QuadraticBeats

So many new high schools... give Texas a few years and we'll start to look like California, ugh... It's not that I don't like the people in California or any such thing- rather, it's just there is TOO many people.

Okay, so while all of the members of the 5A bands are getting excited about next year, I thought it'd be great if anyone in 4A bands wanted to talk about what they know of their band's plans for the next year. As for my school, Vista Ridge High School, from Cedar Park, Texas... I'm not gonna say anything about our marching show except that it's based off of some hymnals. I will say that we have a new drill writer (hoping that he knows what he's doing better than our last), that some sections of our band may double in size, our drumline (at our school, we consider both the pit and battery in this term) is looking to be quite good and possibly are going to march out close to the maximum we can have in battery and pit, if the players are found suitable to do so by the time we audition. Another thing about our percussion- this is the first year that we actually have had the same director from the previous year in our school's history, so it's a cool thing- plus, he, having been in the 2001 Cadets pit, is logically the one writing our front ensemble parts- I'm not sure what role he has in the battery writing. To add further to this nice pre-season setup, our guard finished 2nd place in the state in WGI this year, only missing 1st place in their class by 0.1 points (I'm an ignoramus when it comes to colorguard techinicalities except that flags and rifles thrown at the same time are a good thing, so feel free to enlighten me).

Hey, I'll be the door guard for the spectator entrance for my first shift... and then I'll be just holding the door open for units that have finished their performances. I'd like to see you all.

I don't care who goes to Grand Nationals, just as long as a Texas band wins first! And if not, then at least we tried. I think it'd be cool if an underdog with the odds against them won, also.

DCI must stay pure! The infidel woodwinds must be barred from using their instruments in Drum Corps! Okay, I said that just for the sake of saying it, but I think woodwinds just don't belong in a Drum and BUGLE corps. There are a few pipe bands... an even more obscure activity. As for woodwinds themselves, I think it depends on the player. Jazz flutes sound awesome. Bamboo flutes sound awesome. Sax solos are freaking awesome. A good double reed is awesome. Clarinets, in particular Jazz (again), is awesome. It really depends on the player and the music being played with regards to my like of woodwinds. I just absolutely hate some woodwind parts and love others. And yes... I know I posted twice on this thread.

Is it just me, or is fresh trash a very popular piece for percussion ensembles here in Texas?

Is there anywhere I can see the shows of the bands that made 4A state finals for free?

Sorry... I was in a really bad mood that day. My bad. And I'm marching trinity now, having found it to be quite good. Funny how that kind of stuff comes around to bite you back.

I tried out and was offered a position on the tenor line, which I took. We still have a bunch of open spots (particularly contra/euph, bassline, and pit), though, and we're having a January camp where we're accepting new members. Here's their site, with more information on the Corps. http://www.trinitydbc.org

I wanted to, but then the crossmen camp was cancelled. Then I did research into division II and division III corps, and I'd barely missed auditions for most of those, except Trinity (which I'm now a member of). I came to the realization that it really wasn't the "Division I" class which would necessarily be the best to the advancement of my playing abilities, but the instructors. As far as I know, the only corps in all of DCI that still has open spots is Trinity, a corps that is putting out its first competitive show this year in the Division III category. It put on its first show (exhibition) last year... basically, it's a brand new corps.

We have drill using too many people to cut anyone at this point in our band program's development... I think my class is going to see the first particularly good and competitive season our senior year, though next year will still probably be good. I think the whole amount of cheering our little band on by Cedar Park and Leander is just funny... though I appreciate it, I still find it demeaning in that it seems that we're treated as the... "cuter?" band, and not a competitor. Or maybe we have a generally friendly relationship between the schools, at least in band. I prefer a perhaps 180-220 size band, or smaller if it can work that way. Enough size to cover the field, but still have individual movements high... not just how many steps you take.

I think along the same lines there...

It's definitely exceptional, that's for sure... But can your band really experience the closeness possible in a smaller band? Well... you do spend every day in a given band, but still... It's just really, really weird. If we combined all the high school bands in our district (Cedar Park, Leander, Vista Ridge (my school)), we'd probably have roughly the same number as your school. But WHY would anybody in their right mind continue to operate a 4500 person high school... the administrative issues must be staggering. It must make our school facility look like a house to a mansion. Our school is very nice, and covers alot of ground, but isn't very dense, like Cedar Park. Leander is in between this arrangement, but lower in facility quality. Ours has a shiny aluminum roof, and looks really nice from far away. In summer, though, it can be a cause of temporary blindness. The population is staggering to somebody who goes to a relatively large 4A, but not very close to 5A, three year school (freshmen, sophomores, juniors), and next year we will finally have four classes. The seniors will still be really small, though... there's only 10-20 (juniors, to-be seniors) in our band, and the ones in the drumline aren't even the best percussionists. They are arguably the best wind players, with a few exceptions.

That's unfortunate... well, there still is a chance that they won't have enough people even after this second camp, and you might be able to squeeze in. I don't really know, though. I do have AIM, but I never use it. I am still probably going to do Trinity (first off, travel issues for other corps, second, I have a friend in our snare line who joined them, and they won't be having to compete in division II and most notably against Arizona Academy... which is staffed with a bunch of ex-blue devils, a juillard pit instructor (sorry if I butchered Juillard's name... since they don't have marching percussion, they're not my goal of a school however good they are... too many rich people also. Maybe I'm just being arrogant about being a middle class kid, but oh well), ex-vanguard, and one or two who worked at some time with Cavvies, Regiment, Cadets). Everyone else in Division II will have it rough this season. I wonder if Arizona academy will go division I next year, or just choose to likely continued domination in division II... I really should've researched more corps early on instead of being obsessed with Division I... research the staff and you can get an idea of what corps would be good to your own progression to join.

