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LKendrick

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Everything posted by LKendrick

  1. Just got home from an amazing weekend. Definitely have some thoughts. More than ever the depth of this is just mind blowing. So many good bands that I couldn't fathom how long it would take to give all of them some love. So many break out seasons for so many programs, I love seeing the progression of so many bands having so much success. Some surprising results for sure, but I think for the most part the judges got it right. There were about 15 bands who didn't make finals that I wouldn't have been shocked if they did. Thoughts on the finalists: Pearland - The ending of this show encapsulates what I loved most about it. As soon as they hit that tempo change with the FTL boxes, it's just a minute of increasing velocity, shorter moves, and constant compression of the field until it just exploded at the end. Masterfully done in terms of building tension, both musically and visually. This announcement came out of left field, but I'm so glad it did. I've loved them for a few years now, and am so happy they can now say they're a BOA San Antonio Super Regional finalist. We should have know based on them missing in Houston the last few years but doing really well at San Antonio that they were gonna be hot after their 6th place finalist appearance earlier in October. Huge congratulations, hearing them going nuts finding out they made finals was one of my favorite moments of the weekend. Keller - They are daredevils doing a show that hard, they are just flying while playing some really difficult music that whole show. Their brass has really formed a noticeable approach and achievement level the last few years, and that was no less prevalent this year. The features in Ostinato were TIGHT. Their closer was especially wild, the drill was so hard and was perfectly matched by the music, the glissandos in the trombones on top of all that were just so fun. Loving that they have maintained a high level of success. Round Rock - This show probably gets the most improved award of the year, they gave two beautiful performances over the weekend. Very lush and warm ensemble sound that made stuff like Pagliacci and La Vie en Rose really shine. Fantastic work by the percussion as always, and I though their drill was really well composed overall. I'm so excited to see them back in, and that bodes really well for Grand Nationals in two weeks. James Bowie - Their body work was top notch, in both composition and performance. They performed that stuff with so much attitude. The aggressive side to side shifting was my favorite of that. Loved the color palette as well. Music was really seamless and pretty, always like it when the stuff from Avatar is used on the field. Very happy to see them back in finals this year, I loved them last year as well. LD Bell - I really liked the concept of breaking up th tarp/panels in the middle of the file and spreading them out and changing the landscape of the field. Guard did a nice job filling all the negative space throughout the show. Really energetic music performance from them, really tight overall and the music had a very mysterious/ethereal vibe to it all. Also glad to see them back in finals again and improving quite a bit on last year as well. Flower Mound - The stark white palette they used to portray something like vitrification against was a fantastic decision, the look of this show was so great to look at. Loved the additional elements that they added to this show throughout. I thought the music they selected fit the show really well, really liked Neodammerung especially. Thought their guard really shined this year and were staged in a way that featured them really well. Really great minimalist type show once again, hope they keep doing shows like that. The Woodlands - Oh my word, easily one of my favorites of the weekend by far. This is one of those shows were the kids were given a character and they completely bought into it. From the second they walk onto the field to the second they leave they put on a SHOW. Love how they all interact with eachother on the field and even with the crowd. The music is a blast, they do straight up Bernstein really well. Tons of great soloists and small ensemble features. This show defintiely has some room to grow going into GN, so I'm really excited to see this in two weeks in Indianapolis. Claudia Taylor Johnson - As always they're tackling one of the most physically demanding shows on the field and doing a very admirable job of it. The velocity of this show is pretty breathtaking to watch (maybe breathless because I would be dead trying to march drill like that right now). Clearly a fan favorite, the crowd loved this both times I saw it this weekend. I Can't Wait to Be King is definitely the highlight, they just look like they are having a total blast out there. Really excited to see how this one grows over the next two weeks as well. Marcus - Wow, what a gorgeous show. Probably my favorite of theirs since 2012. Their prelims run especially was just pristine in every regard, especially musically. Everything was tight, controlled, focused, etc. But they played with a little more power this year as well which made it even better. Percussion and guard are also fantastic, they both really shined in how they were featured in this show. Woodwinds in Ruslan and Ludmilla and brass in the closer really blew me away. And good lord that oboe player, I don't know where they get these double reed kids every year but good God. Incredible. Hebron - So. Hard. Oh my gosh, the level of difficulty they're attempting is just bonkers. I saw this at DMI as well and it's already grown so much in a week. Still a lot of room left to grow, but if it gets to where I think they can get it this will be something to behold in Indianapolis. This is a really hard visual program too, they've really kicked up the difficulty in that regard that last two years. So much talent all around in every section, they just need to spend a week and a half rehearsing and they'll shine bright here in a week and a half. Leander - Goodness. I knew that closer had some stuff to add, but they far exceeded what I expected them to do. When streamers started shooting in 1812 everyone around me freaked out. The Oppenheimer quote going into that ending sent shivers shooting up my spine. Also loved the fabric stuff they added in