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Post by propsquaddad on Oct 28, 2019 11:33:40 GMT -6
Repost from txbands forums, would love to hear y'alls thoughts as well! New week, new list! Hard to believe we are only a few days away from the SA super regional. It seems to sneak up faster every year. This list will contain a bit more of my own personal bias but it's still a list I think is 100% possible. 1st. (music, visual) Flowermound: The sheer amount of difficult marching and playing in this show is incredible. What's even crazier is how easy they make it look. I'm really pulling for this show to win it all. 2nd. (GE) Ronald Reagan: their marching and especially their playing are nothing to sneeze at but the GE is the real power here. The ballad impact will be remembered for years to come, and I cannot get over that intro. It's just too cool. 3rd. Vandegrift: like I said before I really think they'll take home the bronze. The execution by the end will rival any band, and the design is elegant and engaging. 4th. Leander: I personally view this as their ceiling for this contest. Leander is looking to peak later at nats but I think the changes and cleaning they've been doing behind the scenes for the last three weeks are going to turn some heads. 5th Hebron: It's been talked about on other threads and I agree that Hebron is doing everything they can to peak at the right time. The new opener tempo is blazing and once it's clean in just under 3 weeks they'll challenge for the eagle. 6th CTJ: just to play contrarian to my earlier post, all streaks have to end some time. Ctj could just as easily land in the top 5 and I'll happily eat crow as I clap along to I just can't wait to be king. However I think if there has ever been a collection of groups to push them out of the top 5 this is it. 7th. The Woodlands. This show has as a really good shot at top half. It's completely different from what's around it and I really enjoy it. 8th. Vista Ridge. Ugh this contest is crazy. I never would expect to see a show like this in 8th but looking at the field it's certainly possible. I really love the visual aesthetic of this show. 9th. Marcus. One word. Clean. Clean, clean, clean. I'm glad they are sticking to what they do best in these transitional years. The shows are still undeniably Marcus, but they are programmed for maximum achievement so well. I think a lot of bands can still learn a thing or two by watching what they do. 10. LD Bell. Pretty much the same thoughts as my last post. Glad they are still around. The show is especially exciting visually. They are the last band on this list that I view as a lock for finals. 11. Cedar Park. Some people may be surprised by this, but by looking back at past results you can see that cedar park actually places better at SA on state years (with one exception in 2013). I think this is due to the extremely high level of cleanliness they achieve by the end in pursuit of state. Clean music and marching is the original GE and I think it'll pay off for CP. 12. Westwood: huge breakout year and I can't wait to hear some christmas music directly following Halloween (just the way it should be). Jokes aside, seeing programs explode into finals for the first time is always my favorite thing to watch so I'm excited. 13. James Bowie: like I said before, their performance at Waco makes it very difficult to see them out of finals here. I personally really enjoy the music book for this show and they are performing it very well. 14. Keller: consistency is what gives Keller this spot for me. It's really hard to imagine their brass line out of finals, but there are multiple bands that may have something to say about that. I think the closer will give Keller the extra push into finals. Really effective musically. There are multiple bands that could challenge for a finals spot. You could swap out any of the final 4 bands with one from the list below and I wouldn't really be able to argue against it. Anything could happen! Bubble: Cedar Ridge Rouse Westlake Lake travis Round Rock If your going to put Cedar Park at 11 then Rouse makes top 14. Both band have stunning shows and they have been battling back and forth all year. Rouse edged them out at TMC, Cedar Park edged our Rouse at Austin Regionals. At UIL area last weekend it was super close, with Cedar Park being just a little bit cleaner. Musically I thought Rouse beat them. That said it puts Keller on the bubble.
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Post by natertater on Oct 28, 2019 12:00:59 GMT -6
Exactly, that's why I said any of the 11-14 bands could be swapped out for one of the "bubble" bands I have listed and I wouldn't really be surprised. It's a real toss up at the bottom of finals.
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Post by dallasman on Oct 28, 2019 12:45:09 GMT -6
If your going to put Cedar Park at 11 then Rouse makes top 14. Both band have stunning shows and they have been battling back and forth all year. Rouse edged them out at TMC, Cedar Park edged our Rouse at Austin Regionals. At UIL area last weekend it was super close, with Cedar Park being just a little bit cleaner. Musically I thought Rouse beat them. That said it puts Keller on the bubble. I’d expand that list to 20.
