2012 5A State Marching Contest

[Morcks]

I'd give Westlake that last spot. Their music this year is not only difficult, but INCREDIBLY well performed. Additionally, they always seem to make their way into finals.

 

Westlake has always done very well in music. I believe they scored in the top 5 at BOA SA for ensemble music (and didn't even make finals at that). Whats more impressive to me is both the general effect of the show (compared to a a rather boring show in '10), and their execution of the drill (though yes, it did start to become ragged towards the end). I've heard they have a new director that is running the visual aspect of their program, and what ever he is doing, it must be working. They are looking better than any previous year I can remember.

 

But man, I saw their show at Area D finals, and it was fantastic. The opening brass feature was strong, but definitely could have been louder. They handled the extremely technical parts of Festive Overture well, and while marching surprisingly tricky drill. Their ballad (Variations on a theme by Paganini I believe) fell a little bit flat in terms of what could have been a big hit, but it was made up for in their arrangement of 4 Scottish dances. Got to love those piccolo trumpet solos!

 

I definitely would not count them out of finals at all, maybe even breaking top 5 at state

 

Also from Area D, Bowie is shaping up to be a challenger to the LD Bell-Marcus Throne, and already their show is phenomenal. I would bet they make the top 3. The music was strong, and the drill is mesmerizing.

 

As for LD Bell, I'm not quite certain what happened to them at BOA St. Louis (which is the only one I have seen so far) but it wasn't the LD Bell I expected. Music was good, but their marching simply was not clean enough, even if the drill was exceptionally hard. If they have another show like that, I would not be surprised if they fell out of the top 5.

[rtrezza]

 

 

Woah.

 

good or bad woah

[T.Stechnij]

 

 

Woah.

 

No kidding. That is amazing. I bet they will be high high high high at BOA San Antonio. They can play and woah, lots of cool stuff going on.

[Drummantx]

good or bad woah

 

 

Has anybody EVER done that kind of stuff on that scale? That's REALLY cool. Oh, the band is good too.

[mellopwn1]

Rowlett for sure has some great musicians, however the show is lacking dynamic contrast. At this risk of sounding utterly pretentious, I would describe their musical performance as "aurally exhausting." They play tons and tons and tons of notes, however if you belt out a million notes at forte for eight minutes, you really aren't demonstrating musical shaping or expressiveness. So that might hold them back compared to other groups. They definitely have a shot, but I think this will be another state cycle where Rowlett ends up riiiight on the edge in the 11-20 range.

[rtrezza]

Has anybody EVER done that kind of stuff on that scale? That's REALLY cool. Oh, the band is good too.

 

 

I have never seen a band use video boards across the front side line and fog machine in their show

[T.Stechnij]

I have never seen a band use video boards across the front side line and fog machine in their show

 

I have seen a lot of shows so I am going to dare to say neither has ever been done. Their lows scores at Denton must have PUSHED them. I bet this will be a top 5 at state and the Super Regional.

[mellopwn1]

I have seen a lot of shows so I am going to dare to say neither has ever been done. Their lows scores at Denton must have PUSHED them. I bet this will be a top 5 at state and the Super Regional.

 

LED Boards and Fog Machine.....holy crap that is SO freaking cool. They definitely broke the mold on the whole "weather" show concept.

 

But their visual still could use some love, and the muddy drill design is going to hurt them at BOA especially. I doubt top 5 at either (since the competition is so stiff), but definitely likely finalist.

 

Don't let their literal smoke and mirrors (however awesome ) distract you from the performance aspects of the show

[TxRaider13]

I know people are backing away from Bell and Duncanville, but let us not forget, Bell will clean the living crap out of the show before State and BOA and Duncanville has always been a great band at State..... I'll stick with them not only getting into finals but Bell should medal and Dville shouldn't fall worse than 5th.... But anything can happen

[Nosagi]

I know people are backing away from Bell and Duncanville, but let us not forget, Bell will clean the living crap out of the show before State and BOA and Duncanville has always been a great band at State..... I'll stick with them not only getting into finals but Bell should medal and Dville shouldn't fall worse than 5th.... But anything can happen

I respect your opinion, but I disagree, I think LDB will have trouble with top 5, much less medaling. Will they be cleaning like crazy? Of course, but it may not be enough and every other band is cleaning just as much as them. Their show this year just isn't a UIL favored show. I can see 2 completely different results for Bell in a 3 day span. Duncanville *should* have no trouble with finals, but this UIL season has been crazy. That being said either of these bands could make a complete 180 and medal, I just don't see that happening.

