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WGI Summary, Texas Groups and my Thoughts


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Firstly, congrats to our Texas groups this year, what an amazing representation for the state! There were three medalists in three classes with one champion, thirteen finalists across all six classes, and twenty one semifinalists across all six classes. Amazing representation! Texas groups placed as follows:

 

Scholastic A:

  • Leander – Champion, 99.4, record highest Scholastic A score and 3rd highest score ever recorded in WGI Guard History.
  • Keller Varsity – 6th Place Finalist, 94.275
  • Westwood – 20th Place Finalist, 86.04
  • Westlake High School – 42nd Place Semifinalist, 84.82
  • Georgetown High School – 45th Place Semifinalist, 84.585
  • Cypress Falls High School - 62ndPlace Semifinalist – 82.63
  • Katy Varsity High School
  • Clements High School
  • Keller A High School
  • Paris High School
  • Robert E. Lee High School
Independent A:
  • Black Gold A – Silver Medalist and Fan Favorite, 95.445
  • Eagle Mountain Independent – 29th Place Semifinalist, 82.74
  • ATX Winterguard
  • BriA Independent
Scholastic Open:
  • McNeil High School – 4th Place Finalist, 93.75
  • Eastlake High School – 5th Place Finalist, 93.6
  • Klein Oak High School – 18th Place Finalist, 82.8
  • Tompkins High School – 24th Place Semifinalist, 85.7
  • Cedar Park High School
  • Aledo High School
Independent Open:
  • CGT Denton – Silver Medalist, 96.9
  • Origins – 5th Place Semifinalist, 92.85
  • Spirit Independent from the University of Houston – 18th Place Semifinalist, 84.4
  • Insignia
Scholastic World:
  • James Bowie High School – 13th Place Finalist, 82.35
Independent World:
  • CGT Dallas – 4th Place Finalist and Fan Favorite Award, 95.75
  • Cypress Independent – 13th Place Finalist, 82.15
  • Black Gold – 14th Place Finalist, 81.6
  • Invictus – 22nd Place Semifinalist, 80.1
  • Redemption Guard

This is my second season following the winter guard activity, it was nonexistent up here where I am from until very recently (which is awesome to see it taking a hold up here) so my exposure was limited to say the least. I haven’t had a chance to see much live, but I’ve thankfully gotten the opportunity to watch a lot online. I’ve watched relatively a lot of indoor percussion over the years but as someone interested in visual design I thought given the presence it has in this realm of the marching and performing arts it is something I needed to be aware of. Well, it’s not just something I’m learning from, it’s something I’ve fallen in love with. I’ve always gravitated towards the visual side of things, there is something about music being expressed through visual mediums like color, equipment, dance, movement, and so much more that’s unlike anything else out there. I’m still learning what to look for in terms of technical and critical things but man, what an activity.

 

Here are some of my favorites separated into some different categories. There were over 350 performances over the last few days and I couldn’t juggle all those with school but I’ll try to touch on as many of my favorites as I can!

  • I loved Bluecoats Indoor and Juxtaposition in Independent World, FIU Winterguard in Independent Open, West Broward Tarpon Springs, Northview, and James Bowie in Scholastic World, and Eastlake in Scholastic Open for their incredible energy and insanely entertaining shows. Watching those kids and young adults having the time of their lives performing is one of my favorite things about anything under the umbrella of fine arts whether that’s marching band in the fall, DCI in the summer, or guard in the spring and man........ did these groups have FUN. Shows like these really remind me why I love this little world we’re all apart of and man I miss performing!
  • Shows like UCF Pegasus in Independent World and Independent Open, Interplay in Independent World, Shenendehowa in Scholastic World, Park Vista, Oviedo, and Tompkins in Scholastic Open made me and I’m sure many others think and be impacted in ways that can be tricky to discuss and tackle but that they did masterfully. It’s a crazy world we live in right now and being able to express stances on some of those things through art so essential and important in a society that values freedom of expression so much. It’s encouraging to see groups, both scholastic and independent, be brave and have a voice on things that are paramount in our society right now. I have so much respect for that.
  • Stories and narratives are such a tricky thing to portray in the scope of less than fifteen minutes within the marching arts let alone eight or so minutes in a gym and groups like CGT Dallas in Independent World and their counterparts CGT Denton in Independent Open, Klein Oak in Scholastic Open, and AA Stagg and Flushing in Scholastic A were enthralling in that regard. Their respective stories and characters portrayed in their various ways were so well presented and incredibly entertaining to watch.
  • While I love shows that tell an amazing story, have an important message, or are just flat out entertaining sometimes shows that are stripped back down to the essence of what the activity is and just being beautiful are so refreshing. I certainly don’t mean simple though, they challenge in sheer simultaneous skills being demonstrated, stark exposure, and requiring absolute precision to really project. I’m thinking about shows like Blessed Sacrament, Onyx, Pride of Cincinnati, and Black Gold in Independent World, Trumbull, Flanagan, and Stoneman Douglas in Scholastic World, El Dorado, McNeil, and Bentonville in Scholastic Open, Pacificaires in Independent Open, and Leander, Newsome, Keller, and so many more in Scholastic A.
Congratulations to all groups this year, one of my goals next year is to try and make it up to Dayton, and at least some Texas events to see this activity live.
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Fantastic analysis Landry! That definitely took some time and thought. I agree with you 100%. The entire competition was a feast for the eyes and the ears. Seeing and hearing it live definitely gives the entire experience more depth, as I saw in Denton last month, but watching it through our big ol tv and running the sound through our stereo was almost like being there. :) Almost...

 

My favorite part was each time the Texas kids would sing out, “The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” :D I was a little disappointed when they didn’t do that for Avon. They are adopted Texans now, after all. ❤️

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Fantastic analysis Landry! That definitely took some time and thought. I agree with you 100%. The entire competition was a feast for the eyes and the ears. Seeing and hearing it live definitely gives the entire experience more depth, as I saw in Denton last month, but watching it through our big ol tv and running the sound through our stereo was almost like being there. :) Almost...

 

My favorite part was each time the Texas kids would sing out, “The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” :D I was a little disappointed when they didn’t do that for Avon. They are adopted Texans now, after all. ❤️

I’m such a terrible drummer and follow the guard stuff more frequently now than I do percussion. It’s just so fun......

 

And I loved that to. Texas is just one big happy family. :)

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