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Post by abtwitch on Oct 28, 2019 15:07:02 GMT -6
My probably awfully incorrect predictions:
1) Ronald Reagan 2) Flower Mound 3) Hebron 4) Vandegrift 5) Claudia Taylor Johnson 6) Leander 7) Marcus 8) Vista Ridge 9) The Woodlands 10) Keller 11) James Bowie 12) L.D. Bell 13) Westwood 14) Westlake
Music: Hebron Visual: Flower Mound GE: Ronald Reagan
Just out (and quite a few of them): Cedar Park Cedar Ridge Coppell John B. Alexander Lake Travis Prosper Round Rock Rouse Vista Murrieta Wakeland
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Post by marchingmaniac on Oct 28, 2019 20:18:15 GMT -6
My probably awfully incorrect predictions: 1) Ronald Reagan 2) Flower Mound 3) Hebron 4) Vandegrift 5) Claudia Taylor Johnson 6) Leander 7) Marcus 8) Vista Ridge 9) The Woodlands 10) Keller 11) James Bowie 12) L.D. Bell 13) Westwood 14) Westlake Music: Hebron Visual: Flower Mound GE: Ronald Reagan Just out (and quite a few of them): Cedar Park Cedar Ridge Coppell John B. Alexander Lake Travis Prosper Round Rock Rouse Vista Murrieta Wakeland Have not seen Westlake this year, have they competed in any competitions since Houston?
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Post by thewho on Oct 28, 2019 20:30:33 GMT -6
Didn't see in the thread, but UT Austin is the prelims exhibition band. Texas State University is the finals exhibition, kicking off finals.
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Post by abtwitch on Oct 28, 2019 20:51:08 GMT -6
My probably awfully incorrect predictions: 1) Ronald Reagan 2) Flower Mound 3) Hebron 4) Vandegrift 5) Claudia Taylor Johnson 6) Leander 7) Marcus 8) Vista Ridge 9) The Woodlands 10) Keller 11) James Bowie 12) L.D. Bell 13) Westwood 14) Westlake Music: Hebron Visual: Flower Mound GE: Ronald Reagan Just out (and quite a few of them): Cedar Park Cedar Ridge Coppell John B. Alexander Lake Travis Prosper Round Rock Rouse Vista Murrieta Wakeland Have not seen Westlake this year, have they competed in any competitions since Houston? No, but I feel like they are one of the most underestimated Texas bands this season along with CTJ.
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 29, 2019 10:48:18 GMT -6
Have not seen Westlake this year, have they competed in any competitions since Houston? No, but I feel like they are one of the most underestimated Texas bands this season along with CTJ. I prefer Westwood this year but I’m not sure they have the cleaning abilities of Westlake to really propel them into finals. If I had to say I’d put Westlake in and Westwood out. Also, hot take, I don’t think The Woodlands is a definite lock at the moment.
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Post by twhsalumniparent on Oct 29, 2019 11:26:20 GMT -6
No, but I feel like they are one of the most underestimated Texas bands this season along with CTJ. I prefer Westwood this year but I’m not sure they have the cleaning abilities of Westlake to really propel them into finals. If I had to say I’d put Westlake in and Westwood out. Also, hot take, I don’t think The Woodlands is a definite lock at the moment. Is that because of your dislike of jazz/swing in marching band, or do you have another reason? Actually quite curious about your thoughts.
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 29, 2019 11:49:31 GMT -6
I prefer Westwood this year but I’m not sure they have the cleaning abilities of Westlake to really propel them into finals. If I had to say I’d put Westlake in and Westwood out. Also, hot take, I don’t think The Woodlands is a definite lock at the moment. Is that because of your dislike of jazz/swing in marching band, or do you have another reason? Actually quite curious about your thoughts. Just looking at the number of bands and the quality of where they are compared to others especially over the past few years I wouldn’t be shocked. But I think they’re still in. The stylist choice they made I personally think is a hard sell to be honest, but I don’t think that will be the deciding factor.
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Post by das88 on Oct 29, 2019 12:15:24 GMT -6
This is tough!
1. Flower Mound 2-4 (Reagan, Hebron, CTJ) 5. Leander 6 Vandegrift 7. Vista Ridge 8. The Woodlands 9-14. Bowie, Cedar Park, Marcus, Bell, Round Rock, Keller)
I am feeling CTJ might be undervalued. BOA- we have Austin and they had major issues in both performances. Flower Mound was awesome at Austin. Cannot imagine what the show is like now. I also think The Woodlands might go lower. I do appreciate they are going outside their comfort zone and doing something different.
