Rubisco

To respond to a few of the previous posts: First, sorry about the Hebron videos getting removed! That may have been my fault for alerting people to them. Second, if Leander wins GE, there's no way in heck they're placing as low as 5th. 3rd place is probably the lowest I've seen a GE winner place, and it's always shocking. Lastly, I'd be a little bit surprised if Hebron is placed first by any of the three visual judges (Individual Performance, Ensemble Performance, and GE), though I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them place first in both overall Music Performance and Music GE, which is more than enough to win the contest (60% of a band's score).

Music GE - Before a band can score high in effect, the band better be performing its show at a high level. This goes for both music and visual GE. There's a common misconception that GE is all about design and not about performance. This is nonsense. We're talking about music educators here. Part of general effect is being entertained by a performance, and a bunch of people with music degrees and/or vast experience in music education won't be entertained by a poorly performed show, no matter how brilliantly-designed it is. Among the things a music GE judge should address: communication of a show theme, flow from one movement to the next/coherence, are the kids connecting with the audience through the performance/"selling" their show (audience response could actually be considered), and originality/creativity. A music GE judge might also remark on the demand of a show and the level of accomplishment. Visual GE - Like with music GE, you better be performing your show at a high level if you want to get a high visual GE score. Important considerations include: communication of the show theme, how well does the visual package fit/enhance the musical package (don't want these judges blindfolded), are the kids selling the visual package well, and originality/creativity. Note that the flashiest drill isn't always the most effective drill, especially if the music doesn't call for it. Of course, the overriding consideration is if the judge is entertained, which, again, is a combination of performance and design variables. I'm doing this from memory, so it's possible I'm leaving some things out. After years of being baffled, I'm at the point where GE is more intuitive. It comes with experience.

Your 2014 BOA SA Adjudication Panel Music Scott Atchison Carl Bly Chip Crotts Allan Kristensen Paul McGarr Steven Page Ken Snoeck Jay Webb Visual Lee Carlson John Howell Kyle Miller Chris Moss Tim Ochran Jeff Young If anyone knows the specific prelims/finals assignments, feel free to post them!

Watching Hebron's area finals performance, I could see how visual performance might have cost them a little bit. It's not quite as clean as I would have expected. Also, I agree that the ending seemed a little abrupt, though you have to remember that this is UIL, where bands are limited to 8 minute performances. I wouldn't be surprised if there's extra stuff that Hebron adds for BOA San Antonio.

For the record, I'm not predicting the other placements yet because I work from the top down, and I don't have the top figured out!

I also want to add that I think Reagan was low-balled at Conroe and could place considerably higher than expected.

My 200th post will be completely wrong predictions for the top 6 at this Saturday's BOA contest. (Go Leander!) I've tried to watch the most recent videos of groups possible, and I just saw the Area F contest live. For those of you that are interested, there's a video of Hebron's Area finals performance already up on YouTube. Just search for "Hebron Nix". Great video and great performance. If I get a chance to watch the SA finals stream in its entirety, I'll be sure to update these predictions with ones that are much more accurate and complete. Hahaha. I certainly don't feel all that confident! 1st Leander 2nd The Woodlands 3rd Hebron 4th Claudia Taylor Johnson 5th Marcus 6th James Bowie Outstanding Music Performance - Hebron Outstanding Visual Performance - The Woodlands Outstanding General Effect - Leander Recent videos of Leander, Hebron, and Marcus are available on YouTube, but there really isn't anything recent for the other three. I just saw The Woodlands live, so that leaves CTJ and James Bowie as my "wild cards". The Woodlands' show has changed... uh... a lot since Conroe. Another very avant garde show brought to you by the guy that brought you Star '91, Blast!, and the Bluecoats' Tilt show. To paint a picture: the arrow props that spin and are moved around on the field are now painted magenta on top, which looks so much better than the blue (I think) they were colored before. The band begins in the endzone in body-sculpted chaos. As a pre-recording of Radiohead's Everything in Its Right Place plays, the band creeps out onto the field LD Bell 2006-style, Broken Arrow 2012-style and the arrow props that are already out on the field begin to spin chaotically. The opening set congeals, and after the announcer finishes, the band begins with The Canyon, now with added movement. Speaking of added movement, it's all over the place-- typical for late-season Woodlands. Even transitions into certain drill sets, like into the arcs of the ballad, have been made to look more "chaotic" with added movement. Even so, the show is clean. (I only see Bowie possibly challenging them in the visual caption, though who knows.) Big musical hits have also been modified. For example, they now end the opener with 3 power chords in what is clearly a homage to last year's show. They've also added some brass parts to the opener that I think were previously only played by a synthesizer. Throughout the show, Thom Yorke's distorted voice from EIIRP pops up in a way that's effectively disorienting. The band itself sounds great, very controlled, loud, though I'd prefer even a little bit more volume and energy. The enormous 50+ member guard is extremely well-integrated into the show, demonstrates a variety of skills, and is probably better than it has been since 2007. Unlike your typical Wes Cartwright show, they don't abuse the flag ocean, saving it only for the powerful last statement of the show. Anyway, my head says The Woodlands (or *maybe* Hebron) will win on Saturday, but my heart says Leander. So, I'm going with my heart, though I reserve the right to change my opinion when I realize that I've placed everything in its wrong place.

