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BandFan59

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  1. Cedar Park starting off finals with a bang! Another very good production that I think is even better than the one they had last year. Lots of powerful sounds from the brass throughout the entire show and beautiful soloists, especially that saxophone feature in the closer which was excellent. I do wish there was a little more dynamic contrast, as it is mostly just very loud the entire show, but this is something that has applied to a LOT of bands at San Antonio this year so it's not a huge issue. I really hope they go back to Grand Nationals soon, it's far overdue for them.
  2. There is virtually zero movement between the bottom and top half. The last time I can remember that happening at San Antonio was in 2017 when Reagan jumped from 8th to 5th. One of the downsides of the bottom half/top half draw in my opinion, but if we were to see that type of movement again I do think this could be the year, as there are some very good bands in the bottom half.
  3. Finals Schedule: 7:00 - Cedar Park H.S., TX 7:15 - Marcus H.S., TX 7:30 - Keller H.S., TX 7:45 - Coppell H.S., TX 8:00 - Cedar Ridge H.S., TX 8:15 - Pearland H.S., TX 8:30 - Round Rock H.S., TX 8:45 - Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX 9:00 - Flower Mound H.S., TX 9:15 - The Woodlands H.S., TX 9:30 - Vandegrift H.S., TX 9:45 - Hebron H.S., TX 10:00 - Ronald Reagan H.S., TX 10:15 - Vista Ridge H.S., TX 10:30 - Argyle H.S., TX (exhibition) 10:45 - Pecos H.S., TX (exhibition)
  4. Should've known to never count out Keller, they haven't missed finals here since 2014
  5. Prelims Results: Class A: 1. Pecos H.S., TX 2. Whitesboro H.S., TX 3. Troy H.S., TX Outstanding Music Peformance: Pecos H.S., TX Outstanding Visual Performance: Whitesboro H.S., TX Outstanding General Effect: Pecos H.S., TX Class AA: 1. Argyle H.S., TX 2. Burleson H.S., TX 3. Liberal Arts & Science Academy, TX Outstanding Music Peformance: Argyle H.S., TX Outstanding Visual Performance: Argyle H.S., TX Outstanding General Effect: Argyle H.S., TX Class AAA: 1. Cedar Park H.S., TX 2. Leander H.S., TX 3. Rouse H.S., TX Outstanding Music Peformance: Cedar Park H.S., TX Outstanding Visual Performance: Cedar Park H.S., TX Outstanding General Effect: Cedar Park H.S., TX Class AAAA: 1. Hebron H.S., TX 2. Ronald Reagan H.S., TX 3. The Woodlands H.S., TX Outstanding Music Peformance: Hebron H.S., TX Outstanding Visual Performance: Hebron H.S., TX Outstanding General Effect: Hebron H.S., TX Finalists: Flower Mound H.S., TX Ronald Reagan H.S., TX Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX The Woodlands H.S., TX Hebron H.S., TX Marcus H.S., TX Vista Ridge H.S., TX Vandegrift H.S., TX Cedar Park H.S., TX Round Rock H.S., TX Coppell H.S., TX Keller H.S., TX Cedar Ridge H.S., TX Pearland H.S., TX
  6. I'm happy to see the Woodlands are still performing at such a high level even with Perez gone now. They've mastered the Broadway-esque shows and while this one isn't quite hitting the levels that Life is a Cabaret was, it is still very very good and pleasing to watch. The ballad is especially awesome with that excellent trumpet soloist leading up to the big hit. That said the most impressive part of the Woodlands for me is their world class color guard. They are doing things out there that other guards in the state of Texas could only dream of attempting.
  7. I say this every time I see them but Hebron is unreal. The level of musicality and difficulty they're able to put on the field is unmatched by anyone in the country. That brass feature in the opener might be one of the most impressive features I've ever heard from any marching band. Then they have a disgustingly amazing saxophone quartet in the closer. That said, I did notice a few individual marching errors on the multi-cam when it came to visuals and timing, so I do think they have a cleaner run in them, but they're still the best band that's performed today or yesterday, which is absolutely insane.
