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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 3, 2019 9:48:19 GMT -6
...2000 SEASON REVIEW...
This season marked the 25th anniversary of BOA. From its start in 1975 and with the first Grand Nationals in 1976, the activity had come a long way in just a quarter century. This first season of the decade was certainly indicative of how things would continue to trend over the coming years. Use of props, tarps and amplified vocals gained momentum. Bands were really striving to make their shows unique and stand out. There was more symbolism, both in the visuals and in the music, that aided in selling the theme. Me being a little more old school and more of an analytical person, I would have to read reviews by Michael Boo or various forums to get a sense of the meaning in a lot of these shows.
There were 12 regionals held this season. There were actually quite a few surprises at many of the regionals this season. The season started Sep 23rd, a weak earlier than in years past. One of those regionals held this weekend was Louisville, KY. In a fairly competitive regional, the outcome was surprising as Northmont (OH) beat Lawrence Central (IN) for the title. Northmont came from behind as they had finished 4th in prelims. This was Northmont's first of two BOA regional wins. A few points down in 3rd was Alan C Pope (GA), with Carmel (IN) 4th and Center Grove (IN) 5th. The Toledo, OH regional was also on Sep 23rd. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms delayed prelims so much that finals had to be cancelled. Centerville (OH) again won the regional with Plymouth-Canton (MI) 2nd. Prospect (IL) was 3rd. After the earlier start to the season, we had to wait two weeks for the next regionals. Going into the Hemstead, NY regional, Norwin (PA) was the overwhelming favorite to win. Big surprise as King Phillip Regional (MA) beat them by over a point. Norwin would have to settle for 2nd. This was the first of four regional titles for King Phillip Regional. They remain the only Massachusetts band to win a BOA regional. The San Antonio, TX regional was again early in the season. LD Bell (TX) not only won this regional, they won it by over six points with all judges having them in first. This was LD Bell's first regional win. This was still a fairly competitive regional with Winston Churchill (TX) in 2nd followed closely by Ronald Reagan (TX) in 3rd. Not only was this the first BOA competition for Ronald Reagan, it was only the schools second year in existence. What was probably the biggest surprise at this regional was that Westfield (TX) finished 10th, their lowest finish at a BOA regional to date (they had previously been either first or second every year since 1984). The Johnson City, TN regional had yet another big surprise finish. North Hardin (KY) came off a 4th place finish in prelims and placed 1st in finals, their very first BOA regional win. They edged out 2nd place Fort Mill (SC) by a half point. Not too far down in 3rd and 4th was James F Byrnes (SC) and Lafayette (KY). The Morgantown, WV regional also had a few surprises [NOTE: the results on the Hornrank page links to the 2001 results instead of 2000, perhaps someone can fix that]. Norwin (PA) won the regional over 2nd place Kiski Area (PA). Norwin was over a point and a half ahead of Kiski, so no tie like 99. I think what was most surprising was that Centerville (OH), who were favored to win, came in 3rd.
After their huge win at Grand Nationals in 98, Lassiter did not participate in BOA in 99. They returned in 2000 and were considered a shoo in to win the Atlanta, GA regional. They certainly had the show to do it; awesome music performance. But in a shock, Tarpon Springs (FL) edged them out for the win. It was their visual scores that were enough to edge them over Lassiter. While this was Tarpon's third regional win at the time, it was their first win in Atlanta. The Tarpon band was also a third the size of Lassiter. The St Louis, MO regional was close at the top. It was won by the dominant Oklahoma band this season; and no that band was not Broken Arrow. Union (OK) won this region. This was their first regional win since 1986 and their third total win. So far it has been their last win. They edged out Lake Park (IL) by a half point. In a very close third was Owosso (OK) with Broken Arrow (OK) a couple points down in 4th. Yes Oklahoma bands made a statement at this regional. There was no big upset at the Las Vegas, NV regional as Etiwanda (CA) completely dominated, this being their fifth regional win. Diamond Bar (CA) came in 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional. Not too surprising after their win in Atlanta, the Orlando, FL regional was won by Tarpon Springs (FL). In a somewhat close and very respectable 2nd was Irmo (SC). Cypress Creek (FL) was a solid 3rd. Held the first weekend in November, the Houston, TX regional proved to be extremely competitive. LD Bell (TX) won comfortably, almost hitting 93 points, their second win of the season. Sring (TX) was 2nd, with Leander (TX) 3rd, The Woodlands (TX) 4th and Ronald Reagan (TX) 5th. All of these bands broke 87 points. This was certainly the season that LD Bell really hit their mark. They also won the Texas UIL championships this season. Not only did they play well (and at times loud) they had some insanely fast drill moves in this show. Finally, the Indianapolis, IN regional was jammed packed with strong bands. Seven of the finalists at the Indy regional would return one week later and become finalists at Grand Nationals. Marian Catholic (IL) won the regional, putting themselves into a great position with just one week to go to nationals. This was actually Marian's first regional title since 1989. It was their 5th and last regional win; yes Marian has more Grand National titles than regional titles. That is what happens when you peak right at nationals and attend competitive regionals. Lawrence Central (IN) was 2nd. This was not only the second time they were runner up to a regional this season, it was the second time this season that they won prelims only to get knocked out of first in finals. Carmel (IN) was third and showing that Louisville was no fluke, Northmont (OH) was 4th. A final point about this regional, Ben Davis (IN) attended and was a finalist. This was the first BOA competition for this long time Indiana power in sixteen years.
A total of 86 bands participated in the 2000 Bands of America Grand Nationals. At that point in time, that was the most ever to participate in Grand Nationals. For me, knowing how Marian Catholic could peak at Grand Nationals, I had them favored to win based on what they had already achieved this season. They not only won their class at the Illinois State Marching Championships, they won the whole thing. This was the first time they had done that since 1988. Also toss in the fact that they won the Indy regional, beating the Indiana power bands. Of course Plymouth-Canton was certainly in the mix given what they had done the previous year. Lawrence Central, Carmel and Tarpon Springs were potential dark horses. During the semi finals awards, Marian Catholic (IL) was crowned Class AAA Champion and took music performance and GE. In the years that Marian competed in Class 3A, this was the only year they won the Class AAA title at nationals. Plymouth-Canton (MI) was 2nd in 3A and Carmel (IN) was 3rd. Despite finishing 5th in Class 3A, Lawrence Central (IN) took the visual performance award. The Class AA was hardly a contest as Tarpon Springs (FL) won and swept all of the highest achievement awards. This was their first time winning the 2A title at nationals. Tarpon would also be the only 2A band in finals this year. Ooltewah (TN) was 2nd in 2A and King Phillip Regional (MA) was 3rd. In Class A, Belbrook not only won again and swept the highest achievement awards, they beat the next scoring 1A band by nearly 10 points; more on Bellbrook later. Bassett (VA) was 2nd in 1A with Jackson Academy (MS) 3rd. The early 2000s were a bit of a comeback for Jackson Academy after their early 90s success. So upon conclusion of semi finals, it was quite clear that Marian Catholic and Plymouth-Canton would be battling it out for the title in finals. While I do think the right 12 bands were selected for finals, the semi finals judges scores were a bit all over the place this year. One point about this season before I dive into the finalist bands, as of 2019, this marks the last season that not one single Texas band was in Grand National finals (this was a big UIL year). There were certainly several Texas bands that were worthy of finals had they attended.
At the time, winning seven Grand National titles seemed unreal. Marian Catholic (IL) pulled it off in finals and won by over a point. Their show was titled "The Tragic Medusa" and featured the music of Christopher Rouse; Gorgon, Flute Concerto and Phantasmata. The show told this ancient Greek mythological story. No props needed in this show. In each movement of this show, the music brilliantly conveyed the powerful emotions in this story. Much of this was anger and betrayal. Marian really attacked this music. As you would expect, there were times with mind boggling levels of difficulty in the music. They really handled the technical difficulty well which really left an impression with the audience. Also have to mention some of Marian's best percussions moments occurred in this show; I absolutely loved the Marian drum line this season. There were several sections in this show of what I would call stunned silence by the audience. As always with Marian, you had to listen very closely to all of the different layers and musical nuances. To complement the often angry music was some very angular geometric drill, executed extremely well. There was a lot of straight and diagonal line segments in this show. At the end of the show, after the final big push to the front by the band, most of the band walked off the field with heads down and arms around each other. Left on the field was a small ensemble and a few soloists along with the guard. They gave a slow and somber (I think meant to reflect on the tragedy that had just been told) ending to the show. They won the GE award as all three of the music and visual effect judges had them first. They were also only 0.05 points behind the winner of the visual performance award. A final point about not just this show but Marian in general is that I believe their director Greg Bimm is not only their principal music arranger, but writes most of their drill. That is not something very common among bands at this level. This was certainly a great way to open the decade for Marian. This seventh GN title would however be their last, but certainly not the last time they would bring incredible performances to Indy.