The finals rankings seem pretty accurate to me based on what I've seen. Bowie is performing their show at a very high level. I wonder what cost them 1st place in prelims.

They probably will. BOA SA is more of a State Contest than UIL State is anyway. At the very least, all class sizes compete against each other, and, like UIL, it typically attracts the very best in the state.

This doesn't necessarily have to do with the judging at this contest (obviously I wasn't there), but one thing I like about BOA is that if the judges put a group in 1st that I wouldn't have put in first place myself, the group that's named the champion is almost always a close-second in my mind. I can't say the same for UIL judging. Frankly, I gave up on making sense of UIL judging a long time ago. I will probably never go 8 out of 10 at placement predictions at a UIL contest like I did at BOA Conroe last year. It's just too inconsistent. The ordinal system is also just flat-out antediluvian. Anyway, sorry. I know this happens just about every year when UIL rolls around.

So, that means Hendrickson dropped from 1st to at least 8th place?

I was at the contest. A little bit surprised by B-wood and College Park not making it to state, but it is what it is. Also surprised The Woodlands didn't come out on top. I think their show is absolutely fabulous. Maybe the Radiohead and the props were a bit much for some of the older members of the audience... ahem... Anyway, great jobs by all! Congratulations to Friendswood. It was an awesome show!

Yikes. Those are some... uh.... interesting placements. Curious about the finals results.

No LD Bell is the biggest shocker of all the Area results. I would've guessed Hebron ahead of Marcus, even at UIL, though it's not anything terribly surprising. Given UIL's vast judging inconsistencies, I wouldn't be surprised to see those two placements reversed at State.

Thank you. I'm not sure I would be so harsh about the whole "beating the reigning champion" response. I can't really blame them. I'd be thrilled, too. It was a big upset. Besides, it seems like the two programs have a very good relationship, considering TWHS invited CTJ to their band hall and whatnot. I wouldn't read into it too much.

Honestly, last year, I didn't think Hebron would win going into it. I predicted a Woodlands win the night before the competition (pretty much the whole season, actually). It wasn't until the competition itself that I thought Hebron might have a shot, because I was way more impressed by the show than I was at Conroe, where I saw it live. That, and also the prelims results were uber bizarre, which led me to think I wouldn't see eye to eye with the judges. I ended up being right in the end, though just barely. That's also why I'm more cautious this year. Things can surprise you.

The Bowie at this competition is not the Bowie that always makes state finals.

I agree with Decent Trumpet. The Woodlands, Spring, College Park, Brazoswood, Friendswood, Pearland, and Dawson are what I'd call the favorites to advance. Sort of off topic, but I chuckled when I saw the judging panel. Not because they're bad or anything. Quite the contrary. They're all extremely experienced and accomplished. It's just that, I mean, all but one is 60+ years old. And the one that isn't 60+ is 56. A couple are almost 70. It just sort of reinforces the stereotype of UIL judges being a bunch of old, retired white guys. Hahaha.

Thanks. Maybe what I'm reading as sparseness was done on purpose. I guess it would sort of make sense, given the whole "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it" thing.

For anyone that has seen Bowie more recently, have they added any props to their visual package since BOA Austin? There's a sparseness to the way the drill is written that suggests that there might be props that weren't made in time for the regional.

Going through the more recent videos, I actually think Leander could win the San Antonio Super Regional. They are unbelievable in that UIL video. What a wonderful show. I love how they use one of the progressions in Rocky Point Holiday to segue into Over the Rainbow at the end. It is so unexpected. Brilliant, brilliant stuff, and a really rousing closer to what was already a great show. Also, based on these videos, I'd be very surprised if Hebron or Marcus take the visual caption. (I guess that means I should replace Marcus as a nominee for the visual caption with Leander or a different group.) Then again, I'm going almost entirely on ensemble performance and not individual performance. Plus, they've got time to clean. It's not like it's the most desirable caption anyway. You just don't want it to cost you a win, which I know has happened to Marcus in the past (2006).

Yep. Both LD Bell and Broken Arrow were Wes Cartwright bands for much of the 2000s. He no longer works with LD Bell, though still works with Broken Arrow and William Mason. I actually prefer William Mason's show this year to Broken Arrow's. BA's show this year is more reminiscent of some of their stranger shows, like 2009's Raptor show, which placed 6th at nationals, I believe. This year's Face Me show is very well-performed, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and that could hurt them in the hunt for the Eagle.

I'm basing it solely on those two performances. It is quite close, though. I'm pretty confident the demand of Hebron's music will put them on top. The other two captions are more difficult to predict.

