2020 Boa Grand Nationals

[BandFan95]

  On 2/22/2020 at 7:16 PM, JasonSatooo said:

our show reveal is in about 3 weeks but we dont say anything to the public at all basically, they only announce it to us students and then its basically a soft release but theres no exact date to when we release it to the public.

Do you know what the clues are?

[abtwitch]

  On 2/24/2020 at 6:11 PM, ATXBandNerd said:

Do you know what the clues are?

I've been hearing something about Disney, lot's of Disney merch has been worn by the directors and placed around the band hall apparently. But knowing them, it won't be that straight forward. And a Disney show would be VERY expensive for getting the rights, and on a nationals year you can't necessarily be dropping a ton of money on music licensing. I have my theories, but I'm gonna hold my tongue until the show is officially announced... 

 

Or the Disney stuff could be a diversion, I wouldn't put that past them as well haha.

[JasonSatooo]

  On 2/24/2020 at 6:11 PM, ATXBandNerd said:

Do you know what the clues are?

I had strong Disney vibes but now I'm really lost. We had a field trip and went to Canyon Vista MS, and when we were waiting for the bus our director said that if he had to use a Hamilton song to describe our show it would be "Battle of Yorktown". Also said what comes after war, and it isn't a dark show...

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 3/3/2020 at 4:14 AM, JasonSatooo said:

I had strong Disney vibes but now I'm really lost. We had a field trip and went to Canyon Vista MS, and when we were waiting for the bus our director said that if he had to use a Hamilton song to describe our show it would be "Battle of Yorktown". Also said what comes after war, and it isn't a dark show...

Sounds like something about having children... weird. Maybe about the baby boomer generation?

[josephbandfan]

  On 3/3/2020 at 8:33 AM, LostChoirGuy said:

Sounds like something about having children... weird. Maybe about the baby boomer generation?

That's a better guess than anything I've been able to come up with

[BandFan95]

Wild guess...ITS A CIRCUS

[JasonSatooo]

  On 3/3/2020 at 6:46 PM, ATXBandNerd said:

Wild guess...ITS A CIRCUS

We are playing circus overture by schuman...

[Leftmarcher28]

What bands are confirmed to go to BOA Houston? 

[Samuel Culper]

  On 3/4/2020 at 4:50 PM, Leftmarcher28 said:

What bands are confirmed to go to BOA Houston?

http://www.txbands.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7571-2020-boa-houston/&do=findComment&comment=129528

[TheTuba]

LD Bell is moving on to big, big things?

[Crown2018]

  On 4/16/2020 at 1:53 AM, TheTuba said:

LD Bell is moving on to big, big things?

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Uh would you please elaborate on that?

[TheTuba]

  On 4/16/2020 at 5:52 AM, Crown2018 said:

Uh would you please elaborate on that?

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I definitely would like to but ?

[Guest]

  On 4/16/2020 at 11:42 PM, TheTuba said:

I definitely would like to but ?

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They were one of the most drastically improved bands between 18 and 19 so I am very excited!

[Raydurs]

  On 4/16/2020 at 1:53 AM, TheTuba said:

LD Bell is moving on to big, big things?

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Interesting to hear about these big, big things... ??

[LeanderMomma]

Sad to hear that Westwood is no longer planning to attend GN this fall. Not entirely surprised. 

[Samuel Culper]

?

[LHSax]

Think the writing is on the wall here...think there's a slim chance there's a BOA circuit this year, a slimmer chance that there's a true "grand nationals," and an even slimmer chance that Texas bands make this trek if it does happen. Westwood certainly won't be the last Texas group to drop out (assuming music for all doesn't cancel it entirely first). 

Reading about the NBA "season" they're planning during the same time frame as marching season, and the EXTREME precautions their taking to make it possible, just doesn't make me very optimistic that something at the scale of marching band can happen this fall.

I really don't mean to be doom and gloom...just expressing my fears.

[Guest]

  On 6/5/2020 at 2:56 PM, LHSax said:

Think the writing is on the wall here...think there's a slim chance there's a BOA circuit this year, a slimmer chance that there's a true "grand nationals," and an even slimmer chance that Texas bands make this trek if it does happen. Westwood certainly won't be the last Texas group to drop out (assuming music for all doesn't cancel it entirely first). 

Reading about the NBA "season" they're planning during the same time frame as marching season, and the EXTREME precautions their taking to make it possible, just doesn't make me very optimistic that something at the scale of marching band can happen this fall.

I really don't mean to be doom and gloom...just expressing my fears.

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I guess I am a bit more optimistic. Think about this. As more and more time passes, more and more about the fall looks more like normal. I think we will have a marching season, but it will look different. After all, Greg Abbott Is allowing rehearsals to start in a few days with severe limitations. I cant imagine those limitations are here to stay. I imagine BOA will happen, but it will be much more regionally focused, with very few bands traveling outside of their metro area. I also think that more mitigation is needed for NBA due to the fact that it is predominately indoors. I dont want to sound like I am wearing a tin foil hat, but with more and more bands announcing shows and leadership teams, I cant imagine directors will throw all of it away unless they absolutely have to. 

I dont think Westwood dropping out of nationals is indicitave of marching season happening, but rather a much more regionally enclosed competition season. Time will tell. 

[BandFan95]

I try really hard to look at things objectively.  There are a lot of factors here that lots of folks may not take into consideration.  

