king_leonides

So, if 8 bands advance to state, and there are 10 bands in finals, then each band has an 80% chance of advancing, correct? Or did I miss something?

Do we have region 23 results yet?

HISD has that many high school, but they are not all 6A. I believe they have 7 6A schools; the rest are 5A and 4A. But I agree with your point. HISD - the state's largest school district - should produce more than 1 band at the 6A area competition. That is a testament to exactly how badly music education has deteriorated in that school district. It is shameful and embarrassing.

They scored a 90.46, according to your system. The highest ranking outfit in area G was O'Connor , with an 84.42. I know that there were different panels in the two areas - you don't have to tell me that. Regardless, LD Bell scored significantly higher than any outfit in area G - so if Bell competed in G, they would be headed to the Alamodome. Your analysis shows that, and I think we all knew that. I wish I could put LD Bell in my Wonkavator and magically fly them to the Alamodome....sadly, it will not fly that far.

So essentially what you are telling us is that LD Bell should have advanced to state, if UIL used raw scores, instead of ordinals? I am not surprised. Nor am I surprised by this: LD Bell's raw scores are higher than those of any band in area G. Hence, if LD Bell competed there, not only would they have advanced to state, they would have won Area G. I am not surprised. Nothing about UIL surprises me. Nothing at all.

Yes, find them here: http://www.uilforms.com/regions/19/AreaMarching/RESULTS/2014-2015/2014%20Area%20F%20Finals.pdf

Find them here: http://uilforms.com/regions/13/AREA%20MARCHING/2014-2015/2014%20RESULTS%20-%20Area%20E%206A.pdf If you look closely, on the row above the ordinal score, you will see a number from 1 to 999. That is the raw score that the judge gave to the band, in that category, for that performance. The raw score is then ranked from 1 to 20, with the highest raw score getting a 1, and the lowest score getting a 20.

Moving regions between different areas. Or creating entirely new areas, by taking regions out of an existing area, and moving it to a new one. That is badly overdue in UIL. Only the RMS Titanic is move overdue......

It is unlikely that more bands from area E will be appearing in area anytime soon. This will only happen if: 1) HISD and Alief get their acts together, and start producing 1s. or 2) Area E is redistricted to include more regions from other areas. Marching music programs in HISD and AISD have completely tanked. Sorry, that is the case. Here are the scores, if you have doubts: http://www.uilforms.com/regions/23/RESULTS/MARCHING/2014-2015/Reg%2023%20Marching%20Results%20-%20Oct%2021%202014.htm Nine bands from region 23 failed to advance. Maybe that is a fair assessment, but the obvious question is "Why?" HISD is the state's largest school district, and only one band from its high schools advanced to area. That was Westside, who finished dead last at area. HISD hangs like a millstone around the necks of the band in this region, and it is the fundamental reason why only 3-4 bands advance from this area. (Area G, by contrast, routinely advances 7-8 bands.) Honestly, the music program in HISD is a train wreck, so the only via option above is #2. Area alignment is badly needed, and this is just another reason why.

But they do not post the names of the judges next to the scores. On the score sheet, they only list J1, J2, J3, J4, and J5. Here is the specific example from Area E this year: http://uilforms.com/regions/13/AREA%20MARCHING/2014-2015/2014%20RESULTS%20-%20Area%20E%206A.pdf So who was the individual that was J2, and was responsible for these scores? We will never know that detail. That is the specific information I am looking for. That is what DCI publishes - but UIL chooses not to.

Consider this: Should UIL make the names of their judges public? DCI does: http://www.dci.org/scores/recap/recap_window.cfm?event=e05ad798-9c73-4884-9955-58b9a5ffdfc0 If you get a really bad score - or a really good score - you know exactly who to thank. Or who not to thank. I am 100% for transparency and accountability, for anyone in professional positions. You want to know the name of your child's teacher, your child's daughter, and god forbid, your child's criminal lawyer (or judge.) Why can't we know the names of of the persons who adjudicate our children's marching bands?

An interesting analysis.....And it clearly gives evidence that UIL needs region re-alignment.

Honestly, I am not surprised, and not even mad. I am disappointed, but honestly, nothing that transpires in the judge's box surprises me anymore. I have come to accept that there is inherent unfairness in this activity. So I am not shocked whenever anything extremely bad - or good - occurs to an organization I support. I just greet decisions with blithe cynicism, and simply move on with my life. There are significant discrepancies between music judge 2, and judges 1 and 3, particularly in the middle of the table. Judge 2 rated Cy Woods as a top-ten band, but Judge 1 rated them as next to last. Conversely, judge 2 rated Jersey Village as 16, whereas judge 1 rates then as top 7. We see this type of inconsistencies year after year. Honestly, I have come to expect it. I sometimes wonder how judges at the same show, watching the same bands, with the same scoring sheets and rubrics, can come up with such divergent evaluations. Perhaps there are significant differences in the background, expectations, and level of experience of the judges. I personally do not believe that judges are inept or biased; most are more than competent to do their jobs. But competency and consistency are two different things. I strongly believe that UIL should make judging panels public, instead of just assigning them numbers. At a minimum, that would allow us to call their decision-making into question.

i know that the UIL is considering revamping the format for the marching band championships. They have formed an "ad hoc" committee, to do this. Their recommendations can be found here: http://www.uiltexas.org/files/MarchingBandCommitteeReport.pdf They are actually tackling a number of the issues we discuss in these boards. They are discussing changes to the scoring system and the frequency of the state championships (which are two other pet peeves of mine.) So at least the UIL recognizes it has a problem, and is taking its first steps to address it. We'll see what comes to fruition from this committee.

