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2021 BOA Conroe (Sept. 25)


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This amazing Houston contest will be held once again at Woodforest Bank Stadium. Here is the updated schedule:

as of 9/21/21–24 bands confirmed:

9:00 a.m. – Oak Ridge H.S., TX
9:15 a.m. – Grand Oaks H.S., TX
9:30 a.m. – Pearland H.S., TX
9:45 a.m. – Bridge City H.S., TX
10:00 a.m. – College Park H.S., TX
10:15 a.m. – Cy-Fair H.S., TX
10:30 a.m. – Bridgeland H.S., TX
10:45 a.m. – Klein Oak H.S., TX
11:00 a.m. – Sachse H.S., TX

11:15 a.m. – Break

12:15 p.m. – Porter H.S., TX
12:30 p.m. – Magnolia H.S., TX
12:45 p.m. – Paetow H.S., TX
1:00 p.m. – Cypress Woods H.S., TX
1:15 p.m. – Dawson H.S., TX
1:30 p.m. – Keller Central H.S., TX
1:45 p.m. – The Woodlands H.S., TX
2:00 p.m. – L.V. Berkner H.S., TX

2:15 p.m. – Break

2:45 p.m. – Sandra Day O’Connor H.S., TX
3:00 p.m. – Stephen F. Austin H.S., TX
3:15 p.m. – Spring H.S., TX
3:30 p.m. – Wylie East H.S., TX
3:45 p.m. – Seven Lakes H.S., TX
4:00 p.m. – James E. Taylor H.S., TX
4:15 p.m. – Dripping Springs H.S., TX

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8 hours ago, LeanderMomma said:

To be held at Woodforest Bank Stadium. 

(as of 4/27/21):

Brazoswood H.S., TX
Bridgeland H.S., TX
Bridge City H.S., TX
College Park H.S., TX
Conroe H.S., TX
Cy-Fair H.S., TX
Cypress Woods H.S., TX
Dawson H.S., TX
Keller Central H.S., TX
Magnolia H.S., TX
Paetow H.S., TX
Pearland H.S., TX
Porter H.S., TX
Sachse H.S., TX
Sandra Day O'Connor H.S., TX
Seven Lakes H.S., TX
Stephen F. Austin H.S., TX
Wylie East H.S., TX

Twhs is planning on going to this 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Man, that is awesome! My freshmen year of hs was the last time (maybe only time) Dripping Springs attended this contest! They did very, making finals and I believe winning class 2a. 

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  • 2 months later...
4 hours ago, contrabassclarinet said:

This comp is definitely getting overshadowed by a lot of the heavy-hitter bands at Austin, but looking at the list there are a lot of really good programs attending. I have no clue how the placements will end up but I'm really excited to see how it'll pan out.

Agreed. This contest is always an outstanding one to watch as the battle for a finals spot is very intense.

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The fight for finals will be interesting for sure. Houston groups haven't been the most consistent.

How is SFA looking and sounding this year? I think I must have missed them when they performed first in St. Louis finals in 2019, because I didn't remember them, but watching the video, I was very impressed by the visual and was surprised to see they had placed 8th. So of course I had to check the scores. 3rd place in visual performance but 8th in VGE. I wonder if the VGE would have been higher if they had performed closer to the top half group. Anyway, I think they could be a real contender again if the music catches up to that visual.

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I've looked everywhere online, and I can't seem to find anything on SFA. Unless a halftime video gets posted soon we probably won't see anything other than the show concept on their website before Conroe. I've been closely following all the bands going to this comp- there are about 15 others that I've yet to find a performance rep from this year. Most of those I have seen are pretty neck-and-neck. With so many unknowns going into this event, I have almost no clue how finals is going to pan out.

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I brought up SFA because I thought they might contend for the top here. The visual program in 2019 really WAS that good, in my opinion. No, music didn't have the same power as the early naughts, but the upside is that they aren't overblowing like they used to. Pearland is of course on my radar, too. (They had a great winter guard show this past season!) TW is typically more vulnerable at the early contests, which could leave an opening. Also, SFA's and Pearland's general trajectories seem to be upward.

Ok, literally as I'm writing this, I'm on YouTube watching the TW vid. It will be taken down I'm sure. No band costumes yet. Are those spotlights? Ok, yeah, this will be hard to top at Conroe in a couple weeks. Kind of a GE monster. Blue Devils meets Bluecoats. All three of the woodwinds I can currently hear sound rather bright and unpleasant, but overall the music is very enjoyable. Arrangements of the 2nd and 3rd movements are brilliant. I knew that would be the ballad! Big smile on my face during the trombone part, both for the music and the visual. One thing the current lack of choreo is underscoring, though, is some of the parking and playing. I'd much rather the end of that 2nd movement, for instance, have some actual drill that matches the excitement of the music, kind of like the end of the 2013 opener. Leaning heavily on the guard, but... I mean... unbelievable this year. This guard is definitely aiming for best-ever Texas high school guard performance on a marching field. I do wish they were dressed... differently. Lol.

