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Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 8:22 PM, Ruprecht88 said:

“Would seem to indicate that” sounds like an assumption to me. Not a good look to also trash a program that may have no relation whatsoever to the initial comment, or any program for that matter. I do get where you’re coming from, as long as you’re not barking up the wrong tree. And I’m going to assume you’re a Rouse parent from your posts, if that’s okay. 

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Not assuming anything on my end and to clarify your assumption, I am not affiliated with any of these bands. It was an observation. And with that being said, I am going to end this conversation and not allow fuel to be added to the fire. Besides, this should be a friendly place for discussions. 

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 9:01 PM, goombatrony said:

Not assuming anything on my end and to clarify your assumption, I am not affiliated with any of these bands. It was an observation. And with that being said, I am going to end this conversation and not allow fuel to be added to the fire. Besides, this should be a friendly place for discussions. 

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Yes this should be a place for friendly discussions. In that vein, maybe consider deleting your not-so-friendly one disparaging a program. If you’re not assuming, let us all know what we don’t know. I firmly stand by my assumption about you, I think it’s pretty solid. 

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 9:38 PM, david19c said:

I went to a smaller, lower-income school in Austin but got to see Vista Ridge come into the spotlight in 2018. I am not affiliated with the band but was inspired by their growth and change and had become a fan of them. I do not lie when I say that Cedar Ridge parents have been disrespectful to me and my program. I do admit that my comments concerning Cedar Ridge and Rouse were out-of-hand, and that my concerns about the microphones are founded from a jealousy that my program could not afford shotgun mics to also enhance our sound. Once again, I am not affiliated with Vista Ridge and apologize for any harm to their reputation. 

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Some stuff was uncalled for but marching band is an emotional activity and very competitive, we've all been where you are at at some point whether publicly or privately, ty for the apology, you just seem like a very passionate fan of an amazing program :D

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 9:38 PM, david19c said:

I went to a smaller, lower-income school in Austin but got to see Vista Ridge come into the spotlight in 2018. I am not affiliated with the band but was inspired by their growth and change and had become a fan of them. I do not lie when I say that Cedar Ridge parents have been disrespectful to me and my program. I do admit that my comments concerning Cedar Ridge and Rouse were out-of-hand, and that my concerns about the microphones are founded from a jealousy that my program could not afford shotgun mics to also enhance our sound. Once again, I am not affiliated with Vista Ridge and apologize for any harm to their reputation. 

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I completely understand. I too went to a lower income HS in Austin way back in the day and can understand being an avid fan of a great program. I too, apologize if this came across as anything but concerning. I am a big fan of any band program that is trying to make their mark in a good way. Not to mention new to online forums and sometimes let my emotions get the better of me. I have deleted my initial post and hope that this can be friendly moving forward. Like you, I am not affiliated in any way with any of these bands or their programs and am excited to see their progression. 

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 5:02 PM, 11BandMan11 said:

The Finals performances this year were INCREDIBLE! It astounds me the level of musicianship, performance, visual control, etc. these HIGH SCHOOL students are achieving now! 

How many more BOA San Antonio contests with this INSANE depth of performances will it take before BOA realizes they need to make the San Antonio Super into the same PreLims, Semis, and Finals format as they currently have for Grand Nationals? 

Not throwing shade at any of the other amazing ensembles and contests that occur outside Texas and throughout the country, but if we're all very honest with the depth of competition at the San Antonio contest specifically, any of the ensembles that placed between 15th and 25th at BOA San Antonio and DID NOT make finals this year, would ABSOLUTELY be making Semis at Grand Nats, and many would push and make Finals as well if they went up this year. 

Knowing how much time, energy, money, etc. these programs invest into performing at San Antonio, I would LOVE to see more performance opportunities for more groups! Just my 2 cents! 

Looking forward to seeing #TeamTexas at Grand Nats this year!!!  

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Can you imagine what it’s like for these students who are trying to improve and yet so are all the other bands?   It’s got to feel deflating for some - but that said - when you see the reactions of Bridgeland at UIL and some of these bands at BOASA when their name is called for finals - they know they’ve really achieved something special. 

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 10:38 PM, Gehrig4 said:

Can you imagine what it’s like for these students who are trying to improve and yet so are all the other bands?   It’s got to feel deflating for some - but that said - when you see the reactions of Bridgeland at UIL and some of these bands at BOASA when their name is called for finals - they know they’ve really achieved something special. 

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It is truly heartwarming when you hear the cheers and screams from a program that has achieved something they’ve never done before, or something they haven’t done in a while. The tears just melt your heart💙
 

It’s also important to realize that while your group is doing what it can to improve, so is every other group! I hope programs realize, if they haven’t already, that their efforts are worth it and that sometimes you fall short of your goal only because someone else happens to reach theirs.

