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Just wanted to put this post up to rave how amazing Hebron was this year. As a former Vandegrift alum who went there from 2016 - 2019, I have to say this was easily the greatest marching band show of all time. These kids sounded like a DCI group. I've never heard such a rich tone, powerful low brass, and technical proficiency from a high school group before and I just want to say thank you to all of the Hebron kids who just redefined how good a high school marching band can be. You've changed marching band forever and have taken this amazing art form we all love to a whole new level. You guys should feel like rockstars after performing that show and like I said before, thank you for all your hard work. You guys are the Michael Jackson's of marching band and pulled off the greatest marching band show of all time.

I'm definitely going to agree with this, we're a day or so away from watching more greatness up in Indy. I graduated from the Hebron Band 5 or 6 years ago and have kind of lost touch of the band at this point, but just seeing how happy Andy Sealy and the kids in those pinstriped uniforms were, brought back an enormous wave of nostalgia for this activity and community as a whole. I still remember hopping on these forums every once in a while after one of our competitions to see what people were saying, and so to come back and see all of these people happy that Hebron broke our curse made me super happy. Can't be thankful enough for what the Texas high school marching community has given to me in my life.

I can only hear what the box5 mics are picking up, but it sounds like FloMo was able to fix a majority of the ensemble tuning issues they were having. That performance felt just the slightest bit unstable from a timing standpoint but I have no doubt that that was the weakest performance we will see from them this weekend. What a stellar show. Also that field exit announcement script is EVERYTHING. First time hearing it and I love it so much.

Wow, FloMo!! I am blown away - they are firing on all cylinders this AM. Like a jolt of electricity and so energetic! Fantastic job!

I appreciate this sentiment, but as a Vandegrift parent with a kid who went to Grand Nats in 2019, I can honestly say that we knew darn well that if Reagan would have gone to Indy, we very well may not have won. And we were all totally OK with that. Reagan had an AMAZING show that year. We didn't see it as taking anything away from Vandy to recognize how good they were. Reagan has an amazing band program. The kids and directors in both programs (and all of these programs, really), completely support each other. I have never seen any of them sad because they "lost." Instead, they are happy for those who won. Heck, Tuesday afternoon before retreat, my kid, who is IN the Vandy band, said she hoped Hebron won because "they are really good." And that's the way it should be. As our amazing director always says, it's not about competing, it's about performing.

It is not a "tarnish" to say "had a band participated they would have a good chance at winning." Support all bands regardless, they are all phenomenal. Chill.

CTJ had a great run!

i feel that way about like ten different programs this year i don’t know if we’ll see the highest scores ever tomorrow, but we are definitely gonna be seeing some of the closest scores ever

Not entirely.... The top 22 scoring bands will have performance slots 5-26. Bands that scored 23-30 will have performance slots 1-4 and 27-30. Any band that makes semifinals as a class representative, but not on score, will perform prior to (read very early in the morning) slot 1. All class representatives will perform prior to the first band that advanced on score. Does this make sense?

Man, I just love The Woodlands. This show is so fun. Not sure if anyone is a Schitt’s Creek fan but I can hear Patrick singing “Willkommen” and Stevie singing “Maybe this time” every time they play! I’m a casual band parent (don’t know much about marching band) and I want to say Thank you to The Woodlands for keeping it fun!! Traditional marching band has its place and will usually get all the love from the judges but the fun shows are for me!!!

I have been able to watch a little bit so far. I liked what CTJ brought last night. Was my first time to see them this year. With most CTJ shows I need to see them a few times to really get into it. I can't wait to see them twice more. Great show. Marcus, I was blown away. I thought their drill was amazing (again, I am a novice and don't know anything). I'm a bit OCD, straight lines and precise shapes really please my eye, and hurt when they are off. Marcus marching was eye candy to me. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see Ronald Reagan. I am sure they put on an amazing show and I will see them in semi's Vista Ridge - great job. I want to comment more, but I was busy getting the house ready for people to come over so I was a bit distracted. What I saw and heard I really liked. FloMo - That was the best run I've seen for them so far. I could not hear any tone issues like were mentioned for UIL. ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE SUSA FEATURE!!! Let's go #TeamTexas! Bring Kevin back south for the winter.