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 29, 2019 13:56:14 GMT -6
This is tough! 1. Flower Mound 2-4 (Reagan, Hebron, CTJ) 5. Leander 6 Vandegrift 7. Vista Ridge 8. The Woodlands 9-14. Bowie, Cedar Park, Marcus, Bell, Round Rock, Keller) I am feeling CTJ might be undervalued. BOA- we have Austin and they had major issues in both performances. Flower Mound was awesome at Austin. Cannot imagine what the show is like now. I also think The Woodlands might go lower. I do appreciate they are going outside their comfort zone and doing something different. Personally, I will be shocked if Vandegrift finishes that low..
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 29, 2019 14:56:33 GMT -6
This is tough! 1. Flower Mound 2-4 (Reagan, Hebron, CTJ) 5. Leander 6 Vandegrift 7. Vista Ridge 8. The Woodlands 9-14. Bowie, Cedar Park, Marcus, Bell, Round Rock, Keller) I am feeling CTJ might be undervalued. BOA- we have Austin and they had major issues in both performances. Flower Mound was awesome at Austin. Cannot imagine what the show is like now. I also think The Woodlands might go lower. I do appreciate they are going outside their comfort zone and doing something different. Personally, I will be shocked if Vandegrift finishes that low.. Me too. I personally have them in second.
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Post by Jake W. on Oct 29, 2019 21:01:34 GMT -6
Alright! We've got a massive snowstorm out here in CO, so I've been dissecting SA on & off throughout the day. I've actually arrived at an interesting revelation:
For the first time in a good 5+ years, San Antonio is....solidified and not the wild card race it usually is (that's a good thing!). After a few years of every wonderful band in Texas dipping their toes into the BOA waters, pretty much everyone has been in for a few years now, tiers have started to form, and there's less wild unpredictability.
HEAR ME OUT. I don't mean that the contest isn't still absolutely the deepest pool of talent top to bottom outside of GN (or more so than GN, whatever your opinion on that hotly contested subject is). It is unquestionably still the deepest pool of talent, more than ever. But the last few years have seen the craziest of all Prelims contests, with a few locks at the top and then 20+ bands with legit equal chances of breaking into Finals. Last year heading into the contest, for example, no one could make heads or tails of a million groups' chances at Finals, from Bell to Seven Lakes to Round Rock to Churchill to Haltom and all the way down through Westwood in 33rd (!!) place. Same with the year before that, and the year before that...
But this year, for the first time in awhile, SA seems less insane and more predictable. I've got 11 locks and only 6 (yes, 6! that's it) bands with LEGIT chances at taking those last 3 spots. Don't get me wrong, I've got another 500 bands after those 6 that will be in the 80.00+ range, many of which have outside shots at Finals (Round Rock, Lake Travis, Oak Ridge, Cy-Fair, Prosper, etc.), but for the first time since all of these Texas bands exploded onto the BOA scene, with more & more coming every year, we seem to have reached a bit of a cooling point, where most everyone has been in BOA for a few years now and tiers have started to form & solidify.
Let's dig in, shall we?
