thewho

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Cy-Fair: Knew the name, never gave another thought. Not anymore, holy smokes! Shenandoah might've been downplayed fairly early on in comparison to other competitions, but Cy-Fair this year brought distinguishment to this title on par with being a single-digit SA Super finalist. Many bands took their shot at My Body is a Cage, but I've found only Cy-Fair as iconic as the original SCV 2018 version. An absolute shame this isn't going to SA this year.
 
CTJ: I'm a bit of a stick in the lake this year apparently, because I find this show to be quite pleasant this year. This feels more of a proper spotlight at the capabilities of the band instead of overwhelm with every relevant thread of thought into 13 min- something I thought the mid-'10s CTJ shows had a lot of tact and style with. Admittedly, the standard for those shows are so high that asking CTJ to meet that with this show is a bit too inappropriate. It is still a nice change of pace for the program.
 
TWHS: Uh..... Holy smokes? Nah, holy blazes!!! You're telling me TWHS missed a majority of summer camp and still had this on the field??? What an absolute treat to get Chick Corea and treat the material with so much respect and detail not just musically, but the integration of drill, props, percussion, body choreography, color guard, and beyond. TWHS is hitting such high marks in achievement and performance in every aspect in this activity in ways other bands aren't. This is exactly why I'm a fan of this activity. What an honor to see TWHS 2023 live.
 
We may be looking at yet another Texan dynasty if this design team keeps pumping up these shows over the next few years. It will be a travesty for this activity on par with the winless Hebron years if TWHS doesn't win any BOA SA, GN, or UIL comps or with this team.
 
 
And.... That's it! That's all I got to see at Katy this year 😀.

Cy-Fair: Knew the name, never gave another thought. Not anymore, holy smokes! Shenandoah might've been downplayed fairly early on in comparison to other competitions, but Cy-Fair this year brought distinguishment to this title on par with being a single-digit SA Super finalist. Many bands took their shot at My Body is a Cage, but I've found only Cy-Fair as iconic as the original SCV 2018 version. An absolute shame this isn't going to SA this year.
 
CTJ: I'm a bit of a stick in the lake this year apparently, because I find this show to be quite pleasant this year. This feels more of a proper spotlight at the capabilities of the band instead of overwhelm with every relevant thread of thought into 13 min- something I thought the mid-'10s CTJ shows had a lot of tact and style with. Admittedly, the standard for those shows are so high that asking CTJ to meet that with this show is a bit too inappropriate. It is still a nice change of pace for the program.
 
TWHS: Uh..... Holy smokes? Nah, holy blazes!!! You're telling me TWHS missed a majority of summer camp and still had this on the field??? What an absolute treat to get Chick Corea and treat the material with so much respect and detail not just musically, but the integration of drill, props, percussion, body choreography, color guard, and beyond. TWHS is hitting such high marks in achievement and performance in every aspect in this activity in ways other bands aren't. This is exactly why I'm a fan of this activity. What an honor to see TWHS 2023 live.
 
We may be looking at yet another Texan dynasty if this design team keeps pumping up these shows over the next few years. It will be a travesty for this activity on par with the winless Hebron years if TWHS doesn't win any BOA SA, GN, or UIL comps or with this team.
 
 
And.... That's it! That's all I got to see at Katy this year 😀.

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Cy-Fair: Knew the name, never gave another thought. Not anymore, holy smokes! Shenandoah might've been downplayed fairly early on in comparison to other competitions, but Cy-Fair this year brought distinguishment to this title on par with being a single-digit SA Super finalist. Many bands took their shot at My Body is a Cage, but I've found only Cy-Fair as iconic as the original SCV 2018 version. An absolute shame this isn't going to SA this year.
 
CTJ: I'm a bit of a stick in the lake this year apparently, because I find this show to be quite pleasant this year. This feels more of a proper spotlight at the capabilities of the band instead of overwhelm with every relevant thread of thought into 13 min- something I thought the mid-'10s CTJ shows had a lot of tact and style with. Admittedly, the standard for those shows are so high that asking CTJ to meet that with this show is a bit too inappropriate. It is still a nice change of pace for the program.
 
TWHS: Uh..... Holy smokes? Nah, holy blazes!!! You're telling me TWHS missed a majority of summer camp and still had this on the field??? What an absolute treat to get Chick Corea and treat the material with so much respect and detail not just musically, but the integration of drill, props, percussion, body choreography, color guard, and beyond. TWHS is hitting such high marks in achievement and performance in every aspect in this activity in ways other bands aren't. This is exactly why I'm a fan of this activity. What an honor to see TWHS 2023 live.
 
We may be looking at yet another Texan dynasty if this design team keeps pumping up these shows over the next few years. It will be a travesty for this activity on par with the winless Hebron years if TWHS doesn't win any BOA SA, GN, or UIL comps or with this team.
 
 
And.... That's it! That's all I got to see at Katy this year 😀.

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Cy-Fair: Knew the name, never gave another thought. Not anymore, holy smokes! Shenandoah might've been downplayed fairly early on in comparison to other competitions, but Cy-Fair this year brought distinguishment to this title on par with being a single-digit SA Super finalist. Many bands took their shot at My Body is a Cage, but I've found only Cy-Fair as iconic as the original SCV 2018 version. An absolute shame this isn't going to SA this year.
 