Plymouth-Canton (MI) certainly gave Marian a run for their money. They would, however, have to settle for 2nd place. Their show was titled "Reflections on Obsessions". This was a type of show that became very popular this decade and is one where the band takes a concept and explores the different ways that concept can be used. In this case, PCEP illustrated things like obsession with money, technology and beauty. There was a lot of visual frills in this show. For example mirror props with guard in blond wigs for the beauty section. There was also a large screen that displayed words and at one point stocks were scrolling across it. That prop seemed so high tech at the time. However, looking at what Tarpon did in 2018, that prop looks almost primitive by todays standards. Aside from all of the visual nuances and great drill design, the show packed a ton of musical elements into it. This may be one of the most difficult shows from a musical perspective that Plymouth ever undertook. Amidst all of the brilliant music were sections of amplified vocalization and a ton of electronic effects. The musical arrangement was simply genius. Their performance of it also earned them the music performance award in finals.
When Tarpon Springs (FL) burst onto the scene in the late 90s, I admittedly was uncertain of their longevity. After all, this was an era when many Class AA bands were getting smaller and finding it more difficult to compete with the ever growing number of large school bands. Tarpon was after all Class AA and they barely had 100 members in their entire band. This season made me realize that Tarpon Springs may be an exception to this (and this was still years before their school became a performing arts magnate). They finished 3rd in finals. Outside of their GN title in 2014, this has been their highest finish at nationals (granted this last decade has been much more competitive than in 2000, so that has to be taken with a grain of salt). Their show was titled something to the effect of The American Century, giving a look back at the more notable historic occurrences in the 20th Century. Plenty of props helped tell the story. I am not sure if they had already been calling themselves an outdoor performance ensemble, but it certainly seemed to fit. What really stood out is how well they played and how well they handled the difficult and intricate drill maneuvers. They showed in finals that their beating Lassiter in Atlanta was no fluke. They also earned the visual performance award in finals. I believe that Tarpon Springs 2000 (with perhaps 100 members at best) is the smallest band to ever finish in the top three in Grand National finals (Lake Park 1988 had I believe closer to 110 members).
In 4th place was Lawrence Central (IN). Although they just missed out on winning two BOA regionals this season, they did win the Indiana Class A state title. This was their third title in 4 years. While I often think of this band as notable for its high quality marching, the Spirit of Central had some pretty powerful musical performances in its glory years. This year was a great example of their musical prowess. I honestly thought they may come away with the music performance award (they ended up 2nd). Just wonderful sound and very good soloists.
After perhaps being overshadowed by Center Grove in 1999, this year Carmel (IN) may have been a bit overshadowed by Lawrence Central. Carmel again had a strong all around performance; finishing 5th in finals this season. Their show; I think something like 'The Art of Life' was full of strong design elements and great music. I was also becoming of fan of their percussion.
After perhaps an off moment in finals in 99, I think Centerville (OH) redeemed themselves this year. They gave a strong finals performance to finish 6th after coming in ninth in semi finals. Their show was titled "Adventures in Jazz". A theme that they could almost have used any given season back in those days. It was the Centerville we all loved, awesome and well played jazz.
This was yet another year where Center Grove (IN) used tarps. These were the largest they had used up to that time. They had mirrors at the edges which created an interesting effect. This was Thomas Dirks last year with the band before retirement and it turned out to be an especially rough season for them. They had lost a lot of seniors the previous year and had a big influx of new member this season. I read a third of their band was new and that Mr Dirks requested the designer go a little easier on the drill, which I guess did not happen. It proved very challenging for this young band to deliver a quality music performance with such demanding drill. Adding to the difficulty this season was the death of one of their band members due to a car accident. Although they were not at the level of the previous five seasons, the band still delivered a strong show a nationals despite these challenges and finished 7th in finals.
Just sliding into finals in twelfth place in semi finals (it would have been such a shame if they missed finals this year) and then rebounding to 8th in finals was Northmont HS, from Clayton, OH (just outside Dayton). This was Northmont's first and only appearance in Grand National finals. Northmont began participating in BOA in the 1980s and from 1988 onward became a perennial regional finalist and Grand National participant. They were a strong band and did well at nationals (finishing in the top 25 several times). Prior to this season, they just could not manage to rise to the next level. That all changed this season as their success at regionals this year spilled over to nationals. I believe their show was Carmen Burana. I would probably say that the 2000 finals performance of this show was the best performance Northmont ever put on the field. This was certainly the ultimate Cinderella moment for this band. Although this was their last finals appearance, they remained quite good through the rest of the decade which included several more appearances in Grand National semi finals. While Northmont remains very active in BOA, they have slipped a bit this decade. Their school has also seen a drop in enrollment (they are now a Class AA band instead of 3A like they were in the 2000s).
In 9th place was Lake Park (IL). They took a big risk this season with their show ""April 19th, 1995, To Bind The Nation's Wound". This show was about the Oklahoma City bombing which at that time was still relatively recent. The opener seemed to have some underlying suspense in it. The show then seemed joyful until a big tarp was brought over the band representing the bombing. Much of the remainder of the show was slow and somber. There was a lot of emotion in this show and it was a pretty heavy theme for a high school marching band to take on. It had not been since Westerville South's 94 show that such a tragic event was portrayed in GN finals.
This decade saw a lot of strides made in electronics on the field. However, there were times when the electronics did not always work. One of the biggest fears that these bands would have is that there would be an electronics failure at nationals, or worse, in GN finals. That is what happened to Union (OK), who had a near total failure of their electronics in finals. It is not that they needed them to be good, but I think it threw them off a bit. Probably why they finished 10th in finals, dropping from seventh in semi finals. This was a great year for Union, not only winning a BOA regional but also winning the Oklahoma State title. I finally got to see the semi finals version of this show on line (with all of the electronics). The show was titled "Distorted Reality" and featured original music. I think in many respects this show was ahead of its time. Wes Cartwright was still with the program this season and it showed in their visual design and color guard; very cool. The music was just awesome and had a lot of loud and 'out there' moments. They really played up the whole distortion thing, both in the music and in the visuals with some wild guard costumes. This was just a fun show to watch and had some crowd pleasing percussion features. The electronics added a ton of interesting sounds to this show; it is a shame that they did not work in finals. I think this show had the potential to finish in the top six had they not lost the electronics. After this season, we would have to wait ten more years for Union to return to finals.
Since the 91 rule change where bands were no longer advanced to finals on class, there have only been two instances of a Class A band making GN finals. The first was Jackson Academy in 93 and the second came this season. Belbrook, HS from Bellbrook (OH) outside of Dayton (three Dayton area bands in finals this season), made their first and only appearance in finals, where they finished 11th. You could tell from their absolute joy in finals that this was unexpected. They were soaking it all in. By 2000, Belbrook had numerous regional and national Class A titles under their belt and had been frequent regional finalists and national semi finalists. They had a slow but steady rise during the early 90s, winning their first GN Class A title in 1994. They had a cool show concept this year "Tyranny of the Clock", featuring sound effects, props and a large clock tarp on the front of the field. Over the last 10 to 15 years, most small school bands had been decreasing in numbers (it was no longer very common to see a Class A band with over 120 members). Belbrook, however, looked to have had at least 130 members on the field, fairly large for a Class A band. They were actually bigger than Tarpon Springs. Bellbrook would remain a small school power house through most of the decade; they actually moved up to Class AA in 2002. In 2013, they dropped back down to Class A and picked up yet another GN Class title.
The 12th place band in finals was Broken Arrow (OK). They took props to a whole new level this season. They must have had two dozen large and really tall white column props. It was a bit jaw dropping seeing them being brought onto the field. In the prop filled shows of today, this would not seem too big a deal. Back then, however, it was unusual to see so many huge props like this. They also moved them around the field during the show, which actually added a unique look to the visual design.
Finishing in the unlucky number 13th spot was Ooltewah (TN). Actually, all of the judges had them in finals except the two music performance judges who scored them so low it kept them out of finals. This would be the closest Ooltewah would ever get to finals. They were a band that often reached their peak right at Grand Nationals. We would see them in semi finals on several more occasions this decade. In fact, I think they were the most successful Tennessee band at Grand Nationals this decade, even though they never made finals. Prospect (IL) was 14th with King Phillip Regional (MA) in 15th. To my knowledge, King Phillip Regional is the only Massachusetts band to ever participate in Grand Nationals. Alan C Pope (GA) was 16th with Cypress Creek (FL) in 17th. Ben Davis (IN) wound up 18th in their first trip to Grand Nationals since their fourth place finish in 1984. This is despite being an Indiana power through the 80s and 90s. Another Indiana stalwart, Northrop (IN) was 19th while James F Byrnes (SC) was 20th.
I will include the link to Marian's finals performance and Plymouth-Canton's semi finals performance. To my knowledge, the only other finalist bands whose performances are on line (either finals or semi finals) is Lake Park, Union, Belbrook and Broken Arrow.