  8. I really am stunned at how the level of this super regional gets higher every year after watching many of the bands this morning. For me the best band of the day so far has been Coppell. They had one of their cleanest runs and sounded very polished. The saxophone soloist in the ballad was incredible. I expect to see them solidly in finals as I think the show is coming together at the right time. That said I am very impressed at the quality of the other bands this morning. Pearland and Cypress Woods were the two other standouts for me. Pearland’s music book had a fair amount of difficulty that they executed very well, and I have to say they were visually quite clean as well. Cypress Woods had some great soloists in the ballad as well and had some super powerful sounds, even if they mostly marched in front of the front hash marks. Excited to see how these bands fall among everyone else.
  9. Keller was really good. Musically they're sounding just as good as they always have and I thought they weren't too bad visually. Definitely some dirt here and there but I won't be surprised if they're a finalist tomorrow, they haven't missed finals here in a very long time. Flower Mound has the most creative show I've seen this year, and I have to commend how well they've executed the Superband theme. They are just SO clean both musically and visually. I have to admit the drill can be rather plain at times, which I think will hold them back a bit, but I'm sure they'll be in the top half tomorrow night.
  10. Man, that is a tough show from CTJ. The production's not as high profile as some of their past ones, but the difficulty is still off the charts. There is still some visual dirt because of it, but I give them a pass just because of the sheer demand. Musically they were just as brilliant as ever, with some excellent sounds from the brass and a great ending too. Very close between them, Vandegrift, and Reagan for the best show of the night so far.
  11. This block really started off with a bang! Leander was the best they'd sounded all season, and even if the show design isn't as strong as we're used to seeing from them, they still performed it very well. Keller Central was a pleasant surprise too! Loved hearing such powerful sounds from them after going sort of under the radar compared to the other Keller ISD bands. As for Reagan, that was another outstanding performance. Visually I think it may have been the best of the night, although it's close between them and Vandegrift. I think their color guard/dance team really accentuated their visual proficiencies, and their forms were very clean as they're always known for. Musically I liked that they had a lot more dynamic contrast compared to a lot of the other top groups, with some very notably soft and subtle moments before the big bombastic sounds we're used to seeing from Texas bands. They might be just behind Vandegrift for me tonight but I can see them coming out on top tomorrow.
  12. Vandegrift was outstanding! Musically they were the best band of the night so far and you could hear the technical demand in the opener with the amount of runs in not just the woodwinds but even the high brass. Woodwinds were sublime and for them to be able to march so many performers yet still be so visually clean with good marching technique is remarkable. I especially loved that triumphant sounding ending with the dance team in the background! Had no doubts about them performing well this season even after the director change because VanDoren is an excellent director, but that was really something!
  13. Really energetic performance from Hendrickson! They've made massive improvements since the last time I saw them. There's still a bit of visual dirt for them to fix, and I think they'd benefit from more dynamic contrast since it seems to just be super loud the entire show. That said I think they've got a decent shot at sneaking into finals here and an even better shot at finals in Indianapolis.
  14. The bands that have gone so far have all been really good. I think Vista Ridge might have been the best so far for me, though it's very close between them and Cedar Ridge. Also wanted to give a shout out to Pflugerville for playing Firebird! I love that piece and thought their rendition was great. Sidenote, it looks like a monsoon outside in Dallas. Don't know what it's like in the rest of the state but I hope the DFW bands performing tomorrow have already left because I certainly would not want to be driving in this weather.
