programs throughout Texas.

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From my own experience, there is no higher compliment to a teacher than the knowledge that you inspired your own students to teach as well. 

The Woodlands HS Guard is guided by three of the finest, most creative and energetic teachers I have ever known…led by Cynthia Robbins and ably assisted by Joseph Danforth and Tiffany Quinstein. 
 

 

[Rubisco]

  On 10/22/2023 at 11:09 PM, LostChoirGuy said:

So I don't know who is the color guard instructor(s) at The Woodlands, but I have this thought that at least a handful of the 500+ guard members they have (only a slight exaggeration) will go on to become instructors themselves some day spreading whatever magic they learned and we will see programs executing at this level all across the state.  Maybe it's a fever dream but that would be amazing for the progress of visual programs throughout Texas.

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Cyndi Robbins and her team are outstanding and helping to redefine what a top visual program in Texas looks like during the fall season.

I also think the model that they follow, with the junior high guard classes during the day for PE credit in addition to after school rehearsals, is one that other bands in Texas should adopt, if they're able. (It also helps that Robbins seems to have active involvement at the junior high level.) Without a strong feeder program, I think it's hard to maintain a world class finalist program in Texas, when you're competing against a bunch of groups out of state that don't have rehearsal restrictions.

[PearlandFluteMom]

  On 10/23/2023 at 1:10 AM, TWHSPercDad said:

From my own experience, there is no higher compliment to a teacher than the knowledge that you inspired your own students to teach as well. 

The Woodlands HS Guard is guided by three of the finest, most creative and energetic teachers I have ever known…led by Cynthia Robbins and ably assisted by Joseph Danforth and Tiffany Quinstein. 
 

 

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I have witnessed her dedication to her guard when I worked equipment warmup at TCGC the last 2 years. Truly inspiring.

[packwick]

  On 10/22/2023 at 7:00 PM, Tubalord11 said:

Woodlands area prelims: 

Round rock finals: 

 

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i think that's tw's area finals performance, looks dusky, they performed early for finals, like at 6:15. also the title says finals lol. can see Tiffany and Joseph sitting off to the right going nuts for the guard stuff lol.

there's also a higher up one on YT, kinda more distant but can make out the drill. surprised they all haven't been taken down, usually they're pretty vigilant about taking down vids. them and vandy have like 20 on YT rn lol. hebron's the one that keeps taking theirs down quickly. goin for the element of surprise. had to catch em last night while i could. knew they'd be gone today.

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 10/23/2023 at 1:10 AM, TWHSPercDad said:

From my own experience, there is no higher compliment to a teacher than the knowledge that you inspired your own students to teach as well. 

The Woodlands HS Guard is guided by three of the finest, most creative and energetic teachers I have ever known…led by Cynthia Robbins and ably assisted by Joseph Danforth and Tiffany Quinstein. 
 

 

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Thank you for sharing their names.  They deserve the recognition.  That guard book is seriously stellar and those kids are performing the heck out of it.

[JWork]

  On 10/23/2023 at 6:34 AM, LostChoirGuy said:

Thank you for sharing their names.  They deserve the recognition.  That guard book is seriously stellar and those kids are performing the heck out of it.

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I don't usually watch guard for marching band because I'm always so focused on the winds but, I specifically remember the Woodlands guard at San Antonio finals last year catching my eye. If a guard is able to draw your eyes toward them and off of a band such as The Woodlands, I'd definitely call that a win. I can easily say their guard was the cleanest and most engaging guard I've ever seen in a high school marching band. They know what they're doing and how to do it the best it can be done.