Marcus just performed in preliminaries, I thought (through my non-expert eyes and ears) that they had an amazing performance. Their movement was crisp and looked great! It is Marcus so you know they sounded great too. Good way to open the #TeamTexas showing!

I don't know if anyone has said this yet, but I think Hebron 2021 might take the crown for best high school show. At the very least its the best music I have ever heard a high school pull off. Somehow Hebron keeps one upping themselves with this absurd music. I cannot wait to see what they do next year.

Never bet against Joni Perez. The best in the business.

I’ve been a Round Rock fan for a while, and was a massive defender of them in 2017 and 2019. But I just don’t think it happens this time. It’s not the kids—they’re doing their job and pushing hard. It’s the show. I would love to be proved wrong, but…

With a packed finals crowd and a bit of luck with the draw, the woodlands could make a serious run at this thing. Side by side with groups like BA I thought they sounded better and offered a more varied and technical guard package.

stellar - that guard is flat out on fire and the show is a blast to watch

SHARK WORLD!!! Too cute

Vista was amazing! Still a few things here and there but overall really good! Flowermound definitely had their best run yet! Definitely much fixed up from State!

After watching some of their competitors, I think Round Rock's chances are looking pretty good. DB and Wando don't seem to have cleaned up enough musically and aren't visually stunning enough to push them over Round Rock. I think the last 2 spots will be an absolute bloodbath between Fishers, Mason, and Round Rock. Maybe Brownsburg in there too, we'll see how they do tomorrow.

Yes, the times posted are EST. We are CST. I'll attach a file with the times in CST. (This is from the FMHS Parent page)

The color/texture of them is so similar to the curtain they use at LOS, I keep wondering if we’re looking at the first “meta” props. I really really dig Carmel this year.

Despite this, I was still incredibly proud after seeing the recaps (it felt as if they “made finals” to me lol). Seven Lakes just had the best season in program history and is showing signs of moving up to the top tier of bands in the state. These recaps show that finals is a very real possibility for them in the future. They’ve gone a long way since I was a freshman there in 2015.

https://imgur.com/a/hudqKr2 it’s in recap order

I actually have Marcus as my most likely medal contender from Texas, but so many people have them middle of the pack in their finals predictions (which is a crime). From what I've seen and heard, there is NO ONE that comes close to how clean they look and how sophisticated they sound. They might not be pulling out all the GE stops like FM, CTJ, and TWHS are, but their achievement is unmatched. As for BA, I was left feeling like I was missing something--not sure what just quite yet. I personally see them in the middle of the pack this year.

This seems to have been the case the past couple of years now. It's frustrating to say the least.

I feel like this is a common theme with this new direction TW has taken on in the past few years. Would love to see some more consistency for them across competitions but the risk is worth the reward!

Lots of great performances so far! I preferred Avon to Carmel on the strength of Avon's performance. I thought Avon sounded and looked pretty close to normal, which is extremely impressive. Carmel has amazing content, though, especially that music book, which I think could push them higher in the effect caption. William Mason's music performance should elevate them ahead of the rest of the finalist bubble. I thought they were one of the very best sounding groups last night. Perfect, no, but given the competition, they didn't have to be. I'm still not a big fan of the show overall, but part of that is my expectations having heard the theme before seeing the show. With a Top Gun theme, I was expecting something more fun and corny, and something more visually inventive, too. The green Air Force uniforms are cool in theory, and look good close up, but are probably a bit of a design misfire in practice. The kids are like ghosts on the field. When they took off their jackets and revealed their white shirts underneath, the show became just about a thousand times more readable from high up. I loooved Plymouth-Canton's design! I've seen the restaurant thing done before, but this was next-level. Absolutely witty and delightful. I love all the characters and amazing set pieces we're getting these days. The world of marching band has really been cracked wide open, and it's refreshing. Also, I was waiting for a customer Karen moment in the voiceovers, and PCEP delivered! All those waiters scrambling to serve her, dishes crashing onto the floor -- just brilliant! The Texas groups we've seen so far have all given great performances. I'd have all of them in finals, at least on the strength of music. Flower Mound and The Woodlands were the two that I thought were pretty all-around outstanding. For those asking, The Woodlands' music is "Overture/And All That Jazz" from Chicago, "Willkommen" from Cabaret, "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago, "Roxanne" by The Police (the version you hear in Moulin Rouge, "El Tango De Roxanne"), "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret, and "We Both Reached For The Gun" from Chicago. The fight for finals is going to be VERY intense. I thought a lot of the bubble groups were pretty close in quality.

