Hard Core Band Fan

There is a certain point where we have so many Texas bands that we start pushing our own out of the finals, but it is nice to see a large contingent attend. I so hope we get to have a normal or near normal marching season this year. It's definitely going to be a rebuilding year for most bands.

I don't know how many of you out there know about the Disneyland All-American College Bands that perform during the summer months. I didn't until recently when a video popped up as a recommendation in Youtube. These groups are very entertaining and something I would have wanted to do when I was that age. They do a pretty good job and with a small group like this, it is very difficult to do well with everyone being so exposed. Anyway, search them out on Youtube. I attempted to place links to a couple of videos, but the links were giving security warnings in all browsers.

Oh, and I checked - at this particular competition, they were 1st place ahead of 11 high schools in Scholastic A (83.720). https://wgi.org/wp-content/uploads/wgi_events/static_scores/2020/scores_San_Diego_CG_Finals.html

This reminds me of when I was at the WGI World Championships watching the IW/SW finals. My daughter had already performed in the SO finals and we were watching the top classifications. While watching the last two SW guards (Carmel and Avon) and I sent my daughter a text asking "Do you know the difference between you and the girls performing right now?". Of course she responded with "What?" and I responded "Nothing!". The truth is that there is no difference between our middle-schoolers and the kids at Palm Desert. Their kids aren't smarter or more talented. They aren't physically more capable than our kids. But what they do have is an extraordinary situation where very talented and dedicated people draw these abilities out of these kids. I truly believe that there can be programs like this anywhere. It's up to the adults to give our youth these opportunities.

Actually, what I have seen more lately is schools that have a few 8th graders in their JV.

Cedar Park has been doing this for many years, but most schools are not going to do this as there is not staff to adequately teach the high schools and middle schools. Also, most color guard staff are not district employees and are paid by the band boosters and adding middle school staff is an expense that is harder to justify. It is actually very rare to have programs in the middle schools. It's great when they do, though, as it really helps build depth in the guard program.

Same here! I should have explained better who I was so as to avoid the horrified look on your face before you realized just who I was in the forums.

All the scores seemed correct except for Cedar Park coming out ahead of Westlake by over a point. I would have had it the other way and having Westlake ahead by maybe .250. I felt overall Westlake's performance was just a little better. However, I liked them both and am looking forward to seeing the shows at the end of the season and what they do with them. Good shows for both! I'm also looking forward to seeing Cedar Ridge's show once it it cleaned up.

I guess it was just a little to open-ended and needed to be better defined. I respect that they are taking much care with this and are protecting the artform. I still, however, don't think that adding woodwinds will hurt the artform in any way. Like I stated before, many changes have happened over the decades that have changed it drastically, but every time the corps have used the new changes in a manner that enriched the level of performance. It hasn't been a drum and bugle corps activity in a really long time.

Apparently, there was a major push-back against this change. Too bad.

Just saw that Aimachi Winds are going to be in Dayton again this year. Can't wait for that one!

Age-wise, I'm up there, but I am just as excited about the band world as I was when I was introduced to it in the early '60's. The years don't necessarily make you old, but being closed-minded, inflexible, and set in your ways sure as heck does! But that can happen at any age...

I say bring it on! I've been a corps fan since the 1970's and have seen many, many changes since then (electronics, props, front ensembles, recorded content, vocalists, 2 valves, 3 valves, concert brass, stringed instruments). And nearly every time a change is made there are arguments made that this new change is going to ruin the art form. It never does and it continues to evolve to an increasingly impressive level of performance. It happens whether or not we like the changes, so I've found that I just need to keep my mind open for the possibility that it will be really good. So far, it has been every time. Just look at how the addition of adding concert brass has changed the sound palette for the writers and arrangers and adding woodwinds will further add to that palette. And also it gives woodwind players an opportunity to participate in DCI as well on their primary instruments rather than having to play a brass instrument which many do now. I can't wait!

Probably to be more competitive. The skill level in a guard can vary greatly from year to year, especially if you lose a lot of seniors the year before or in the staff. It's typically a matter of moving to a class that is more of the same skill level so that you can more fairly compete. It's not a step down, but a step to a more appropriate class.

Yes, I corrected it and listed Reagan. It's still 6, not 7.

Unfortunately, if any more went on recent years, we would likely be pushing out other Texas bands.

