2019 3A State

[bxOxAxUIL]

 

no van alstyne?

Nope, I was shocked

[jsantos107]

Nope, I was shocked

so am i omg

[cpb161]

Half of the finalists from not only the same area, but the same region, Region 4 from far NE Texas, and 4 of the top 5 were from that region. The only band not in that region that finished top 5 was silver medalist Whitesboro who is from the eastern end of DFW.

 

North East Texas is the king of small school band in Texas, it’s a shame these groups don’t do BOA... while I think they have some distance to go to become dominate in BOA 1A anyway, stepping into it would be the first start.

[Jeffrey L. Gorman]

Half of the finalists from not only the same area, but the same region, Region 4 from far NE Texas, and 4 of the top 5 were from that region. The only band not in that region that finished top 5 was silver medalist Whitesboro who is from the eastern end of DFW.

 

North East Texas is the king of small school band in Texas, it’s a shame these groups don’t do BOA... while I think they have some distance to go to become dominate in BOA 1A anyway, stepping into it would be the first start.

I think that if the costs for BOA was not as high as it is. some Bands could do it. Remember 3A Schools have between 300 and 450 students. Compare that to the 6A Schools with over 2200 students and from major population areas and you can see the difference. I agree that they do well with small enrollments and more limited financial support.  Unfortunately Money plays a big part in Bands attending contests now.

[jsantos107]

I think that if the costs for BOA was not as high as it is. some Bands could do it. Remember 3A Schools have between 300 and 450 students. Compare that to the 6A Schools with over 2200 students and from major population areas and you can see the difference. I agree that they do well with small enrollments and more limited financial support.  Unfortunately Money plays a big part in Bands attending contests now.

yeah my 4A cant compete at BOA because we dont have money

[LKendrick]

Great job to everyone, but man.  Mineola.  They good.  Really good.  Really really good.  

[cpb161]

I think that if the costs for BOA was not as high as it is. some Bands could do it. Remember 3A Schools have between 300 and 450 students. Compare that to the 6A Schools with over 2200 students and from major population areas and you can see the difference. I agree that they do well with small enrollments and more limited financial support. Unfortunately Money plays a big part in Bands attending contests now.

I think there’s still quite a few that have the resources to do BOA locally in Texas, while a nats trip would be financially strenuous, which is likely while most of the 1A bands in BOA (who mostly fall in the range of Texas 3As and smaller 4As anyway) are closer to Indy. Doesn’t mean that Texas 1A sized schools can’t try it locally to see what happens and give them and off year goal, aka, win those 1A awards at regionals.

[bxOxAxUIL]

Are results posted yet?

[jsantos107]

Are results posted yet?

yes

[Jeffrey L. Gorman]

I think there’s still quite a few that have the resources to do BOA locally in Texas, while a nats trip would be financially strenuous, which is likely while most of the 1A bands in BOA (who mostly fall in the range of Texas 3As and smaller 4As anyway) are closer to Indy. Doesn’t mean that Texas 1A sized schools can’t try it locally to see what happens and give them and off year goal, aka, win those 1A awards at regionals.

I have a serious question for you.  In your region how many of the schools are Class 1A to 3A. How many are class 4A to 6A.  I live in a Region where 40 of the 66 schools are 1A-3A. 10 are 4A,  9 are 6A, and 11 Are 5A.   How does the numbers compare.

Question 2. How far due your Schools and Bands travel to football games, both non-league and region. In my region most of the Schools in the 3A leagues travel approximately 50 to 75 miles one way for a football game. Thus a football game requires lets say three busses for a 100 member group which includes Dance Team(most small schools do not have Guard Units)  Who pays for the travel to the games. The School system does because these are UIL activities. 

Question 3. Travel to UIL Region Contest comes from the School Systems funds since it is a UIL Contest. The Band has to raise its own funds for a BOA event.  Figure just what the travel costs are.   How many students in the school take the bus to and from school. If it is a rural school, it is much more difficult to force parents to come and pick up their students at school, especially if they live 15 to 20 miles from the school. That is a real travel situation in the small schools. 

 

Question 4. What is the closest BOA event to schools in the PanHandle. Try about 150 miles one way. If it is to Odessa then make it 260 miles one way.  From Amarillo to San Antonio is 510 miles one way It is well over 150 miles from NE TX to Houston.  It would seem that none of BOA events is in these rural areas. Few schools would allow their Band to travel on Saturday to an event this distant after the students had participated in Football, Debate, Band. FAA or other activities on Friday.

