Hard Core Band Fan

For anyone watching this competition for the first time - especially from out of state - may be wondering why this super regional is hyped so much up until Keller performed. After that, it is very clear why the finals here is so damned hard to make. Many good bands will not make this finals and honestly, it's not a loss for them at all. There are just not enough finals spots to accommodate the large group of fine bands at this show. I don't even have a dog in this hunt and I am still nervous as heck watching it!

The $12.50 per month rate is only available if you subscribe for a year. It's the best deal, really. You get BOA, WGI, and DCI events all for $12.50 month.

We could tell by your accent!

Whatever dirtiness you are seeing from Carmel will not be there by the Grand Nationals. I would say the same for Avon. However, I think both of them can possibly be beaten by Hebron or Vandegrift. Especially by Vandegrift.

Nope. Haven't heard Carmel yet.

Wheaton North's trumpet/flugelhorn soloist was amazing! She played like a professional. It's been many years since I've been this impressed with a high school musician. Wow!

Good job, Coppell. See you in the finals! Looking very much like top half.

I have a Johnson City - Midland - Orlando synchronized schedule if anyone is planning to jump around contests: Johnson City-Midland-Orlando Schedule - 10-12-19.pdf

No, this result was correct for today. There were very clear reasons why today's performance was not good enough to make the finals. They are capable of doing better and I hope they will in the coming weeks.

Typo on my part. I meant to state 1/3 of the finalist. I think Round Rock will once again make the finals.

This should be an exciting regional with likely 1/3 of this year's Grand National finalists performing. If the Dallas and Houston bands start to come here in the future, this could rival San Antonio (on a smaller scale) with the difficulty in making the finals. Much fewer bands in contention, but also 2 less spots in the finals. Edit: I changed this to 1/3 of the finalist. I meant to put this originally, but totally missed it when proofreading.

I wouldn't count anyone out of contention that has made the Grand Nationals finals 3 times. Programs sometimes have slumps, so they could surprise us all this year. I personally like come-backs.

Santa Clara Vanguard just recently released their show design and the musical works for the 2019 season. I immediately Googled the pieces listed to see what they might be putting on the field and have to say that I was floored by the sheer technical difficulty of the first two works on the list. "Fraternity" by Thierry Deleruyelle and "Audivi Media Nocte" by Oliver Waespi are both European brass band pieces that I have never heard before and are two of the most spectacular works that I have ever heard. I also love the instrumentation of the brass bands that use cornets instead of trumpets, altoniums (alto horns) instead of French horns, and also use flugelhorns. Whatever parts of these pieces that they decide to use are likely to be very effective and also likely to be some of the most challenging music ever fielded by a DCI corps. The third piece listed is "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica which has great potential as a ballad and is hauntingly beautiful. Fourth is original music by Paul & Sandi Rennick which could very interesting as well. I have links below to examples of the pieces. Please let me know what you think about their choices. Enjoy!

It's a totally different experience going without kids in competition. I went twice with my daughter competing and once without, and it was much more enjoyable without all the pressure of the outcome. I plan on going again next year just to watch and enjoy.

The only politics I've seen doesn't involve Texas schools. Even then, there isn't anything close to the politics in Texas with UIL. It's a tradition here.

And how many bands did the other judges clearly knock out of the finals?

If I may weigh in on the Round Rock and judge 5 issue, these are my thoughts: 1) Although I was disappointed for Round Rock at first, and my kids went there at one time, I know the staff and kids have moved on. It was a bad thing for them and is something they will have to live with. I am not going to tell them in any way that it doesn't matter as it certainly does matter. 2) I know judge 5. I know what kind of person he is/was and I know his past as a director and judge. All I am going to say is I am not the least bit surprised. I will stop at that and will say that he did what he was hired to do - give his assessment of the bands that he judged. I am in no way saying that he was correct, but UIL chose to hire him and paid him. They knew his past as well. One other thing - there were other issues with his comments that could easily be regarded as trivial, heavy-handed, and inconsistent as well. 3) What really bothers me is the fact that a) one judge was allowed to dictate the placement of one band far beyond what the other 4 did and the fact that in the end, almost no one outside of the affected band program cares about this, including UIL. The fact that the judging system doesn't have a safeguard in place to keep a judge that is significantly different than the other 4 (20 places in this case) from having that much of an influence should be a serious concern of every band director, student, and band parent or fan. I don't care who this happens to, I don't want to see it happen to anyone! This is a flaw in the system and needs to be addressed for ALL bands who compete in this arena. If this isn't allowed to happen, then the problem no longer exists. The rules can be changed to deal with this in fair and appropriate way. And that brings me to what really bugs me most of all - why this isn't likely to change. First, the people who made the finals don't care about this. It didn't affect their placement and it either didn't or never has happened to them so why go to bat for some band that they are in competition with who was less fortunate than them? No issue for them at all. Second, the other bands that didn't make the finals don't care about this. They didn't make it anyway so why would they care about one band that ended up ahead of them didn't make it? Big deal, they should just be happy to be as far up as they were, right? Third, the band directors that didn't compete this year or don't ever make it to State don't care about this. Doesn't affect them, either. Not their pain, not their problem. Fourth, UIL doesn't care. This band wasn't one of the very top bands and they know no one will even comment or complain about it. Nothing for them to do. Fifth, there is no accountability for the offending judge. No one questions him or her ever and there isn't even a discussion about it. Check written, deposited, and spent like there was never an issue at all. He or she is ready to judge again and likely will. I think it is a shame that this can still happen again and could once again be allowed and forgotten. This judge will very likely be hired again and the potential for this to happen again not only exists, but is likely as well. Sadly, no one really cares enough to do anything about it. At least there are not enough of us who do and are willing to try.

There is a huge difference in the quality of GN finals bands this year, especially in the bottom half. It is very likely that not one of the bottom six would make finals in San Antonio.

I have to agree with you on this one. Bursts of excitement like this make special memories for the artform. Kind of like Santa Clara in the finals in 1992 (I think it was 1992) when they completely surprised everyone with the bottle dance at the end. Nobody knew it was coming and the crowd went absolutely crazy and was on their feet as soon as they realized what was happening. You couldn't even hear the corps they were cheering so loud. That was something I will never forget and was one of the greatest moments in DCI history. Imagine if everyone just stayed in their seats. Also, we wouldn't want to take that great emotional moment away from the Vista Ridge parents and fans. We all wish for those moments for ourselves.

Most inappropriate post of all time. All respect for you gone...

Yep, after hearing them again, I still feel that Seven Lakes was underscored at BOA SA. It's the only score that I really disagreed with there.

Hard to take this one seriously. I guess you threw the biggest tantrum, used the meanest words, and used more caps. You win...

Another result of growing up is to realize that others have opinions that you may not agree with, but that they do have a have a right to express them. People who care express it in different ways - some with tough love and others with encouragement. Just because you disagree with someone doesn't make you right and them wrong. You both have great concern for the same thing. Remember that.

I hope that rather lash out at you, that people in this program will understand that you are very concerned and want the best for your former band. Despite what others may say, as a former participant, you do have the right to express your opinion here. Also, sometimes being honest is the only way to bring on real change. No one wants to see any program struggle to stay in the mix and you are obviously really concerned for them. I hope it will be taken that way. It should be.

Not sure I would leave Seven Lakes out of the mix. They were the standout band until late in the day.