2014 BOA San Antonio Super-Regional Predictions

[LKendrick]

I think there are a few dominant schools in each category, but not one that stands out in all like marcus did in 2012. For example:

I think Hebron is dominant in music, CTJ right behind. I think visual will go to the woodlands, Leander or marcus. And GE will either go to Hebron or Woodlands, possibly Leander or CTJ. But I'm not really focusing on the captions. Last year Hebron won prelims without taking a caption. That's never happened before, but who's to say that it won't happen again? It's not likely but certainly possible. Usually the best all around show wins, and I think that's between hebron and the woodlands

That's how Lawrence Central won nationals in 01, all about consistency.

[snares]

Also I have a question that in all of my years of marching band I have never figured out:

Are bands judged based on preshow?

[Rubisco]

Pre-shows are not judged, but they are certainly part of a judge's first impression, if that makes sense.

 

I'd like to address an earlier comment about reputation. I don't think LD Bell or The Woodlands will enjoy much, if any, of an advantage for being historically great. Any sort of reservations a judge might have about placing them lower have probably been squashed thanks to A.) LD Bell's results last year and this year and B.) TW getting crushed at Conroe in finals. I don't think there will be any fear of critical backlash for placing these groups outside of the top 5, if there was any fear to begin with.

[That one drum major]

Also I have a question that in all of my years of marching band I have never figured out:

Are bands judged based on preshow?

No they do not judge the preshow

[Jbl3770]

No they do not judge the preshow

while they do not judge it - if done right you cannot deny the impact that a good pre-show has on the audience and thus the overall effect. - I recall the 2012 BOA-SA and all the comments that were made on this blog about the CTJ preshow and the members coming our of the stands in the preshow - sets the tone for the show - I wish more would do them

[Rubisco]

Prelims Assignments

 

MPI - Carl Bly
MPE - Chip Crotts
VPI - Jeff Young
VPE - Tim Ochran
MGE - Scott Atchison
MGE - Jay Webb
VGE - Lee Carlson

 

Finals Assignments

 

MPI - Steven Page
MPE - Paul McGarr
VPI - Chris Moss
VPE - Kyle Miller
MGE - Allan Kristensen
MGE - Ken Snoeck
VGE - John Howell

 

The only GE judge in finals that I think has also judged a previous TX regional this year is Howell, who judged visual GE at Conroe in prelims (and individual visual at Austin). I can't recall the last time I've seen Kristensen or Snoeck judging music GE for a bunch of Texas groups. Kristensen's a percussionist that judges individual music a lot. I know that because I've found some of his judgments strange in the past. Hahaha. Maybe it's because I'm a brass guy! Still, he's doing music GE here, which is an entirely different beast. Anyway, I think it's nice that BOA has brought in mostly fresh judges for this event.

[Jackson1]

Rubisco I don't think I have seen your final predictions. You were spot on last year. What are your thoughts this year? And no I don't want them Sunday. Let's hear it.

[snares]

I think Round Rock wins the award for coolest uniforms

[Rubisco]

Rubisco I don't think I have seen your final predictions. You were spot on last year. What are your thoughts this year? And no I don't want them Sunday. Let's hear it.

 

Hahaha. I don't know! Don't quiz me yet! I'll try to watch all of finals, and maybe as finals progresses I'll make an ordered list that I update occasionally. I'm going to be basing it off of videos, though, which isn't as good as a live performance, especially when Mr. Video is the "one" taking the video

[justabandkid94]

1) The Woodlands

2) Hebron

3) CTJ

4) Bowie

5) Leander

6) Marcus

7)Flower Mound

8) Round Rock

9) Vandegrift

10) LD Bell

11) Ronald Reagan

12)Cedar Park

13)Westlake

14)Hendrickson

 

GE: Leander

Visual: The Woodlands

Music: Hebron or Vandegrift

 

You may call me crazy to put Leander as the GE winner and in 5th, but I truly believe the placements are going to be very small margins this year. Leander is my favorite show this year, but I don't think their playing is as strong as the rest of the "big guys." As for Visual, I think its a pretty easy call.. The Woodlands looks absolutely stunning as they move across the field. 