CTJ: I'm a bit of a stick in the lake this year apparently, because I find this show to be quite pleasant this year. This feels more of a proper spotlight at the capabilities of the band instead of overwhelm with every relevant thread of thought into 13 min- something I thought the mid-'10s CTJ shows had a lot of tact and style with. Admittedly, the standard for those shows are so high that asking CTJ to meet that with this show is a bit too inappropriate. It is still a nice change of pace for the program.
 
TWHS: Uh..... Holy smokes? Nah, holy blazes!!! You're telling me TWHS missed a majority of summer camp and still had this on the field??? What an absolute treat to get Chick Corea and treat the material with so much respect and detail not just musically, but the integration of drill, props, percussion, body choreography, color guard, and beyond. TWHS is hitting such high marks in achievement and performance in every aspect in this activity in ways other bands aren't. This is exactly why I'm a fan of this activity. What an honor to see TWHS 2023 live.
 
We may be looking at yet another Texan dynasty if this design team keeps pumping up these shows over the next few years. It will be a travesty for this activity on par with the winless Hebron years if TWHS doesn't win any BOA SA, GN, or UIL comps or with this team.
 
 
And.... That's it! That's all I got to see at Katy this year 😀.

Another regional in the books for this season! Saturday truly was a lovely day all around. The weather was such a rare pleasant event that everyone made sure that the mood felt sweet for all. I also had the lovely pleasure to finally bump into a few folks off the HR forums (4 years in the making!).

Very rarely do I get competitions that are just really simply uncomplicated. Katy is such a great venue suited for band, not just because of the logistics, but also the ample amount of volunteers throw themselves into the role belatedly without question from the experienced (and excited) to the curious first-timers. Thank you to the Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, and Seven Lakes parents that gave their time to volunteer for this weekend (and sharing some of your stories with me. Some were very special.).

A soon-to-be-favorite anecdote from this past weekend: In the morning, a father and his toddler appearing to be on a leisurely walk had strayed off their ordinary route after the toddler was curious about some of the bands near former stadium. They ended up watching bands for a decent amount go through their flow with the toddler wowed. The father was equally impressed too! I don't know if that kid will be in the activity one day, but I like to think the pop too would wholeheartedly jump in, head-first.

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Howdy! I'm headed from out of Texas to this regional this year again to help run the competition! Super excited to get my share of Texas again!

Great news: Marching Observer is conscious now and has made a safe recovery! He'll need some time but he'll back sooner or later.

Great news: Marching Observer is conscious now and has made a safe recovery! He'll need some time but he'll back sooner or later.

This is thewho. I help moderate the Hornrank forums. 
It is with a sorrowful pittance to bring the news that our friend, MarchingObserver, has been admitted for emergency surgery today. You all have likely seen his readings over on the TxB blog, BOX5 blog, and GEM. 
MarchingObserver used to be part of the IndianaMarching.com team that worked alongside TxB in several events before the website closed in 2017 and had collaborated frequently with TxB teams over the years since. I cannot speak on the behalf of the TxB, but I know he has been considered a dear friend and valuable member of the team.  
I can only hope he will pull through with no complications. Please think of him as you move on about your day. Thank you.

I mean it costs a lot to go to grand nats and it's logistically the hardest thing a band program can do besides maybe Rose Parade or Macy's Parade, you have to show you can be successful in your own state before you take on a challenge like grand nats. Not just the competitive challenge, but having the maturity in your program to face the challenge of the biggest out of state band competition.

Great news: Marching Observer is conscious now and has made a safe recovery! He'll need some time but he'll back sooner or later.

I will definitely be keeping him in my prayers, and I sincerly hope he has a speedy recovery afterwards. Much love ❤

Well, that's another one for the books.
 
Congrats to Moe & Gene Johnson for the regional win. The improvement over the last few years has been astounding!
 
I've ran parking before, but this was my first time in action, so to speak. Everyone was lovely and all ready for band. I've asked volunteers what they enjoy about Midland each year, and the most common response I've received was how laid-back everyone is and how well the rules were respected consistently.
 
I've also received a few credible complaints about the difficulty of reaching the stadium for the disabled with the lack of disabled parking spots- I think this is a valid concern and will pass on the comments to BOA/MFA.
 
Thanks to Midland Legacy for their hard work today to ensure the competition is ran well. We've had wonderful volunteers to help direct traffic and everything else in between.

Well, that's another one for the books.
 
Congrats to Moe & Gene Johnson for the regional win. The improvement over the last few years has been astounding!
 
I've ran parking before, but this was my first time in action, so to speak. Everyone was lovely and all ready for band. I've asked volunteers what they enjoy about Midland each year, and the most common response I've received was how laid-back everyone is and how well the rules were respected consistently.
 
I've also received a few credible complaints about the difficulty of reaching the stadium for the disabled with the lack of disabled parking spots- I think this is a valid concern and will pass on the comments to BOA/MFA.
 
Thanks to Midland Legacy for their hard work today to ensure the competition is ran well. We've had wonderful volunteers to help direct traffic and everything else in between.