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 4:02 PM, Hard Core Band Fan said:

Many bands use shotgun mics and have been for a long time. It's mainly for projecting their woodwinds during woodwind features and aren't used throughout their show.

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Really?? Anyone got a count on which finalists/bubble bands DON’T use this type of amplification?? Seems like it would really help the softer instruments contribute to the show

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 1:05 AM, mama_bear said:

Really?? Anyone got a count on which finalists/bubble bands DON’T use this type of amplification?? Seems like it would really help the softer instruments contribute to the show

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Most do not. Only 3 of the 14 finalists did. It’s totally within the rules and simply a choice. It can actually be pretty challenging to get right and avoid a tinny sounding brass, similar to blending bass synth levels to avoid making it clearly defined as synth and not the winds. It’s an art all of its own. 

Posted

Also, I can’t say which band was doing this because I didn’t see their shirts, but there were band kids consistently talking through the shows, which was supremely annoying. Little comment periodically is fine, but some of these students were having full on conversations. 

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:24 AM, whitewing09 said:

Also, I can’t say which band was doing this because I didn’t see their shirts, but there were band kids consistently talking through the shows, which was supremely annoying. Little comment periodically is fine, but some of these students were having full on conversations. 

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I really had to restrain myself from confronting the row of kids behind me during finals. Paid 300 bucks for tickets only to have a bunch of talkers behind me. I've asked people to shut it at other band contests before. But I'm working on being a kinder and gentler person 😄

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:35 AM, tubapop said:

I really had to restrain myself from confronting the row of kids behind me during finals. Paid 300 bucks for tickets only to have a bunch of talkers behind me. I've asked people to shut it at other band contests before. But I'm working on being a kinder and gentler person 😄

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I, too, practiced my serenity.

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:35 AM, tubapop said:

I really had to restrain myself from confronting the row of kids behind me during finals. Paid 300 bucks for tickets only to have a bunch of talkers behind me. I've asked people to shut it at other band contests before. But I'm working on being a kinder and gentler person 😄

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I've had to do that to a bunch of band directors and guard instructors before. You would think they would be the first to respect others watching the shows.

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:35 AM, tubapop said:

I really had to restrain myself from confronting the row of kids behind me during finals. Paid 300 bucks for tickets only to have a bunch of talkers behind me. I've asked people to shut it at other band contests before. But I'm working on being a kinder and gentler person 😄

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First of all...$300?!

Secondly, my partner sometimes like to do the half head turn like 😐 and look back at them when they're talking and then just turn back to watching the show. It usually ends up with them being quieter lmao.

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:52 AM, Miyazuu said:

First of all...$300?!

Secondly, my partner sometimes like to do the half head turn like 😐 and look back at them when they're talking and then just turn back to watching the show. It usually ends up with them being quieter lmao.

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It was 4 of us, and we got seats on the 50

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 5:11 PM, BandFan50 said:

The dance team is more of a tradition to the program at this point

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Yes, but question was about traditional Color Guard which Vandegrift does not use. Are more bands going to abandon Color Guard in favor of more Dance centric programs now that Vandegrift has showed so much success using it?

Posted
  On 11/6/2023 at 3:15 PM, MilBandDude said:

Yes, but question was about traditional Color Guard which Vandegrift does not use. Are more bands going to abandon Color Guard in favor of more Dance centric programs now that Vandegrift has showed so much success using it?

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There was a joke after Vandy won grand nats in 2019 that it was time for programs to get with the times and drop their guard. I think that kind of thinking stems from a flawed assumption that a dance group is somehow “easier”. It very much is not and I don’t think groups with elite colorguard programs would be able easily convert their members to a dance company any more easily than a group like Vandy could start adding rifle/sabre tosses to their program. It takes years of training starting from a young age to develop the body control, fluidity of movement, and strength/flexibility to achieve that movement. Coupled with having to be in sync with dozens of members, it’s hard stuff to pull off. 

If not having a guard were easier, don’t you think a lot more groups would be doing it? It’s all about program philosophy and approach and I’m glad more than one formula can work well.

Personally I think it’s a good thing that most sheets don’t require specific equipment. It allows for much greater diversity of show styles and that’s a win for marching band in general.

Posted
  On 11/5/2023 at 7:02 AM, Ruprecht88 said:

It’s not, Marcus and Round Rock do it too. I wish none of them did.

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There are pros and cons with the boom mics. It certainly can enhance your sound. Likewise, it can amplify any mistakes that may occur. Other perennial GN finalists like Broken Arrow, Tarpon Springs, Avon, Willam H Mason, and Blue Springs, MO use them. 

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