I've got, similar to everyone else, Reagan, Flower Mound, Hebron, CTJ, Vandegrift, Leander, The Woodlands, Marcus, & Vista Ridge as hard locks, with James Bowie & Keller as softer locks, but most likely in nonetheless. Reagan has the show of shows and truly is recapturing their magic of a decade and a half ago. It's hard for me (and everyone else, by the looks of it) to see them not medaling here. Same with FloMo and their Alan Spaeth magic. I don't know who the hell thought of putting glassmaking on the field as a concept, but it works beautifully (literally, beautifully). I think most would place money that these are 2 of your 3 medalists. Hebron & TW are CLEARLY playing the long game and will be using every ounce of their week and a half after SA to finish cleaning these massively challenging shows. I really enjoy both --- Hebron is doing what they do best (fast notes and a ton of them), and TW is really stretching my opinion of what an enjoyable marching show can be, but it's just hard not to love it. And WOW both shows are insanely challenging. Neither one will be clean by this contest, and each group's level of cleanliness could create some wild swings in placement for them. Vandegrift is my pick for the third medalist, and I think most are in the same boat. They've got a gorgeous show lined up, their best effort yet at putting on a BOA-friendly design. They're cleaner than most are at this point, and will be hungry to get back into the top 3 before jumping off to Indy. Leander is in a similar boat...their best effort since Color Study & Choral Works (or maybe their best effort ever), and I can't get enough of this show. They're super clean already, and have plenty of gas left in the tank. CTJ is a huge wild card here, since no one has seen them since a messy early-season Austin run. The only thing we can count on is that they've improved immensely since then; how much is anyone's guess, but it would be hard to imagine them out of the top half here. Marcus & VR are in a similar boat; both crystal clean and immensely talented, but neither one with the design to secure their place in the top half of Finals, although either one could certainly finish there. Finally, JB & Keller --- I suppose either could be knocked out, but I don't think that's likely. Keller is looking to make their 5th straight SA Finals appearance, and JBOPE is hot off their Waco win. Earlier season results for James Bowie make this a bit more unpredictable, but I think last year was more of an outlier than the start of a new trend.
I think most of us see those 11 groups as nearly impossible to knock out, with Keller & JBOPE being the only moderately vulnerable ones, although both will most likely be battling it out for the 5th spot on Panel #1, not the last spot in overall.
Panel #1: -------- Reagan FloMo CTJ TW Keller JBOPE
Panel #2: -------- Vandegrift Hebron Leander Marcus Vista Ridge
Like I said, despite a million strong groups, I've only got 6 units with serious shots at taking those last 3 slots: Cedar Ridge, Westwood, Westlake, Cedar Park, Coppell, & L.D. Bell. Cedar Ridge once again starts the competition off as the first real potential Finalist from Prelims, and that's a spot they've been very successful from the past few years. Westwood is of course having their break out year (we all knew it would happen soon enough), could easily play again on Saturday night. Not the most difficult of shows, but a phenomenal one for them, and SA Prelims judges have often rewarded cleanliness & a cohesive design over content when it comes to getting into Finals. I've seen very little of Westlake this year, but it's impossible to count them out after last year's Finals appearance and terrific early season Austin results, and of course always one of Texas's best-playing groups. I love that the first block on Panel #2 has Cedar Ridge, Westlake, & Westwood in it for some great comparison. All 3 could be Finalists. Cedar Park just broke their 14 year record of making SA Finals, and had made it every year it was a Super Regional until last year (even years when I thought they shouldn't have, *cough* 2013). They'll be fighting HARD to prove last year was a fluke, especially headed into UIL 5A Finals. Their Icarus show is a really nice step forward for them, and it's got the elements there to get them back in. Coppell is my personal favorite amongst this group of 6, and I'd kill to see them back in for the first time since their amazing 2013 show. I'm crazy about their show this year!! They've carved out a unique niche amongst Texas bands, and I really appreciate their voice as the powerful, brooding, massively brassy group. Finally, Bell will be looking to maintain their Finalist status, but will have to lay down an insanely clean performance...bubble bands performing at the very end of a giant Prelims competition typically don't fare well, as their performance has to be that much more impressive to pull ahead of every other bubble band that played before them. Beyond that, Bell has the misfortune of having no top group performing anywhere near them for comparison; TW being the closest one over 5 hours before them. Still, if anyone can make the case against the performance odds, it's Bell this year.