That's just... just... scary. I mean, it must be practically a souless band where the only people widely known are the section leaders! Besides that, I'd like to ask a technical question... is your high school the only one in your district?

Now, your band seems to have the opposite situation of ours. Your doctor SHOULD be head director, but isn't. At least our band director's ranks are directly associated with their degrees.

Most of our french horns are first year players. The ones who haven't been playing it for long and/or are freshmen who just came in from usually non-disciplined middle school have an excuse for their... interesting... tone quality. The others really do not. Personally, I think it would be awesome to have a whole tenor drums/mellophones/tenor sax feature, but... these sections are not exactly the virtuosi's of the band. It's sad for us tenor drums, though... we started out as quite possibly the best part of the percussion section and ended up perhaps only a bit above the cymbal line (one of them had his arm broken, so he just marched, one just has musical issues at the moment, and the other (squad leader), though he tried, couldn't save his section alone). Our feet and timing were our biggest problems... I just like wind playing that doesn't sound harsh, rattly, etc. I like resonant, tonal playing instead of squawks (significant difference from staccato).

I was thinking more along those years. I forgot to mention that I was comparing their older shows to the new ones. I really do hope they refrain from the trumpet-solo obsessed style of show that they have seemed to be obsessed with the last 4-5 seasons. It's awesome, but throwing the trumpet solos in at periodic intervals gets rather repetitive... and besides, the overwhelming focus makes it very hard for the excellence of the other sections to be proven. Ensemble... the Cavvies have proven how important that is.

I'd have to ask my snare friend at our school... but there are still auditions this weekend, and probably open spots... only a dozen people (all sections) showed up to audition at the last audition camp (which was a time where I still thought I was going to get to audition for the Crossmen). I think they're taking a max of forty total people (entire corps) or so, though I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to take more, if more showed up.

Well, if they got cymbal people marching twenty-inch marching cymbals, it could be worth significantly more... but they can't play most of the time. So they have to get really good at looking cool, and playing interesting things on cadences. Still, the cymbals are usually an entertaining group (our school has a rather funny cymbal squad leader, who is the younger brother of our other tenor player), and did things like nazi-like marking time, overexaggerated facial expressions, etc. in the in-class practices. He was disciplined on the field, and played and did what he was supposed to, in all technicality; he just did it in a very amusing way. So, I must argue in favor of a cymbal line.

Gratis!

Revolution is Division II- Trinity will probably be Division III.

What each corps' best features are: Trumpets: Blue Devils Mellophones: Cavaliers Low brass: Regiment or SCV Colorguard: Cavaliers and Blue Devils Drumline: Hard to say... Cadets have been extremely good recently, but the two awesome west coast drumlines (SCV and BD) have done really well in the past as well. Cavvies are pretty good, but... they just really aren't the same. It's just a little too machine-like for my taste (I did try to imitate the Cavvies' Tenors' one-legged visual from '04 once back in marching season... its alot harder than it looks). Regiment SHOULD be really, really good, (Rennick) but it seems that the Regiment doesn't get as talented drummers as those in the aforementioned. UNT has not been winning as much recently, either. Front Ensemble: Regiment is really good. Cavvies is really good. SCV, BD, and Cadets are also good, but not quite as individually present... they seem to get blended into what their brass and drums are playing most of the time. As far as the Cavaliers being recently adored, my statement is, admittedly, not always true. A few friends of mine in our band have a joking theory that the Cavaliers are all castrates, and that a friend of ours (the snare section leader, who is arguably the biggest Cavvies' fan in our band) will be castrated with a ritual ceremonial knife when he finally makes them. There are a number of us who really just like to see other corps win... the Cavaliers seem just too good. However, I'm just saying what I don't like about the Cavvies... Their consistent 1st/2nd overall placements speak much about them. The Cadets percussion has been following a similar pattern, as well... but I just love the Blue Devils' approach. I only have two qualms about them; recently too much focus on the lead trumpet in their shows, and drill that really does not compare with the Cavvies. Depending on what Cassela does with the Cavvies drumline in the future, I just might end up liking them more.

darn straight... As far as my knowledge goes, no other corps won DCI world championship only in their eighth season... if you look at their placements, they were practically like the Cavvies have been recently. Other than that, BD 2003 won my fanatical devotion to them. I forget how many High Percussion awards BD has gotten (I think at least ten, though not so many recently)... and how many Snare/Tenor individual champions have marched with them. In all likelihood Tim Jackson will own all the other tenors in DCI again next year. The BD's recent shows still are just not as interesting as their older ones... a number of friends and I think it has alot to do with shows that they have done recently, which simply seem to focus on a few trumpet solos rather than the whole ensemble (you can hear the difference in 2003). I still like Regiment, SCV, Cavvies, and some Cadets' shows as well (particularly this year). Cavvies have an interesting history, but I feel like Regiment should win... given that their corps hall burned down just as they were picking up in the '60s and then had to restart after two seasons of non-existence. It's really funny to me, though, in that a bunch of people seem to really love the Cavvies now just because they started winning alot '98 onward. I really like the way SCV's drumline looks when they're drumming the best out of all the batteries though.

I plan to march with them this year... I did not research enough, and didn't make a back-up plan in the case of the YEA! auditions here in Texas being cancelled... and that's exactly what happened. So, I am just going for whatever I can get into now. I just really need an excuse to play quads all day without anyone asking me to do anything else. The camaraderie, traveling, competing, and development of skills and character interest me very much...