I was sitting in a far recess of the 300 club level for a work call, and the crowd was so ON FIRE for TWHS that I heard the applause clearly, distracting me from my call and reminding me of the joy I was missing.

The music is from the musical “Cabaret”. Maybe some from Chicago too.

And Mulon Rouge

Ronald Regan- Wow! That was fantastic! I personally heard a couple of things in the high brass, but nothing they can’t clean for finals! Visually it looked amazing! Great job guys! Also- does anyone know the theme of Blue Springs show?

Lol. I love Hebron and it’s been crazy to see all the outpouring of admiration lately. But perhaps we should wait until a grand national champion is crowned before we start writing ballads of their greatness.

I have been loving Hebron since 2015 and has always thought they were tied for my favorite high school band along with my former high school band. Well, now after this marching season, I can't help but to say that they are my #1. Every year they produce some of the BEST music I would say in the world. You legit can not beat them musically, IMO. I do not know what kind of water they drink, but I want it. Hebron showed us that COVID ain't stopping them and that they are THE HEBRON HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND! Would I say its the greatest show of all time? Hmmmm I don't know. I would for sure say its WAY WAY up there. I will say the opener is the BEST! I can not wait to watch their show again at the Rose Parade and of course, can not wait to see what kind of show they want to do to top this show! Whatever it is, we all better be ready to wipe eachother's skin off our faces!

Musically I think that Marcus had an outstanding run. I think there are some areas that will be cleaned up visually come finals. Going to be a tear-jerking one in finals I bet.

I would personally say Wando is probably behind all except maybe VR and DB, but I personally think 7th is kinda to high, but may be wrong, I’d say bottom of finals, but wounds he shocked if not in finals at all. Just so man good bands this year.

Y'all, Marcus just gave a brilliant run! I love this show more and more each time I see it. They sound magnificent. In a short amount of time, it is even more polished and gorgeous than Tuesday. I love the rotating diamonds in the opener and wow, that ballad is just STUNNING - when the whole band is in the triangle and triangle is moving all together to accentuate the notes of the ballad - oh my! Also, in the closer when we see the missing piece interlock in the drill - my heart. I would be overjoyed and also not surprised if they won the Music caption or maybe the whole thing.

If (when) the UIL creates 7A, they will also have to decide if 7A will be separate division for marching band. I assume they will do so, and potentially create Division I and II for the lower classifications as well. I think the 7A classification will be at most 125 schools (i.e. roughly half the size of other classifications), and maybe even smaller. I wonder, though, if only school size is the best way to classify for marching band. The UIL has already added a state contest for military marching bands. USBands held the inaugural "Show Up and Show Out" contest this year for Traditional/Showstyle marching bands (which was won by Cedar Hill, who are an outstanding showstyle band. They got a standing ovation from the Allen crowd after their halftime show when CH visited Allen this year). Maybe it would make sense for the UIL to have three marching style state champion contest tracks (Corp, Show, and Military) instead of creating 2 divisions in each classification. I'm betting there are a fair number of high schools that are currently doing corp style shows that would change to show style if there was a UIL contest path that supported it. Like military, show style would have it's own rules/rubric. For example, the military band rubric specifies no props or electronics are allowed in the show.

Not to mention that Hebron's entire show was a technical feature and not little parts of the show LOL.

By outro, do you mean the thing the announcer reads as they are rolling everything off the field after the performance? If so, thanks for noticing and listening--I wrote that! (Rhyming something with Midwest Clinic, not so easy!)

