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This is probably the best LISD Festival of Bands I’ve ever been to. Format and venue change really made a difference! Great for the middle schoolers to to be able to watch all the HS performances instead of having to play in between. Even added the nice touch of interviewing the band members and showing it on the Jumbotron after the performances like they do at state. For whatever reason, I also think the crowd was much more engaged and into it than in years past with pretty big standing O’s after each band. I just kind of wish that we’d find a different day to do this instead of the Monday after BOA ATX. Band members are probably still sleepy and no one has had any time to really practice, implement any comments from BOA judges, or add any length to what we saw on Saturday. But then again, I am not the scheduler so I’m sure there’s maybe a good reason to have it now. It was great to see all the shows for a 3rd time in the span of a couple of days to continue to develop impressions. -Rouse has really made huge improvements just over last year in their power and ensemble sound. If they can clean, clean, clean the visual, they will be on track for some never before seen heights later this season. -Rooting for Glenn, as well! -Vista Ridge reinforced what I saw on Saturday. The show is fantastic and such a level up for them. I watched their marching closely and really see why they picked up the visual caption on Saturday. Individual fundamentals are incredibly strong and each performer just appears to be moving with an intensity and purpose that is coming across all the way up to the top row of the stands. -Cedar Park’s show is even harder than I realized on Saturday. There’s lots of playing with tempo (accelerandos and such) that are quite difficult that just need some time to refine. I also appreciate that there is a lot of complicated stuff that the woodwinds are playing must of the time on the move and doing it very very well! Also, very much like how the performance top is such a good blend of their usual uniform and the circus-y theme. -I can’t wait to see the finished product from Leander! They were just starting to get the groovy Marquez Danzon cranked up before they stopped. Again, I’m so thrilled with how much demand on the move they are doing! -Vandegrift is my favorite at this point. VOLUME! Those gorgeous, full, rich chords are amazing! The drill is fairly clean already and I enjoy how many times they are spread from end zone to end zone and keeping it all together beautifully. Such a gorgeous moment during the ballad with the dance team and the plethora of rich purple flags! They likely will be in the mix for the gold medal at UIL state, I think. I really do think it is a possibility that we could see Leander, Vandy, and Vista all in the top half of state finals and/or BOA SA. Again, can’t wait to see the finished product from everyone in the weeks to come - I think there are some difficult and exciting closers in store!

my favorite things.... -The power of Vandegrift!! Jaw on floor at the depth of sound as well as the flute craziness in Concerto for Orchestra. -Leander being back! So much more demand while on the move than previous years. The ballad is also simply gorgeous. What a treat to hear Nino Rota’s Romeo & Juliet on the field and so clever to use it to help convey the polarity theme. Outstanding guard. -I love Cedar Park’s fun shows that hit me over the head with the theme. Light years better from prelims to finals. The Euphonium battle was sensational as was the Can Can and the nicely done block drill during. Also seemed to be bringing a little more volume than last year, I thought. -Vista Ridge’s new arrival! Even though they have been amazing forever, this just felt next level. Wow Wow Wow! I love the idea of using the spinning compass as a showcase for soloists and cool visual moments like when the whole cymbal line was up there. Incredible soloists! It just felt so fresh and interesting. Visually, the individual performers are so committed to incredible fundamentals which elevated the whole production even more. -Hendrickson’s blue soloist - amazing player AND actor, as well! And you’ve got me hooked if you play Blue Rondo ala Turk on the field! Introducing high schoolers to Dave Brubeck’s music warms my heart! -Cedar Ridge - Kashmir on the field with lovely vocal solo - yes!!! Polovtsian Dances - yes!!!! I thought it was beautiful and accessible in both theme and musical selections. Also the double (or triple?!) tonguing brass in Sabre Dance was on fire! -The CTJ trombones are probably the section of the day - bringing the power and the beauty! Overall, fantastic day of band!

All day long! From first band to last!