2000 Marian Catholic
2000 Plymouth-Canton
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Post by macwinlin on Nov 17, 2019 0:19:29 GMT -6
2000 Union Semis
The guard wore headpieces filled with spikes and their heads would twitch while they were in line during the pre-show. Marching bass drums were horizontal. It was definitely a weird show for Oklahomans. This would also be the last year Union wore their red uniforms (scrapped for the black and silver look 2001-2006) until 2007. Yes, LDB's 2000 opener. Union's visual is what made the show.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 18, 2019 5:53:38 GMT -6
These will resume soon. The last three weeks of BOA, the approaching holidays and this thing called work have slowed me down.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 23, 2019 9:02:09 GMT -6
...2001 SEASON REVIEW...
This was the season that was preceded by a national tragedy and concluded with a spectacular and surprising Grand National finals. Just two weeks before the start of the season the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred. I know many on this forum are either too young to remember this or were not even born yet (yikes). Anyway, the nation was in a prolonged deep mourning period. For a couple weeks following this, TV networks actually pulled violent programming off the air. This event also had an impact on a few high school marching band programs. Some bands that felt that maybe their shows were a little too dark made changes to make them a little less emotionally intense. Despite the somber mood of the nation, the season went on unabated.
The number of regionals this season was increased to 14. This included holding a third BOA regional in the state of Texas. The first two regionals of the season; Louisville, KY and Toledo, OH were held Sep 22nd. At Louisville, it was a head to head match up between Carmel (IN) and Lawrence Central (IN). Carmel ended up winning by over a point; their first regional win since 1998. At Toledo, in a bit of a surprise (of course even back then the early season regionals were often surprising), Prospect (IL) won comfortably over 2nd place Centerville (OH) and 3rd place Plymouth-Canton (MI). Even though they did not quite make GN finals during the late 90s and early 2000s, this was a great era for Prospect. This would be their first and only BOA regional title. The following weekend, Johnson City, TN proved to be a battle between the South Carolina powers of the era. Irmo (SC) won, with James F Byrnes (SC) nearly a point down in 2nd and Fort Mill (SC) a sliver behind in 3rd. After coming close a few times in the 90s, this was the first regional title for Irmo. It was also their last. Also that weekend was the Orlando, FL regional. This regional was not so much remembered for Tarpon Springs having dominated the competition, but more so by the occurrence one of the biggest gaffes in BOA history. During a section of their show, Tarpon Springs held up pictures of the twin towers being destroyed. It did not go over well; way too soon for that. Tarpon obviously pulled that from the show. I am sure they had good intentions, just way too soon for that reference. 2nd place at this regional was Kennesaw Mountain (GA) in their first BOA competition. The school had actually just been opened in 2000; talk about coming out of nowhere. In a very close 3rd was Seminole (FL).
The Las Vegas, NV regional was held the first weekend in October and boy did it have a surprising outcome. Everyone expected Etiwanda (CA) to win and win comfortably. In a big shock, Coronado (TX), a BOA newcomer, rebounded from a third place finish in prelims to edge Etiwanda out for the title in finals. This was the first and only regional title for Coronado. As of 2019, they remain the only El Paso area band to pick up a regional win. Also somewhat of a surprise was that Mayfield (NM) was only a point behind Etiwanda in 3rd. Also the first weekend of October was the San Antonio, TX regional. This would be the last time that San Antonio was held so early in the season. The scores suggested it was fairly competitive for the era (certainly nothing like today). LD Bell (TX) placed 1st with Ronald Reagan (TX) in 2nd. Not too far down was Winston Churchill (TX) in 3rd and Stephen F Austin (TX) in 4th. At the Hempstead, NY regional, King Phillip Regional (MA) won their 2nd regional title and won it comfortably. North Penn (PA) was in 2nd. The St Louis, MO regional was fairly strong at the top. Lake Park (IL) came in 1st. This was their 8th and last regional win. Not too far down in 2nd was Pomona (CO), the closest this band would ever get to a regional title. Union (OK) was 3rd with Broken Arrow (OK) 4th. The Arlington, TX regional proved another match up between LD Bell (TX) and Ronald Reagan (TX). LD Bell won again, this time by a three and a half point margin (this was Bell's 4th regional title in just two years). Ronald Reagan was 2nd. Based on the scores, I suspect Haltom (TX) in 3rd and Westlake (TX) in 4th did quite well also. At the Massilon, OH regional, Kiski Area (PA) won, with all judges having them in 1st. This was Kiski's first regional win since 1998, a rather lengthy drought for Kiski. Northmont (OH) was 2nd followed closely by Westerville North (OH) in 3rd.
The Atlanta, GA regional was won again by Tarpon Springs (FL). This was their 6th regional win, with 4 of them occurring over the span of just two seasons. Having a highly successful season, Irmo (SC) came in 2nd and won the music award over Tarpon. Just 0.05 points behind in 3rd was Lafayette (KY) with Alan C Pope (GA) a small fraction of point down in 4th. Rather than attending Atlanta, Lassiter (GA) made the trip up to the Morgantown, WV regional which was held the same weekend. Lassiter won comfortably. 2nd place Kiski Area (PA) did however give it their all and scored just two and a half points below Lassiter. Remember Lassiter was incredible back then. Norwin (PA) was comfortably in 3rd. The Houston, TX regional had five bands break 90 points which back then was rather eye opening. Attending their third regional this season, Ronald Reagan (a school only in its third year in existence) won their very first BOA regional. The Woodlands (TX) was a solid 2nd which at the time was pretty surprising (they were on the rise). Winston Churchill (TX) was 3rd with Stephen F Austin (TX) 4th. Even though Westfield (TX) won the music performance award and had one of the music effect judges place them first with a 19.8, the other music effect judge and the visual effect judge were for whatever reason not too impressed and tanked their overall score, which placed them 5th. Another surprise at this regional was that Spring (TX) placed 6th. Their glory years of the past decade for Spring were ending. Finally, the Indianapolis, IN regional was won by Carmel who swept the highest achievement awards and broke 94 points. With Grand Nationals just a week away, they put themselves in a good position. A strong 2nd was Marian Catholic (IL) with Lawrence Central (IN) in 3rd and Lake Park (IL) in 4th.
There was a total of 89 bands who attended the 2001 Grand Nationals, with 34 of those bands advancing to semi finals. All the talk in the couple weeks leading into Grand Nationals was that it would be a battle between Carmel and LD Bell; with many thinking Bell would win the title on their first trip to GN. Upon the conclusion of Semi Finals, Carmel (IN) won the Class AAA title and took the visual and GE awards, while LD Bell (TX) was 2nd in 3A and took the music award. Plymouth-Canton (MI) was 3rd in 3A. We did not know it at the time but Lawrence Central (IN) tied PCEP for third but took 4th as PCEP had the higher GE score. In Class AA, Tarpon Springs (FL) won for the 2nd year in a row and despite a more competitive 2A competition, they swept the highest achievement awards. Kiski Area (PA) was 2nd in Class AA and Avon (IN) was 3rd in AA. This was the last year that the top three Class AA bands from semi finals all advanced to finals. In Class A, Belbrook (OH) again dominated and swept all highest achievement awards. This was their fourth consecutive and sixth overall Class A title. They would move up to 2A next season. Bassett (VA) wound up 2nd in Class A with Collinsville (OK) third. So upon the conclusion of semi finals, it still looked like it would be a battle between Carmel and LD Bell for the GN title. Finals turned out to be really exciting as the top 5 bands were separated by less than a point. Many were saying that we had five Grand National Champion worthy performances in finals. The last point about this group of finalists as a whole is that 10 of the 12 finalist bands were past or future Grand National champions.