[herpaderp]

My predictions:

 

Top 2 in some order:

Marcus

Bowie

 

3 and 4:

LD Bell

Duncanville

 

Outside of top 4 but probably still locks:

Hebron

Coppell

The Woodlands

CT Johnson

 

The last two slots could be anyone's game. Just way too many great groups. Westlake, Berkner, Spring, Reagan, Plano East, Rowlett, Richland... It comes down to who performs the best on that particular day.

 

I will be very surprised if Bowie does not medal this year though. They have the most upward trajectory of any of the very top tier of bands, IMO. It's just hard to say since they've hardly competed yet this year.

 

Really excited to see if Marcus can hold on to their title this year. All in all I think we're seeing the start of a big shift in the status quo - I think we're going to start seeing the North Texas monopoly over the top levels of competition start to disappear.

Edited October 29, 2012 by herpaderp

[TxRaider13]

Not sure where these will be but I think these will be in finals...Champs get love by being first

 

Marcus

Bowie

L.D. Bell

Duncanville

Coppell

Woodlands

 

After that I have no idea and need a giant wheel with the bands left on it to figure this out.

[Anthony V]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm definitely not seeing Coppell as a lock. Within shot of finals, yes of course, but with the level of competition going on here I'm not seeing it. There are just too many bands doing more difficult stuff and pulling it off pretty darned well. At area B, we definitely saw what happened when you pull off hard stuff pretty clean and with lot's of artistry (Plano East, Hebron, Richland) versus cleaner but not as challenging and thus maybe not as artistic overall (Flower Mound, Haltom), and what happens if you just don't pull it off that well, regardless of how artistic it is (L.D. Bell). Plus, the judges at Area B were nothing if decorated and extremely well established in the music world. I'm also excited about this judging panel for state.

 

When I think of a good UIL band program, I think of clean, but also of artistry (which demands a show that enables the performers to be artists and not just robots). Usually when people think of artistry, they think of BOA. But I don't think that's necessarily artistry. I think there's a strong distinction between artistry and effect (although they certainly compliment each other). A prime example of artistry as a strong UIL component is Marcus. Ms. Amanda Drinkwater and co.'s brilliant artisan work allows the kids to be artists. As was said before, they are just pure class. Other good examples are Hebron and the ever consistent Duncanville.

 

I'm seeing finals to look something like this:

1-2 Marcus, Bowie

3-5 Woodlands, Hebron, Duncanville

6-10 Plano East, CT Johnson, Bell, Richland, Westlake

 

I think Berkner, Reagan, Coppell and Rowlett will be right outside of finals in a tight-knit group, with Reagan and Berkner leading the pack outside of finals. I could switch Reagan or Berkner with Westlake or Richland or even Bell though.

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm definitely not seeing Coppell as a lock. Within shot of finals, yes of course, but with the level of competition going on here I'm not seeing it. There are just too many bands doing more difficult stuff and pulling it off pretty darned well. At area B, we definitely saw what happened when you pull off hard stuff pretty clean and with lot's of artistry (Plano East, Hebron, Richland) versus cleaner but not as challenging and thus maybe not as artistic overall (Flower Mound, Haltom), and what happens if you just don't pull it off that well, regardless of how artistic it is (L.D. Bell). Plus, the judges at Area B were nothing if decorated and extremely well established in the music world.

 

Um, Haltom's show is VERY challenging. Their music and marching drill are very difficult. They struggled at Area, yes, but they were one point from State, showing that even though their show wasn't as spot on as they've done before and as it could be, they put out a very challenging show. They always play hard music. It's part of the reason their Symphonic Winds make it to State in TMEA. Also, their drill flies around the field. It was simply not as clean as they're capable of doing. That is all.

