2016 6A Area B

[mamaband]

I think it will be LD Bell, Duncanville, Coppell, Keller. My reasoning- LD Bell is back and will have a point to prove after being left out of State in 2014. Duncanville is always a great competitor and will be again. Coppell has always done better at UIL than at BOA and they tied Marcus for best winds during prelims at plano last week, so potentially they can score high for music. Keller- No reason other than I think one of the Keller bands will make it and it will be Keller over Keller Central. 

[pvhn]

In all honesty the alignment system really is unfair as there are many good bands that usually are left out like James Martin, LD Bell(from 2014), the Keller schools(only one was allowed to attend in 2014), Hendrickson(2014) and so on Of course only the best of the best should attend but it is unfortunate that many bands get left out only because they are out into extremely tough areas where one simple mistake can cost you. Wish there could be a better way to have Texas truly represent itself at the State Competition

[mamaband]

In all honesty the alignment system really is unfair as there are many good bands that usually are left out like James Martin, LD Bell(from 2014), the Keller schools(only one was allowed to attend in 2014), Hendrickson(2014) and so on Of course only the best of the best should attend but it is unfortunate that many bands get left out only because they are out into extremely tough areas where one simple mistake can cost you. Wish there could be a better way to have Texas truly represent itself at the State Competition

Aren't some of the other areas equally tough? Area B does stand out as one of the hardest areas to get out of now. All eyes on the Duncanville Invitational this weekend. We will see some of the Area B bands there competing against each other, in a more UIL-based (vs BOA-based) scoring system.

[Samuel Culper]

In all honesty the alignment system really is unfair as there are many good bands that usually are left out like James Martin, LD Bell(from 2014), the Keller schools(only one was allowed to attend in 2014), Hendrickson(2014) and so on Of course only the best of the best should attend but it is unfortunate that many bands get left out only because they are out into extremely tough areas where one simple mistake can cost you. Wish there could be a better way to have Texas truly represent itself at the State Competition

 

There are really only two ways around the issue that you are describing.  Either you have to "seed" a tournament, like the NCAA basketball tournament or you have every band in the state at a single competition.  Neither is practical.

 

With all its imperfections, a geographic progression like we currently have is the best option.

[principalagent]

I've always thought that a "bonus" advancer for the area that produced a champion or even a medalist in the last SMBC would be a good way to add breathing room in competitive areas. Area D and Area B could have both used that at times. Or, perhaps, a bonus advancer if every band from a given area makes state finals; a harder target to hit but one that would certainly show worth of an extra advancing unit.

[Xenon]

Things are starting to look up for Area B. All 7 of the Region 5 bands made 1's this year, including the 3 that made 2's last year! Congrats and thanks for all the hard work and dedication to growth!

 

That means we only need the 3 Plano bands (OG, East, and West) to get 1's this Saturday and Area B will be advancing 5 bands to State.

[betterthanyou]

Things are starting to look up for Area B. All 7 of the Region 5 bands made 1's this year, including the 3 that made 2's last year! Congrats and thanks for all the hard work and dedication to growth!

 

That means we only need the 3 Plano bands (OG, East, and West) to get 1's this Saturday and Area B will be advancing 5 bands to State.

Assuming all the Plano bands make 1's, what are your predictions for the top 5?

[nmkjc]

When will the schedule for Area be released?

[takigan]

Of course only the best of the best should attend

I think even that is debatable. I see the state marching contest as a festival where different regions of Texas send their best, and we then declare medalists. I don't think it has to be the literal Top 35+/- best bands in the state duking it out. A state marching contest that was organized in the more "purist" way, wouldn't be a true STATE contest.....it would be the "Best of Dallas/Fort Worth" with a few Austin, San Antonio and Houston schools thrown in. How do I know that?

 

51 Wind and Percussion students made the top TMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra last Spring. Out of that group, those kids were divided by region as follows:

 

Dallas/Fort Worth - 23

Houston - 13

San Antonio - 6

Austin - 5

Other (East Texas, Panhandle, RGV, Permian Basin) - 4

 

DFW had as many students in this group as the entire rest of the state combined minus Austin. It would be tougher to illustrate how all the best bands are in DFW, but rest assured at least half of the SMBC participants would be from Dallas/Fort Worth. There were 9 bands from DFW out of 37 at the 6A 2014 SMBC. 7 of the 9 all made the Top 12 and all of them placed in the top half.

 

In a purist state contest there wouldn't be a single band at the event outside of the Texas Triangle. I don't find such a contest appealing.

[bancl]

Assuming all the Plano bands make 1's, what are your predictions for the top 5?

Duncanville

Keller

Bell

Coppell

Haltom/Keller Central

[kdellenbaugh]

Looks like Region 24 went 3/3. This means Area B will be taking 5 to state!

