2018 6A State

[1998-2018]

I've been away from TxBands for a couple days and had some catching up to do. I'm going to skip the quote process tonight and just share a few thoughts directly about what I just read. Some of it may repeat earlier comments to bring them back to the forefront because this monster conversation has been wondering and wagging its tail all through the weeds.

 

First, Mr. Move on, move on, move on... Just because this has happened before doesn't mean it has to happen again. If you're not contributing in a positive way or enjoying this difficult topic, maybe you would be happier if you just take your own advice and move on to another topic. Some of us are trying to explore possible solutions. Others are working through their grief and frustration. Your contributions are often helpful but you missed the mark this time. The same to others of a similar ilk.

 

Second, this is not about Round Rock or just this year. The Round Rock parents seem to understand they are just the latest example of a bigger issue. That point seems to be lost on some of you. Others are discouragingly indifferent.

 

Currently there is no "bad judge rule". That derogatory slang is part of what is confusing this issue. Yes, we need a solution to judging deviation but the perspective that accompanies that slang won't be well received by the UIL. The rule many of you are actually referring to is called the "judges preference rule" by the UIL. It has two main components. Application of one of them correctly advanced Leander to the SMBC where they made Finals. A perfect example of why the rule exists. The other component was rather haphazardly applied at Area B Finals due to the unclear way it was written. It was initially applied in a way that seemed consistent with the intent but was reversed the next day because making the rule scaleable was not expressly directed. Neither Keller or Waxahachie, the two bands involved, seemed overly concerned as both bands were advancing either way. It has be reported that UIL is reviewing and clarify whether or not application of the rule is scalable to include Area results. Understanding the rule and its intent would be helpful for those interested in how UIL currently deals with judging deviation.

 

Saying UIL doesn't care is both inaccurate and unfair. It also reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what and who the UIL is.

 

Saying Directors who just advanced to the 6A SMBC Finals don't care is also wildly inaccurate. These are the Directors most likely to support change. They have all felt the sting of judging deviation many times.

 

It would help if people stopped using the term UIL without understanding it and how rules get changed. For example when you blame "The Government" you are really blaming "We The People". That's who the government is in this country. If you don't like what's happening, get involved and vote. Similarly, when you blame "The UIL" you are really talking about "We The Directors" and how they vote. All the Directors in Texas have an opportunity to fix this in the spring. Some are very concerned about this and other big picture issues. Others could be described as indifferent. A third group is openly hostile to change of any kind. That's why I explained in an earlier post how important it is to know where your Director stands and what they are doing to either influence or impede change.

 

And yes, there is a decoder ring. But even if you have access to one it takes forever to learn how to use it correctly.

[TubaMomof1]

The ninth graders at TWHS are at a separate campus.

so they don't march in the band?

[principalagent]

so they don't march in the band?

They do. I think every band from a high school that has a separate freshman center marches those freshmen too. It’s only different in schools with separate “junior” high schools like in Plano ISD, or where junior high goes from 7-9, like HEB ISD.

[TWHSParent]

4435 students in one high school?  WOW!  that is a small college campus.

 

It is a big red no-drive zone during morning rush too. Avoid at almost all costs! My office is about 2 miles from the school, with the school between the office and home. Fortunately there are ways that thread between TWHS and TWCP, although I do have to go by TWCA. That is a much smaller school with much less traffic impact.

 

TWHS is one of the 10 largest enrollments in Texas. Allen is over 6000 and is the largest. There are a few over 5000 like the 3 Plano schools (at least by UIL numbers, but as stated there is a Jr/Sr High split physically in PISD).

[LeanderMomma]

It is a big red no-drive zone during morning rush too. Avoid at almost all costs! My office is about 2 miles from the school, with the school between the office and home. Fortunately there are ways that thread between TWHS and TWCP, although I do have to go by TWCA. That is a much smaller school with much less traffic impact.

 

TWHS is one of the 10 largest enrollments in Texas. Allen is over 6000 and is the largest. There are a few over 5000 like the 3 Plano schools (at least by UIL numbers, but as stated there is a Jr/Sr High split physically in PISD).

 

Those numbers blow my mind.  Why have The Woodlands not built more schools to accommodate that growth?  It feels like Leander is building a new high school every year, though I know it's more like every 4 to 5 years. 

 

I'm also not familiar with TWCA.  Is that the TW Christian?  

[takigan]

Those numbers blow my mind.  Why have The Woodlands not built more schools to accommodate that growth?

 

It's a big campus.  They broke the 5000 limit the year before College Park was built.

