UIL 6A Area B 2023

[cjm715]

  On 10/18/2023 at 7:11 PM, Asaiah said:

Here's what I got (was gonna post them in alphabetical order, but that's not as fun):

1. Coppell

2. LD Bell

3. Timber Creek

4. Keller Central

5. Keller

6. Waxahachie

7. Southlake Carroll

I think these 7 bands are all locked in for state, but probably not in this exact order.

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I would say probably put waxahachie in the 2-4 range as they are typically pretty strong in the UIL field. After that, I think it looks pretty accurate. 

[Gehrig4]

  On 10/18/2023 at 6:45 PM, RandomGuardPerson said:

What do y'all think of JJ Pearce?

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I actually have them as my 10 seed.

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 10/18/2023 at 6:45 PM, RandomGuardPerson said:

What do y'all think of JJ Pearce?

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I always love what they put out as their product.  A very classy program.  Hoping to see them in finals here.  It would be very tough to crack into the top 7 but if there were to be a surprise group that does so I could see it being them.

[AnotherBandKid]

  On 10/18/2023 at 5:11 AM, Tubalord11 said:

I don't know about Highlands and Highland Park. Seeing how low their visual and music scores were at BOA, they've both still got a lot of work to do. Both are more "fun" shows than super competitive shows, at least in my opinion, but neither are super hard shows, especially Highland Park, so while I do see them both possibly making finals,  I struggle to see either of them making state unless they have cleaned up like cray. 

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Completely agree! Especially with the area they are in being huge and pretty competitive. I think it's possible to make Area finals, but then as you said, state for either of them would have to mean they somehow have near-flawless runs. 

[tw2]

How do y'all think the legacy band is doing?

[Caleb02]

What does everybody think of Boswell this year? Their show is better, and they have been scoring much better this year than last.

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/19/2023 at 3:22 PM, Caleb02 said:

What does everybody think of Boswell this year? Their show is better, and they have been scoring much better this year than last.

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I think Boswell is having one of their best seasons yet, I have them a choice for finals. But I know a few other bands are also contenders such as Fossil Ridge, Haltom, Pearce, and Highland Park. I've noticed a real step up in band programs this year, and this is probably going to be the most stacked area B we've had in a long time.

[CosmicLimbo]

Crazy to think this is gonna be every year from now on instead of every 2 

[VinoGirl]

  On 10/19/2023 at 4:38 PM, CosmicLimbo said:

Crazy to think this is gonna be every year from now on instead of every 2 

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It’s exciting and also exhausting! 

[Barisaxking]

About a day and a half out!

[nightlife]

After BOA prosper: bell. is. back. 
I could totally see them winning this area. Their show is much more geared towards UIL than I feel like coppell’s is. Love coppells show but it feels wayyyy more BOA and gimmicky   timber creek and Keller central will be fighting for 3rd!

[servingcont_ra]

  On 10/18/2023 at 4:35 PM, Starwar said:

Yes they are? Why do you think they aren’t?

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2021 was the first time they made state and state finals as a 6a program and in like 20 years, 2022 they didn’t make state. Love them! but they’ve only recently become a force to be reckoned with

[servingcont_ra]

yeah:

1. Coppell- I mean obviously

2. Timber Creek- interchangeable with LD Bell, I just like TC’s show more

3. LD Bell- successful BOA season, good for them

4. Southlake Carroll- neither one of their Prosper performances represent what they’re capable of

5. Keller Central- Love Central proving that they’re not just “the worse Keller ISD school”

6. Keller- TBH these last three spots could go in any order but I feel these schools are all solidly in state

7. Waxahachie

[azi1]

  On 10/20/2023 at 2:00 AM, nightlife said:

After BOA prosper: bell. is. back. 
I could totally see them winning this area. Their show is much more geared towards UIL than I feel like coppell’s is. Love coppells show but it feels wayyyy more BOA and gimmicky   timber creek and Keller central will be fighting for 3rd!

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I don’t think i see central fighting for 3rd it’s more like a fight for fourth

 

[cjm715]

  On 10/20/2023 at 4:05 PM, azi1 said:

I don’t think i see central fighting for 3rd it’s more like a fight for fourth

 

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Agreed I feel that Timber Creek and Waxahachie will be fighting for 3rd

[azi1]

  On 10/20/2023 at 4:12 PM, cjm715 said:

Agreed I feel that Timber Creek and Waxahachie will be fighting for 3rd

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Not even lol from prosper there was a 6 point difference. Granted it’s boa and most of the difference came from GE but without that with music and visual total it was still a two point difference. I feel like the fights would be a possible top 3 fight between Coppell, ld bell, and tc. Fight in 4-6 would be kcent, waxa, and Keller. I think SLC is a lock for 7 tho imo

[aaron067]

Using solely the results from Prosper is a mistake because there are other factors to consider.

- Bands like Keller and Waxahachie surge in the late season and usually have a more refined sound than groups that do well at BOA due to general effect. 

- This area is being judged by directors who primarily come from the Houston school of thought.

- Music/Music/Music/Marching/Marching vs the independent captions of BOA will also produce different results.

Ultimately, I think quality of achievement and cleanliness are going to outshine show design, but I suspect most (if not all) of the bands advancing will be those people are already talking about.  Don't be surprised if final rankings look different than prior contests, though.

[LostChoirGuy]

One of the big questions will be how much cleaning Keller has been able to do in the past week.  I understand their closer was a bit of a mess last week as they had only just put it in the field a few days prior.

[ChristopherRoden]

  On 10/20/2023 at 6:18 PM, aaron067 said:

Using solely the results from Prosper is a mistake because there are other factors to consider.

- This area is being judged by directors who primarily come from the Houston school of thought.