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

Looks like Region 24 went 3/3. This means Area B will be taking 5 to state!

That's GREAT news! Congrats to the three Plano schools! So exciting!!

[Vidal28]

 

Looks like Region 24 went 3/3. This means Area B will be taking 5 to state!

Mostly because I know you bro, yeaaaaassss!!!! That's awesome

[trumpet.mom.dci]

Area B taking just 4 means  some great bands are going to be left out of State. Can you imagine a State marching contest without Duncanville or LD Bell or Coppell? (I guess LD Bell knows what that feels like   , didn't they get left out in 2014?)

Yes Bell got left out in 2014 and as a mom of one of those kids I can say it was a shock (and really tough on the kids). They placed 4th at BOA Plano and the show is really stellar (they had great momentum after last year's show Immortal). My boy graduated in May so we're going to Area to cheer Bell on!

[trumpet.mom.dci]

I am hoping Trinity does well. There's talent in that program and now that they have changed some things within their staff I think they have produced a good show. It may take a few years to really see them develop but it'd be great for those kids to do really well.

 

This Area contest will be really interesting. I'll post results.

[Jelonfish]

What do you think about Haltom from what was seen this previous weekend .?

[LKendrick]

What do you think about Haltom from what was seen this previous weekend .?

 

I absolutely adore their show.  It's my favorite of theirs in a good while.  I think visually it's their best designed show in quite awhile and it's super fun musically.  Performance wise I think again it's their best visual effort as well.  Musically I think they just need to reign in a few hero trumpet players and they'll be good.  When said high brass is blended they sound super lush and beautiful.  

 

I definitely think they have a shot at state.  

[snares]

I actually think maybe quite possibly Bell can pull out in first this weekend, as far as MY eyes could see, they were ahead of Coppell, but I haven't seen Duncanville or Keller. My reasoning behind this, simply the fact that this is a different Bell than what I've seen the past three or four years. This is what we've been missing for so long! They're coming back and it makes me happy to see my old rival rising again. They were never really out of the race, just behind it.

 

And now that I'm typing this I forgot about Haltom, but I'm too lazy to retype my last paragraph. So I think Haltom Duncanville and Bell are your top three, with Keller Coppell and just about every other band that makes finals very close behind.

[deart63]

What do you think about Keller after what we saw at duncanville this week?

[Xenon]

6A Area B Schedule: http://www.texasmusicforms.com/regions/5/AreaMarching/2016%206A%20Area%20Schedule.pdf

 

9:45 - Weatherford

10:00 - Carroll

10:15 - MacArthur

10:30 - Plano

10:45 - Arlington

11:00 - Keller

11:15 - South Grand Prairie

11:30 - Nimitz

11:45 - Irving

Break

1:00 - Timber Creek

1:15 - Bowie

1:30 - Plano East

1:45 - Haltom

2:00 - Fossil Ridge

2:15 - Sam Houston

2:30 - Trinity

2:45 - Lamar

Break

3:15 - Martin

3:30 - Plano West

3:45 - LD Bell

4:00 - Duncanville

4:15 - Central

4:30 - Mansfield

4:45 - Coppell

5:00 - Paschal

 

 

That is one heck of a last block! 6 very likely finalists just in the last block alone.

[eeman0201]

Sort of off topic, but what does everybody think of Mansfield? I know we are doing poorly this year so far, but our band director says we've gotten better (hopefully he didn't just say that to encourage us).

[Jelonfish]

 

Sort of off topic, but what does everybody think of Mansfield? I know we are doing poorly this year so far, but our band director says we've gotten better (hopefully he didn't just say that to encourage us).

I only saw you once at heb contest and yall were alright. I believe you will make finals this weekend but there are some big bands and they pretty much have there spots for top 5 / advancing to state unless something goes wrong

[PSHSMom]

Xenon - if they just would have had Plano East instead of West in that last block there might have been one more   

 

Nice to see all the Plano schools represented this year.   I was so upset that Plano Senior Band didn't take their "Batman" show
to all area two years ago.   I just wanted to watch it again

 

Not sure about the Plano East show this year.  Saw it twice and still trying to decide if I like it or not! I keep thinking "that can't really be the ending".   

 

Not sure if I can drag my husband to another day of marching bands this weekend, but I really want to attend this Saturday!

[Vidal28]

Anyone have some sort of idea how Martin will do at Area? It sure is a hectic prelims spot for them considering that last block!

[Jelonfish]

 

Anyone have some sort of idea how Martin will do at Area? It sure is a hectic prelims spot for them considering that last block!

I'm going to be honest I truly don't like there show this year. I remember listen to them in 2014 and I thought it was pretty and kinda cool but this year's makes me cringe tbh