 

Question 5. In the small UIL Schools it is not unusual for 50 to 60% of the Band members to also be involved in FAA, Cross Country, Drama, and other school activities taking place during the fall semester of the school year. What % of a large 6A School's Band Members are involved in other activities that require the Band to work with other school functions. I believe that big school Band Directors feel that what the Band does is the most important activity in the school during the fall. And they can force their students to choose between Band and other things.  That does not work in the small schools. 

 

Question 6 Please give me an estimate of how many Small schools can fund BOA Travel, which would include Busses, lodging, meals, and lodging for chaperones, drivers and staff. 

 

Question 7 If you have read these topics, you will have noticed about the differences in the judging contexts of BOA and UIL. If it is this much of a challenge to differentiate between these two types of judging for big schools with multiple staff such as Drill Writers,Percussion Section Leaders, Guard Staff,  how do you think small schools with one Band Director and one Assistant(who usually teaches the Middle School Band full time and HS Band is a part time job)  will be able to change things.  

 

These are some of the differences and challenges small schools in TX come into when they have to decide if they want to spend money being used for a Trip to Disney World or one to San Antonio for  a Band Contest conducted by BOA. You can guess what the kids want. I think there will be some, but not many Bands in the small classes who think attending a BOA contest is just great.   Things are just very different in Classes 1A-4A Schools.

[LostChoirGuy]

I have a serious question for you. In your region how many of the schools are Class 1A to 3A. How many are class 4A to 6A. I live in a Region where 40 of the 66 schools are 1A-3A. 10 are 4A, 9 are 6A, and 11 Are 5A. How does the numbers compare.

Question 2. How far due your Schools and Bands travel to football games, both non-league and region. In my region most of the Schools in the 3A leagues travel approximately 50 to 75 miles one way for a football game. Thus a football game requires lets say three busses for a 100 member group which includes Dance Team(most small schools do not have Guard Units) Who pays for the travel to the games. The School system does because these are UIL activities.

Question 3. Travel to UIL Region Contest comes from the School Systems funds since it is a UIL Contest. The Band has to raise its own funds for a BOA event. Figure just what the travel costs are. How many students in the school take the bus to and from school. If it is a rural school, it is much more difficult to force parents to come and pick up their students at school, especially if they live 15 to 20 miles from the school. That is a real travel situation in the small schools.

 

Question 4. What is the closest BOA event to schools in the PanHandle. Try about 150 miles one way. If it is to Odessa then make it 260 miles one way. From Amarillo to San Antonio is 510 miles one way It is well over 150 miles from NE TX to Houston. It would seem that none of BOA events is in these rural areas. Few schools would allow their Band to travel on Saturday to an event this distant after the students had participated in Football, Debate, Band. FAA or other activities on Friday.

 

Question 5. In the small UIL Schools it is not unusual for 50 to 60% of the Band members to also be involved in FAA, Cross Country, Drama, and other school activities taking place during the fall semester of the school year. What % of a large 6A School's Band Members are involved in other activities that require the Band to work with other school functions. I believe that big school Band Directors feel that what the Band does is the most important activity in the school during the fall. And they can force their students to choose between Band and other things. That does not work in the small schools.

 

Question 6 Please give me an estimate of how many Small schools can fund BOA Travel, which would include Busses, lodging, meals, and lodging for chaperones, drivers and staff.

 

Question 7 If you have read these topics, you will have noticed about the differences in the judging contexts of BOA and UIL. If it is this much of a challenge to differentiate between these two types of judging for big schools with multiple staff such as Drill Writers,Percussion Section Leaders, Guard Staff, how do you think small schools with one Band Director and one Assistant(who usually teaches the Middle School Band full time and HS Band is a part time job) will be able to change things.

 

These are some of the differences and challenges small schools in TX come into when they have to decide if they want to spend money being used for a Trip to Disney World or one to San Antonio for a Band Contest conducted by BOA. You can guess what the kids want. I think there will be some, but not many Bands in the small classes who think attending a BOA contest is just great. Things are just very different in Classes 1A-4A Schools.

To quote Taylor Swift- "YoU NeEd to CaLm DOwN"

 

I get that small schools have to face different challenges and often get overlooked in our discussions on here. I also completely understand the idea that schools may not be able to afford additional contests like BOA.

 

That said, this post, like most of the ones you have posted before, is so insufferable and condescending that the only thing you are getting anyone to see here is that you have a preconceived idea and are willing to come up with any wisp of an argument that might come close to supporting it. Honestly, if you think that having to pick up kids at the school is a valid argument for not participating in a contest, I don't know what I or anyone could say to you that wouldnt go in one ear and out the other.

 

I appreciate though that as the obvious expert on big school band programs you have decided to use your invalid opinion that big school band directors monopolize their students as fact towards your arguments.

[lost]

Still giving immense props to Whitesboro for making the trip up to Grand Nationals