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


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Theatrical costs money and each year props get bigger and more elaborate. What this causes is a complete separation of the has and has nots. There are great bands that simply will never be able to compete simply because they don't bring in the money to create these large ballet like performances yet people seem to be okay with this year after year. It is unfortunate that that money and ones ability because of it to field elaborate art pieces has completely squashed other programs from being able to compete. This will be the death of marching competition when the only competition is between the bands with the budget.

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8 minutes ago, BandDad4 said:

Theatrical costs money and each year props get bigger and more elaborate. What this causes is a complete separation of the has and has nots. There are great bands that simply will never be able to compete simply because they don't bring in the money to create these large ballet like performances yet people seem to be okay with this year after year. It is unfortunate that that money and ones ability because of it to field elaborate art pieces has completely squashed other programs from being able to compete. This will be the death of marching competition when the only competition is between the bands with the budget.

Even if bands had zero props money is still going to factor into a bands success. Things like music arrangements, drill design, private lesson tutors and tech staff all play into a bands success. If you hate props in marching band just say so, but stop parroting this "it'll kill the activity" point. It's a fabrication and you have zero evidence there is any sort of decline because of props.

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money is, and always has been, and always will be, a factor

lessons, parents who have the free time to volunteer, electronics that work (although our more fortunate groups sadly still can’t always get that), instrument repair… it goes on. wish it wasnt the case, but not much we can do

hate that money is being argued as a factor from the corps show vs more traditional show perspective. a 30 person band with just busted up instruments can do a jam session dance break show, and your typical suburban uil 6a/boa 4a school with all the resources in the world can do a propless, electronicless concert band on the field type of show. bands use what they can.

also, for the record, i’d call all of last night’s finalists more corps-style than traditional. it’s decidedly a new era where everyone blasts the synth bass going into their opening hit ;) (loving it)

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I noticed another one of Vista's props showed up - the huge turning table also from their 2019 show.  That sucker was heavy.  I forgot which school used it - Coppell or Keller maybe?  It was the carnival theme.  That same turning table was bought from a DCI band.  Good to see these recycled.  

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On 11/7/2021 at 12:38 AM, SnareSnare13 said:

Turned results from prelims and finals into a sortable excel sheet, if anyone prefers viewing them that way.

BOA SA 2021 Prelims.xlsx 29.81 kB · 90 downloads BOA SA 2021 Finals.xlsx 20.22 kB · 51 downloads

Perfect..thank you.

I'm really proud of our state..pushing the boundaries with these shows. With some of these powerhouse bands taking a whole year off from marching, and coming back as strong as they have, the other bands smell blood in the water.

 

For you kids who are reading this, you are awesome. I miss having a kid in the band and just see me as your mom/aunt...cheering you on. GOOD JOB EVERYONE.

Oh, and I'll take a dm for some performances.

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11 hours ago, PLC137 said:

I noticed another one of Vista's props showed up - the huge turning table also from their 2019 show.  That sucker was heavy.  I forgot which school used it - Coppell or Keller maybe?  It was the carnival theme.  That same turning table was bought from a DCI band.  Good to see these recycled.  

Coppell! And I’m sure it’ll continue to travel.

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14 hours ago, vistaridgefan42069 said:

money is, and always has been, and always will be, a factor

lessons, parents who have the free time to volunteer, electronics that work (although our more fortunate groups sadly still can’t always get that), instrument repair… it goes on. wish it wasnt the case, but not much we can do

hate that money is being argued as a factor from the corps show vs more traditional show perspective. a 30 person band with just busted up instruments can do a jam session dance break show, and your typical suburban uil 6a/boa 4a school with all the resources in the world can do a propless, electronicless concert band on the field type of show. bands use what they can.

also, for the record, i’d call all of last night’s finalists more corps-style than traditional. it’s decidedly a new era where everyone blasts the synth bass going into their opening hit ;) (loving it)

Not everyone does it the same for sure, and everyone for sure has varying degrees of synth implementation in their shows. From far away it can help give some more girth to the sound if need be, but if it’s particularly really heavy usage, from the front up close perspective it can be overbearing and i feel can detract and be distracting, and is not beyond criticism. Even with a wide implementation of usage, it’s not 100% positive in its contribution to the activity, i think that’s what sometimes gets lost in the conversation of what “progress” means for the activity, and oftentimes, trends can be established as a necessity to winning, checking a GE Box or what have you, in whether you have a “winning formula” or not.

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19 hours ago, BandFan59 said:

Again I have to disagree with this idea that props are what set bands apart from each other. I don't deny that money plays a role in the marching environment, but it is not the reason that the bands at the top are where they are. Those bands got there because of the incredible talent of the students at those programs and the dedication of the boosters to support them. Look at Ronald Reagan, who in the past several years have been considered one of the best bands in the country yet have used zero props. Their 2019 production is one of the best shows this state has ever seen and it was built solely off the abilities of the students there. Props are cool to look at, but judges will not be swayed simply by the presence of them. All it takes is hard work and dedication from the students, the boosters, and everyone involved to build success within a program.

For UIL I would agree. I would not agree for the top bands for BOA props makes a world of difference. There is no comparison. I was in marching band in the early 90s and have seen the progression to bigger and larger orchestration of props and displays. Their only going to get bigger and more expensive and only the bands with the funds with be at the top.

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2 hours ago, BandFan59 said:

Ronald Reagan set the record for highest score at the San Antonio Super Regional in 2019 with Secret World (97.30). That show used zero props. I promise you judges are not shallow enough to give extra points to a band because of some pretty props.

Exactly! Props are just something extra for the audience

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3 hours ago, BandFan59 said:

Ronald Reagan set the record for highest score at the San Antonio Super Regional in 2019 with Secret World (97.30). That show used zero props. I promise you judges are not shallow enough to give extra points to a band because of some pretty props.

UIL state placement would say otherwise. Bands like Timber whom did not interact with props beat bands who went to finals in BoA because of props.

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13 minutes ago, BandDad4 said:

UIL state placement would say otherwise. Bands like Timber whom did not interact with props beat bands who went to finals in BoA because of props.

UIL and BOA rubrics are not the same. No two competitions will ever be the same results-wise, and assuming that props or the lack thereof is what gives certain bands a higher score instead of attributing that to the performances of the students themselves is frankly disrespectful to the hard work they put in. BOA judges are highly experienced in their fields and they aren't going to give extra points for a band that has more props. I don't know what else to tell you.

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