Knox, I agree with most of it. I think Hebron will win the music caption. Right now, it's the caption I feel most confident about. I think the difficulty/accomplishment ratio will give them the edge in it, although I think Bowie might actually be producing the better quality ensemble sound. Bowie will (or at least should) be up there in both performance captions. That's also why I would give the edge to Bowie over Leander going into the competition, because I have a strong feeling that Bowie will score moderately higher in performance-- more than I think Leander could beat them in GE, but anything is possible. GE is a pretty powerful thing in BOA! I watched the videos of CTJ's performances before The Woodlands' performances. In finals, this was the exact order, though in prelims, The Woodlands had the benefit of performing last, well after CTJ performed in the morning. CTJ's performance in finals was extremely passionate, loud, and energetic. In comparison, The Woodlands seemed anemic. Also, the effect of the ballad was demolished by the failed electronics. Anyway, I actually think you have it backwards with regard to TW's Music GE being stronger than the Visual GE. If I recall correctly, John Howell, who, by the way, was probably the most veteran BOA visual judge on that panel, had TW first in visual GE over CTJ by more than a point in prelims. In fact, it's where TW generated most of the point gap they had over CTJ in prelims. I think TW's music book is wonderful, but they need a passion transfusion in their performance if they want to take GE at San Antonio. This is why I'm giving the edge to CTJ right now. Music counts for more of the score. The Woodlands does, however, have history on its side. For at least a decade, it seems like they've added at least 10 points to their early regional score. Plus, they always beat one or more groups that beat them at the early regional, which would have to be CTJ this year.

Here are my thoughts on what I called the "Top Threats to the Top Five", as requested. Flower Mound. For some reason, I thought this group was doing a bunch of Samuel Barber music, though it turns out that it's only their ballad that is by Samuel Barber. Anyway, their show this year is by far the best they've ever done. It opens calmly with concert French horns, and then it floors you, typical Texas GN finalist style, with a wall of sound. If I recall correctly, it then segues into Torke's Javelin. There's something about the calm and deliberate way that they play Javelin that reminds me of their neighbor, Marcus. The drill, while not extremely fast moving here, is also reminsicent of Marcus in its level of sophistication. I also love their color palette this year. Lots of purples and pinks and whatnot that look great on the green of the football field. The white columns from last year are put to good use, producing beautiful tapestries pulled out onto the field. The bassoons in the box during Barber's Violin Concerto is like a cherry on top, a little gift for the audience. (Careful with that double-reed intonation, though!) It's like a purple flower opening up on the field. I expect FM to comfortably make finals at Grand Nationals this year. Best of luck to them! L.D. Bell. What is there to say about L.D. Bell, really? They're one of the most consistent groups in the state of Texas, and until recently, they were the best marching band in the state. While the level of the performance might not be what it was a few years ago, that's not saying all that much, because a few years ago they were the best. Their show this year, Vertical Meditations, has a creepy, Hollywood movie aesthetic to it. In parts, the guard and band seem to worship ladders. The general feel of the show is mysterious, dark, and gloomy. The audience is lulled into the nightmare with a very beautiful, but eerie flute solo-- something which seems to have become an L.D. Bell trademark. I love how the somewhat minimalistic, tango-like woodwinds in the opener give rise to pointed trombone attacks and glissandos. Even more, I like how all of this music is reflected in the visual package. Leander. Who would have guessed that this group would have done as spectacularly well at BOA Austin as they ended up doing? Their show this year is just so far beyond what I expected from them that it's breathtaking. The opening drill is a masterclass in how less can sometimes be much, much more. It fits the music perfectly. The entire opener has a very suggestive feel to it, as if to indicate that something great is on the way. That's when they hit the ballad, which is far and away the best ballad of the year. Yes, it was sort of creepy of me, but I immediately looked up Leander's All-State results from last year to see if they had a clarinetist make it, because that clarinet solo is just an absolute wonder. The tone quality, the complete warmth of it, the way the phrases are perfectly contoured. Julliard, I say! Julliard! The ballad actually made my eyes get a *little* wet. That's a pretty powerful thing, especially since I was watching a video recording of it and not a live performance (and I'm not a terribly sentimental person). Anyway, Leander is my top pick for top threats to the top 5. When you see them, you'll understand why. Round Rock. Top Five Grand National Finalist last year. If anything, that tells you to never rule out Round Rock from hitting a home run late season. I think in the early season video I saw of them, I mentioned something about there could be a bit more clarity in their sound. Round Rock is very much an exciting, wall-of-sound kind of band. They are in no need of energy or excitement, though a little more control would be a welcome late-season development. They open with Arabian Nights from Aladdin, which I found to be super charming and should thrill all the Disney lovers out there. They segue into The Wind and the Lion, and very quickly everything is fast, exciting, and Lassiter-esque. I absolutely love when they pull the Persian rug out onto the field. It's such an unexpected visual moment. I know some people criticize bands when their props don't do much but sit there, but I would argue that any prop, regardless of whether or not it's a cardboard cactus or a rocket ship that shoots off into the air, completely changes the visual balance of a program. For instance, I think Hebron's props added a ton of visual effect to their show, especially since it's clear that the drill was written with them in mind. It's all about that balance, and Round Rock understands this.