  15. Final predictions and thoughts on what will be a very competitive super regional: 1. Hebron (M/GE) This is probably the only band I'm fairly confident in placing where I have them. Hebron has somehow raised the level for them in terms of demand both musically and visually and are putting out some absolutely insane sounds. The brass is inexplicably incredible and visually they're nailing some very difficult drill sets. No one in the country can play as good as them and I think they will repeat here and at UIL State. 2. Vandegrift It hurts me slightly to predict Vandegrift here as it would be three years in a row they place 2nd. That said, they've got another great show with some super cool music from Tron. While I prefer Juliet Letters, I really like that they're also pushing the envelope in demand and think they're doing a good job with it. They may have lost to Vista Ridge at area but I think they'll bounce back and at least grab a medal here. 3. Ronald Reagan (V) I think Reagan's show this year is a better version of what they had last year. Visually they have some really nice drill moves and I think they may have my favorite preshow of the season. They still sound excellent, especially the brass (great trombone soloists), and their color guard/dance team is phenomenal. 4. Cedar Ridge So happy to see them follow up on their fantastic season last year with an even better one! The things they're doing with an ensemble half the size of some bands here is super impressive. The brass is incredible and the percussion is top tier as always. Love this show. 5. Claudia Taylor Johnson For a show that's a little more lowkey they've still got a crazy amount of demand in their music and drill and are pulling it off. The ballad has grown on me over the season to be one of my favorites, and I think the preshow is super creative and very cool. It's not as cohesive as some of their past shows, but I still enjoy it very much. 6. Flower Mound Probably the most creative show concept I've seen anywhere this season. The artwork is super creative and well done and I love their uniforms to match it. It's not my favorite FM show, I think the drill is a little meh at certain points, but at the same time there are some moments like the ending that really blow my mind. Musically they are outstanding of course. 7. Vista Ridge There are few bands that can make me raise my eyebrows and think wow when I hear a full ensemble moment and Vista Ridge is one of them. They sound so incredible in those moments, especially the ending of their show. After watching their area performance there are a couple of timing miscues here and there, but nothing that can't be easily fixed. I'm a fan! 8. Marcus While their show is not as difficult as some other bands here, they are still remarkably clean. Visually there are some really cool moments like the pivot in the beginning set. The orchestral sound they produce is iconic and I'm expecting to see some very high performance captions. 9. Coppell Love to see them continuing their upward trajectory after a breakout season last year! They might have my favorite ballad of the season with a beautiful sax soloist. While I'm not as sold on the closer as their opener/ballad, I give them props for putting Beethoven in Havana on the field as I don't think I've ever seen that before. Really great show! 10. Cedar Park Really impressive to see them field such a massive group yet still sound very balanced and clean. Their ballad is a highlight of the season and I'm not at all surprised to see them win Waco so convincingly. There are a few moments in the drill that are a little dirty for me, but I think they are solidly in finals. 11. The Woodlands Director changes can be hard to weather, especially when you lose multiple directors, but the Woodlands are still very strong this year! The show is a little reminiscent of last year and isn't quite as heavy-hitting, but they still produce excellent sounds and their soloists are just as good as ever. 12. Round Rock It's great to see Round Rock bounce back from what was probably a disappointing season last year. Visually I think the design is much stronger than many of their recent shows, and they still sound as good as they always have. They're definitely towards the upper end of the finals bubble and I expect to see them in finals. 13. Westlake They've got a really creative show this year! I think they hit the mark on the noir theming of the show. Their clarinet soloist is really quite spectacular and the ensemble sounds excellent. Really awesome show concept and a definite crowd-pleaser. 14. Cy-Fair I would love to see them cap off their outstanding season so far with a finals appearance here! Really fantastic sounds from their brass and the uniforms make for some pretty cool visual moments when they turn around. The percussion is also very impressive and the woodwinds do a great job with their runs. Great trumpet soloist too! In the bubble: Keller, Leander, Rouse, James Bowie, Pearland, LD Bell, Timber Creek, Waxahachie, Seven Lakes, Klein Oak, Westwood, Lake Travis, Hendrickson, a dozen other bands I've forgotten. Seriously, the finals bubble is just massive. Of the bands I have listed I think any of the top 11 bands I have down could get into the top half. Any of the bands I have listed in the bubble could also get into finals and wouldn't surprise me. This contest is just ridiculously competitive.
  16. The original post has been updated with the complete preliminary schedule. As mentioned above, because more than 40 bands made state, finals will take 14 instead of 12.
  17. If anyone has any recordings of the bands here please DM me
  18. Hebron getting straight 1s in prelims and finals is absurd with how volatile judging is at the area level. No doubt in my mind they are far and away the frontrunner to repeat both at state and BOA San Antonio.
  19. I would say for area to ignore the subcaption totals and just focus on the ordinal at the end for each judge. I think it's frankly ridiculous to expect one person to be able to judge all five subcaptions for music or three subcaptions for visual (especially individual when they're in the box) accurately with one run, so I'm sure they're less concerned about the individual subcaptions and more about the overall score/ordinal for each band.