 

The music caption. Probably my toughest prediction. I believe the overall success of Hebron and Vandegrift rely greatly on their music performance. Both have incredibly exposed books--especially Hebron, as we all know. I have seen performances of both groups where everything locks in and it is jaw dropping; but at times when it doesn't...you can really tell they aren't together. That being said, if both of these groups nail their music book, I believe Hebron could snatch the first place from The Woodlands and Vandegrift could join Leander in the top half of finals. 

[LKendrick]

Vandegrift was pretty stunning.  Round Rock was great, Hendrickson was pretty solid as well.  

[~ME~]

Leander... Wow. Just wow. Remember those concerns I had about if they were going to be able to hold their own with the other top bands individually? They just proved those concerns of mine to be silly (at least as far as individual visual performance is concerned, obviously there's no way to hear individual music performances unless you're on the field judging it). I was pleasantly surprised and just shell shocked by their incredibly strong presence on the field. Each performer looks downright confident, performing at such a high level. Heck, those pictures of them on the live blog say everything about how strong and confident of a presence they have. This Leander group is for real, and they have at least proven to me that they truly are a medalist caliber band, regardless of where they ultimately finish. What a band.

[ExChap]

I really enjoy Leander's drill! Any idea who writes it for them?

[Abbie123]

Jeremy Hunt <-Genius this man. Same guy that wrote Bowie's Drill up until last year and Round Rock's for a couple few years, this years as well. He writes for Phantom Regiment, and it is his first year writing for Leander I believe.

[Abbie123]

Ryan George writes for Leander. I think we all know who he is, he writes for Round Rock, Cedar Ridge, and James Bowie as well. The head guard director for Leander is a guard director for Round Rock too. Oh the similarities....

[LKendrick]

Thoughts on my favorite bands today from the webcast:

 

Anderson - Really neat show, very fitting for Halloween!  Lots of cool drill sets in there, particularly the wolf on the last set, neat stuff!  Guard as stunning as always.  Love me some Medea, and they played it very well.

 

Cedar Park - Can I first say that while their guard is relatively small, they are great and the drill writer knows how to stage them so that they really add?  The intro from the finale of 1812 Overture is just gorgeous.  I would love to hear the bells in the ballad live, I love the use of stereophonic sound, and I bet that's neat live.  The band uniforms and the color scheme of the props/guard  is great.  Very clean, nice job!  

 

Claudia Taylor Johnson - Even through some speakers, I could tell that opening hit was just to die for.  This show OOZES effect, I think Vandegrift was close musically, and Leander Visually, but as a package, this show just cooks.  I can see why they won Conroe!  The drill in the closer had my jaw on the floor, and those uniforms really accentuated that.  They sound phenomenal, march well, and with a VERY hard show.  Very cool stuff.  

 

Hendrickson - This is one of my favorites of the year.  The weaving together, and UnRaveling of music and visual motives throughout the show fits the theme to a T.  That colorguard adds so much to the show.....those skirts are GORGEOUS when they're spinning, and the abundance of color throughout, especially in the final huge hit of Bolero is just stunning.  I'm really pulling for a finals spot.....I love this show a lot.  

 

Leander - The design of this show is just flawless.  The pacing, the dynamic variance, the power AND soft moments, just the builds, swells, and valleys in the design are IMPECCABLE!  They perform the crud out of it too, Visually, super polished.  ROCKY POINT was PHENOMENAL!  The brass in that closer....just wow.  What a fantastic show, and their performance level just sells it perfectly.  

 

Ronald Reagan - Another band that those rumors about them being not as strong is just not true.  Very clean musically and visually.  Love the vocalists!  Love that texture that they add in the impact moments especially.  Brass is very powerful.  Great, clean drill as well.  

 

Round Rock - Musically, just POWER!  They sound absolutely phenomenal in their impact moments especially, I can't imagine what that Arabian Nights reprise was like in person, you know when that band turns around, you are about to loose some hearing.  Great visually as well, guard was fantastic.  

 

Vandegrift - Luscious, beautiful, controlled, ect.  They sound just jaw dropping online, can't imagine what that sounds like in person.  Like they said on the blog, SO controlled!  What a gorgeous show too, with how much some of that music is used, they sure made it their own.  Visually, they're FLYING at points, particularly the final push.  This band just keeps growing, they're making a case for being one of the new Texas Powerhouses.  That guard in the end was stunning, the color with the plumes, props, guard, was visually stunning.  