Wow wow wow on Seven Lakes! I missed their prelims so was not gonna miss finals tonight. Love their fresh take on Profokiev’s R & J...lovely sounds and confident marching...great guard and the color palette is just gorgeous. This is an arrival! Can’t wait to see more from them!

I generally am unbothered by some of these newer, blingier uniforms. For me, it's the hats.... Just not a fan of these sort of half-crown things with a pheasant feather or bowlers or some other weird bauble. Please, just let's keep the classic shako with a 14-inch French upright plume. I think that some of these weirder shapes actually distort some of the forms and give an overall impression of less clean drill. But, I suppose even the stranger ones are better than the no-hat look - Yikes!

A couple of Areas appear to be done today and reporting results already: 6A Area A - Frenship and El Paso Coronado advancing to state 6A Area E - CTJ and Vandegrift advancing to state

According to info on the Conroe ISD website, it looks like the new school (Grand Oaks) is pulling from Oak Ridge HS entirely. It's opening as a 5A with grades 9 and 10 and then is expected be 6A by 2020 when all 4 grades are present.

I'm excited to see Prosper at Indy again. I had never heard much of them until last year and I LOVED their show! Great individual musicianship and tons of demand on the move handled very well. They seem to be on an exponential growth track in both size of school and quality of performance. If they continue this rate of improvement, I think it's quite possible for them to make finals. All the tools appear to be in the box.

Best general effect: CTJ Best visual: overall - Reagan; best drill move - rocking horse - Cedar Park Best music: Vandegrift Best visual concept: CTJ Best show idea/concept: Hendrickson Best opening hit: Vandegrift / CTJ Best solo: hallelujah trombones - CTJ / Sound of Silence alto flute - Vandegrift Best feature: Saxophone ensemble - Flower Mound Best musical selection: CTJ Most innovative show: Hendrickson Best crowd appeal: CTJ Most underrated: Vista Ridge Most improved: Pearland Best colorguard: CTJ Best pit: Cedar Park Best drumline: Marcus Best brass: Hebron Best woodwinds: technical - Hebron; ensemble sound/warmth - Cedar Park & Marcus Best prop: Hendrickson's LED bricks / Keller's LED arrows Best uniforms: Vista Ridge Best guard uniforms: Rouse Best overall pre-show: Hendrickson's Obama and Reagan voiceovers Best overall opener: Vandegrift - Beethoven's 7th Best overall ballad: Vandegrift's sound of silence Best overall closer: CTJ's Medea into Hallelujah recap

Oh my! Flower Mound and Marcus back-to-back = the best half hour of the evening!!! My jaw is on the floor!! Love love love!! Texas! Incredible performances. Chills from both and that Marcus depth of sound is just GORGEOUS! Ah!

Absolutely! Leander ISD is an amazing place! Blessed to call it home.

For Marcus, it was not my favorite show when I saw it at Southlake. Now, however, oh my! Still the same gorgeous Marcus sound, but the volume dial is certainly turned up from years previous. I enjoy all of the quirky visual touches - fun show! I also got chills from some of the full ensemble chords in the ballad. Bravo! Can't wait to see it again later!

Yes! Loved it again! Such gorgeous classic Texas sound that is tremendously well balanced. On the full ensemble moments you truly hear every single voice. Marching was rock solid and very engaging. Woodwind ensemble in the closer is my favorite moment, tons of notes and lovely warm tone. Thought it was as good or maybe slightly better than yesterday. If they'd had a run like that on Wednesday night, they likely would have been in the medals in SA. I had never really heard of or seen anything from Prosper until this year and I am now a huge fan! Very excited to see what is in store for them in the future.

WOWWWWW! Prosper was incredible! They cannot have had much time to practice since Wednesday, but that seemed on a new level. I love everything about that show. Oboe solo in the Barber was just beautiful!

Ordinal totals really close between the top 3! http://utdirect.utexas.edu/uilsmbc/lbw2_sched_results.WBX?s_conference=3A&s_round=2&s_display_sw=R I couldn't try to pick between Mineola and Farmersville myself! Just loved what Farmersville did with the Metallica and the Radiohead!

