Jump to content

2021 BOA San Antonio Super Regional (Nov. 5 & 6)


Recommended Posts

For those that don't know how the panels work - the top 5 scoring bands from each panel advance to finals, then the next 4 highest scoring bands regardless of panel advance to finals. So the judging panel matters as it is a contest within the contest for those 5 spots.

In 2019 they did pretty well as 7 bands from each panel advanced.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, TWHSParent said:

For those that don't know how the panels work - the top 5 scoring bands from each panel advance to finals, then the next 4 highest scoring bands regardless of panel advance to finals. So the judging panel matters as it is a contest within the contest for those 5 spots.

In 2019 they did pretty well as 7 bands from each panel advanced.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

People stress over the panels, but if you are in the top 14 bands in the prelims, you will be in the finals. I've not seen anyone get left out that deserved to be there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have now entered the long quiet before the storm in Texas as far as BOA is concerned. Nothing but UIL and weeks of cleaning for all the bands before the big show. So with all of the major BOA Texas regionals complete, here is where I personally see the groups going into the SA super. I'll be grouping the bands into unordered tiers rather than ranking them individually (too far out to do so in my opinion)

The top 5

Vandegrift: The cleanliness and precision of their program and overall performance is currently unmatched. They are the band to beat and I am currently unsure of whether or not I see another band doing it. Love the show inside and out, can't wait to see it live.

Reagan: My personal favorite design of the year. The show flows from one idea to the next effortlessly and they are performing it incredibly well. How they continue to clean musically is what will determine whether they can overtake Vandegrift. Both are playing excellently, it'll just come down to who is more excellent as it so often does. I absolutely LOVE the drill.

The Woodlands: The most unorthodox design of the top groups, although not as out of the box as it would've been 5-6 years ago. This show has an incredible amount of potential and I'm mostly interested in seeing which side of the design coin the judges end up preferring at the end of the season. While I can understand some people having reservations about the uniform, I think it fits the overall aesthetic of the show very well. Everything on the field really pops and it's so fun to watch. 

Claudia Taylor Johnson: This show is classic CTJ. It's an explosive crowd favorite show and I really enjoy it. As is usually the case they are performing difficult choreography at a high level throughout the show which is my favorite CTJ-ism. The dueling soloists being a centerpiece for the show is an interesting idea. I hope they will be able to find a way to avoid the electronic issues that have been happening.

Hebron: Musically this is my favorite show from them since "Sculpt". I am constantly in awe of how well they play. The technicality, clarity, and expressiveness in their sound is truly incredible. If they are able to clean up visually to the level of the other top 5 groups and add some visual GE elements they'll push up into the medal range.

 

Threats to the top 5

Cedar Park: The new design is exactly the right amount of modern design philosophy mixed with classic CP style and I absolutely love it. I really enjoy the arrangements of modern pop fused with classics from CP's past, and the drill is very satisfying to watch. I think they may just be a lock for top half of SA finals if this upward trajectory continues.

Vista Ridge: This one will be very interesting. I really enjoy the show (anyone who plays Barber's first symphony well gets two thumbs up from me). Still not completely sold on the Katy Perry elements but I'm thinking they'll make more sense when the show is complete. The show is very demanding but I think they'll pull it off.

 

8-14- These placements at SA are going to be extremely competitive. I'd go more in depth with each group but this post already feels like an essay so i'll keep it brief.

In no particular order

Marcus, Cedar Ridge, Leander, Rouse, Keller, Coppel, Bowie.

Just out but could easily get into finals.

L.D. Bell, Round Rock, Westwood, Westlake, Wakeland.

I always feel like I'm forgetting someone when I try to make a post like this. So many fantastic bands, Music is alive and well in Texas!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, natertater21000 said:

We have now entered the long quiet before the storm in Texas as far as BOA is concerned. Nothing but UIL and weeks of cleaning for all the bands before the big show. So with all of the major BOA Texas regionals complete, here is where I personally see the groups going into the SA super. I'll be grouping the bands into unordered tiers rather than ranking them individually (too far out to do so in my opinion)

The top 5

Vandegrift: The cleanliness and precision of their program and overall performance is currently unmatched. They are the band to beat and I am currently unsure of whether or not I see another band doing it. Love the show inside and out, can't wait to see it live.