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I've then got 16 groups (taking us down to around 35th place) who all have outside shots at making Finals, and surprises could certainly happen. 16 groups who in the past few SA Prelims would have been grouped right there as potential Finalists, but who this year haven't been able to quite match the newly-formed tight bubble Finalist tier of Westwood, Westlake, Cedar Park, Bell, Cedar Ridge & Coppell. They are as follows:
Lake Travis Pearland Cy-Fair Rouse Clear Brook Oak Ridge Timber Creek Vista Murrieta Prosper Round Rock James E. Taylor Wakeland Keller Central John B. Alexander Hendrickson North Shore
Lake Travis of course had a phenomenal run at STL and is looking to place their highest at SA ever. I don't think it will be quite enough to beat out (at minimum) 4 bands from the above tier, but they could certainly knock off one or two groups and soar in the high teens. Pearland is one of my favorite Texas groups, and the one in this tier who could surprise us the most. They're huge and well-playing with top notch designs, and they always improve immensely from Houston to SA. Maybe they'll be the group who skyrockets out of this tier. Cy-Fair jumped into BOA a few years ago, but I don't feel like they've moved themselves forward much since doing so. Still the same original music & vague shows, but also still the same massive, well-playing group. I do appreciate their technical prowess. Rouse, I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW, Texas people, I really do, but I'm hesitant that the non-BOA scores will carry over so linearly into SA Prelims. I've watched the show over and over on YouTube and I get why they're hanging with CP, I really do; I just don't think the design is enough to keep them in the mix on BOA sheets. They'll be higher than they've ever been at SA Prelims for sure, and they'll be fighting Clear Brook & Hendrickson for that third AAA spot, but I don't think I see a Finals berth happening (YET). Speaking of Clear Brook, they're stronger than ever, and in the middle of a string of great designs. Oak Ridge is always a wonderful group, but typically doesn't have the depth in design to carry them through to the upper ranks of SA Prelims. That could change this year --- this is the most well-designed show they've come out with. I'm curious to see where they land with a more sophisticated offering. Timber Creek of course is stalling a bit with their director changes, but just a little. Unfortunately, a slightly less powerful year in SA Prelims can equate to large result swings, but I firmly believe they'll still place well and will continue to move upward. Vista Murrieta!! The out-of-state damsel this year. No idea what to expect, except for the realization that the further we get from their insanely good 2016, the more I notice that they've failed to replicate that sort of show & performance levels, both before and after said breakout year. If 2016 VM shows up, all bets are off. If anything other than 2016 VM shows up, they'll be lost amidst the sea of insanely good TX bands. Prosper had crazy DFW numbers in the early season, and I'm not sure where they'll land, but if they couldn't do it last year as a GN & DFW Finalist, I don't think it can be done this year. Same with RR. I do like their recent UIL video; they've really cleaned it up! But, similar to last year's production, I feel like they're outperforming another mid-level design. JET is always a favorite TX group of mine as well, and I'm glad to see them back competing at SA regularly. Wakeland is clearly back on the rise after their director shifts a few seasons back and could certainly make some noise here, but I don't know about enough noise to vault ahead of 4 groups in the aforementioned high-bubble tier. KC has a much more engaging show than I've ever seen from them (although last year was great, too), and I'd love to see them try their hand at GN again with a more interesting design like they're putting out this year. JBA got my award for the SA Prelims surprise last year; they absolutely floored me, probably because I wasn't expecting it. I mean I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. They've proved they're sustainable & here to stay this year, although it's hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice. Poor Henny seems to really be feeling the director change this year as opposed to last, although I like their show a lot. BOA judges seem to disagree with me. I suppose I can see why, but it's a really fun (and unique!!) show nonetheless. Finally, North Shore....ah how I love you!!!! Some of the best musical ensemble sounds in the already best-sounding state in the country. I'm so thrilled to see them back in BOA, although I wish it could have been at 2016 levels!! I do believe they'll place well here, though.
****By the way, just to clarify, these 16 are still among the strongest groups in the country, and could make Finals at any other Regional or Super Regional. SA Prelims is no weaker this year --- it's deeper than ever --- all I was getting at with my original point is that for the first time in a number of years, groups have fallen into more clearly-defined tiers heading into the contest, and it's hard for me to see any of these groups breaking into Finals, although any of them certainly could! Whereas in years past there would have been no clear tier delineation between these 16 and the previous 6 high bubble groups mentioned. Just an interesting development as TX bands continue to grow and mature, that's all.
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For those of you watching Prelims or who are aren't as familiar with TX bands, there's still a MASSIVE tier of groups you should catch on FLO who will all most likely get a Div. I on the prelims sheets (75.00 or higher):
Obra D. Tompkins That Wylie Band Friendswood Plano East TWCP (who even last year I would have had in the above group, but again, these tiers are starting to form in TX) Cypress Falls Del Rio Roma Glenda Dawson Sharyland Pioneer Forney (these two fighting out some good AA placings) Tom Glenn Weiss (these two as second year schools potentially disrupting the AA fight, although each could be AAA with seniors now added in) Katy Sandra Day O'Connor Pflugerville James Madison McNeil Wylie East Burleson Centennial Klein Oak Aledo New Braunfels William H. Taft Westlake (UT)
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 29, 2019 21:35:53 GMT -6
That’s fantastic. Jake wins again! Now I gotta go jot down some notes for Saturday.