[LeanderMomma]

 

It's a big campus. They broke the 5000 limit the year before College Park was built.

Wow. #WhatASchool

[Samuel Culper]

Wow. #WhatASchool

Allen High School with almost 7,000 is quietly chuckling in the corner.

[LeanderMomma]

Allen High School with almost 7,000 is quietly chuckling in the corner.

oh I know!!!

[LostChoirGuy]

Yeah, the schools were designed to be that big. And CISD has opened several new schools. They just opened Grand Oaks to split from Oak Ridge. Then TWCP and Conroe are both large schools, themselves too.

[TWHSParent]

Those numbers blow my mind.  Why have The Woodlands not built more schools to accommodate that growth?  It feels like Leander is building a new high school every year, though I know it's more like every 4 to 5 years. 

 

I'm also not familiar with TWCA.  Is that the TW Christian?  

 

Yes, TWCA is The Woodlands Christian Academy.

 

Conroe ISD has 6 main high schools: Conroe, The Woodlands, College Park, Oak Ridge, Caney Creek, and Grand Oaks. TWHS, as was mentioned, is quite large and designed for the numbers it currently accommodates (grades 10-12 only). Much of it is 3 floors. There is a video on youtube showing the school:

 

As an area, The Woodlands is very nearly built out (pop is pushing 120,000), so most of the growth is happening in other areas of the district (hence Grand Oaks). TWHS will probably not increase enrollment too much over the next few years, unless they change the boundaries to relieve TWCP or Oak Ridge again (these 3 are very close together - maybe 3 miles from TWHS to Oak Ridge, and TWCP is very roughly midway between). The Woodlands is a little weird, as it isn't incorporated so there is no city council or anything like that. It is a township, with plans to incorporate in the future. Political wrangling was necessary to keep it from being annexed by Houston.

[LeanderMomma]

Yes, TWCA is The Woodlands Christian Academy.

 

Conroe ISD has 6 main high schools: Conroe, The Woodlands, College Park, Oak Ridge, Caney Creek, and Grand Oaks. TWHS, as was mentioned, is quite large and designed for the numbers it currently accommodates (grades 10-12 only). Much of it is 3 floors. There is a video on youtube showing the school:

 

As an area, The Woodlands is very nearly built out (pop is pushing 120,000), so most of the growth is happening in other areas of the district (hence Grand Oaks). TWHS will probably not increase enrollment too much over the next few years, unless they change the boundaries to relieve TWCP or Oak Ridge again (these 3 are very close together - maybe 3 miles from TWHS to Oak Ridge, and TWCP is very roughly midway between). The Woodlands is a little weird, as it isn't incorporated so there is no city council or anything like that. It is a township, with plans to incorporate in the future. Political wrangling was necessary to keep it from being annexed by Houston.

 

Fascinating!  I did not know that The Woodlands was a township.  Or that all of those schools were part of the Conroe ISD.  It sounds like they are doing as much as they can to accommodate growth at this time.  How many kids are in the band at TWHS?  How about CP?  

[TWHSParent]

Fascinating!  I did not know that The Woodlands was a township.  Or that all of those schools were part of the Conroe ISD.  It sounds like they are doing as much as they can to accommodate growth at this time.  How many kids are in the band at TWHS?  How about CP?  

 

We were around 320 this year, although I think that includes guard (40ish guard members) and props. CP I think was around 300, but that is a bigger guess on my part.

[david19c]

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I just realized that LISD (Lewisville or Leander) has won the State Marching Championship every year since 2010. Very funny that their names are the same.

[meursault]

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I just realized that LISD (Lewisville or Leander) has won the State Marching Championship every year since 2010. Very funny that their names are the same.

try since 2006 - Marcus had an 8 year winning streak! Then FloMo, then Vista.

[david19c]

I was also talking about both 6A and 5A competitions too.

 

2010: Marcus

2011: Cedar Park

2012: Marcus

2013: Vandegrift

2014: Marcus

2015: Cedar Park

2016: Flower Mound

2017: Cedar Park

2018: Vista Ridge

 

Pretty cool that two school districts have been at the top of the state for so long.

[LeanderMomma]

Pretty cool? I find that the fact that despite the extremely large depth of marching bands that Texas has, only two districts have won both 5a and 6a championships, boring and repetative. I'm ready for a new district to shine

Well it’s Leander ISDs first time to take 6A so I consider that fresh and not boring at all!

