TrebleMaker2

Glad I am not a judge. What a wonderful group of bands and creativity this morning! I enjoyed every one of these bands!

Panhandle! What a great show! Loved the soloists! Genius move to add harmonica!

Bangs! Nice articulation and energy! Well done.

Clarksville! Nice drill, good sound! Impressive!

Wow, picture just finally popped in clear! It had been fuzzy for us all morning. Now we can really enjoy!!

Has anyone else had streaming issues today? The picture seems to be at a much lower resolution than yesterday.

Anyone have recaps of prelims yet?

Done! It only takes a minute and may get results! Plus be sure to remind UIL that marching band contests are streamed by people nation-wide and will have heavy usage, therefore they need a specialized service to handle this!

Cypress Woods! Wow! Love the music and drill! What an entertaining and well-executed performance! So many great bands, I don’t envy the judges!

Loved the tuba feature in Lubbock-Cooper! Good arranging!

Rouse-what a beautiful show! Perfect combo of music and drill! So well executed!

Wow, Foster! What a cool show! First time I have seen this band!

Will awards be live on YouTube?

I personally love Vista Ridge’s new uniforms! Versatile in how they can be configured with the layering, and very distinctive. That said, the former black/red was good, too. I think both are very classy, just my personal preference is for the new look. Anyway, I think we can count on VR looking good, having amazing music, and future innovative shows- they just keep growing in every way. LISD continues to amaze with all their schools! Look at the growth in Rouse and Glenn also-both upcoming programs! And of course Vandy, Leander, Cedar Park, and Vista all being so successful-what a super culture in that district.

Team Texas! Who-hoo! 6 amazing bands that we get to enjoy one more time tonight! Each show is so unique and wonderful! And Leander ISD-wow, sweeps in prelim captions for both school!?! Wishing great runs for all 6 tonight!!

Holy buckets! Avon is amazing, and their guard is phenomenal. Fun to watch.

There sure are a lot of LISD bands in one block- coincidental I am sure but still strange.

Sorry didn’t put the totals! Oops. Flower Mound 4 Vista Ridge 4 FM -1 VR +1

VR +1 FM -1

I think this is a great opportunity for you, and you should definitely embrace the chance to experience it! Orchestral music generally moves to a bit darker tone in the woodwinds and brass, which is a great learning experience, and just the vibe of being surrounded by strings is a unique experience. I say this as a retired music director who has experience in both the band and orchestra worlds! Go for it, enjoy it, and grow from it!

Your ideas are well thought out on UIL problems/solutions and I hope at some point the people making decisions will consider adopting them. Thanks for all you do, Danpod! I would love to hear about some of your personal favorite moments from the season-bands, fans, etc.!

All the opinions expressed have their merits. As a retired music teacher and adjudicator who follows Texas bands, may I weigh in? I don’t adjudicate marching although I understand and appreciate it, but I do adjudicate music in another area. The elements that must be in place are flawless intonation, dynamic rise and fall of phrases, proper attacks and releases, and of course basics like balance and blend. The music should connect with the intended audience on some emotional level. The group should transition flawlessly through meter changes. Music difficulty is not just based on how fast or high a passage is, but whether there are difficult leaps in the brass to lock in, whether throat tones in the clarinets are in tune, etc. Vista Ridge had that package locked down. Did you notice the mixed meters they used? Makes marching a bit trickier, and they did it so flawlessly that I didn’t catch it the first time I saw them. Did they connect with the audience? Most definitely. If you saw them in person, did you notice how their facial expressions and body movements mirrored the music? Also they used minimal props and used them well; that appealed to me (although I did love some of the cool props used by other bands as well). That was showmanship at the highest level. I can’t wait to see what they bring next year. That said, wow! What amazing performances from so many-Flower Mound, Ronald Reagan, Leander, Vandegrift, Hebron-more than I can even mention-Texas bands are fierce and fine! It is a joy to be able to immerse myself in the Texas band culture in the fall because I truly believe it is the strongest in the country. I think judging any marching festival would be extremely difficult given the diversity in show concepts and drill. Glad I don’t have to, but I can sit in the stands and appreciate the efforts of each group. I love BOA and have been to Indy, St. Louis, and Atlanta when it was still there. I enjoyed seeing what each area of the country brings to the field. Most of all I love seeing kids work so selflessly together to bring their best, to grow as musicians and people, and to entertain and awe us with their accomplishments.

Just a trivia thing but cool-Vista Ridge's marching director is a graduate of Blue Springs! I am with you on wanting that upset! Blue Springs is bringing the whole package this year!!

Blue Springs is truly incredible this year-fabulous soloist who does the vocals and violin! Plus their drill and guard are wonderful.