the ballad climax, really cool stuff. They're doing a lot more technical stuff this year and some of it is REALLY hitting. The Texas contingent this year have done a great job of programming shows that will push them towards a later season but not going over the top, and Leander has hit I think the best balance of all of that. This was probably my favorite of the weekend from an entertainment standpoint, and I don't see that changing. Vista Ridge - Wow, the energy that this show added between when I saw it in Midland and now was pretty mind blowing. I've said it 20,000 times but man this show was hard, and they did an amazing job tackling that and then some. The musical timing with this drill was a ten in difficulty and they killed it. Visual performance from them was incredibly strong, both in performing the really intricate body and the really high velocity drill. Guard is better every year, percussion is so underrated and had one of my favorite features of the year, and that soloist, wow. Amazing job, never heard a bad run from her. I love that they built on last years successes, and look forward to seeing them grow into next year. Vandegrift - The top 2 bands were just marching band essence. Vandegrift as always gave a fantastic twist on some of the classical repertoire and performed the crap outta it. Clean and clear drill and a musical performance that was pure and powerful. The micro and macro shaping they do in both section features and full ensemble is mind blowing, and I don't think there are many other bands that can do that that well. The ballad in this show was them at their best. Super tasteful and fantastically performed drumline and front ensemble stuff, beautiful dancing from the Vision Dance Company, and that trombone soloist. WOW! This has huge potential at GN, and I fully expect them to bring home at least one caption. Best of luck, this is gonna be an amazing last two weeks for them. Ronald Reagan - Good lord. The presence this band had was unreal. This show was ethereal, simple, seamless, and so many other superlatives. The visual program just progressed so logically and achieved amazing effect from just straight up and incredible drill. Some of those sequences in there just blew my mind as someone who is getting into doing some visual design stuff. That moment in the ballad when the flags circle the field was just.....breathtaking. The member being taken around the field by the dance team/guard in the band outfit was so fun to watch. One of my favorite ever moments probably. Fantastic musical performance too, some really great technical moments and a POWERFUL ensemble sound. I was shocked when I got onto the field level for the encore how little was actually amplified. The "Secret World" that they immersed us all in will easily go down as an all time favorite for me and totally deserved that massive score it got. I love shows with amazing props, great electronics, and so on. But what Ronald Reagan is doing and having success with is also so refreshing. They're just an amazing marching band. I think Daniel Sanchez said it best when he said this show was no fat lean marching band. It was filet mignon. This is probably my favorite of the three years I have seen this competition live. Keep doing what you're doing.
  2. I was wondering the same thing. Also, I don't mind the narration in Avon's show, I think it gives some focus to the various parts of the show (even if it is a tad repetitive). That doesn't take away from the fact that it's a pretty incredible show. Drill is amazing, colorguard is incredible, drums are fantastic, the music is incredibly high energy, and it's all packaged up in a easy to digest but perfectly executed package.
  3. All that I really have to say is that being there all day, I really feel like the judges judged the performances of the day. Maybe two or three I personally would have moved up or down a little bit, but not a lot different. 2019 as a whole has taken what we expect to see in results from a lot of bands and just completely turned that on its head. There's usually a lot of complaining that it's the same old bands in the same placements just kinda shuffling around a bit. But now that we have had some pretty surprising results, there's again some push back, but now that the judges don't know what they're doing, the results are crazy, etc. And I get being a little upset if a band you're associated with doesn't do as well as you had hoped. Three out of four years of my high school band experience we barely made finals and were constantly the first one out, etc. Probably not even a month from now that will have all settled and you can remember the stuff that really matters.
  4. I went down to DMI this year for the first time. What a great contest logistically and competitively. This is a lineup on par with most BOA regionals and other local competitions across the country and a world class judging panel. Some exciting results that I mostly agreed with. Hebron, as previously said, is playing the long game for GN. This show is definitely still building for three weeks from now, and it will not peak a moment sooner. That’s probably the most technically difficult thing ever done by a H.S. on a football field, and they’re doing a lot of it on the move. I bet this is like 2015 where they don’t explode until the last minute. But when they do.....watch out. Marcus was phenomenal, definitely agree with their win here. Just pristine all around. So lush and gorgeous musically, and they do body stuff incredibly well. The woodwinds in Ruslan and Ludmilla are my favorite thing in this show, just nuts. Should do really well next week. My favorite from them in awhile. Keller’s show is hard hard hard. The closer is downright nuts. One of many bands that had a way better finals run. Their brassline is one of the better ones in the high school world, they are loud and can articulate like nobodies business, but can also play with a ton of shaping and control in their slower sections. If they improve as much as they did from Waco to DMI they’re gonna have a great weekend in San Antonio. Waxahachie also had a way better finals run, and by far the best one they've had all season. I felt watching online and in prelims that the show was so so so close to clicking, but not quite. It did in finals at DMI. Those kids totally bought into the shows roles, especially the soloists. Speaking of them, wow. From the clarinet to the piano to the AMAZING soloist in