[natertater21000]

 

Pretty cool? I find that the fact that despite the extremely large depth of marching bands that Texas has, only two districts have won both 5a and 6a championships, boring and repetative. I'm ready for a new district to shine

Boring as a spectator sure, but as a music educator? The level of consistency in the success of the two districts is incredible to watch and its something I definitely don't want to see end.

[Samuel Culper]

Pretty cool? I find that the fact that despite the extremely large depth of marching bands that Texas has, only two districts have won both 5a and 6a championships, boring and repetative. I'm ready for a new district to shine

As a member of the Vista Ridge community I consider getting our first ever competition win of any kind to be millions of miles away from boring.

[principalagent]

It's not Leander, Lewisville, or for that matter, North East ISD's problem that their collective dominance is boring or repetitive. They can't do anything about it except tone it down, which obviously isn't an option.

[Mmalpica9]

Pretty cool? I find that the fact that despite the extremely large depth of marching bands that Texas has, only two districts have won both 5a and 6a championships, boring and repetative. I'm ready for a new district to shine

The ability to put together winner shows year by year is far from boring... It is called consistency and I'd say mastery. These schools have been able to create programs that attract more students every year. Middle schoolers are counting the days until they can join their HS programs so the HS programs are well fed. Is not repetitive, is just a natural result of the efforts done over the period of years.

 

I'm sure other school districts will arrive sooner or later, they just need to take the steps in the right direction

[SHP]

Pretty cool? I find that the fact that despite the extremely large depth of marching bands that Texas has, only two districts have won both 5a and 6a championships, boring and repetative. I'm ready for a new district to shine

 It doesn't work like that. For one, you're ignoring the depth and level of these programs and the hard work they are putting into it. They are up there for a reason, not because they got money, or because they have props. They're there because they're working their butts off musically and in marching, if any other School/District took on the work these districts put in it would be no question that they would be up there too. Secondly, I don't see how seeing a winning show can be boring, it's literally the best show in the state.

[Jeffrey L. Gorman]

 It doesn't work like that. For one, you're ignoring the depth and level of these programs and the hard work they are putting into it. They are up there for a reason, not because they got money, or because they have props. They're there because they're working their butts off musically and in marching, if any other School/District took on the work these districts put in it would be no question that they would be up there too. Secondly, I don't see how seeing a winning show can be boring, it's literally the best show in the state.

This is correct, did anyone wonder why Carmel and Avon win BOA, but other Bands in IN Such as Ben Davis, Castle and other good Bands are not there. The reason is that these two Bands are the best. It is the same way in every State, BA in OK , DeSoto and Hernando in MS, Mason in OH, Desert Vista in AZ, I could go on for a long time with other situations. Fact is that the Best Bands win across the nation only at Grand Nationals does being the Best in your state turn out to not be good enough. 

[LeanderMomma]

Vista Ridge has a really cool new video up. There were a bunch of band members who wore go pro cameras during their encore performance at the last football game and someone mashed all of the footage up together in one montage of the entire show. It’s excellent to watch!

 

[Band Is Great]

Hello there. I'm new to this forum and had to create an account so I could chime in.

 

Let's not get (1) "The ability to put together winner shows year by year is far from boring" confused with (2) performing a winning show created by someone else.

 

This year, no doubt, Vista Ridge was the hottest band on the circuit. They brought it - hands down. They were, BY FAR, the most improved band in the state - culminating with the 6A state win.

 

But lets remember where show themes come from. They are either (1) original - completely original or somewhat original or (2) a rehashed version of someone else's originality.

 

VR's show was very tightly copied from Hendrickson's 2015 "Lost" - from the spinning compass right down to Amazing Grace. Not to mention the version of "Lost" the Boston Crusader's did in 2018 - again, right down to Amazing Grace.

 

Great ideas never die away, they just get recycled - or in some cases sold to other bands to redo on their own.

 

VR marched their socks off - don't get me wrong, it was spectacular. I am not hating on VR. I loved their show each time I saw it.

 

But to put those bands in the same category as bands who create winning shows year after year is a stretch. Let's not forget VR's 2017 sled dog race show. Just an overall bad idea.

 

Having the creativity to come up with a great fresh show idea every year is a rare talent - most bands don't have that luxury.

 

If you want to see a recent example of bands buying/stealing/reusing someone's else's originality, take a look at Hendrickson's 2017 show "Just Another Brick". This show was highly original and creative.

 

Go to You Tube and search "2018 high school band just another brick" and see how many high schools took Hendrickson's originality and recycled it just 1 year later.

 

On the alter of originality, I must confess that someone told me about the "brick" story - so it wasn't originality on my part. I just thought it was a perfect story for my post.

 

Thanks for letting me chime in.