Reagan: My personal favorite design of the year. The show flows from one idea to the next effortlessly and they are performing it incredibly well. How they continue to clean musically is what will determine whether they can overtake Vandegrift. Both are playing excellently, it'll just come down to who is more excellent as it so often does. I absolutely LOVE the drill.

The Woodlands: The most unorthodox design of the top groups, although not as out of the box as it would've been 5-6 years ago. This show has an incredible amount of potential and I'm mostly interested in seeing which side of the design coin the judges end up preferring at the end of the season. While I can understand some people having reservations about the uniform, I think it fits the overall aesthetic of the show very well. Everything on the field really pops and it's so fun to watch. 

Claudia Taylor Johnson: This show is classic CTJ. It's an explosive crowd favorite show and I really enjoy it. As is usually the case they are performing difficult choreography at a high level throughout the show which is my favorite CTJ-ism. The dueling soloists being a centerpiece for the show is an interesting idea. I hope they will be able to find a way to avoid the electronic issues that have been happening.

Hebron: Musically this is my favorite show from them since "Sculpt". I am constantly in awe of how well they play. The technicality, clarity, and expressiveness in their sound is truly incredible. If they are able to clean up visually to the level of the other top 5 groups and add some visual GE elements they'll push up into the medal range.

 

Threats to the top 5

Cedar Park: The new design is exactly the right amount of modern design philosophy mixed with classic CP style and I absolutely love it. I really enjoy the arrangements of modern pop fused with classics from CP's past, and the drill is very satisfying to watch. I think they may just be a lock for top half of SA finals if this upward trajectory continues.

Vista Ridge: This one will be very interesting. I really enjoy the show (anyone who plays Barber's first symphony well gets two thumbs up from me). Still not completely sold on the Katy Perry elements but I'm thinking they'll make more sense when the show is complete. The show is very demanding but I think they'll pull it off.

 

8-14- These placements at SA are going to be extremely competitive. I'd go more in depth with each group but this post already feels like an essay so i'll keep it brief.

In no particular order

Marcus, Cedar Ridge, Leander, Rouse, Keller, Coppel, Bowie.

Just out but could easily get into finals.

L.D. Bell, Round Rock, Westwood, Westlake, Wakeland.

I always feel like I'm forgetting someone when I try to make a post like this. So many fantastic bands, Music is alive and well in Texas!

 

Looks pretty good, but LD Bell is also not attending San Antonio this year. This opens up another final spot from 2019.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, BandFan59 said:

Looks pretty good, but LD Bell is also not attending San Antonio this year. This opens up another final spot from 2019.

Ah darn, almost had it without missing someone/adding someone who isn't attending. I would have Rouse and Cedar Ridge as the frontrunners for taking the spots left open by Bell and Flower mound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dont forget that Cedar Park was not in finals in 2019.  Round Rock, Pearland, and Westlake DID make finals though so if we consider them as groups that are fighting for the last spots, that means that there are 4 spots open for groups like Cedar Ridge, Rouse, Coppell, Round Rock, Westlake, Westwood, Pearland, and Cy Woods. (Groups I think have the best shot.)  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, LeanderMomma said:

I don’t think this thread is broken @Rubisco  but we can easily fill up two threads when discussing San Antonio I’m sure!  ?

Yeah, we'll see what happens the next time I try to post a giant block of text! ?

I got server errors over and over last night and also saw another poster's post before mine disappear. Strange happenings!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm trying to decide my other top 3 group right now. I feel like maybe Hebron? Like, if I were up in the press box judging music effect and was hit with that absolutely incredible flurry of notes, I would have no choice but to pop them an enormous score. Just completely insane difficulty + great execution. That said, I do really like Reagan's visual this year. Yeah, it's all rather familiar, but the drill program is still a bit more interesting/less symmetrical than it has been in the past. I'm glad they're "fixing" that, even though they didn't have any incentive to, because they were already getting enormous VGE scores.