the ballad, they are all top notch. This was a very interesting direction for them to take, they usually remind me of a CP/Marcus type in their programming but this year took a total left turn into a more fun and light hearted approach, and I think it could fit them really well if they do it again going into 2020. Prosper. What a creepy as he.....ck show. And I love that. There was something so unsettling about the tone of the music and the visual construction, especially from the guard. The costuming and characterization was great. Loved the way Elsa's was woven throughout the show, especially the backfield ending with the guard gradually trickling down front for their final statement. I think this is my favorite show from them design wise. Keller Central always does such unique shows, this year was no different. I can't count how many different styles and varieties they played Heart and Soul, but that's hard to build a whole show around a single work like that and they did it well. Loved the uniforms and overall aesthetic, their guard is really solid. Haltom in the morning definitely had a very shaky run from a timing standpoint. Not sure I would have had them 10th in prelims, but they definitely had more in them. And oh BOY. The improvement from prelims to finals is by far the biggest difference I've ever seen from a band from prelims to finals ever. They were a month of rehearsal time better in finals. Everything lined up and was so so so crisp. With a performance like that I can see how they did as well in STL as they did. I had them moving up farther in finals, but performing from that first slot can make that hard. But wow, that was so cool to see. Wylie was nice, they gave some music we hear a lot on the field some very interesting treatments, brass can play with a ton of power when they have their big moments. Loved the guard costuming and color scheme, nice progression throughout the show. I have some personal/professional connections to Permian, so when they were announced as not only a finalist, but well in finals after prelims, I was very honestly freaking out. When they played the first notes of Baba Yaga at the start of the show, it didn't sound remotely like the same band from BOA Midland. They grew SO much musically in two weeks, and it paid off by making finals at one of the harder local competitions in Texas. It's been so much fun seeing this group grow from 2014 to where they are now, and the results from this more UIL Area style contest going into 2020 bode so well for them. This was a show about them to show the world who they are, and they did that ten fold. So proud of them. Timber Creek performs musically and visually with so much confidence, they didn't skip a beat from that standpoint this year. The body stuff is performed with a ton of confidence and they have a ton of presence in their full ensemble moments. Loved the newsroom ballad. Some nice additions since Midland in the preshow and the additional closer. Looking forward to seeing this again in a week. Some great performances in prelims as well. Got to see Allen for the first time which was an experience (they kept coming and coming and coming and coming and coming), loved Lake Ridge's musical program, Summit sounded incredible, loved McKinney Boyd's visual evolution throughout the show, etc. No one was weak.
  5. They were like a month better. That was nuts. With a run like tonight no wonder they were 4th last week.
  6. As a west Texan I am beyond elated for Permain. The improvement they have made since Midland is astounding.
  7. That’s what I’m interpreting it as. I freakin love it.
  8. Indy is great but if someone bought me a ticket and flight to Indy I'd still go to DMI. :I
  9. I'm going to make the drive down for this one. Looks like an amazing contest!
  10. So UIL says that 30 - 39 bands would advance 12 bands to finals at SMC, though they didn't do that in 2017 after 6A advanced 12 in 2016. Not sure what to expect. https://www.uiltexas.org/music/marching-band/marching-band-scoring-and-advancement-procedure
  11. I have the same 4 advancing. Some interesting region stuff this year. LOTS of 112s and 2s, Plainview ended their 81 years 1st division streak. Coronado was the only Lubbock 5A with straight 1s, etc.
  12. No apology necessary. Totally agree that this is SFAs best showing in a good while. Very pretty show with a great visual program that they performed with a ton of energy. Their finals performance especially was super energetic, drumline at the end felt that. So much hype. They have had quite the season!
  13. What a great day for Texas! Congrats to all the bands who made the trip up there. This was an AWESOME finals. So many fun and exciting shows.
  14. 2019 is so crazy.
  15. If you’re the same username on the Hornrank finals we had the same top 14.
  16. Huge congrats to everyone. And especially to our Texas skwad in almost taking half of the finals spots. I have many thoughts but I’ll save those for later. Best of luck on finals to all bands!
  17. CARROLL. WHERE DID YOU COME FROM.
  18. Totally. I have them all comfortably in so far. Coppell's veils and aesthetic are just stunning. Lake Travis's props are the textbook definition of simple and effective, and they sound so powerful. LD Bell's visual program is so cool, love the way they deconstruct the tarp thing in the middle of the field and move it around. Haltom was a blast with some really nice ensemble moments and body work. Stephen F. Austin was so pretty, best show from them in a long time. If Southlake Carroll and Trinity bring the heat things could get really fun.
  19. Some nice performances today. Sounds like I should have caught Hernando. Bentonville is nice, very pretty show overall. Love their guard as always. . O'Fallon Township was unique as always, some really cool stuff with the blocks. Love the music. Fort Zumwalt North was so adorable. Really nice overall sounds and it's just a fun simple take on the western aesthetic and sound.
  20. I was VERY impressed with the video I saw of Lovejoy. Super super polished and refined across the board.
  21. 5, 1 for every 5 that get a 1 at region.
  22. Best of luck to Coppell, Haltom, Lake Travis, LD Bell, Southlake Carroll, Stephen F. Austin, and Trinity on their trips to St. Louis. I think this could be a really great weekend for Texas at that Super Regional.
  23. Might be making the trip down for this one.
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