 

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Just out of pure curiosity, what are some key points that come to mind from the Houston school of thought? Growing up there, I have a hard time distinguishing. Obviously the best bands in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio are very different but how exactly? 

[crunchycookie3]

  On 10/20/2023 at 6:36 PM, ChristopherRoden said:

Just out of pure curiosity, what are some key points that come to mind from the Houston school of thought? Growing up there, I have a hard time distinguishing. Obviously the best bands in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio are very different but how exactly? 

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Personally, I think DFW bands tend focus more on an extremely refined, polished, and “pretty” product, whereas Houston bands seem to place more emphasis on having an “exciting” product. One is not better than the other, however I am much more partial to DFW style of band as it feels more artful. Pearland seems to be an exception—they feel to me like a DFW band that has been placed in Houston.

[crunchycookie3]

  On 10/20/2023 at 6:18 PM, aaron067 said:

 

- Bands like Keller and Waxahachie surge in the late season and usually have a more refined sound than groups that do well at BOA due to general effect. 

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While this trend is true, I think it’s important to remember that the performance captions still play a role in BOA, and Waxahachie and Keller were still quite below groups like Bell, Timber Creek, and Keller Central in those captions. It’s not that they have poorer products than normal this year—it seems Bell as a 3-grade high school has finally weathered their COVID struggles and that band as an activity is beginning to really take off all across KISD.

[cjm715]

  On 10/20/2023 at 5:00 PM, azi1 said:

Not even lol from prosper there was a 6 point difference. Granted it’s boa and most of the difference came from GE but without that with music and visual total it was still a two point difference. I feel like the fights would be a possible top 3 fight between Coppell, ld bell, and tc. Fight in 4-6 would be kcent, waxa, and Keller. I think SLC is a lock for 7 tho imo

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Yes I understand the Prosper gap, but Waxahachie ALWAYS plays UIL better than they do BOA, unlike everyone else who tries to do well in both. I won’t be surprised to see Timber beat them but I wouldn’t underestimate Wax.

[aaron067]

  On 10/20/2023 at 7:12 PM, crunchycookie3 said:

While this trend is true, I think it’s important to remember that the performance captions still play a role in BOA...

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The Music and Visual Ensemble scores absolutely include design and construction considerations.  EVERYTHING in BOA is tied into design except for the individual scores, and even those are affected by the range of vocabulary and style the students have been asked to perform.  Music GE is also unavoidably tied to visual GE (from the judges perspective), which is unfortunate because that involves a lot of things that are mostly outside the students' control. 

It's all about how impactful the "moments" are, and that impact lives on a spectrum that varies by judge and is affected by design choices and how well the students execute.  Even a perfectly performed show that the judges think is poorly designed will not score super well, while on the flip side you can have a brilliant show design that's been dummy-proofed that scores well with a moderately executed performance because the design is communicated at a high level.

There's definitely some difference of opinion on how this should be approached in the judging world.  2019 Grand Nationals is a perfect example.  Vandegrift won because they had a well designed show that was executed at a very high level, but Avon had a more complex and difficult approach that ultimately fell just short of the gold despite BOA changing the sheets that year to give more credit for difficulty vs achievement.  I personally prefer watching the Vandegrift show because I just think they march and play better (and artistry is its own form of effect), but there's certainly disagreement over the matter.

Ultimately, we see many Texas bands starting to figure out how to be successful in both, which is why 13 of 14 6A state finalists were also finalists at BOA SA a few days before.  That last one attended both but has definitely figured the UIL game out much more effectively than the BOA game.

 

  On 10/20/2023 at 7:05 PM, crunchycookie3 said:

Personally, I think DFW bands tend focus more on an extremely refined, polished, and “pretty” product, whereas Houston bands seem to place more emphasis on having an “exciting” product. One is not better than the other, however I am much more partial to DFW style of band as it feels more artful. Pearland seems to be an exception—they feel to me like a DFW band that has been placed in Houston.

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Actually, that refined style you're associating with DFW comes from the University of Houston, originally pioneered by Eddie Green. It has spread throughout the state and takes different forms depending on who the director is and especially who their primary clinician or mentor is.  It has been reduced by many people over the years to a very bland but technically very precise approach.  Mr. Green had bands that were anything but bland, though.  

[yayband914]

  On 10/21/2023 at 5:03 AM, aaron067 said:

The Music and Visual Ensemble scores absolutely include design and construction considerations.  EVERYTHING in BOA is tied into design except for the individual scores, and even those are affected by the range of vocabulary and style the students have been asked to perform.  Music GE is also unavoidably tied to visual GE (from the judges perspective), which is unfortunate because that involves a lot of things that are mostly outside the students' control. 

It's all about how impactful the "moments" are, and that impact lives on a spectrum that varies by judge and is affected by design choices and how well the students execute.  Even a perfectly performed show that the judges think is poorly designed will not score super well, while on the flip side you can have a brilliant show design that's been dummy-proofed that scores well with a moderately executed performance because the design is communicated at a high level.

There's definitely some difference of opinion on how this should be approached in the judging world.  2019 Grand Nationals is a perfect example.  Vandergrift won because they had a well designed show that was executed at a very high level, but Avon had a more complex and difficult approach that ultimately fell just short of the gold despite BOA changing the sheets that year to give more credit for difficulty vs achievement.  I personally prefer watching the Vandergrift show because I just think they march and play better (and artistry is its own form of effect), but there's certainly disagreement over the matter.

Ultimately, we see many Texas bands starting to figure out how to be successful in both, which is why 13 of 14 6A state finalists were also finalists at BOA SA a few days before.  That last one attended both but has definitely figured the UIL game out much more effectively than the BOA game.

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I don’t want to take away attention from your GREAT points — but dang it, Vandegrift only has one “r.” 😅

[aaron067]

Fixed!  Dang autocorrect.