 

I have no idea what happened with Flower Mound. Their show is a-mazing. They played with a lot of confidence and I definitely wouldn't say it's "not as challenging," either. One judge in music gave them 3rd place for goodness sakes. Also, I thought that Hebron, Plano East, and Richland landed their shows very cleanly on the field, not "pretty clean."

[Xenon]

Can anyone (maybe Sanchez) give us an honest opinion on Duncanville?

 

Considering I tech there, I am way way way too close to the program and this show to be truly objective.

 

That being said; This year's group is the hardest working Duncanville group that I have ever worked with. From day-1 and every day after that, they have been focused and extremely intent on being the best that they can possibly be. Through all of this hard work, I feel that they look and sound better than any Duncanville band since 2002.

 

But this show is hard. Incredibly much harder than any show they have done before. These kids are being stretched further than they ever have been before and I personally think they are taking that stretch extremely well. The show is also potentially prone to be divisive among some judges, but every show by every school has shown to be potentially divisive this year....

 

With Will Pitts doing the music and especially with Kevin Nix (currently at Hebron and most famously from Reagan in their heyday) doing the drill, this also isn't the type of show design that you are used to seeing from Duncanville either. Personally, I love the new level of design, but again, I am completely biased.

 

At Area C, Duncanville did get 1st in Prelims and 4th in Finals. All of the programs that advanced are great programs and absolutely deserving of advancement and there is just so much quality at the top of Area C that it can be extremely hard to properly separate the differences between the bands, especially when their styles are completely eclectically different. From a numerical standpoint, with Berkner and Rowlett being tied and Coppell only being one rank point away from them, that means that the rankings from the judges were completely mixed to an insane level.

 

Everyone had to deal with the cold that night and it caused all kinds of problems at Area B. There are some places in Duncanville's show that are especially prone to cold air having the potential to cause significant and obvious tuning problems. Listening to the tapes, it was apparent that this was an issue in the Finals run, but thankfully that won't be a problem inside of the dome.

 

Again, this is the best group that I have worked with and they have put out some of the best performances I have ever seen from a Duncanville band, and I am extremely proud to be working with them. It isn't where judges and placements end up that matter, it is the journey to get there, and this year has been the most rewarding by far.

 

I want every band from every school to be the best that they can and I am overjoyed at watching many of these other great bands truly stepping up their shows and increasing the overall performance level of the top tier. For the last few years, Marcus and LD Bell have set a new standard and there are so many bands that are now capable of striving for that level of excellence that just making it to the State level is an immense honor. And making it into State Finals, no matter what the final placement is an achievement beyond measure.

[Rubisco]

Ah, I think the area C results I saw must have been in random order, because they listed Duncanville and Coppell first and second. It's nice to see that Berkner has improved. They were a group whose drill design I really liked at Denton, but whose music performance could have used some work. Still, based on the show and its potential, I had (and still have) them as a high bubble for BOA SA finals and I guess now state finals as well. Maybe replacing Spring in my original prediction? In any case, it's going to be a rankings salad, like always.

[T.Stechnij]

LED Boards and Fog Machine.....holy crap that is SO freaking cool. They definitely broke the mold on the whole "weather" show concept.

 

But their visual still could use some love, and the muddy drill design is going to hurt them at BOA especially. I doubt top 5 at either (since the competition is so stiff), but definitely likely finalist.

 

Don't let their literal smoke and mirrors (however awesome ) distract you from the performance aspects of the show

 

Keep in mind that that was two weeks ago and it is still cleaner than a lot of programs are now such as Anderson and Richland.

[Statebound]

I'm seeing finals to look something like this:

1-2 Marcus, Bowie

3-5 Woodlands, Hebron, Duncanville

6-10 Plano East, CT Johnson, Bell, Richland, Westlake

I've seen an embarrasing number of shows this year. I keep waiting for the "get a life" chant to start. But that is what's great about this time of year. I can't stray far from this list but will bump CTJ ahead of Duncanville. I see it going like this:

 

Bowie

Marcus

Hebron

Woodlands

CTJ

 

The other finalist should be 5 of the following 7 - Duncanville, Coppell, Plano East, LDB, Keller, Richland and Reagan. I find it impossible to believe that all 5 bands from Area B would make finals so 1-2 one of those (Plano East, LDB, Richland) will likely drop out.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Statebound

[T.Stechnij]

LED Boards and Fog Machine.....holy crap that is SO freaking cool. They definitely broke the mold on the whole "weather" show concept.

