1998-2018

Report coming in from the front line. There was a small incident with bus three. Nobody was hurt.

Report coming in from the front line. There was a small incident with bus three. Nobody was hurt.

My wife is on the Director's direct communication feed. Nothing there regarding an accident involving a Keller bus.
She's checking with her contacts to be sure.

My wife is on the Director's direct communication feed. Nothing there regarding an accident involving a Keller bus.
She's checking with her contacts to be sure.

There are so many great marching bands in Texas. By the end of Prelims we will have 23 sure-fire Finalists. 🤣

“As far as the stream is concerned, two main factors need to be considered.”
If only it was that easy to do it well.
“2. How much does the labor running the equipment cost?”
“Let's say, for instance, you have two camera operators, one audio tech, and one visual tech. I'll assume that all four employees get paid $15/hour. Assuming that they're on the clock for 50 hours during the duration of the state contest, the cost of labor to run the competition is $3,000.”
This isn’t a part-time McDonalds drive-thru skill level job.
“The factor that could be a wild card is the cost to actually stream the contest.”
Yes, the cost of hosting and live streaming of a feed this large is significant.
“My analysis could be completely off…”
I think you probably got that part correct, but don’t let me discourage you. I love watching budding entrepreneurs explore their business ideas and make a pitch. It’s a skill that requires practice and generally has a steep learning curve. The first, and hardest, step is getting the nerve to publicly tell somebody about your idea. My brother runs a podcast about startup businesses and how to attract Angel Investors. It’s one of several he runs as part of his successful Executive Consulting business. I’m sure he would tell you, “Spiral out! Keep going.”

That’s an excellent perspective!
With the “It’s always the same bands.”contingent seemingly as dug in and frustrated as ever about the SASR and SMBC, I went back to review the other qualifiers and finishing order from the first time (1998) our program made Finals at a BOA Regional Competition.
1. Spring H.S.
2. Winston Churchill H.S.
3. L.D. Bell H.S.
4. The Woodlands H.S.
5. Seguin H.S.
7. Comeaux H.S.
6. Pflugerville H.S.
8. Cy-Fair H.S.
9. Fossil Ridge H.S.
10. Keller H.S.
Just two of these bands, The Woodlands and Keller, were also in this years SASR Finals. The year previous to this first time Finals appearance Keller finished in 17th place.
For additional comparison I also reviewed the Finalists for the 1998 and 1999 SMBC. Nobody from the 1998 SMBC Finals was also in the 2022 SASR or SMBC. Coppell and Keller are the only Finalist from the 1999 SMBC to also be in the 2022 SASR and SMBC Finals. Again, just two bands. That’s hardly “Always the same bands.”
Admittedly, 1998/1999 was a long time ago, but that’s kind of the point. Making Finals at these competitions can be a long and difficult process, and making Finals constantly is even harder, but turnover does happen regularly. Take the time to review other shorter timelines and you will find results can come in streaks with bands making 4,5,6,7+ consecutive Finals appearances or, more likely, spreading them intermittently across 10+ years, but there will be new names too. (Welcome to the club, Waxahatchie!!!)
If your kid doesn’t make Finals during their four years, take pride in the improvement they were a part of and celebrate the foundation they are building for the kids that follow them.
Like peshbandkid did.
Keep The Faith

Correct.  And this is a perfect example of how the ordinal scoring system can (intentionally) produce a different champion than a "highest total" scoring system.  Hebron had the higher total score (6,883 vs. 6,858) but 5 of the 7 judges ranked Vandegrift higher.  Pretty sure UIL would tell you that this is a feature, not a bug.

Considering programs rising and falling as well as some that have chosen not to attend one of the San Antonio shows because of Grand Nats, there are only 5 programs by my count that have been both 6A SMC and SASR finalists every year since 2015 (excluding the COVID year):
Regan, Vandegrift, Keller, Marcus, and Hebron.
 
To say that it's the same bands year in and year out is simply not factual.  