I saw a picture of our Vandegrift uniform team (all volunteers, BTW), in the parking lot, repairing and sewing the uniform of a Cedar Ridge band member, while they were still wearing it. Love that. We're all truly one big band family.

Gang for many of you that where in Indy in 2019 with the Texas 6 pack recall, we had a gathering on Friday night to get together to watch the Flo-Marching steam of the Prelims announcements and hear that all 6 Texas Bands had advanced to Semi-Finals. We had some great alumni parents from a lot of Texas Programs and even our honorary Avon Texas band. We had the TxBands folks, Horn rank, some of the MFA/BOA staff, some band directors and even Eric Martin, then CEO of MFA/BOA came to speak with us prior to heading back to participate in the announcements. At that time the Westin had vacated a Shula's steak house and we were able to get a meeting room in that space and food/drinks at a reasonable cost, I have spoken to all of the Marriott hotels in Downtown and the cost of a room and the A/V connections have a cost requirement of more than $100 per head. so I had been working on some other options. As you know, Eric Martin stepped down last year as CEO of MFA/BOA during Covid. My wife and I have been invited to his retirement party at Lucas Oil on Friday night prior to the announcements for semi-finals. I have met Eric a few times during his trips to San Antonio and am grateful for his time to speak to our group at grand nats and feel the need to attend this event. sadly, we will not be having a Friday night event at Indy this year. I apologize as I truly enjoyed getting to meet the people behind the TXBands screen names and share our passion for marching band even after our kids are no longer in the programs. If you are in the stadium - look for our Texas Flag (5' X 8') that will hang from the suite every time a Texas band enters the field for finals - and don't forget to sing "deep in the heart of Texas" with us as they enter the field in Finals. Safe Travels to all

I will miss it for sure and I do appreciate all the efforts you have always put into this type of thing. You are a true rockstar band parent! See y’all in Lucas Oil! #teamtexas

Brazoswood was really nice!

Let’s clear up a few things: 1. Props falling down is not the students fault. A prop malfunction should never dictate whether a band advances or not. If we went by malfunction of technology or props as a metric for advancing then some of the best bands in the history of UIL or BOA would have had their seasons caught short at the region level. I believe Cedar Parks front stands all fell down during region 2019, they won state championship. Using props as an excuse for why a band should not have advanced is an absurd metric. 2. Being loud \=/ Playing Well. Being loud is not better, see Carmel 2018. Not Texas loud but with a precise crisp balance. See Vandegrift 2018, very loud but lacking in balance in their San Antonio performances (They remedied this by UIL and cleaned up enough to medal.) A group is better to be quiet but balanced than loud and drowning out the woodwinds or front ensemble of the group. Also if you “couldn’t hear the band” the judges all the way up in the prsss boxes definitely could, check your ears. 3. UIL judges rarely look at colorguard. As much of a disservice as it is to colorguards even if a band had the most flawless or horrendous colorguard it doesn’t matter. See bands where the colorguards ability slightly does overtake the band like Eastlake and you don’t really see a difference in their visual scores because of it. 4. Scores are all over the place. Let’s take a deeper look. • Frenship who you insinuate was possibly impossible to hear and a mess had every single music judge putting them in the top 2, so the judges definitely had no issues hearing them at all. •Are scores all over the place? Sure. Let’s take a deeper look. Every single band had at least 1 outlier in their scores. Sure. That is no need to so rudely and disrespectfully talk about these programs though. Your rudeness has constituted rudeness on my end. Stop talking so much unnecessary **** about band programs and spread the **** love. I’m sorry but I care about band too much to have kids potentially reading these disgusting comments. Good day.

Whoa whoa whoa! Calm your jets, Fanboy. We can't have reasoning involved here.

So many experts on here. Lol. By crying about the bands that “should’ve made it” you are also saying something to those that did advance to state. You’re just not openly saying it. Calm down. There’s a reason the judges don’t compare their score with other judges: fairness. Each judge is responsible for judging what they see and hear. Not based on “but they have always made it”. I’m sure there were many more bands that were good besides those that advanced but oh well. And for the students reading this: go practice. All region is just around the corner.

No.