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Post by Jake W. on Oct 29, 2019 22:14:05 GMT -6
That’s fantastic. Jake wins again! Now I gotta go jot down some notes for Saturday. No no no no. I could never know as much about TX bands as Texans themselves. But I have made a diligent effort to get to know the gamut of Texas bands over the last few years, and I think I've amassed a pretty good working knowledge, although inevitably every year there's a swath of groups like Smithson Valley, Bridgeland, Churchill Fulshear, Johnson (Buda) that pop on various schedules and then I need to go research them. By the way, to any other non-Texans on the forums looking to keep track of the bands beyond the top powerhouses a bit better, my advice is to always have Wikipedia & Google Maps up in other tabs when watching SA prelims. Between bands, I always research the next one coming on, and it only takes a few Prelims blocks to find clear patterns emerging (CTJ is the band son of Reagan, who is the band son of Churchill, who is the band son of Douglas MacArthur, or that x band you're watching is in the same district as TW, or that NSISD is all Supreme Court justices, or that Prosper is the newer neighboring district to Lewisville ISD, which are both in turn newer suburbs to older districts like Coppell & H-E-B, or that x band you're watching is one of the 9,000 high schools that opened up in the past 10 years in the Clear or Cy ISDs, etc.). It all makes it a LOT easier to sort out mentally. Wikipedia has great, thorough pages on each ISD & individual high schools and when each school opened and the district's demographics, and very rarely is a school competing at BOA "on it's own" (like Waller...its own school in its own district in its own town). Most are in ISDs that share a famous band or have a neighboring ISD with a famous band. Anyway, before each band comes on you look up their ISD on Wikipedia, then drop the little yellow guy on Google maps randomly on streets near the school to get a feel if it's a wealthy or poorer area, new or old suburb, etc. Then the mass of TX bands slowly quickly becomes demystified! Edited to add: I forgot about another befuddling when unpacking this schedule in addition to groups I'd never heard of like Smithson Valley. McCollum is apparently a school in Harlandale ISD in San Antonio, but upon YouTubing, I found out it's not to be confused with McCallum H.S. in Austin ISD (same ISD as James Bowie), who HAS competed in BOA events many times and whose name I did recognize. So that's a fun one letter difference. Unless BOA really meant to type McCallum...they've certainly been known for a typo or two before...ugh.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 30, 2019 5:54:20 GMT -6
I like reading up on bands on the Wiki too! I love history and I enjoy knowing more about these schools and the areas they come from.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 30, 2019 6:48:15 GMT -6
Wiki is my friend as well! Especially for finding where Texas and California bands are. All the other states are reasonably easy, but those are so big and have so many schools.
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 31, 2019 11:06:02 GMT -6
Wow tomorrow night is going to be intense
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Oct 31, 2019 11:11:39 GMT -6
That’s fantastic. Jake wins again! Now I gotta go jot down some notes for Saturday. No no no no. I could never know as much about TX bands as Texans themselves. But I have made a diligent effort to get to know the gamut of Texas bands over the last few years, and I think I've amassed a pretty good working knowledge, although inevitably every year there's a swath of groups like Smithson Valley, Bridgeland, Churchill Fulshear, Johnson (Buda) that pop on various schedules and then I need to go research them. By the way, to any other non-Texans on the forums looking to keep track of the bands beyond the top powerhouses a bit better, my advice is to always have Wikipedia & Google Maps up in other tabs when watching SA prelims. Between bands, I always research the next one coming on, and it only takes a few Prelims blocks to find clear patterns emerging (CTJ is the band son of Reagan, who is the band son of Churchill, who is the band son of Douglas MacArthur, or that x band you're watching is in the same district as TW, or that NSISD is all Supreme Court justices, or that Prosper is the newer neighboring district to Lewisville ISD, which are both in turn newer suburbs to older districts like Coppell & H-E-B, or that x band you're watching is one of the 9,000 high schools that opened up in the past 10 years in the Clear or Cy ISDs, etc.). It all makes it a LOT easier to sort out mentally. Wikipedia has great, thorough pages on each ISD & individual high schools and when each school opened and the district's demographics, and very rarely is a school competing at BOA "on it's own" (like Waller...its own school in its own district in its own town). Most are in ISDs that share a famous band or have a neighboring ISD with a famous band. Anyway, before each band comes on you look up their ISD on Wikipedia, then drop the little yellow guy on Google maps randomly on streets near the school to get a feel if it's a wealthy or poorer area, new or old suburb, etc. Then the mass of TX bands slowly quickly becomes demystified! Edited to add: I forgot about another befuddling when unpacking this schedule in addition to groups I'd never heard of like Smithson Valley. McCollum is apparently a school in Harlandale ISD in San Antonio, but upon YouTubing, I found out it's not to be confused with McCallum H.S. in Austin ISD (same ISD as James Bowie), who HAS competed in BOA events many times and whose name I did recognize. So that's a fun one letter difference. Unless BOA really meant to type McCallum...they've certainly been known for a typo or two before...ugh. Are there Texas public schools that are *not* in an "ISD"? As an Ohioan, I find it odd how that abbreviation gets used all the time: it seems redundant. But I suppose there's a good reason.