I see two potential options: 1) Greatly decrease the number of 1s granted. In some regions, in excess of 70% of the of units earn 1s. We can decrease this number, to the point that only the top 15- to 20% of bands in this state earn 1s. What we actually need is a true normal distribution, where the majority of bands earn 2s and 3s, and only a fraction earn 1s. Anyone who earn a 1 could then compete directly in the state championships. With this system, we could actually eliminate the area round entirely. (This is actually the system employed in a great many states.) or: 2) Only the area champions get an automatic bid to the state championships. The remaining 20 spots would be granted based upon the top scores in the area finals. If 10 of those bends come from area B, then 11 bands would get to attend. Scoring at the area level would have to be on an absolute, not ordinal, basis (similar to BOA or DCI.) With this approach, every area would have at least some representation, but the really strong areas would get the majority of the spots. Those would be the two options I would propose, but I am open to other suggestions.

I honestly would prefer to see the top 30 bands in this state in the Alamodome, regardless of culture, demographics, gender make-up, racial make-up, fashion sense, or any other factors. If that means that 27 of the 30 bands come from the suburbs of DFW, Houston and Austin, so be it. This activity is already unfair enough as it is. I have no illusions that it will ever be completely fair. That is impossible. At best, we should make it less unfair. And that means that we should strive for a true meritocracy. Much of real life (after marching band) is a meritocracy as well. We are preparing young men and women for real life, after all.

Yes. Thanks to my inside contacts at the UIL, I have an exclusive interview with the head judge from yesterday's show. Here it is: Here is his comments: "It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!" Seriously, after 35 years of watching this activity, I can only react with skepticism and disillusionment.

Along those lines..... Can anyone tell me, with a straight face, that LD Bell is not one of the top 37 bands in this state? Why are they not going to the Alamodome, but 37 other outfits are? I have said it before, and I will say it again: the UIL's alignment system is grossly unfair, and is in need of a complete makeover. There are bands from Area B/C/E that cannot get a sniff of the Alamodome, but they are clear among the top 15 or 20 bands in the state, in any year. It is really sad - well, pathetic, actually. Conversely, there are bands from area G who will be appearing there, who could not beat LD Bell under any circumstances, period. Look at the scores for 2012, if you have any doubt. Area G bands are all at the bottom of the table for prelims. If Bell were allowed to compete in areas C/A/G, they would crush the competition - and we all know that. LD Bell should be at that show on the 4th, and it is a travesty that they are not.

Life is not fair. Marching band is not fair. Marching band will teach you that life is not fair. Marching band leads to brutal heartbreak. I have been marching or watching shows for 35 years, and every year I draw the same conclusion. If you are looking for justice, you've come to the wrong place. My beloved Spartans did not make it to the Alamodome this year, which I find utterly incredulous. But LD Bell did not make it, and they are former national champions. Again, this activity is brutal, unforgiving, and unfair. You rarely, if every, get what you want (or even deserve.) Plenty of people across this state learned that tonight. I guess I have simply become bitter and cynical after nearly 30 years in this activity. I have come to accept success - and failure - in this activity as a fluke, If I really wanted fairness, I would go watch track and field. In the 100 meter dash, the first person across the finish line is the winner. Marching band is not the 100 meter dash. Here is Harvey Two-Face's opinion on marching band: What determines who succeeds in life - or for that matter, marching band? "Luck! blind, simple, stupid, doo-dah, clueless luck!" I guess I really should stop caring, but after investing so much of my life in this activity, I really can't.

Neither Bell nor Marcus make the top 7. It is almost too much to believe. Or perhaps.....we saw a changing of the guard Saturday night...Maybe the hegemony of the DFW area is ending....and maybe bands from the other parts of the state will finally have a chance. Time will tell.

NM

Bowie and Reagan are the only bands from Texas on the current performance schedule: http://www.musicforall.org/what-we-do/marc...icipating-bands

The real question is this: who gets stuck with HISD? The music programs in Houston ISD are weak. And that is the most sensitive way I can put it..... It is the largest school district in the state. But only 1 of its high schools made it to area finals (Westside). And in previous years, they have sent no bands to Area E finals. That's almost unreal. Music education in that district is really appauling. I am sorry, it is. And what is the practical result? Region 23 gets stuck with that district. Area E is stuck with that district. But it produces virtually bands, to expand the field at area competition, so only 3 or 4 bands make it out of Area E to state. (Meanwhile, up to 8 bands qualify from other areas.) That's real fair. Wait, no it isn't. Whoever is in charge of music education in that district should really be ashamed of themselves. Sorry, but it's true. I know that district has serious problems. But honestly, could you produce more than 1 program that can qualify for area finals, please?