That’s an excellent perspective!
With the “It’s always the same bands.”contingent seemingly as dug in and frustrated as ever about the SASR and SMBC, I went back to review the other qualifiers and finishing order from the first time (1998) our program made Finals at a BOA Regional Competition.
1. Spring H.S.
2. Winston Churchill H.S.
3. L.D. Bell H.S.
4. The Woodlands H.S.
5. Seguin H.S.
7. Comeaux H.S.
6. Pflugerville H.S.
8. Cy-Fair H.S.
9. Fossil Ridge H.S.
10. Keller H.S.
Just two of these bands, The Woodlands and Keller, were also in this years SASR Finals. The year previous to this first time Finals appearance Keller finished in 17th place.
For additional comparison I also reviewed the Finalists for the 1998 and 1999 SMBC. Nobody from the 1998 SMBC Finals was also in the 2022 SASR or SMBC. Coppell and Keller are the only Finalist from the 1999 SMBC to also be in the 2022 SASR and SMBC Finals. Again, just two bands. That’s hardly “Always the same bands.”
Admittedly, 1998/1999 was a long time ago, but that’s kind of the point. Making Finals at these competitions can be a long and difficult process, and making Finals constantly is even harder, but turnover does happen regularly. Take the time to review other shorter timelines and you will find results can come in streaks with bands making 4,5,6,7+ consecutive Finals appearances or, more likely, spreading them intermittently across 10+ years, but there will be new names too. (Welcome to the club, Waxahatchie!!!)
If your kid doesn’t make Finals during their four years, take pride in the improvement they were a part of and celebrate the foundation they are building for the kids that follow them.
Like peshbandkid did.
Keep The Faith

Interesting that list includes the bands that came in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th.

That’s an excellent perspective!
With the “It’s always the same bands.”contingent seemingly as dug in and frustrated as ever about the SASR and SMBC, I went back to review the other qualifiers and finishing order from the first time (1998) our program made Finals at a BOA Regional Competition.
1. Spring H.S.
2. Winston Churchill H.S.
3. L.D. Bell H.S.
4. The Woodlands H.S.
5. Seguin H.S.
7. Comeaux H.S.
6. Pflugerville H.S.
8. Cy-Fair H.S.
9. Fossil Ridge H.S.
10. Keller H.S.
Just two of these bands, The Woodlands and Keller, were also in this years SASR Finals. The year previous to this first time Finals appearance Keller finished in 17th place.
For additional comparison I also reviewed the Finalists for the 1998 and 1999 SMBC. Nobody from the 1998 SMBC Finals was also in the 2022 SASR or SMBC. Coppell and Keller are the only Finalist from the 1999 SMBC to also be in the 2022 SASR and SMBC Finals. Again, just two bands. That’s hardly “Always the same bands.”
Admittedly, 1998/1999 was a long time ago, but that’s kind of the point. Making Finals at these competitions can be a long and difficult process, and making Finals constantly is even harder, but turnover does happen regularly. Take the time to review other shorter timelines and you will find results can come in streaks with bands making 4,5,6,7+ consecutive Finals appearances or, more likely, spreading them intermittently across 10+ years, but there will be new names too. (Welcome to the club, Waxahatchie!!!)
If your kid doesn’t make Finals during their four years, take pride in the improvement they were a part of and celebrate the foundation they are building for the kids that follow them.
Like peshbandkid did.
Keep The Faith

For those of you new to band or wanting to improve, one thing our band does is share with everyone (parents included) the judges' recordings. It really helps to hear exactly what they're looking for. For example, during prelims we got the note, "It's important to make a curve with your arm that starts from your spine, not from your shoulder." And, "Make sure those sabers are caught at the 45-degree angle." So the whole band had the opportunity to hear that and realize this is what this judging panel is looking for. If your band program doesn't do this, maybe go to your Band Boosters and see if it will work for you. 

As a former high school marcher, there is disappointment when you can't break the top. However, I don't think the reasosn you listed are applicable in a lot of cases. Money will separate all high school activities, judging inconsistency happens, yet there tends to be some reasoning for why. It is extremely  important for bands and their students to make small, attainable goals in order to build a stronger program.
In my senior year of high school, our major goal was to make Area finals in Area C. When we heard we made it, the energy we felt was unmatched. Did we go to state? No. Did our band get significantly better this season? Yes! 
 