And then CTJ, another group who takes a lot of design risks, which is something I like to reward. Maybe THE most contemporary show in Texas right now. TWHS may look like the Bluecoats, but CTJ's show actually has the demand of a world class drum corps. So there's that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, LostChoirGuy said:

Dont forget that Cedar Park was not in finals in 2019.  Round Rock, Pearland, and Westlake DID make finals though so if we consider them as groups that are fighting for the last spots, that means that there are 4 spots open for groups like Cedar Ridge, Rouse, Coppell, Round Rock, Westlake, Westwood, Pearland, and Cy Woods. (Groups I think have the best shot.)  

Westlake did not make finals in 2019

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems like BOA is very top heavy this year compared to 2017 for example. General consensus has CTJ, Reagan, Hebron, Vandergrift, and TWHS at the top of SA but in my short experience in band it seemed like anyone could swoop in and get a medal. Any reason for that or is that just the result of less bands attending + COVID

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, An Inspirational Pinecone said:

Seems like BOA is very top heavy this year compared to 2017 for example. General consensus has CTJ, Reagan, Hebron, Vandergrift, and TWHS at the top of SA but in my short experience in band it seemed like anyone could swoop in and get a medal. Any reason for that or is that just the result of less bands attending + COVID

This is just something that happens every few years. The circumstances just come together for a very top heavy year. 

COVID has affected this contest less than I expected. I think the only band not coming that might be due to COVID/ COVID funding issues is L.D. Bell. 

The other big bands not attending all have non-covidy reasons. Like Flower Mounds admin not letting them take off days for SA or Prosper opting for a St. Louis trip instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, An Inspirational Pinecone said:

Seems like BOA is very top heavy this year compared to 2017 for example. General consensus has CTJ, Reagan, Hebron, Vandergrift, and TWHS at the top of SA but in my short experience in band it seemed like anyone could swoop in and get a medal. Any reason for that or is that just the result of less bands attending + COVID

I think there may be a bit of a (hopefully) narrowing gulf between the "haves" and the "have nots" this season. And by "haves", I mean those groups that had more of a typical season last year. Unfortunately, it may take a little while before the others catch up.

Also, some of these predictions are simply based on the way scores have been early season; we've gotten some sizeable point spreads that maybe suggest a clear top 5. Assuming you don't get a panel with a very different opinion, which is absolutely possible, I think it's usually pretty hard to overcome gaps of several points. Vista Ridge has done this in recent years, I think, which is why I keep coming back to them. The Woodlands has historically surprised us as well, but didn't have stiff competition at Conroe and got popped a near-record September score.

It is probably too easy for us to neatly categorize the bands, and you're correct that a few others could swoop in at the end of the season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My predictions based on last weeks contest:

 

1st Place… Ronald Reagan!

I think Ronald Reagan has more to cleanup than Vandegrift and that it will add more to the show.

2nd Place… Vandegrift!

3rd Place…. Cedar Park!

4th Place….. Marcus!

5th Place….. The Woodlands!

6th Place….. Claudia Taylor Johnson!

7th Place…. Cedar Ridge!

8th Place….. Hebron!

9th Place…. Leander!

10th Place….Westlake!

11th Place…. Vista Ridge!

I don’t see this show coming together. The directors seem stubborn in keeping the voiceovers. GE Effect score at Austin agree.

12th Place….Seven Lakes!

Most room for improvement. Will jump Pearland by a sizable point gap into finals.

13th Place…. James Bowie!

14th Place…. Keller! 

Cleaning really slowly. Cleans very nicely. Will be rewarded with finals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Time Warp said:

My predictions based on last weeks contest:

 

1st Place… Ronald Reagan!

I think Ronald Reagan has more to cleanup than Vandegrift and that it will add more to the show.