 

But their visual still could use some love, and the muddy drill design is going to hurt them at BOA especially. I doubt top 5 at either (since the competition is so stiff), but definitely likely finalist.

 

Don't let their literal smoke and mirrors (however awesome ) distract you from the performance aspects of the show

 

Keep in mind that that was two weeks ago and it is still cleaner than a lot of programs are now such as Anderson and Richland.

[vacon3`]

AAAAA SMBC Prelims Schedule - November 6, 2012

 

7:30 Harlingen South

7:45 Spring

8:00 Langham Creek

8:15 Plano East

8:30 Keller

8:45 Hanna (Brownsville)

9:00 Hendrickson (Pflugerville)

9:15 Pearland

9:30 Marcus

9:45 Fossil Ridge

10:00 BREAK

10:15 United (Laredo)

10:30 Seven Lakes

10:45 The Woodlands

11:00 Duncanville

11:15 Bowie (Austin)

11:30 Harlingen

11:45 Clements (Sugar Land)

12:00 Keller Central

12:15 LUNCH

1:00 Berkner

1:15 Brazoswood

1:30 Richland

1:45 Johnson (San Antonio)

2:00 O’Connor (Helotes)

2:15 Coppell

2:30 BREAK

2:45 Westlake

3:00 Coronado (El Paso)

3:15 Cy-Fair

3:30 Donna

3:45 Clear Brook

4:00 Hebron

4:15 Reagan (San Antonio)

4:30 BREAK

4:45 Dickinson

5:00 Lopez (Brownsville)

5:15 L.D. Bell

5:30 Lake Travis

5:45 Clear Lake

6:00 San Benito

6:15 Rowlett

 

6:30 Drum Major Retreat & Announce Finals

UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE

1701 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722

Tel: (512) 471-5883 | Fax: (512) 471-5908

 

 

Here is the Prelim lineup

[Donezo]

It's interesting to note that in the past, some unpredicted finalists typically come from the last block of prelims: Bowie and Clements in 2004, Akins in 2006, Westlake in 2008, Westlake again in 2010. With such a marathon of great performances, it does make sense that bands who do well at the end of the day could get a slight advantage over bands of similar quality earlier on. Looking at the schedule, Lake Travis and/or Rowlett could upset with a strong enough performance. Exciting!

Edited October 29, 2012 by Donezo

[Chryco4]

We have another early performance just like last time when we went on 3rd. Good thing we have two days off between BOA and UIL because it's going to be one of those mornings...

[Chuck]

It's interesting to note that in the past, some unpredicted finalists typically come from the last block of prelims: Bowie and Clements in 2004, Akins in 2006, Westlake in 2008, Westlake again in 2010. With such a marathon of great performances, it does make sense that bands who do well at the end of the day could get a slight advantage over bands of similar quality earlier on. Looking at the schedule, Lake Travis and/or Rowlett could upset with a strong enough performance. Exciting!

 

 

Well said. You can count on your predictions of Lake Travis, and Rowlett making finals...with help from their draws and possibly knock out a Reagan, Richland, or Berkner chance.

[rtrezza]

Well said. You can count on your predictions of Lake Travis, and Rowlett making finals...with help from their draws and possibly knock out a Reagan, Richland, or Berkner chance.

 

 

I agree with both Rowlett has always been right on the edge of getting into finals 14th and 15th respectfully and i think if they have a strong performace they can definitely knock out some bands

[sporanox]

I sat on the field at area durring finals and up high at prelims. I must say the kiddos from Rowlett and Berkner can play. The sound they create in person does not do justice on the YouTube videos. Rowlett has a good chance to be in finals due to a good music score and so does Berkner. Berkner has made the SMC finals 5 out of the 7 past times (98-2010) if that helps.

 

What I didn't like about Rowlett was the weakness they gave off. It looked like they were scared, slouchy and caved in..

What I didn't like about Berkner was the entrance onto the field. It gave a bad first impression.

Edited October 29, 2012 by sporanox