During the finals awards, when it came down to Carmel and Lawrence Central, most everyone thought Carmel had won seeing as they had just been awarded the General Effect award and Lawrence Central had won no highest achievement awards. So when it was announced "in 2nd place... Carmel", you could hear the shock in the stands; that shock continued when Lawrence Central's winning score was just 0.05 points higher than Carmel. Lawrence Central (IN), the Spirit of Central, pulled off one of the greatest upsets in BOA history and won their first of two Grand National titles. Lawrence Central's show was titled "Metamorphosis: Ancient Myth to a Modern Vision" and featured the music "The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms" by Michael Kamen. They had several large circular props to represent moons that were brown at the start of the show (old moon) and spun around to show purple moons (new moon) half way through. During the opener, the drums marched "old world" looking drums which looked and sounded really cool before switching to modern drums. I am only speculating here, but I suspect that perhaps they were going into this performance thinking that Carmel was going to win. They seemed relaxed and just focused on doing their best. It turned out to be an incredible performance; it really surprised me. This was not only my favorite Lawrence Central show, I think it was their best. They performed this music brilliantly and did an excellent job at bringing the emotion of the music to life. Also have to mention the crisp and clean marching technique and world class guard. Featured heavily in this show was a euphonium soloist on top of a stage (surrounded by the pit) off center on the field. During the middle of the show, the euphonium was joined by a flute soloist and then joined by an oboe soloist in the closure. These soloists (especially the euphonium player) were extremely good and certainly added to the brilliant music performance. I also have to mention a featured guard soloist; who then jumped on the podium and conducted the closer (talk about talent). While I doubt it was the first instance of this, this show was one of the earliest to place heavy emphasis on a soloist or ensemble group through most of the show. This concept would become more popular with time. We would see a lot of extraordinarily talented solos in future Grand Nationals. So Lawrence Central made history with this win by becoming the first and so far only band not to win a single highest achievement award yet still win the Grand National title. In fact, it had not been since 1987 that the Grand National champ had not walked away with the General Effect award in finals. The recap sheets did however shed light on things. Lawrence Central actually had the highest overall music effect score (and rightly so). It was a relatively low visual effect score that cost them the GE award. Also, in total visual performance, they were only 0.05 points away from tying PCEP for the visual award. So when all the scores were added up, Lawrence was able to pull off the win. For most of us not associated with the top placing bands, the consensus was that Lawrence Central had the winning show in finals. I think they deserved it and probably should have won general effect.
I know coming in 2nd place by just 0.05 points was painful for Carmel (IN), especially since they were having their best season to date. This included two BOA regional titles and the Indiana Class A state title in addition the GN Class AAA title. They just did not get the cherry on top. Their show was titled "The Dance". It explored different types of dances. As you can imagine, a ton of great musical genres in this show, with some wonderful percussion and guard features. For several years this show was on YouTube but I do not think it is there anymore. What made it so difficult for other bands to beat Carmel this season is that they were so clean, both musically and visually. They were also strong in all aspects of the show; they had no weaknesses. They certainly had a good show in finals (perhaps looking a touch nervous). Even though they did not win music effect or visual effect, their combined effect scores gave them the GE award. In fact, not one single judge had Carmel in first place. They were however strong in every category; I guess each judge just did not think they were the best in each caption. One of the music effect judges had them in 6th place, which yes seemed too low. Obviously this was somewhat controversial as had that score been a little higher, Carmel would have won. On the flip side, I do think Lawrence Central's GE score could have been higher. So all in all, I think things worked out, it was just not in Carmel's favor.
David McGrath had left Plymouth-Canton (MI) before this season, so I was unsure how they would fair. However, they had a great staff and design team. While I think this show took a little longer in the season to really come together, it was spectacular at nationals and landed Plymouth-Canton in 3rd place, just 0.05 points ahead of Bell. Their show was titled "Programme One". The unique and well performed music performance was one aspect of this show. The other was some innovative design. The visuals resemble a box (with large moveable all black props) being opened at the beginning of the show and then closed at the end (with the band inside). There were several large ribbons throughout the show which added to the unique visuals. Ribbons also featured heavily in the guard. While the music was strong, it was actually the visuals that propelled them into 3rd place. They won the visual performance award and were first in visual effect. This would be the last time PCEP would finish in the top three. While they always managed to have good staff and design teams, there was a lot of turn over in coming years which I think affected the program a bit.
Seeing as LD Bell HS, from Hurst, TX (Dallas/Fort Worth area) had won 4 BOA Texas regionals in the past two years, their debut at Grand Nationals this season was highly anticipated. Even though they finished 4th in finals, they certainly did not disappoint. At the time Joseph Gryzbowski was the director. Their style and design was a bit different than what would emerged later in the decade under Jeremy Earnhart. The music was often loud and powerful with an amazing drum line. By 2001, Texas bands already had a reputation of being strong on the music front. LD Bell showed that they had that Texas music quality; they won the music performance award. Their ensemble sound and the way they could project that to the audience was very good. I loved their 2001 show "Exodus". Not only for the incredible music but some very demanding drill moves. Several top notch bands in the 90s and 2000s took big visual risks by doing fast and difficult drill passes (not so much of the body movements we see today). The closing few sections of this show had some jaw dropping fast and difficult drill maneuvers. Several of the drill transitions were also just really cool to watch. During the end of their finals show, in their section of fast drill passes, one of their horn members fell and fell hard. They somehow managed to get out of the way of everybody else so not to take out a whole section and they managed to quickly get back into their position. It was one of the best recoveries I had ever seen.
From what I understand, Marian Catholic (IL) was one of the bands that had to do some modifications (maybe tone it down a bit) to the their show following Sep 11. Their show was titled "Reflections on a Dark Millennium" and had a Vietnam War story line. While it may have been toned down a bit, this was still a very powerful and emotional show. This was another difficult and highly sophisticated Marian show. The music and the way they performed it told the story well. There were a couple sections where the band was doing vocalization; some type of chanting. This was not only unique it proved highly effective. This show really grabbed your attention and would not let go. The brass and pit were wearing new all dark uniforms while the woodwinds and battery were wearing their old uniforms (dark jacket, white pants and yellow cummerbund). The play on this contrast in the visual design was really interesting. Although they placed 5th in finals, they were just under a point away from 1st place. They were actually second in both music performance and music effect and rightly so. It was a low visual effect score that pulled them into 5th place (when the bands at the top are this close in score it does not take much to have a big impact on placement).
Despite the controversy at the Orlando regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) really had a strong show, titled "Life is A Journey". The show explored various emotions during the course of a lifetime. While I am not sure if this was the first instance of this type of theme, the whole concept was one that become highly popular during the course of the decade. During what I assume was the grief section (where the reference to the twin towers was made at Orlando), the band instead sat on several chairs from the Oklahoma City bombing memorial (the second year in a row this tragedy was referenced in finals) while they played Adagio for Strings. I thought it ended up being a pretty powerful moment. A well performed show landed them in 6th place in finals. At the time, this was Tarpon's 4th GN finals appearance. They had already established themselves as a small but powerful band, with clean and intricate visual designs, innovative use of props and very good woodwinds.
Kiski Area (PA) returned to Grand National after a three year absence. While sporting new uniforms, it was still classic Kiski with a really clean show with some great jazz. I suspect they gave a stronger finals performance as they improved their score quite a bit from semis and came within just three tenths from Tarpon, landing in 7th place. Their show was titled 'The Shape of Things to Come'. The drill was filled with geometric shapes and was a must see from high up.
This was the strongest post 99 season for Lake Park (IL) who finished 8th in finals. Their show was somewhat of a throwback to the late 80s/early 90s when they did themes of a specific nationality. It was called "Impressions of Japan". As usual with the Lake Park during those years, a ton of musical nuances in this show. Also have to mention some interesting percussion features, which the audience seemed to enjoy.
It is probably hard to believe today, but heading into this season, most of us were not expected to see Avon HS, from Avon, IN made finals, let alone finish 9th. This was Avon's first Grand National finals appearance. Although they had been a consistent semi finalist since 97, in 2000 they placed 26th in semi finals and were all the way down in 8th at the Indiana Class B state championships. They had a remarkable improvement this season over 2000. Jay Webb was the director and had been for several years. I don't know what they did different this year but man did they get good fast. This season they won the Indiana Class B state title and were a finalist and Class AA champ at the Indy regional. It was a 6th place finish, so there was still no guarantee that they would make GN finals, but they were strong at nationals. Looking back in hindsight, this season seemed to be the year that there were clear signs of what was to come from this program. The show was powerful with a lot of sections of fast paced drill done really well.
In 10th in finals was Center Grove (IN). They seemed to have had a rough start this year based on placements earlier in the season. This included a surprising 6th place finish at the Indiana Class A state championship. They pulled things together by the end of the season; having a respectable 5th place finish at the Indy regional and then having a strong semi finals performance to land them in finals.
Coming off a BOA regional title and their 9th state title, Irmo (SC) made finals for the third time, 9 years after their 2nd appearance (although had 12 bands been selected in 96 they would have been in). In semi finals they were the twelfth band, so they cut it close. Their show was titled "Conquest". This was a demanding show both musically and visually and they did a good job with it. Probably one of if not their best performance ever from a musical standpoint that landed them in 11th place in finals. While they placed higher in 91 and 92, competition was tougher this season. This ended up being Irmo's last Grand National finals performance. They went on to win the next two South Carolina state titles and did well at BOA regionals. During the remainder of the decade, Irmo went into a steady decline. I am not sure what all transpired in the program during the last half of the 2000s. They still have a marching band program but at least as of recent are not participating in BOA; just not to the level of their 90s and 2000s glory years at this point.
Finishing 12th in finals was Broken Arrow (OK). They may have been the overall crowd favorite in finals. Their show was "The Ride of Your Life". It made full use of props (some very large ones at that) that transported us to an amusement park. The show was full of whimsical moments that the audience just ate up. They also had several sections of intricate body movements. While this was nothing new, they worked it into their visual design very well. This was the fourth consecutive finals appearance for Broken Arrow. We would have to wait five more years before they would return to finals, at which time they would make a huge statement.