The rule could also be applied with two visual judges and one music judge awarded first place, but that was much more rare. It had to cross caption lines as the rule didn’t apply to three music judges awarding first place. The rule was designed to avoid what happened a few years ago at Area B when Keller had two music and 1 visual judge awarding First Place while a 2A judge, with an ax to grind regarding the Military versus Corps marching style debate, awarded Keller tenth place. This gave Waxahatchie the lowest ordinal score, but it was initially decided the rules application was implied at Area even though the UIL rules only described application at the SMBC. Keller was declared the Area B winner that night. The next day the judges received administrative clarification (without either band having requested an appeal) and the win was awarded to Waxahatchie. Neither program was concerned about the change as the point of Area is to advance and both did.
Incidentally, the rule was changed, at the first opportunity, to be applied at area as well when a five judge panel is used.
And a 2A judge lost all credibility.

The rule could also be applied with two visual judges and one music judge awarded first place, but that was much more rare. It had to cross caption lines as the rule didn’t apply to three music judges awarding first place. The rule was designed to avoid what happened a few years ago at Area B when Keller had two music and 1 visual judge awarding First Place while a 2A judge, with an ax to grind regarding the Military versus Corps marching style debate, awarded Keller tenth place. This gave Waxahatchie the lowest ordinal score, but it was initially decided the rules application was implied at Area even though the UIL rules only described application at the SMBC. Keller was declared the Area B winner that night. The next day the judges received administrative clarification (without either band having requested an appeal) and the win was awarded to Waxahatchie. Neither program was concerned about the change as the point of Area is to advance and both did.
Incidentally, the rule was changed, at the first opportunity, to be applied at area as well when a five judge panel is used.
And a 2A judge lost all credibility.

Well, it’s about that time. 
 
Recaps 

Excellence has always required overcoming apathy and the logical fallacies it feeds on. There are no correct answers to be found in an echo chamber of incestuous amplification. More of these frustrated people should be  listening to those who have made the journey.

I don’t remember their recap numbers off the top of my head but I would expect it could be reflected in Content & Design rather then Visual. But other design elements were strong so clear evidence may be hard to come by due to offsetting factors.

BTW, the camera change pictures were to let people know their e-mails are having an affect.

There are a reason there are salary caps in professional sports. This is detrimental to the health of competition in the end and breads apathy. I see it in football. Teams, fans, schools stop caring because what is the point and the money dries up and competition disapears. It becomes nothing more than just a rotation of the haves and the have nots are left on the sideline... Such is life though I guess. You see it in class discussions, taxing discussions, too big to fail. 

Adding to what others have said, the bands who always make it, make it for a reason. Their consistency isn't a streak of luck, it's because the kids and the directors know how to perfect a show up until the very last day of the season. That isn't a trait specific to finalists, but it is the reason you see so much overlap in SASR and SMBC finalists from year to year. The bands that are consistent in their approach and high levels of execution, will see results.

The big dogs weren’t always the big dogs. They had to overcome the more “successful” programs to get where they are now. It’s constantly happening but it does take a while.

This has been the same conversation for years.
When Marcus and L.D. Bell reigned supreme people wondered what was the point. When Westfield and Reagan were the kings people wondered why they ought to keep trying.
These comments and concerns are ingrained into competitive marching. It can be hard to keep missing after trying, but we have to remember some things.
Its more about the results it’s about what you learn through participating and putting effort.
Do the same bands seem to keep reigning supreme? Yes. However we put too much focus on big finalist achievements instead of focusing on big accomplishments on a smaller scale.
Glenn broke their first 80 ever at San Antonio this year, Argyle swept AA as a newly 5A band, Pecos won A with a 2 rating at region. Small accomplishments need to be amplified, because there’s value we don’t see.
Money is an issue, sure.. Any competitive activity at the HS level will always have that inequity at its core, and that’s a huge shame.
I would say “judging bias” is always a big concern, but I rarely see it. Outlier scoring can seem shocking on the surface, but some analysis can usually bring genuine justification.

So happy they got the message delivered a couple seasons ago and have updated their designs. Though I can’t help wondering how much they were hurt by their choice of band and color guard uniforms.