We did, of course, have 6 Texas bands in the finals this year, but I got curious how many years we have sent 6 bands before. We sent six bands in 2017, 2016, 2007 (actually 7), 2006, and 2002 and we had 4 make it in 2017, 4 in 2016, 4 in 2007, 4 in 2006, and 4 in 2002. So 2013 and 2019 are our most successful years number-wise with all 5 and all 6 making the finals, respectively. And if anyone is interested, these are the number of bands we sent each year back to 1985: 1985 - 1 (Westfield) 1986 - 0 1987 - 0 1988 - 0 1989 - 0 1990 - 1 (Westfield) 1991 - 2 (Duncanville, Spring) 1992 - 0 1993 - 2 (Spring, Duncanville) 1994 - 1 (Klein) 1995 - 1 (Westfield) 1996 - 0 1997 - 1 (Richland) 1998 - 3 (Winston Churchill, The Woodlands, Haltom) 1999 - 2 (Winston Churchill, Leander) 2000 - 0 2001 - 2 (LD Bell, Richland) 2002 - 6 (SFA, The Woodlands, Winston Churchill, Reagan, Haltom, Spring) 2003 - 3 (Westfield, Reagan, LD Bell) 2004 - 2 (SFA, The Woodlands) 2005 - 3 (Reagan, LD Bell, Richland) 2006 - 6 (LD Bell, The Woodlands, Winston Churchill, Bowie, Cypress Falls, Connally) 2007 - 7 (LD Bell, The Woodlands, SFA, Richland, Reagan, Clearbrook, Mabank) 2008 - 3 (LD Bell, Colleyville Heritage, Hidalgo) 2009 - 5 (LD Bell, Marcus, The Woodlands, Bowie) 2010 - 4 (LD Bell, SFA, Cedar Park, Winston Churchill) 2011 - 3 (The Woodlands, CTJ, Spring) 2012 - 2 (Bowie, Reagan) 2013 - 5 (The Woodlands, Round Rock, Marcus, LD Bell, Cedar Ridge) 2014 - 2 (Flower Mound, Wakeland) 2015 - 5 (Hebron, The Woodlands, Round Rock, Keller, Keller Central) 2016 - 6 (Cedar Park, Leander, Reagan, CTJ, Bowie, Whitesboro) 2017 - 6 (Marcus, Flower Mound, The Woodlands, Round Rock, Winston Churchill, Prosper) 2018 - 1 (Prosper) 2019 - 6 (Vandegrift, Hebron, Leander, CTJ, The Woodlands, Round Rock)

Death Becomes Her by James Horner, Promise of the Rainbow and Godspeed by Steve Melillo are the pieces used in this production.

If you can, use a Roku device and the Flosports app. The quality of the stream is better and without the Rocket Mortgage ads. At least for now.

Also congratulations to The Woodlands for their 10th Grand National Finals appearance! This breaks their tie with LD Bell with 9. An incredible feat for both of these bands. 10 89.20 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2013 3 96.05 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2010 2 95.25 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2009 2 96.50 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2008 1 96.10 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2007 2 96.35 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2006 3 95.60 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2005 5 93.00 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2003 4 95.85 L.D. Bell H.S., TX 2001 8 91.20 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2019 7 91.83 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2017 6 93.70 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2015 1 96.80 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2013 4 93.25 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2011 7 92.50 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2009 4 92.10 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2007 4 94.15 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2006 7 92.20 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2004 8 87.35 The Woodlands H.S., TX 2002

And on the stage, as well.

Key Poulan did the arranging. Don't know the source material.

I went there way back when it was East Texas State University. Long ago...

In CST: 5:15am Milford H.S., OH 5:30am Norton H.S., OH 5:45am James Madison H.S., VA 6:00am Beechwood H.S., KY 6:15am Bourbon County H.S., KY 6:30am Greenfield Central H.S., IN 6:45am Estill County H.S., KY 7:00am Chattahoochee H.S., GA 7:15am Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park, MI 7:30am Panther Creek H.S., NC 7:45am North Hardin H.S., KY 8:00am Forest Hills Schools, OH 8:15am Fishers H.S., IN 8:30am BREAK 8:45am BREAK 9:00am Miamisburg H.S., OH 9:15am Marian Catholic H.S., IL 9:30am Round Rock H.S., TX 9:45am Homestead H.S., IN 10:00am Carmel H.S., IN 10:15am Park Vista H.S., FL 10:30am Union H.S., OK 10:45am William Mason H.S., OH 11:00am Leander H.S., TX 11:15am Hebron H.S., TX 11:30am Centerville H.S., OH 11:45am Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX 12:00pm EXHIBITION: Missouri State University 12:15pm BREAK 12:30pm Vandegrift H.S., TX 12:45pm Rockford H.S., MI 1:00pm James F. Byrnes H.S., SC 1:15pm Avon H.S., IN 1:30pm The Woodlands H.S., TX 1:45pm Harrison H.S., GA 2:00pm Ayala H.S., CA 2:15pm Brownsburg H.S., IN 2:30pm Lawrence Township, IN 2:45pm Jenison H.S., MI 3:00pm Lakota West H.S., OH 3:15pm Lake Hamilton H.S., AR 3:30pm Ben Davis H.S., IN 3:45pm EXHIBITION: Texas A&M Univ. – Commerce

One word - Tradition. Seems to get worse each year, though.