Hard Core Band Fan

This group is so fun to watch. I really like the music choices, especially What Is Hip.

It's every bit as exciting as going to the Grand Nationals.

Could be. And the phone call hijacked the sound on the laptop? Either way, I hope it doesn't happen again for the performer's sake. Although, I have seen a phone used in a pinch when the mp3 had an issue.

But didn't the guard provide their music on the phone? Seems to have too many layers of complexity and too many points of failure. I bet it is resolved going forward.

Pure colorguard.

Gonna be impressive when the dirt is removed.

A lot to like about the Georgetown show.

Should be interesting to see once they clean it up.

And the list?

So what is the official count of Texas bands attending so far?

Still, the Grand Nationals is a different competition and if you've never been there before, you will be at a disadvantage to the ones that have. Also, much can change between San Antonio and there.

I would think this would be a hard decision at this point considering how many potential finalists from Texas are already committed to attend.

Or the IRA?

I always get amused when people get excited and want more Texas bands to attend the Grand Nationals. Typically anything more than 6 would mean that there would likely be Texas bands that will miss the finals. But if Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs don't attend, that may create an opportunity for more than 6 to make it. I'd love to see a new record of 7 or 8.

Thanks for this info. These students are amazing. When I see people performing at such an unexpected level like this it just reinforces my belief that most of our limitations are in our minds.

Someday you'll miss those screaming girls! Wish I could watch my now grown adult daughter compete just one more time.

Lucas Oil and downtown Indianapolis were specifically set up for the Grand Nationals. I can't think of another city that is more logistically appropriate for it. Where else do you have indoor facilities where you can practice and warm up that is large enough to fit an entire football field? If I remember correctly, there are four rooms that big. And the acoustics are much better as well.

So "hoopla" in the forums from people who don't know the difference makes it a fact? What training or advanced knowledge do you have that the judges obviously did not have? Liking one band over another band does not make their score higher. There is a technical reason that a band receives the score that they do. Maybe you should leave this to the experts.

I saw them and every other band at that competition and thought both scored where they should have. Like them both, as well, but thought they were scored appropriately.

Nope, just aware of how things work and have worked since way back. Never agreed with most of it and never participated in any of it. There are many things I know that I wish I didn't. And thanks for the wish of my death. Shows great character. By the way, I wish the opposite for you.

Or it could be that I know things about the band world you just don't know. I've been around the music education scene since the 1960's. I speak from a point of fact. You are, however, welcome to your opinion even when incorrect.

No disagreeing with anything you've said, but just saying I've not seen it be a problem so far.

I thought that might be a problem when they first implemented the two panel system, but to be honest, I have never seen a band not make finals that should have. Even though the competition is brutal at this venue, I still see enough scoring space between bands to see clear choices made for the finals. I think people get caught up with personally liking a band that didn't make the finals more than they liked the bands that did. I just judge their making the finals by how their performance was able to score in each category and them actually earning their spot. I know it's hard as we all have biases. But if they have earned it, they have earned it.

This is not going to happen until a lot of people in power in the band world in UIL die off. There is a very long history of the old boys club that has run the UIL side and there are certain programs in Texas that have been protected by them. As long as those people are still running things, this judging system will stay in place. BOA judging has an element of this as well, but not nearly as bad and is much better and more consistent than the UIL system. Also, the UIL system was not designed for corps style bands. It was designed for military style bands. It has been slightly modified, but is still not ideal for modern bands.

Used to be worse when Westlake and Leander ISD schools were in it!