2nd Place… Vandegrift!

3rd Place…. Cedar Park!

4th Place….. Marcus!

5th Place….. The Woodlands!

6th Place….. Claudia Taylor Johnson!

7th Place…. Cedar Ridge!

8th Place….. Hebron!

9th Place…. Leander!

10th Place….Westlake!

11th Place…. Vista Ridge!

I don’t see this show coming together. The directors seem stubborn in keeping the voiceovers. GE Effect score at Austin agree.

12th Place….Seven Lakes!

Most room for improvement. Will jump Pearland by a sizable point gap into finals.

13th Place…. James Bowie!

14th Place…. Keller! 

Cleaning really slowly. Cleans very nicely. Will be rewarded with finals.

I like how bold some of these are! I 100% disagree with some of them but it has been a wild season so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Time Warp said:

My predictions based on last weeks contest:

 

1st Place… Ronald Reagan!

I think Ronald Reagan has more to cleanup than Vandegrift and that it will add more to the show.

2nd Place… Vandegrift!

3rd Place…. Cedar Park!

4th Place….. Marcus!

5th Place….. The Woodlands!

6th Place….. Claudia Taylor Johnson!

7th Place…. Cedar Ridge!

8th Place….. Hebron!

9th Place…. Leander!

10th Place….Westlake!

11th Place…. Vista Ridge!

I don’t see this show coming together. The directors seem stubborn in keeping the voiceovers. GE Effect score at Austin agree.

12th Place….Seven Lakes!

Most room for improvement. Will jump Pearland by a sizable point gap into finals.

13th Place…. James Bowie!

14th Place…. Keller! 

Cleaning really slowly. Cleans very nicely. Will be rewarded with finals.

Hebron in 8th is….interesting…..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Time Warp said:

My predictions based on last weeks contest:

 

1st Place… Ronald Reagan!

I think Ronald Reagan has more to cleanup than Vandegrift and that it will add more to the show.

2nd Place… Vandegrift!

3rd Place…. Cedar Park!

4th Place….. Marcus!

5th Place….. The Woodlands!

6th Place….. Claudia Taylor Johnson!

7th Place…. Cedar Ridge!

8th Place….. Hebron!

9th Place…. Leander!

10th Place….Westlake!

11th Place…. Vista Ridge!

I don’t see this show coming together. The directors seem stubborn in keeping the voiceovers. GE Effect score at Austin agree.

12th Place….Seven Lakes!

Most room for improvement. Will jump Pearland by a sizable point gap into finals.

13th Place…. James Bowie!

14th Place…. Keller! 

Cleaning really slowly. Cleans very nicely. Will be rewarded with finals.

I won't be so bold as to predict placements this early. Here are my predictions in Alpha Order for the top 7 and the bottom 7 in finals.

TOP 7 Finalists

Cedar Park

CTJ

Hebron

Marcus

Reagan

TWHS

Vandegrift

BOTTOM 7 Finalists

Cedar Ridge

James Bowie

Kellar

Leander

Rouse

Vista Ridge

Westlake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Four weeks out, here's my attempt at predictions, which will probably change over the next few weeks:

1. Vandegrift (GE)

2. Ronald Reagan (Visual)

3. Claudia Taylor Johnson

4. Hebron (Music)

5. The Woodlands

6. Cedar Park

7. Marcus

8. Vista Ridge

9. Cedar Ridge

10. Leander

11. Keller

12. Coppell

13. Rouse

14. Pearland

Just out:

Cypress Woods

James Bowie

Westlake

Round Rock

 

Even without Flower Mound or LD Bell, it's still so hard to pick only 14 bands for finals. I can see more than 20 bands that all have a shot at finals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, josephbandfan said:

It's okay Vista Ridge, I kind of like the Katy Perry.

Thank you. I’m (a little more than) slightly sick of hearing the anti KP comments. Honestly, if Vista Ridge wanted to play daft punk bits between their stellar musical selections this year, it wouldn’t phase me one bit!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...