principalagent

It's official. Between this week and last, marching band is officially way too difficult to predict. Can't remember the last time Spring missed a regular season regional and last year's bronze medalist, TWCP, missed as well. Also Oak Ridge's first BOA finals! Additionally, finals is composed of only 4A bands.

To be clear, I was writing stylistically by saying one or fewer, very well knowing that the only discrete "positive number" smaller than one is zero, to express that the Woodlands is not often allowed to miss a football game under any circumstances.

If I'm not mistaken from what I believe I've read on here in the past, TWHS's band is only allowed to miss so many football games a season - generally one or fewer. Knowing that they'll probably make playoffs and have to miss that for Grand Nationals, this would make sense as the show to miss.

I think the reason that TMC is picking up more traction is because their venue is often used for major competitions, which gets bands acclimated to the stadium. The other factor is that their sheets and scoring system better reflects BOA, which benefits bands that participate in that venue often. Apparently, that combination is working and taking market share from Westlake.

These usernames of old are amazing.

? Yes they are. They were in Area D in 2013. They're in Region 18 which feeds into Area D. Did something change in the meantime?

Dripping Springs and Connally. Medal, I wouldn't bet on both of them. Finalists? I would put money on it.

It's a shame that there are 6 almost definite state finalists in Area D and only four will advance.

That definitely happened at Area D Prelims in 2006. This was the year before I was in high school, but my older friends all said you could cut the tension in the stadium with a butter knife.

Prelims went: Cedar Park Round Rock Leander Vandegrift James Bowie for the top 5. Every band changed places. Anderson Westlake Westwood were the first three out: http://www.musicforall.org/images/PDFs/2015/Fall/RECAPS/2015_Print_Recap.pdf

They definitely did. The big tip was how Mr. Potter announced the tiebreaker procedure.

Both Round Rock and Cedar Park were dangerously close to their first regional wins tonight. Tight competitIon all around with what I'm sure is tons of flipping and interesting scoring mechanics. The race to BOA San Antonio, UIL State and Grand Nationals will be intense for all. Can't wait for full recaps.

YES LEANDER! First regional championship since 1996*!

Finals order: Cedar Ridge Hendrickson Dripping Springs Vista Ridge Churchill Round Rock Vandegrift James Bowie Cedar Park Leander

Willing to bet finals is a bloodbath considering all the caption switching in prelims, as well as Bowie's first time losing a regional class championship at Austin.

What's the status on the weather break in McAllen?

But Bowie hasn't gone yet!

The magic number would be 2267 for 9-12 to be in 4A. However, the number of people per grade tends to decline for each higher grade. Therefore, if 10-12 is <1700, then the band stays in 3A. This would likely keep Vista Ridge in 3A and bring Rouse back down to 3A. It may even keep Vandegrift in 3A, but that's less likely. Leander has an IB magnet that boosts its numbers a bit from projections, but it should still be 3A.

Which three? I know Leander and Vista Ridge are basically confirmed because they're both alerting their 8th grade parents, but who else is confirmed? Also, this will be the most competition that 3A has seen since before 4A. Because Harrison is likely not to go next year, depending on how Franklin does this year, I wouldn't be too shocked to see a LISD sweep of 3A.

This is Westlake's to lose. Westwood won't be too far behind, I imagine.

Okay, let's take a step back and breathe. Back in the day when I was in band, I remember it being very easy to get attached and emotional, especially because just about everyone holds a very high sense of pride in their program and don't want it to be undervalued and under ranked. My alma mater would always be underestimated on here or the BOA forums when I was still in high school and it didn't feel great to read, but at the end of the day, you just perform your show, and nobody but the judges and most importantly you and your bandmates can really say at the end of the day how awesome you were. Especially in such a highly competitive band district like LISD where the non-band school rivalries can be a bit vicious, this kind of close comparison isn't always fun or can feel not so great. Ultimately, watching people say "wow X really stepped it up" or "Y band put on a great show" or whatever when nobody expected it feels really great compared to just being expected to win or medal or make finals or what have you. Remember, at the end of the day, most of us on these band forums are band nerds that didn't learn how to stop caring so much after we graduated (guilty as charged). So just remember what my band director would tell me: It's just band!

Whoever uploaded this is doing God's work.

I didn't go, but a friend went and said that Leander and Vandegrift really impressed, and that Cedar Park's music was very strong. Also, there's a video from a Vandegrift rehearsal on youtube (not going to link it because I would hate for it to be taken down) and they are very sharp and their individual technique is extremely clean for September.

Cedar Park is playing the snot out of Egmont and the rest of their show. They could take music in finals at BOA Austin, let alone 3A music in prelims. The medal hunt will be pretty fierce next weekend.

There's no other way but press box 50.