 

Westlake - LOVEY southern show.  Very difficult musically, and visually too.  They sounded fantastic, whatever people were saying about them being weaker, forget it.  They're great once again!  

 

Winston Churchill - Very quirky show, in a good way!  Love the use of Peterloo Overture throughout, that piece needs some more attention.  Fit the show PERFECTLY!  They sounded absolutely phenomenal.  

 

Personal Rankings of those bands:

 

Claudia Taylor Johnson - I think they have an edge in effect, and are either on top music/visual or very close.  

 

Vandegrift/Leander - This is close, I thought both were just absolutely stunning.  Vandegrift especially Musically, and Leander in Effect.  

 

Ronald Reagan

Round Rock 

Westlake

Cedar Park  

 

Hendrickson

Winston Churchill

Anderson  

 

I think this is shaping up to be the best BOA San Antonio I've watched.  How many of these bands that won't make finals, won't be in the top 3, would win, place, be a finalist at other competitions nation wide?  What sets Texas apart is the absolute depth of amazing programs.  The thought of any of those bands not making finals is crazy, but I know after tomorrow a good few won't.  

[Abbie123]

I'm not so sure about the choice of CTJ's uniforms, it left them very exposed. They had to work twice as hard to look as clean as the other bands, and on top of that the level of difficulty in that show, with or without the unique uniforms, is ridiculous. Regardless, they have an amazing show and performed exceptionally well tonight, they just haven't left themselves any room for error in any performance, whether that be BOA finals tomorrow or UIL State. Kind of reminds me of Carolina Crown when they used to have cream colored uniforms, if somebody messed up you could tell instantly.

[crossblue82]

Despite the amazing GE and the great musicality off

Symphonic Metamorphosis, I thought they looked less

than clean at times visually on the individual level.

Maybe the feed just seemed to hit on these things often

and perhaps the judges didn't notice so much. Just my

observations. Fantastic show though and well thought out.

I too question the uniforms though. Be interesting to see

how it all shakes out.

[Jbl3770]

watched shows all day yesterday from the dome - the sound was phenomenal!! this is by far the best and most talent filled competition I have seen in the past 6 years that I have been coming to San Antonio. there will be some VERY good bands that will not make the finals - and finals will be insane.

[LKendrick]

More and more bands just keep putting out INCREDIBLE shows, I'd hate to be a judge, because there's going to be well over 20 finalist level bands.  Keller, Spring, Hebron, Plano East, Frindswood, Berkner, have ALL been fantastic today so far, and we're just getting started, wow.  

[PSHSMom]

More and more bands just keep putting out INCREDIBLE shows, I'd hate to be a judge, because there's going to be well over 20 finalist level bands.  Keller, Spring, Hebron, Plano East, Frindswood, Berkner, have ALL been fantastic today so far, and we're just getting started, wow.  

Thanks for the Plano East mention

 

Watching all the bands via the live feed. I have no idea how they choose!!

[That one drum major]

Hebron(-5)

Leander(+1,-4)

CTJ(+2,-3)

Woodlands(+3,-1)

Marcus(+4,-1)

Bowie(+2,-3)

 

FM(+1,-1)

Reagan(+3,-2)

Vandy(+1,-4)

LDB(+3,-2)

RR(+2,-2)

 

Friendswood(+2,-3)

Spring(+1,-3)

Cedar Park(+4,-1)

Hendrickson(+1,-3)

 

So I think this is my final opinion on final performances. The list show what I think they will most likely place and the numbers on the side represent how far they can move up or down depends on their and other bands runs. I have the top, middle, and bubble bands seperated and it is that way for a reason. I think any of the bands in the top have the potential to win excluding Bowie but I believe they will be very close with all the top being within 2-3 points. My middle group is all the bands that could be upsets and break the top 6 but I don't believe can win. My bubble bands are ones that have the highest chance out off the others to make finals with cedars park and Friendswood having the ability to make the lower-middle range of bands. Tell me what you guys think!

[LKendrick]

I'll post mine after Bell, all I have to say is this is the BEST marching competition I've watched, ever.  I've watched Grand Nationals, State, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, ect. online every year since 2009, this is just INCREDIBLE.  

[LKendrick]

But I will say that I think that Marcus has the two performance captions locked up.  

[snares]

I think marcus will win visual, but I think their sister band in hebron will win music. GE is where the blood bath will be