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 31, 2019 11:27:09 GMT -6
No no no no. I could never know as much about TX bands as Texans themselves. But I have made a diligent effort to get to know the gamut of Texas bands over the last few years, and I think I've amassed a pretty good working knowledge, although inevitably every year there's a swath of groups like Smithson Valley, Bridgeland, Churchill Fulshear, Johnson (Buda) that pop on various schedules and then I need to go research them. By the way, to any other non-Texans on the forums looking to keep track of the bands beyond the top powerhouses a bit better, my advice is to always have Wikipedia & Google Maps up in other tabs when watching SA prelims. Between bands, I always research the next one coming on, and it only takes a few Prelims blocks to find clear patterns emerging (CTJ is the band son of Reagan, who is the band son of Churchill, who is the band son of Douglas MacArthur, or that x band you're watching is in the same district as TW, or that NSISD is all Supreme Court justices, or that Prosper is the newer neighboring district to Lewisville ISD, which are both in turn newer suburbs to older districts like Coppell & H-E-B, or that x band you're watching is one of the 9,000 high schools that opened up in the past 10 years in the Clear or Cy ISDs, etc.). It all makes it a LOT easier to sort out mentally. Wikipedia has great, thorough pages on each ISD & individual high schools and when each school opened and the district's demographics, and very rarely is a school competing at BOA "on it's own" (like Waller...its own school in its own district in its own town). Most are in ISDs that share a famous band or have a neighboring ISD with a famous band. Anyway, before each band comes on you look up their ISD on Wikipedia, then drop the little yellow guy on Google maps randomly on streets near the school to get a feel if it's a wealthy or poorer area, new or old suburb, etc. Then the mass of TX bands slowly quickly becomes demystified! Edited to add: I forgot about another befuddling when unpacking this schedule in addition to groups I'd never heard of like Smithson Valley. McCollum is apparently a school in Harlandale ISD in San Antonio, but upon YouTubing, I found out it's not to be confused with McCallum H.S. in Austin ISD (same ISD as James Bowie), who HAS competed in BOA events many times and whose name I did recognize. So that's a fun one letter difference. Unless BOA really meant to type McCallum...they've certainly been known for a typo or two before...ugh. Are there Texas public schools that are *not* in an "ISD"? As an Ohioan, I find it odd how that abbreviation gets used all the time: it seems redundant. But I suppose there's a good reason. There are some districts in Texas that are "CISD" where the C=Consolidated. Typically this means there were multiple school districts that consolidated together at some point. And I believe there are a few that are CSD, which means Common School District. I am less sure of the history there. The use of ISD illustrates the fact that the school district is an independent taxing authority and governing authority separate from the city/cities and county/counties where the district lies. Each school district has a defined geography that has no necessary relation to any city or county lines. Hope that helps.
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Post by hewhowaits on Oct 31, 2019 11:32:47 GMT -6
Are there Texas public schools that are *not* in an "ISD"? As an Ohioan, I find it odd how that abbreviation gets used all the time: it seems redundant. But I suppose there's a good reason. A quick search reveals that there is one school district which is NOT independent - the Stafford Municipal School District. This is the only school district in Texas that is not a separate taxing body from the city or town where it is located. There are several Consolidated Independent districts - this happens when two or more independent districts combine.