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Saw the Woodlands video online. Personally it's not my favorite, I prefer some of their older shows, but maybe this one will grow on me. However the musical execution is at a very high level and I do enjoy the tenor sax solo a lot. Have to agree that they do seem to do a lot of park and play at the moment, but they also have a good amount of their show already on the field, so I think they'll have plenty of time to polish and maybe change things around.

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Found the TWHS video too. Still lots of room to grow in that show. I think they addressed one of the weaknesses of the 2019 show, which was the start was too bland. Musically was great for this time of year. I agree the guard is really raising their game. By November this show has the potential to break into top half of finals. Will be interesting to see where they take it.

Oh, I think that it should win Conroe unless someone else comes up with a completely unexpected improvement.

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1 hour ago, BandFan59 said:

Saw the Woodlands video online. Personally it's not my favorite, I prefer some of their older shows, but maybe this one will grow on me. However the musical execution is at a very high level and I do enjoy the tenor sax solo a lot. Have to agree that they do seem to do a lot of park and play at the moment, but they also have a good amount of their show already on the field, so I think they'll have plenty of time to polish and maybe change things around.

I definitely think the stagy, Broadway style will be a bit divisive (again), and I would like better music-drill parity in some parts, but this is in the designers' wheelhouse. Jon Vanderkolff and Michael Raiford, I mean this is what they do. Wayne as well, to an extent. (It's hard not to hear the Devils in those arrangements.) Of course, not everyone cares for the direction DCI has gone in recent years, and I can respect that, but change is fun. I somewhat wish TW were starting a new trend rather than continuing an existing one, but the result is still very engaging, and contemporary.

Now, late-season performance of this show? I don't know where it will end up, besides in finals. It's a weird year, and none of the shows are done yet. This program definitely isn't the 2013 one, where I got the "Eagle tingles" right from the get-go (when I first saw that video in October). But it has its attractions for a September show.

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I've just been watching TW's performances through the football game livestreams but those don't really give a full picture. I was a little on the fence about it but after watching the video recorded from the stands, I was wayyy more into it. Did not expect the color palette and aesthetic but I assume they wanted to take a more playful direction in regards to the source music and show theme. Out of the Texas bands, they have always had one of my favorite colorguards each year. Would be shocked if they didn't win at Conroe.

Now I don't really know how the rest of the finalist will place. Lots of good bands and there is a lot of unpredictability with the covid break and this being an early regional. I'll be rooting for Pearland to take 2nd and for Keller Central to rep KISD! I was also very impressed with Dawson in 2019 so I'm keeping an eye out for them.

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12 hours ago, josephbandfan said:

Did not expect the color palette and aesthetic but I assume they wanted to take a more playful direction in regards to the source music and show theme.

If it weren't for the (currently) green uniforms, I might have thought I accidentally clicked on Flower Mound's supposed Dr. Seuss show. Lol. I just... I don't know. They definitely subverted my expectations, which I usually like, but earlier I was over here thinking, "How are they gonna do the sexiness of Cabaret?!" Meanwhile, TW is like, "This year, we're CLOWNS!" ?

There is something to be said about making the whole thing a bit more playful during a pandemic season. Also, despite the silliness, the central message is still resonant this season. ? What good is sitting all alone your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret, old chum. So come to the cabaret. ?

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7 hours ago, Origin said:

TWHS sounds great. The show is obviously a continuation in style of their 2019 show but is already looking to be a cleaner final product. However, the lack of many big or frankly difficult drill moments is a bit concerning. 

They didn't have their closer drill finished at Katy in 2019, they'll be perfectly fine come nats.

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1 hour ago, zoomer said:

They didn't have their closer drill finished at Katy in 2019, they'll be perfectly fine come nats.

You do make a good point that there's an entire movement left that nobody has seen, and it's possible that we get our flashy drill in the closer. But that also doesn't change the underwhelming parts of the drill on the field right now. (Don't let the guard do all the work in that 2nd movement finale!) I do think TW will need to do something to keep from being overshadowed in the drill difficulty department by groups like... I don't know... CTJ? But maybe do it within reason?

I'm actually impressed by how much they have on the field right now. Just under 7 minutes, not including the pre-show, the climax of which they start at in that video. Maybe having the regional a week earlier lit a fire under them? That said, they honestly don't even need the closer to win Conroe, probably. Marcus came to Conroe in 2011 (when it was in October) and destroyed everyone, even though they stopped after their ballad. Both LD Bell and TWHS had closers on the field by then and still handily lost -- although they both beat Marcus late season.

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42 minutes ago, contrabassclarinet said:

Has anyone heard anything from Pearland or Seven Lakes? I've looked everywhere I can think of and haven't seen anything about them this year. Based on past years I expect them to do very well as always- I just don't know how they stack up against Woodlands right now.

Seven Lakes sounds very good for this point in the season. 

Pearland is also doing solid, however their head director left just last week so we’ll see how that plays out  

 

 

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