I mostly agree - I think the bands in your top 6 is spot on, but would perhaps just move Wakeland to 3rd. I just think everything is clicking on all cylinders for them and that backfield Elsa's Procession is absolutely breathtaking! This is a classic piece of high school band literature and I think it creates an amazing moment of familiarity and comfort in their show. Cedar Park did have an incredible run in prelims yesterday. The show has been refined a ton in just one week's time. The interval spacing and individual visual attention to detail were spot on. The trombone feature in from The Montagues/Capulets is now also sounding so incredibly refined! I am just buying everything they are selling. As one of the bloggers mentioned yesterday, it's a show that proves that great depth can come from a lighter show. I wish that Rouse was not so early, this show, as well is vastly improved and just creates really lovely moments. Great soloists, good guard, lovely use of props and color palette, just wish the ensemble sound was a bit heavier at times, but overall is a dark horse for finals. Lastly, I am just thrilled for Georgetown. I was in the GHS band way back in the late 90s. It is great to see the band doing so well this year! Blue Shades is an awesome piece of music and I love hearing it on the field. It is an exciting show that holds your attention throughout and oh my the guard is just fabulous! All the best for a great show (hopefully shows!) on Wednesday!

I think we might get 3 from D (CP, DS, Gtown) and 3 from B (Wakeland, Prosper, and Southwest). I just loved Southwest when I saw them at Southlake (I actually thought they were big time underscored there) and can't wait to see what the show looks like now.

Thanks for posting. I had not seen this since... well maybe back in 2002! Not a lot of melody in this one, but oh my, the marching is glorious - they are MOVING! I know this was a Higginbotham original show. Whatever happened to that guy? He was THE composer/arranger of this era. Oh man, some of those originals... Altered State, Spring 2000 anyone? That was a SHOW.

I was waiting for Reagan 2002 to make an appearance! ADORE this show!! The ballad in this show is my all-time favorite ballad!

Love both Churchill and The Woodlands. Remembering now what a magical bunch of shows from 2002! The depth of sound from Churchill's woodwinds is just stunning. And, the guard work in both groups is incredible. My favorite thing is the trombone glisses from The Woodlands - amazing! Who was Churchill's drill writer back then, because it is GREAT. Both of these shows would be very competitive in 2017. And to think, both programs headed back to Indy 15 years later with great potential for high placement.

I feel like the Area results are often times a bit weird everywhere. The important thing is just to get the right bands advancing to state, no matter the order. I remember several times Coppell would barely squeak in when they were in old Area C, usually behind Rowlett, Berkner, Duncanville... only to usually surge ahead of them all at state.

Ok, i'm now seeing Forney and Highland Park, as well from Area C advancing.

According to their twitter accounts, Waxahachie, Poteet, and The Colony are all reporting advancing from Area C, but I cannot find the full list yet.

I saw this live. It was absolutely mindblowing back in 2002 because it was so different and innovative. Honestly, though, what I love most is that the entire thing is just endless stylistic variations on Mvt 2 of Symphonic Metamorphosis, IMO one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. This is also during the time when ATX area and Region 9 were all zoned to Area D. They only took 4 to state from this area that year and Westfield was 5th. The area finals that year were stacked: The Woodlands, Bowie, Westlake, Spring, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown... My favorite show of all of 2002 came from this year: The Woodlands show Genesis: The Creation of Color is a masterpiece.

Vandy just has it all for me this year. The gorgeous flute solo in the ballad; the overall dark, balanced, LOUD ensemble sound; the heartbeats and the piano keys and the angsty pulling on the strings...oh and the Ode to Joy choir!! I think the whole thing is stunning and I am riveted from beginning to end. It's absolutely my favorite show they've ever done. I also think we could possibly see Reagan sneak into the very top places at SA. Incredibly played and visually they are just amazing to watch. Not just the forms and interval spacing but individual body carriage and fundamentals are quite pristine.