The band that landed in the dreaded 13th spot in semi finals was Alan C Pope (GA). Despite only having won a BOA regional in 1992, the late 90s and early 2000s were among some of the best years for Pope. They scored just a tenth of a point lower than Irmo in semi finals. They had a very good performance that I think was finals worthy. It was actually just one music effect judge that scored them very low that kept them out of finals. If you added all the scores except that one music effect judge, Pope would have easily been in finals. This ended up being the closest that Pope would ever get to making GN finals. In 14th was Etiwanda (CA), their fourth trip to nationals and the first time that they failed to make finals which I am sure was a huge disappointment. Owasso (OK) was 15th. Centerville (OH) was 16th, at the time the lowest they had ever placed at nationals. Centerville started out strong early in the season, but seemed to flat line during the later half of the season. It had been 10 years since they had failed to make finals, so it was a bit of a bummer not having them in finals. Not too far behind were the other top Ohio bands of the day; Northmont in 17th and Bellbrook in 18th. Rounding out the top 20 were Castle (IN) in 19th and Ooltewah (TN) in 20th.
As far as I know, all of the finalists performances are on line except Carmel, Tarpons Springs and Center Grove. I will include the link to Lawrence Central's performance. It is a bit graining but still worth the watch.
2001 Lawrence Central
2001 Carmel
2001 PCEP
2001 LD Bell
2001 Marian Catholic
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Post by rabb2t on Nov 23, 2019 9:45:08 GMT -6
Legends have it that the euphonium soloist for Lawrence 2001 is now a band director in the next township over...
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Post by dbalash on Nov 23, 2019 19:31:16 GMT -6
Another fun fact from this time period: the semifinalists announcements (and the draw!) were actually outside, across the street from the RCA Dome at Pan Am Plaza.
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Post by oboe12 on Nov 28, 2019 9:31:13 GMT -6
..1999 SEASON REVIEW...
Lawrence Central (IN) returned to BOA competition this season after not attending in 98 and managed to edge out Center Grove (IN) for their first BOA regional title.
Do we know why LC didn't do BOA in 1998? I was actually looking at the 98 recaps and noticed they weren't there. Why?
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Post by sethb811 on Nov 28, 2019 9:53:32 GMT -6
Do we know why LC didn't do BOA in 1998? I was actually looking at the 98 recaps and noticed they weren't there. Why? I believe they had a trip that year. Maybe Macy's?
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Post by thewho on Nov 29, 2019 18:12:44 GMT -6
With Thanksgiving going on right now, I have some time to knock this out of the way. In the previous threads, I went into detail about some of my thoughts about the shows and ended up with essays. I did that because I had time then in 2017. I don't now..... so I'm just going to keep it as brief as possible. I also want to thank the anonymous benefactor for several of the 2001 videos. You know who you are. 2001 was by far one of the most competitive years by far- this one of the (very) few years where the GN contention was genuinely up in the air up until the champion was crowned the awards ceremony. There certainly was a few favorites for the championships (Carmel, PCEP, LD Bell, and Marian Catholic in addition to Lawrence Central), but on paper, no one really quite had a solid consensus. One of my other favorite things about these finals was how close of a snapshot it was at the time of the state of pageantry arts. There were those that were at the apex of the primes, some powerhouses, and others making a name for themselves. Lawrence Central 2001 is as a straight shot at New Moon in Old Moon's Arms as anyone could ever find. For all the detractors about it, honestly for me, it's legendary because of it. This is by far the best arrangement you'll ever find of the Michael Kamen piece (Phantom 2010 and Cedar Ridge 2013 doesn't come close, sorry). There are some shows with that energy that draw people in- count this show among those. It also bears mentioning that this is the beginning of what I refer as to the Lawrence Central trilogy from 2001-2004 (yes, I know that's 4 years. I'll explain why in 2003). Through this stretch, Lawrence Central put out some of the most influential shows in an era that won 2 championships and a runner-up (with the caveat that'd be winners if it wasn't for a band that year....). The most defining aspect of Lawrence Central's shows during this time was immaculate programming in the content that just made the show work. Intuitively, everything in the show just made sense from the music selections, arrangements, drill, flags, etc. There were other big parts (which we'll explain in the next few years), but that was the biggest reason why Lawrence Central shows had the success they did. Lawrence Central 2001 is a perfect example of that (although there is another one...). Believe it or not, there was life before Carmel's current signature blue/side shako uniforms: Are you ready to wash your eyes out yet? In all seriousness, this was what Buff described as strong all around. It certainly was not a spectacle kind of show Lawrence Central had, but they performed exceptionally well with the white pants. There was a moment in the show where the entire band was marching from side 2 to side 1 during a drum break, and there was not a person with bad technique. Carmel was more of a typical 4-part show structure. The biggest strength driving to this show all the way to the top was the performance. Check out this terrific sequence in the opener- you can even catch some of the Brubaker influence in Gaines's work with the diamond tessellation: streamable.com/un5myIf there is one show at a fundamental level to understand why Alan Spaeth was (and still is) a revolutionary mind in the pageantry arts- it is 2001 (yes, I know 1999 exists). PCEP 2001 was handed one of the most difficult shows the activity has ever seen on paper- constant drill, strenuous arrangements, 100% music continuity, no drumline, and just turned it into a genuinely beautiful piece of art on the field. Look, there's too much to say to fully praise how amazing this show was, so just do me a favor and watch it. For those who don't remember, Finals actually brought a bit of a surprise for the audience when the box at the end of the show was wrapped in a ribbon. In a show full of color and personality against a constant backdrop, this was the perfect ending to contrast the setup at the ending for a band that quite literally disappeared. LD Bell 2001 was just insane in terms of difficulty. This one happens to be pointed at a lot by many band nerds for being a favorite as this was a fairly old-school style before LD Bell modernized under Jeremy Earnhart. Take a moment to appreciate the risk the band put themselves through in the closing drill. Like Buff implied, someone really could've been seriously hurt. I think some of the older nerds will point out other instances since, but I honestly think the closing drill was one of the most dangerous maneuvers ever in the history of this activity. I respect the band for pulling something like that off, but man, the idea of popping a hamstring during that crazy pass-through... (keep in mind bands didn't really have the physical conditioning many bands have today). I'm actually just going to post Rubisco's fantastic post from txband here about MC 2001 (there's a little more about MC if you click on the link here). I admittedly am not quite educated on MC (especially the '00s) as much as other people are, so I'll have to pass on posting thoughts- maybe sometime down the road: Here's the duality of the MC uniforms: As one would already imagine, the difference is extremely stark especially from up high and when the drill calls for it: Kiski Area used to be a monster in the '90s and '00s despite their small size in AA. 1994 is the prime Kiski Area show, but 2001 has also found its way into many nerds' hearts. I know that I typed up in the old thread about liking this show, but didn't remember why- but now I remember it was the ballad with the pink tarp. That was a gorgeous piece. If you have some free time, feel free to dig through Kiski Area's archives. 1992, 2001, and 2003 are the 3 I highly recommend watching. In regards to Avon, I remember hearing back from those back in the day that it was a huge surprise Avon made finals in 2001. Like what you said, hindsight said to expect the band's surge to the top and all the pieces were there. It was just a surprise to hear them move onto Finals that particular evening. Of course, this was where the dominance began for Avon, winning a bucketful of Class A state championship trophies since that appearance in GN Finals. Avon wasn't quite ready to break the mold yet so to speak, so it's really interesting to see Avon performing in reference to what judges wanted at the time. The last one I wanted to talk about was Irmo. Irmo has fallen off really hard since the GN Finals appearance, which I believe was a result of the director change sometime in the early '00s. This has to be the shining gem of Kenneth Turner's career, formerly of White Knoll and River Bluff, as Irmo was once the respected band powerhouse in South Carolina. Wando was certainly up there, but the difference then was Irmo was in the conversation 100%. This was unfortunately his only appearance in Grand Nationals Finals (I believe to this date), but what a worthy appearance in such a difficult year. This has often referred to as the best ballad ever by nerds around, using the So Was Red theme from Shawshank Redemption. I'll say this is a worthy watch still.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 29, 2019 22:23:28 GMT -6
Love the commentary. Yes 2001 was a great finals. The top 5 bands that year were simply amazing.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 5, 2019 10:14:52 GMT -6
...2002 SEASON REVIEW...
During this season in particular, there were a lot of relatively new high schools that made some big strides in BOA, particularly in the southern US, including of course the state of Texas. Also notable this season was a trend for bands to try to do something 'out of the box'. In other words, bands were striving to do something musically or visually that no other band had done before. This resulted in ever more creative show themes/concepts. There were also several bands that had some pretty innovative props.
