RenMacnary

2011 season. First football game of my daughter's Freshman year at Westwood. We're playing Cedar Park (they killed us incidentally). So, early in the season. Cedar Park comes in, starts the show, and it's Mahler 2. NOT the last part, no, they're marching the 1st movement. WHAT THE? CLEAN CLEAN trumpets, in tune. I've been thrilled a lot of times since then, but that first moment was when I fell in love with the possibilities.

Makes sense. Seems to be the low brass, which would further support the theory given the length of time needed to warm up the instrument.

Tuning seems to be an issue in multiple bands tonight. Given no environmental issues being indoors, wondering why?

I will be that fool, dressed up like Sheldon. My wife will be in the Amy Fowler costume. We take Halloween seriously here in Texas.

Basics: got to go to the Alamo. Right off of the riverwalk. Totally tourist move: La Margarita is over at Market Square. Off the beaten path, a ride away, Dough is a GREAT pizza place, Triple D did a thing on it. We're going down on Thursday and spending the evening watching people on the Riverwalk. Halloween, on the Riverwalk? Yes please. We're eating at Boudro's which is a nice laid back kind of place that has tables out over looking the river. Goin' to be fun! Oh, and GO WOOD!

I love a full retreat. So awesome!

Saw Pflugerville Connally on Friday, they had some really nice props that were stairs on one side and slides on the other. Very interesting use as both stages for various groups and movement up and down in different ways. Liked their show!

Just loved the drill of Crown. The group I was sitting with looked at each other after Crown's run, and said to each other, "That's 4th????" Really incredible finals.

That's HUGE for Area D, 6 instead of 5! So happy for Stony Point in Region 26 getting a 1. With our focus on who is winning BOA or UIL, it's easy to forget the bands that have struggled in the past and who, by dint of just caring to do their best, start to see some success. The bands that move me aren't those that have all the props and perfect intonation and great show design, they're the ones that are TRYING so hard. Stony Point getting a 1; that's AWESOME!

Oh good. Looking forward to seeing them this year!

New uniforms? Oh man, I LOVE those Round Rock uniforms, how much of a change is it?

2012 Silence.....INCREDIBLE show. That's the one that makes me watch Dripping Springs EVERY TIME I CAN.

Two Leander students that I know of in Crown....don't know if there are more. One from Vandegrift, graduated senior trumpet, and one Cedar Park Tuba who's at Texas State, think he's a Senior. MONSTER brass! Both play for me in our Church ensemble, and by george I'm PROUD of that!!!!

Jack Green, long-time Director at Westwood has just retired. His 2nd director, Thomas Turpin, is moving up to head position. 3rd Director, Brittany Dacy, is moving up to 2nd spot. So not a lot of change over for the students, and I think the whole community is excited for the change. I KNOW Jack is! Well deserved!

Haven't had the ads interrupting in our feed yet.

I love how kids just TURN ON THEIR HEARTS. Westwood knows it may be the last time to perform their show, and just go for it. I see that in all the bands, they're just GOING FOR IT. So inspiring.

Let's go Westwood!

hah. I was at that contest and didn't see it. Guess it shows how much of a homer I was/am...I only dive into scores when it has to do with Bands I follow. I sure did love watching finals last night, some GREAT moments in all the bands!

That tie breaker was interesting. Rule is that the raw score before penalty is the tie breaker, and THEN overall GE effect. So Grain Valley's raw score was 83.85 versus Westwood at 83.75, with a .1 penalty. I don't think I've seen that come into play before.

Proud of Westwood!

Westwood 6th, according to parents there.

Rubrics for the Region contests are here: http://www.uiltexas.org/files/music/region-marching-descriptor.pdf Region contests are against this rubric. In other words the bands aren't competing against each other, they're judged against the somewhat objective standard. Competition starts between bands in the Area contests.

Region 26, area d; 7 of 8

Wow, that's news. Looking at Reagan's site, you could see why..... Nov 4 – 5, 2016 – Times TBD – Bands of American Super Regional San Antonio – Alamodome, Tickets Nov 8 – 9, 2016 – Times TBD – UIL State Marching Contest –Alamodome Nov 10-12, 2016 – Times TBD – Bands of America Grand Nationals – Lucas Oil Stadium With travel that's a LOT of school to miss!

In response to: "Anyone know of any other bands right at the cut-off point that may surprise us this year?" In Area D, the new Round Rock/Pflugerville/North San Antonio/Austin area done in the last re-alignment have region 26, 8, 12 and 18. If past results are indicative of future results, looks like the new Area D (got rid of Leander, Hays/Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs) is going to send only 5 this year to State finals. Region 8 had 4 6A schools receive 1's in Region. Region 12 had 10, Region 18 had 7 and Region 26 had 8. Total 27, for every 5 we send 1. So 5 finalists out of the Area D finals. So, Bowie, CTJ, Reagan(SA), Round Rock, Hendrickson, Pflugerville, Cedar Ridge, Westwood, McNeil, Belton, Churchill and others. BOA Austin had Hendrickson, Churchill, Cedar Ridge, CTJ, and Round Rock in the finals. Next in the prelims were Westwood at 12, John Paul Stevens at 13, Pflugerville at 16, Stony Point at 17. Obviously not all the 6A schools in the Area competed. That being said, only 5 bands 'sgoing to hurt. That's my reading of the rules and realignment. Am I right? I've been wrong in the past!