LeanderMomma

And that's okay!! Go #TeamTexAvon!

I definitely remember that. And if a parent screamed out their kid's name or some kind of shout out, the CTJ kids would immediately echo it. Good people, those CTJ kids!!

It's an adjustment for sure! But my now graduated band kid is only a short distance away at Texas State, and so we are able to attend all of the competitions together now. It's been a great bonding experience for us!!

Vandegrift was amazing this year. #2 behind CTJ on my top favorites this season. That flute work in the ballad....could listen to that all day long. Kudos on that bronze medal. Y'all more than deserved it this year!!

I truly don't know how you can march like that! Must be so painful.

Hahahaha!!!!!!

Kill it at Grand Nats!! #TeamTexAvon

This is the message you get if you are too generous with the likes... "You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day" Sad, sad, sad.

I can't disagree with your analysis.

That is awesome. Coming up at 6, Band Nerds Get Kicked Out of Restaurant.

I would "like" this comment but apparently I have exceeded my quota of likes for this 24 hour period. Who puts a limit on how many likes you can give in a day! So wrong!!

This post wins all of the awards. On behalf of Texas, thank you Avon Indiana Marching B&G for coming here and sharing your insanely talented band program and incredible people with us. We were honored and we feel as if you all are adopted Texans now. We will root for the mighty band from Avon IN as if it were Avon TX. Because in our hearts, you are.

Thank you. We Leander folks were really pulling for Vista to make it in to finals this year.

Yes I believe he decided to take his Senior year off from band.

We definitely aren't everyone's "cup of tea" if you will. That probably includes some of the judges.

Absolutely NOTHING lacked. They were brilliant. Truly. It's just that 15 other bands were infinitesimally better in prelims. Any other day, Vista could have been one of those bands, and 2 other brilliant bands would have been barely out of finals.

You totally read my mind because I had that exact same thought when I wrote that to The Woodlands Dad earlier. Thank you for giving me the details and the invite. I may very well take you up on it!! BTW, I go to church with Braeden's family (trombone player) if you know him.

This one made me very emotional! Could be because I'm completely exhausted from the amazing weekend and also have a sore throat, but I don't think that's the primary reason. I think this particular competition just had a special feel to it from the first moment last spring when we heard the news that Avon was coming down. It's just been building all season long, culminating in one massive 48 hour long state of euphoria and excitement, and "special" doesn't even begin to describe it. I also think the forums here have helped to build that enthusiasm. And it has created a real feeling of family and community as well. I hope everyone at BOA experienced some of that this weekend. And I hope Avon goes home feeling like they left a piece of their hearts in Texas because they definitely took a piece of ours with them when they left. BOA SA will never be quite the same again.

Our school is "just barely" big enough to be considered 6A by UIL standards, but not quite big enough to be considered 4A by BOA standards.

The "saxy" Hebron saxophone solo in 2015.

I hear you on the exhaustion. We got back to our home in Cedar Park at 2:30 am and I've spent the day trying to recover. I remember this time last year when we were also preparing for 6A state and then the trip to Indy immediately following state announcements. Crazy time, but oh so special. Prayers for safety for The Woodlands band community!! I wish we could attend the big send off performance!

I met a TON of good folks this weekend and only a small few fell into the latter category.

I think we should figure out a way to regularly send our top 3 to 6 bands to GN. Sort of like state!

By the way, I did not meet ONE single Avon parent in the latter category this weekend. Very gracious people indeed!!

So, in my limited 5 years of band (and post-band) parenthood, I've discovered that there are two distinct types of band parents in the stands at competitions, games and marching festivals. Correct me if I'm wrong. First, you have the humble, gracious, fun loving, courteous parents who support everyone. They show love to all of the bands and to the parents around them. They love talking about their own kids, but they also love hearing about yours. They are patient with others in the massively crowded stands, they cheer very loudly for every band, they don't rush off the moment their child's band has finished performing, and they truly love the whole experience. They become like instant family to you, regardless of how much better or worse their band might be than yours. Then there are the parents that look down their nose at anyone not affiliated with their program. They act disgusted if you talk too gleefully about other bands. Sigh heavily if you cheer too loudly. Glare if you dare need to get up and walk by them in tight spaces. Speak haughtily of their programs accomplishments and certainly don't cheer for ANY other band. Suddenly become extremely animated when their child's band takes the field. They leave the facility immediately upon completion of their show. They truly have not one iota of graciousness in them for any other program and they don't mind if everyone knows it. In fact, they hope you feel honored to have simply been in their presence. I have met both types of parents in these past 5 years, and I am truly remarkably impressed by the first and thoroughly disgusted by the second. Lord, help me to always be one of those parents in the former category. Amen.