This season again featured 14 BOA regionals. The season started Sep 21st with the Louisville, KY regional. This regional was an early season match up with some of the top Indiana bands of the day. Center Grove (IN) pulled off the upset, beating Lawrence Central in 2nd and Carmel in 3rd. Not too far behind was Avon in 4th. This was the first regional win for CG since 1999. It was their 7th total regional title and as of 2019 has been their last. The next weekend at the Johnson City, TN regional, Kennesaw Mountain (GA) won, this being their very first BOA regional win. James F Byrnes (SC) would have to settle for 2nd place for the second year in a row, while Fort Mill (SC) was 3rd. Also that weekend was the Toledo, OH regional. It was won by Centerville (OH) with Prospect (IL) in 2nd and Plymouth-Canton (MI) in 3rd. A not too distant 4th was Reeths-Puffer (MI). At the Daytona, FL regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) won and they won big. They beat 2nd place Seminole (FL) by nearly eight points. In a big surprise, Irmo (SC) was down in 6th. The Huntsville, TX regional had a surprising outcome. After finishing fifth in prelims, Stephen F Austin (TX) rebounded in finals and won, their very first regional title. They beat some big name Texas powers too; including LD Bell (TX) in 2nd, Ronald Reagan (TX) in 3rd and The Woodlands (TX) in 4th.
At the Massillon, OH regional, Centerville (OH) won, their second regional win of the season. They edged out Kiski Area (PA) in 2nd place by over a point. A close 3rd was Norwin (PA). At the St Louis regional, the top three were close; separated by just four tenths of a point. Northmont (OH) won, this being their second and last regional win. Pomona (CO) was 2nd for the second year in a row with Broken Arrow (OK) in 3rd. Lake Park (IL) placing 7th at this regional was a very very big surprise. The Arlington, TX regional was dominated by LD Bell who won by over two and half points. 2nd through 4th place were fractions of a point apart with Ronald Reagan in 2nd, Berkner in 3rd and Westlake in 4th. At the Hempstead, NY regional, North Penn (PA) won their first and only regional title. Piscataway (NY) was 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional. King Phillip Regional (MA) who had won this regional the previous two years did not attend this season. At the Youngstown, OH regional, Kiski Area (PA) won big with every judge placing them 1st. Norwin (PA) was a little over 4 points down in 2nd. Every judge did have Norwin 2nd. Westminster (MD) was several points down in 3rd. After a rather disappointing finish at Daytona, Irmo (SC) was a respectable 4th.
Two weeks before nationals, the Atlanta, GA regional had a few surprises. No surprise that Lassiter (GA) won by a comfortable margin. It was however surprising that not only did Kennesaw Mountain place 2nd, they actually won the music performance award over Lassiter. Another big surprise was that in prelims, Tarpon Springs (FL) lost the Class AA title to James F Byrnes (SC). In finals, Tarpon Springs ended up 3rd while Byrnes finished several points down in 5th. In 4th place and just a half point below Tarpon was Lafayette (KY).
This season the San Antonio, TX regional was moved to late in the season (two weeks before nationals). It was not a super regional yet, but was extremely competitive and well attended (32 bands total); many of whom were the best in Texas. Perhaps the level of competitiveness at this regional this season is what brought about the idea of a super regional. This was actually a big competition at the top between LD Bell (TX) and Carmel (IN). Yes, Carmel made the trip down this season. The scores were a bit stringent at this regional (no one broke 90 points). In finals, Carmel (IN) managed to edge out LD Bell (TX) for the win by a mere quarter point. LD Bell had won the music captions while Carmel won the visual captions, with the visual effect score being the one that really decided the outcome. Carmel has not returned to San Antonio since. Either they are thinking "been there done that" or the state of Texas has revoked their passport (LOL). LD Bell's show, Binary Systems was truly amazing. This was Jeremy Earnheart's first year as head director and it was clear he was going to take this band to new heights. This show was very out there, played well and had some wickedly fast and complex drill moves. Coming in 3rd at this regional was Ronald Reagan (TX). Westfield (TX) was 4th which was a big improvement over their disappointing finish earlier in the season at Huntsville. Rounding out the finalists in order of placement (they all scored pretty close to each other) was Winston Churchill, Haltom, The Woodlands, Richland, Leander and Lewisville.
The Indianapolis, IN regional was held the week before Grand Nationals. Lawrence Central (IN) won by over a point with Carmel (IN) in 2nd. This win by LC and Carmel's win at San Antonio had them in a great position heading into nationals. Center Grove (IN) was 3rd with Marian Catholic (IL) 4th. After their disappointing finish at St Louis, Lake Park (IL) bounced back to a 5th place finish at the Indy regional. The other regional held the week before nationals was Las Vegas. Following their disappointment in 01, Etiwanda (CA) won with Upland (CA) in 2nd; a point lower. Just a fraction of point down in 3rd was Seminole (FL) who made the long distance trip.
A total of 88 bands attended the 2002 BOA Grand Nationals with 34 advancing on to Semi Finals. There was a lot of excitement leading into this nationals given who was on the roster. Lassiter was returning for the first time in 4 years and was a heavy favorite to win the title. There was also a contingent of 6 strong Texas bands coming (we all of course wished Bell would be one of them but they did not attend this year). In terms of potential GN champion, in addition to Lassiter, many were eyeing Carmel and Lawrence Central has contenders for the title. Following semi finals, the Class AAA title went to Lassiter; their second time winning this. Lassiter won music and GE. Marian Catholic (IL) was 2nd with Center Grove (IN) in third. Lawrence Central (IN) won visual but did not place in the top three. I was not there but I imagine it was really surprising that both Carmel and Lawrence Central were not in the top three. In class AA, Avon (IN) won, their first and only Class AA title before going up to 3A. They won visual and GE. Avon however gets the dubious distinction of being the first Class AA champion not to make finals. Yes, they would make up for it and then some in following years. Belbrook (OH) in their first year in 2A placed 2nd and won music performance. Kings (OH) was 3rd in 2A. With Belbrook in AA, the field for Class A seemed wide open. It was won by Norwell (IN) who also won visual performance and GE. Tiny Jackson Academy (MS) was 2nd in Class A and won music performance. Bassett (VA) was 3rd in Class A. So after semi finals, it must have seemed like the GN title was Lassiter's to lose. A few final points about the group of finalists, aside from all bands being Class AAA, the scores were a bit lower than I would have thought based on the performances. I guess every now and then judges have to set limits on scores. Given how much bands have improved, we would be looking at scores over 100 if they did not. Four of the Texas bands that attended made finals. In finals, there were only five states represented among the finalist bands. This was the fewest states represented in GN finals ever until tied in 2019.
It is not often that the band that wins the Grand National title is the band that went last in finals. That is what happened this year as Lassiter (GA) was the last to perform and walked away with the Grand National title; their second (the only Georgia band to be GN Champion). This was Lassiter's fourth trip to GN over a 12 year period (they attended once every four years). They were still at the height of their glory years as evident by their performance. Their show was titled "Liturgical Sketches" and their music selections included; Ballet Exaltare, Requiem Aeternam and Lassitare. Hints of stained glass were scattered throughout the show, including panels in the back of the field and several drill designs that looked like large church windows. Overall, not too many added frills (as was typical for Lassiter), just incredible music and a demanding drill. I have to believe that after their finals performance, there was little question they would be crowned Grand National champ. The music was very difficult, but played incredibly well. Their quality of music was very similar to how the top notch Texas bands sounded. Throughout the show, there were sections were the woodwinds were featured, then sections with amazing brass highlights and of course some outstanding percussion moments. They did this all while executing some pretty difficult drill. Lassiter is most often remembered for their musical prowess, but they had some fairly well executed marching and drill segments (they were second in visual performance and won visual effect), and a strong guard to boot. A large section of french horn players were featured during the ending of this show (which was really awesome). The rest of the band was doing fast and difficult drill maneuvers during this segment. It was a great way to close out this GN champion winning performance. In addition to the GN title, Lassiter walked away with the music performance and GE awards. I personally thought their score could have been a bit higher. I was hoping to see Lassiter return to GN in 2006, but no such luck. 2002 ended up being their last trip to Grand Nationals. While they did not participate in BOA every year, Lassiter continued to attend BOA regionals throughout the rest of the decade and picked up a few more regional titles (although they were often criticized for not attended more competitive regionals). From what I understand, there was some redistricting which caused the school and band size to drop a bit. Earlier in this decade (somewhere around 2012 or so), Lassiter's longtime director Alfred Watkins retired. His departure and a controversial hire for his replacement sent this once powerhouse program into a bit of a decline.