1. This is a state year for 6A. With the guidelines from UIL good for the summer, it's hard to imagine what life might look like in March. 
2. Financial. Some parents may not be in a position to afford to send their kid to GN that they may have been in March.
3. Personal. Some parents may not be comfortable sending their kids on a plane after Covid-19.
4. The District - Who knows what their thoughts on all of this travel may be. The fact that some state colleges are laying off staff already, and making drastic changes at the academic level by shutting schools down after November 24th, I can't imagine what that might do to schools.

 

Now, as a parent, I'm super devastated for the kids, and especially my girl.  This is supposed to be the time of her life. Right now, her focus should be her senior year.  Now she's starting to look beyond that because, well, in her words, "It's almost like this whole thing is making me feel like I shouldn't even bother. There is literally nothing to get excited about."  Cruel words to hear from a 17 year old.

 

I need marching band to happen.  I need to see Westwood put on a top notch show and I need to see them go to State because they are that good.  Do I know that's gonna happen? Nope. But I'm praying hard every day for every high school kid out there that they get some semblance of normal for the next school year.

 

Oh..and eff you Covid.

[LHSax]

  On 6/5/2020 at 3:42 PM, Cityscapes said:

I guess I am a bit more optimistic. Think about this. As more and more time passes, more and more about the fall looks more like normal. I think we will have a marching season, but it will look different. After all, Greg Abbott Is allowing rehearsals to start in a few days with severe limitations. I cant imagine those limitations are here to stay. I imagine BOA will happen, but it will be much more regionally focused, with very few bands traveling outside of their metro area. I also think that more mitigation is needed for NBA due to the fact that it is predominately indoors. I dont want to sound like I am wearing a tin foil hat, but with more and more bands announcing shows and leadership teams, I cant imagine directors will throw all of it away unless they absolutely have to. 

I dont think Westwood dropping out of nationals is indicitave of marching season happening, but rather a much more regionally enclosed competition season. Time will tell. 

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I agree with most things you post on this board, so happy to have an open discussion about it...

One of my main concerns is - what happens when a student tests positive for COVID...Does the entire band suddenly quarantine for 2 weeks? Are we gonna see performances where half the band is missing...particularly later in the season when kids just generally get sick when it gets cold anyway? I know there have been instances in the past where bands (especially in DCI) have gotten hit HARD by just basic stomach viruses...The fact is, marching band is the PERFECT conduit for the spread of this virus. Students are breathing A LOT, masks aren't feasible, students spend significant amounts of time within feet of each other. 

I can certainly see a world where Texas tries to have a normal football/marching season, that pretty quickly gets canceled as soon as we see a single death from a student athlete/band member/cheerleader. I also read some interesting points (Again, reading about the NBA season), that while these kids can generally withstand the virus, a lot of the directors are part of the vulnerable population. 

I'll always re-iterate that I freaking love marching band. That's no secret. I want the season as much as anyone (Except maybe the kids who get to march). I feel awful particularly for seniors...but some things are more important.

 

[Guest]

  On 6/5/2020 at 4:21 PM, LHSax said:

I agree with most things you post on this board, so happy to have an open discussion about it...

One of my main concerns is - what happens when a student tests positive for COVID...Does the entire band suddenly quarantine for 2 weeks? Are we gonna see performances where half the band is missing...particularly later in the season when kids just generally get sick when it gets cold anyway? I know there have been instances in the past where bands (especially in DCI) have gotten hit HARD by just basic stomach viruses...The fact is, marching band is the PERFECT conduit for the spread of this virus. Students are breathing A LOT, masks aren't feasible, students spend significant amounts of time within feet of each other. 

I can certainly see a world where Texas tries to have a normal football/marching season, that pretty quickly gets canceled as soon as we see a single death from a student athlete/band member/cheerleader. I also read some interesting points (Again, reading about the NBA season), that while these kids can generally withstand the virus, a lot of the directors are part of the vulnerable population. 

I'll always re-iterate that I freaking love marching band. That's no secret. I want the season as much as anyone (Except maybe the kids who get to march). I feel awful particularly for seniors...but some things are more important.

 

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I dont disagree with anything you said, im just going with what i hear from local programs and directors. 

[LHSax]

I think directors have to be optimistic until they can't be anymore. The last thing they want is to not plan for a season, only for it to suddenly happen, where they have no plan. And in the end, if this year doesn't happen, then the show can relatively pretty easily be pushed to 2021 (I think a lot of drum corps are doing this).

Fortunately (for better or worse), if marching band is gonna happen anywhere this fall, it's gonna be Texas. So there's my silver lining.

[Guest]

I guess we will see relatively soon. I am employed with a houston area band as a marching tech so I hope it happens. I agree about directors being optimistic until they cannot, but I wouldn't think they would be as publicly optimistic about it. 

[JasonSatooo]

  On 6/5/2020 at 4:40 PM, LHSax said:

I think directors have to be optimistic until they can't be anymore. The last thing they want is to not plan for a season, only for it to suddenly happen, where they have no plan. And in the end, if this year doesn't happen, then the show can relatively pretty easily be pushed to 2021 (I think a lot of drum corps are doing this).

Fortunately (for better or worse), if marching band is gonna happen anywhere this fall, it's gonna be Texas. So there's my silver lining.

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also depending on the scales of how challenging the shows could be i wouldnt be surprised if a lot of bands shelf the shows and wait till several years from now. it depends on how much a school could handle on a modified season.

[BandFan95]

Vista Ridge is out now.