  20. Fixed it! Was thinking of Odessa Permian when I typed that, ended up forgetting Frenship altogether.
  21. Now that all areas have finished, it seems fitting to start this thread for predictions for the state contest. The 2022 6A UIL State Marching Contest will take place at the Alamodome from November 7-8, 2021. Prelims Schedule (42) - Monday, November 7th 8:30 - Duncanville H.S. 8:45 - LD Bell H.S. 9:00 - The Woodlands College Park H.S. 9:15 - Cedar Ridge H.S. 9:30 - Pearland H.S. 9:45 - Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S. 10:00 - Timber Creek H.S. 10:15 - Cypress Woods H.S. 10:45 - Flower Mound H.S. 11:00 - Ronald Reagan H.S. 11:15 - Stephen F. Austin H.S. 11:30 - Bridgeland H.S. 11:45 - Wylie H.S. 12:00 - Keller H.S. 12:15 - Lake Travis H.S. 12:30 - Frenship H.S. 1:30 - James E. Taylor H.S. 1:45 - Hebron H.S. 2:00 - The Woodlands H.S. 2:15 - Midland H.S. 2:30 - John B. Alexander H.S. 2:45 - Hanna H.S. 3:00 - Westlake H.S. 3:15 - Waxahachie H.S. 3:30 - Dickinson H.S. 4:00 - Vista Ridge H.S. 4:15 - Tomball Memorial H.S. 4:30 - Klein Oak H.S. 4:45 - Seven Lakes H.S. 5:00 - Harlingen H.S. 5:15 - Wylie East H.S. 5:30 - Oak Ridge H.S. 5:45 - Coppell H.S. 7:00 - Marcus H.S. 7:15 - Clear Brook H.S. 7:30 - Permian H.S. 7:45 - Dawson H.S. 8:00 - Round Rock H.S. 8:15 - Vandegrift H.S. 8:30 - Dripping Springs H.S. 8:45 - McKinney Boyd H.S. 9:00 - Cy-Fair H.S. 9:15 - Exhibition - University of Incarnate Word 9:30 - Finalists Announced Judges Lee Carlson Chip Crotts Joel Denton Wayne Dillon Beth Fabrizio Mike Leitzke Hieu Nguyen Dana Pradervand Lauren Teel Ted Wemhoff Finals Schedule (14) - Tuesday, November 8th 2:00 PM - Pearland 2:15 PM - Waxahachie 2:30 PM - Round Rock 2:45 PM - Coppell 3:00 PM - Claudia Taylor Johnson 3:15 PM - Keller 3:30 PM - Marcus 4:00 PM - Ronald Reagan 4:15 PM - Vandegrift 4:30 PM - Cedar Ridge 4:45 PM - The Woodlands 5:00 PM - Flower Mound 5:15 PM - Vista Ridge 5:30 PM - Hebron
  22. Finals Results: 1. Cedar Park H.S., TX 91.500 2. Moe & Gene Johnson H.S., TX 89.900 3. Rouse H.S., TX 88.250 4. Leander H.S., TX 87.550 5. Aledo H.S., TX 85.700 6. McKinney North H.S., TX 85.350 7. Lovejoy H.S., TX 82.900 8. Argyle H.S., TX 82.000 9. Colleyville Heritage H.S., TX 81.950 10. Burleson Centennial H.S., TX 81.275 11. Richland H.S., TX 80.050 12. Roma H.S., TX 79.075 Outstanding Music Performance: Cedar Park H.S., TX Outstanding Visual Performance: Cedar Park H.S., TX Outstanding General Effect: Cedar Park H.S., TX
  23. Big congratulations to both Duncanville and LD Bell for returning to state again! Two historic programs that didn't make it the last go around but I'm happy to see them be back this year!
  24. Tough break for Prosper, being the first out. I still think they have a show that is good enough for finals at Grand Nationals, so they will just need to focus on cleaning like crazy until then.
  25. Congratulations to the state advancing bands, especially Dripping Springs! Not many (me included) had them moving on ahead of Westwood or Bowie, well done to them!
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