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Post by Jake W. on Oct 31, 2019 11:51:01 GMT -6
Are there Texas public schools that are *not* in an "ISD"? As an Ohioan, I find it odd how that abbreviation gets used all the time: it seems redundant. But I suppose there's a good reason. I don't think so, or at least few of note. I think the reason the school districts are more important as band identifiers in Texas is because it's so rare for any of the top 100 bands or so to exist as the only school in a district. In fact...off the top of my head, Coppell, Duncanville, Allen, & Dripping Springs are the only well-known bands in TX that exist as single ISDs where the giant high school is the only one in the district. Prosper was in that category but is staring down a school split for the first time and has plans to build out an additional 8 high schools as the district grows. Conversely, many other top 100 BOA groups even share their district with another high school. Avon, Carmel, William Mason, Center Grove, Broken Arrow, etc. are all eponymous with their school district name and exist as the only h.s. in the district, so we have no need to refer to "Mason City Schools"...it's just William Mason band. Even differing names, "Southwest Allen Schools" is still just Homestead H.S. as the only school, so we just say Homestead. Owasso, Union, Jenks, O'Fallon, Wando (facing a school split though), Centerville, Mustang, PCEP, Rockford, Lockport, D-B, Castle, Byrnes, etc. are all single school districts as well. Even beyond that, districts that have multiple high schools but have schools with names like Blue Springs & Blue Springs South, Lakota West & Lakota East, etc. don't bare much clarification; we all understand that they're sister schools. But, outside of Texas, I do think we generally clarify the school districts, like Cobb County (Harrison, Kennesaw, Lassiter, etc), Chino Hills (Ayala, Chino, Chino Hills), Broward County (West Broward, Flanagan, Stoneman Douglas), Alpine School District (American Fork & most of UT's best bands), Wake County (Cary, Green Hope, Panther Creek). I think the fact that we all refer to LISD, RRISD, etc for Texas is no more significant than that's simply the name of the districts themselves, as opposed to being named via county, or #5 & #6, etc., so that's how we've come to refer to them.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Oct 31, 2019 11:57:20 GMT -6
Thanks for those explanations. Within these districts, do students just attend the high school closest to them, or do they have the option of choosing to attend a different school in that district?
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 31, 2019 12:00:46 GMT -6
Is that why for example Vandegrift is in Austin and Leander is in Leander but both in LISD?
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 31, 2019 12:18:48 GMT -6
Thanks for those explanations. Within these districts, do students just attend the high school closest to them, or do they have the option of choosing to attend a different school in that district? The district draws up attendance zones, you attend the school you are zoned to based on your address. Each district can make up its own rules regarding transfers to a school other than the one they are zoned to. The UIL prohibits such transfers for athletic purposes.
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 31, 2019 12:24:30 GMT -6
Is that why for example Vandegrift is in Austin and Leander is in Leander but both in LISD? Leander ISD has property in the cities of Leander, Cedar Park, Austin, Georgetown and a couple of others, I believe. The school district lines divide all of the geography of the state. It is not uncommon, in high growth areas for example, for a city to expand its limits into unincorporated territory that lies withing a neighboring school district. The area where Vandegrift lies, for example, was in an unincorporated, sparesly populated corner of Leander ISD just a couple of decades ago. Housing developments went in, the city of Austin expanded its boundries to include the area and it boomed. Vandegrift opened in 2009 and is now the largest high school in the district and still growing, currently adding a new wing to the school.
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Post by natertater on Oct 31, 2019 12:29:20 GMT -6
Thanks for those explanations. Within these districts, do students just attend the high school closest to them, or do they have the option of choosing to attend a different school in that district? Some particular schools can be chosen for certain programs. For example, a middle school student zoned for Rouse high school can opt to go to leander high school. Provided they join, and remain in the IB program at leander. I had a few friends at leander who did this while I was there.
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Post by josephbandfan on Oct 31, 2019 12:47:50 GMT -6
I've also heard of people using a relative's address if they want to attend the school that the relative is zoned for... but we can keep that on the down low.
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Post by propsquaddad on Oct 31, 2019 13:39:39 GMT -6
Thanks for those explanations. Within these districts, do students just attend the high school closest to them, or do they have the option of choosing to attend a different school in that district? Attending a High School that you are not “zoned” for requires a pretty good reason and the parents have to make a request to the school districts. It only applies for academic programs or if a parent works at the school being requested. A kid can’t switch high schools in a district just to be in a specific band or on a sports team.
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