Bouncing back from a fifth place finish in semi finals, Lawrence Central (IN) gave a strong performance in finals and finished 2nd. When I first heard that their show was titled "First Chair", yes about band members striving to be first chair, I thought it would be a bit kitschy. I was wrong. This show was well designed and had some wonderful music. There were several strong soloists featured, even some stringed instruments in the pit. The show also had a unique staging of tympani in the back of the field and chair props featured heavily. The person designated first chair also had a bright yellow plume during the show (with the rest of the band wearing black). True to form with the other top Indiana bands, their marching quality was superb as was their world class guard. While they did not win a caption award in 01, they walked away with the visual performance award this year; the first of many times they would win this award. Interestingly, visual performance is the only highest achievement award they ever received in finals.
After finishing fourth the week prior at the Indy regional, I think most people did not think Marian Catholic (IL) would have a shot at the title. Then they end up finishing 3rd in finals; and were actually runner up in semi finals. How this band manages to improve so much the week leading into nationals has always astounded me. While half their band wore black uniforms in 01, this year the entire band had black uniforms; all black with a splash of red. I had been so used to seeing Marian in white pants that it took some time to get used to seeing them in black pants. Their show was titled "Dialogs With A Muse". As usual, the music was so good and they really performed it well. Shout out to some amazing keyboard players in this show. The music, particularly Harrison's Dream, is what only the most advanced symphonic bands would tackle. Leave it to Marian to bring it to the marching field. Interestingly, both music and visual ensemble judges had Marian in first (1st over Lassiter in music ensemble said a lot about this performance). As much as I enjoyed Lawrence Central's show, I personally thought that Marian Catholic should have been a close second to Lassiter.
After their win at San Antonio, I thought Carmel (IN) may be headed toward their first GN title (or at least a second place finish to Lassiter). They just did not seem to carry the momentum into nationals. I will say this, I loved their show "Metal", probably my favorite Carmel show of the decade. Carmel was unique in that they played a lot of original music composed by their director Richard Saucedo. I think having music specifically written for the marching band often served them well. The show was in three sections; forged metal, liquid metal and heavy metal. There were sections of clanking metal emanating from the pit and other musical nuances that echoed the whole metal theme. They closed the heavy metal section with an electric guitar feature. As good as the music was, the visual aspect of this show really caught my attention (they were still wearing white pants by the way). Intricate drill, fasted paced (sections where the band was jazz running) and just interesting to see from high up. This was a year that a lot of bands really took on some demanding drill.
In 5th place was Stephen F Austin HS from Sugar Land, TX (outside of Houston). This was SFA's first trip to Grand Nationals. They had been steadily moving up the ranks in the BOA Texas regionals for several years. This would be the first of 4 trips to GN and first of 4 GN finals appearances. SFA did not attend the San Antonio regional this year, allowing them to prep for nationals; which paid off. Stephen F Austin was unique in that they did not have a traditional color guard. Their auxiliary was called the Angels Dance Team. They used no guard equipment; all of their movement was through dance and various arm movements. In a way, after watching the visuals, you kind of forgot that they were not using flags or weapons. That was just one aspect of SFA. The other was their musical prowess. They could play with the best of the Texas bands. Their show was titled "The Anatomy of Performance" and had just strong and powerful music played extremely well. Shout out to a solid drum line too. They were actually second in music performance. One of the music effect judges had them first over Lassiter (admittedly a bit surprising). The other music effect judge had them 9th (), so perhaps a bit polarizing. This season not only brought this band to the forefront, it marked the first in a series of highly successful seasons for SFA.
This was the most successful post 99 season in BOA for Center Grove (IN). It included a 6th place finish in finals this season. Their show "Spring Has Sprung" featured Appalachian Spring and The Rite of Spring. While the music echoed the season, the visuals represented springs of the metal coil kind. Metal spring props filled the back of the field. The band even had metal springs as plumes. Sound effects from the pit and the drill designs all had echoes of the metal springs. There were even times where a band member would pop out of formation; like a spring being sprung. So while this show had a lot of unique visual aspects, overall it was performed really well. The quality of the visual execution is what really propelled them into the top echelon of finalist bands.
Making their first trip to Grand Nationals, Kennesaw Mountain HS, from Kennesaw, GA (outside Atlanta) not only made finals, they finished 7th. What was truly impressive is that the high school had just opened in 2000. If you discount things like school or band mergers, I believe this is the fastest that a band has ever gone from the opening of the school to making Grand National finals, just two years. While I am sure that the band consisted of students who came from already existing band programs, that was still a truly impressive rise to the top echelon of marching bands, a testament to not only the band but their founding director David Starnes. Their show was titled "The Canvas". It opened by featuring black and white (shadow and light) and then evolved into the colors of the rainbow. They had some of the most talked about props this season; large water feature containers that each turned the colors of the rainbow during the show. From the props, to at one point band members shouting out the name of colors, to sections of Somewhere Over the Rainbow appearing throughout the show, this turned out to be a crowd favorite. The quality of their performance for such a young band also had many predicting a Grand National Champion title in their future. While they came close, that prediction never panned out.
In eighth place was another first time GN finalist, The Woodlands HS, from The Woodlands, TX (north of Houston). At the time, The Woodlands was also a relatively new high school, founded in 1996. This was another band that immediately started out strong as they made the BOA Houston regional finals in their first year of existence (they have not failed to make a BOA regional finals since). A little backstory from Principal Agent "TWHS is only kind of sort of a 1996 establishment. The south side of Conroe ISD used to be covered by McCullough H.S., which closed down and was repurposed as a middle school (and freshman academy and middle school again) when brand shiny new The Woodlands opened up. You can actually find McCullough High on recaps—thus, the Houston regional wasn’t new to the band." Their first trip to GN in 1998 landed them in semi finals, but they were not quite ready for finals. Proving a band on the rise, they easily made finals this season in their 2nd trip to Grand Nationals. Their show also had a theme revolving around color; Genesis: The Creation of Color! Props and the colorguard transitioned from black and white, to primary colors during the course of the show. By their sound and quality of playing, you could tell that this was also a Texas band. Huge shout out to some great trombone moments. I find it ironic that back then I do not remember discussions of The Woodlands being a future GN champ someday, just KM. LOL
Performing another highly innovate show from a visual standpoint, Plymouth-Canton (MI) finished 9th with their show "Elasticity". Moveable black props, large colorful elastic bands and drill design all echoed the idea of an elastic band being stretched apart and then contracted as it is released. It had a lot of similarities from a visual standpoint as their 01 show. Although I thought they struggled a bit here and there with the music (from Richard Danielpou) in finals (their music scores were much better in semi finals), the visuals were just spectacular.
Edging into finals by placing twelfth in semi finals and then winding up 10th in finals was Winston Churchill (TX) in their third GN finals appearance. While I remember seeing bands use small trampolines as props during the mid/late 90s, Winston Churchill's trampoline prop may have been the largest at the time. Their show was titled "Anime". This show had more than just the trampoline, there was a large platform with oriental style drums, ramps leading up to the platform, guard sliding down the ramps, band members jumping over each other, and a lot of dance and body movement. Amidst all of these innovations was a really strong performance, especially from a musical standpoint. Loved the baritone sax solo. This may be my favorite Winston Churchill show.
Another band in their first GN finals appearance who also had a meteoric rise to Grand National finals was Ronald Reagan HS, from San Antonio, TX who finished 11th in finals. Their high school opened in 1999 (just one year earlier than Kennesaw Mountain) and was opened to alleviate overcrowding at Winston Churchill HS. It was clear from their show "The Journey Within" that Ronald Reagan was a band that was doing things out of the box. A very unique show for the era with a lot of interesting visual and musical moments. From the guard outfits and guard routines to the use of synthesizers, this show really grabbed your attention. The moment that got a lot of oohs and aahs from the audience was when the band gathered in a circle on the ground while a clarinet soloist acted like a snake charmer. The band then bent their heads down, then re emerged with their plumes having changed from black to orange. They moved about in sync with the clarinet solo, then they bent back down and emerged wearing black plumes again. That changing plume trick would be repeated by other bands over the years, but I believe it originated with Reagan. Overall, they probably had the most fun with this show and the audience responded. They were really cutting loose at times. After their success at the BOA Texas regionals the previous two seasons, most were expecting the band to place much higher. As enjoyable as it was to watch, overall the show at Grand Nationals was a little rough around the edges here and there; that would not be the case next year in 03. This did make four Texas bands in finals; the most to date.
After a rough start to the season and given how competitive this Grand National was shaping up to be, there was concern that Lake Park (IL) would fail to make finals. They managed a strong semi finals show to finish ninth and then wound up 12th in finals (although only two tenths of a point separated them from tenth place). I think they took a bit of a risk with their show "A Joyous Noise". It was highly difficult and had a lot of up temp percussion features and a little jazz in places too. This was Lake Park's 18th consecutive finals appearance (the second highest number of finals appearances at the time). Sadly this would be Lake Park's last. Their director Ken Snoeck would retire a couple season after this year. His departure and a series of director changes that followed sent the program into decline. However, the rest of this decade, Lake Park remained a consistent GN Semi Finalist and came close to finals again in 2004, Mr Snoeck's last season before retirement. This past decade however has seen the program on a near continuous downslide. Director changes, lack of support from school administration, and I have a hunch maybe some financial problems have plagued the band in recent years. Although they have remained consistent BOA participants, as of this writing, current trends have their future in BOA in question.
The unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals this season went to Centerville (OH). It was somewhat surprising as they were having a much stronger season than in 01 and won two BOA regionals. They were only 0.15 point away from 12th place and the visual individual judge actually had them in 1st place among semi finalist bands. It was the music effect judges that sealed their fate. In 14th was the class AA champ, Avon (IN). This was the first time we saw the Class AA champ perform in exhibition in finals. This would be the last time that Avon ever missed finals. Northmont (OH) was also a stronger band than in 01 and wound up 15th. In 16th place was Haltom (TX). After their success at the BOA Texas regionals I thought they would be in finals, but it just did not happen for them. Haltom was such a good band during this era. They just never quite managed a regional title or spot in GN finals. Belbrook (OH) ended up 17th and Spring (TX) was 18th. This was Spring's first trip back to GN after their legendary 93 champion performance. I was hoping they would slide into finals, but given their trends the previous two seasons I figured it would be a long shot. Rounding out of the top 20 were Fort Mill (SC) in 19th and Cypress Creek (FL) in 20th.
As far as I know, all of the finalist bands are still on YouTube, except Carmel, Center Grove and PCEP.
2002 Lassiter
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Post by dbalash on Dec 5, 2019 10:50:12 GMT -6
...2002 SEASON REVIEW...
After finishing fourth the week prior at the Indy regional, I think most people did not think Marian Catholic (IL) would have a shot at the title. Then they end up finishing 3rd in finals; and were actually runner up in semi finals. How this band manages to improve so much the week leading into nationals has always astounded me. While half their band wore new uniforms in 01, this year the entire band had new uniforms; all black with a splash of red. I had been so used to seeing Marian in white pants that it took some time to get used to seeing them in black pants. Their show was titled "Dialogs With A Muse". As usual, the music was so good and they really performed it well. Shout out to some amazing keyboard players in this show. The music, particularly Harrison's Dream, is what only the most advanced symphonic bands would tackle. Leave it to Marian to bring it to the marching field. Interestingly, both music and visual ensemble judges had Marian in first (1st over Lassiter in music ensemble said a lot about this performance). As much as I enjoyed Lawrence Central's show, I personally thought that Marian Catholic should have been a close second to Lassiter.
I think this was my favorite show to march, followed closely by 2001. The pants were the only thing that was new that year - jackets would follow in 2004. I think I almost strangled myself several times with the red sashes as they got caught in my neckstrap easily. I still love the ending of the show when the video switches back to high cam at the reprisal of the Harrison's Dream theme - you can see Greg and Bobby jumping up and down. Just awesome. It was so much fun getting to share the practice field with Lassiter at Ben Davis. We practiced first, as we had to get dressed and go for our Thursday performance. Then they took the field and started rehearsing, and we knew we were done right then and there.
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Post by dbalash on Dec 5, 2019 11:34:24 GMT -6
...2001 SEASON REVIEW...
From what I understand, Marian Catholic (IL) was one of the bands that had to do some modifications (maybe tone it down a bit) to the their show following Sep 11. Their show was titled "Reflections on a Dark Millennium" and had a Vietnam War story line. While it may have been toned down a bit, this was still a very powerful and emotional show. This was another difficult and highly sophisticated Marian show. The music and the way they performed it told the story well. There were a couple sections where the band was doing vocalization; some type of chanting. This was not only unique it proved highly effective. This show really grabbed your attention and would not let go. The brass and pit were wearing new all dark uniforms while the woodwinds and battery were wearing their old uniforms (dark jacket, white pants and yellow cummerbund). The play on this contrast in the visual design was really interesting. Although they placed 5th in finals, they were just under a point away from 1st place. They were actually second in both music performance and music effect and rightly so. It was a low visual effect score that pulled them into 5th place (when the bands at the top are this close in score it does not take much to have a big impact on placement).
We dropped out of a show (Penn?) that weekend to retool the show. The chanting was in several parts, as the original ( Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio) had chanting in (I believe) Vietnamese. Marian has used this portion twice since then, for their 2005 show "Impressions in Black Granite" (chanting out Vietnam operations) and the "Passion Tree" in 2011 (sealed it with a kiss, we do not know him, crucify him!) The block about 3:00-4:00 in was (and I will screw this up, as I don't remember the exact spelling and Google translate isn't helping) tot bela per orbemtam, multi scalerum fac i esWhen the camera switches to the guard with the big poles, it is as follows, from the guard: Desidero pacem Desidero lux aternam Desidero, desidero, desidero, veritas (I want peace, I want eternal light, I want truth) Near the end, is just chanting desidero over and over, until the ending, where everyone yells PACEM! Way to go, 800 Video Express, for completely missing the triangle mesh. Ugh.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Dec 5, 2019 18:32:16 GMT -6
Good stuff boahistorybuff! I loved hearing more details about the only year Carmel ever came down to San Antonio and about the familiar Texas bands at Grand Nationals.
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Post by principalagent on Dec 6, 2019 1:38:59 GMT -6
TWHS is only kind of sort of a 1996 establishment. The south side of Conroe ISD used to be covered by McCullough H.S., which closed down and was repurposed as a middle school (and freshman academy and middle school again) when brand shiny new The Woodlands opened up. You can actually find McCullough High on recaps—thus, the Houston regional wasn’t new to the band.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 6, 2019 4:26:20 GMT -6
TWHS is only kind of sort of a 1996 establishment. The south side of Conroe ISD used to be covered by McCullough H.S., which closed down and was repurposed as a middle school (and freshman academy and middle school again) when brand shiny new The Woodlands opened up. You can actually find McCullough High on recaps—thus, the Houston regional wasn’t new to the band. Thanks for the info. It was obvious TWHS started up with students who were already in existing programs. I did not realize it was so heavily influenced by McCullough. I added your comments to the 2002 review section.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 19, 2019 10:43:53 GMT -6
...2003 SEASON REVIEW...
Aside from the visual changes that had been occurring over the years, another aspect of the shows that had been evolving was in the area of musical arrangements. This was a season where this really came to light, with many of the top bands this year serving as examples. Bands were packing more musical selections into a show and in some cases were playing two pieces simultaneously. It was really becoming notable how much more sophisticated and in depth the musical aspects of the shows were becoming. 2003 was also a year that had many surprises, especially at Grand Nationals.
There were a total of 14 regionals held this season. The season started with the Louisville, KY regional on Sep 20. It proved a match between the top four Indiana bands of the day. Avon (IN) pulled off the victory, their first regional title. Carmel (IN) was 2nd with Center Grove (IN) in 3rd. Despite winning the GE award, Lawrence Central (IN) was 4th. The next weekend, the Pontiac, MI regional had a fairly big surprise. With Carmel (IN) attending this year, they were heavily favored to win. Instead, they got 2nd. Centerville (OH) not only pulled an upset, they won by almost four points with every judge having them first. Plymouth-Canton (MI) down in 6th place was also a huge surprise. By the way, this was the first BOA event in the old Pontiac Silverdome since the 1988 Grand Nationals. Not too surprising at the Johnson City, TN regional was that Kennesaw Mountain (GA) won. Fort Mill (SC) was solidly in 2nd. Although the Massillon, OH was not terribly competitive, it was an achievement for the winner, Norwin (PA). This was the first regional win for Norwin since the departure and subsequent passing of long time director LJ Hancock. Norwin would have to wait a long 8 years before picking up another regional win, their longest regional title drought to date. Milford (OH) was 2nd at this regional, followed closely by William Mason (OH) in 3rd and Chantilly (VA) in 4th.
At the Houston, TX regional Stephen F Austin (TX) came out on top and won this regional for the second year in a row. Westfield (TX) was 2nd with The Woodlands (TX) in 3rd. The St Louis, MO regional was close at the top. I also think it was one of the biggest BOA regional surprises ever. After finishing sixth a few weeks earlier at the Louisville regional, Louisville Male (KY) won the St Louis regional. This was Male's first and only regional title. What was so impressive is they beat long time BOA stalwart Lake Park (IL) who finished 2nd and previous GN finalist Broken Arrow (OK) who was 3rd. The Arlington, TX regional was won by Ronald Reagan (TX) with LD Bell (TX) in 2nd and Haltom (TX) in 3rd. At the Youngstown, OH regional Centerville (OH) won their second regional title of the season. Kiski Area (PA) was a close 2nd. Kiski took music and visual while Centerville took GE. At the Atlanta, GA regional, the top three bands were head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 1st, with Seminole (FL) in 2nd and Tarpon Springs (FL) just a couple tenths of a point behind in 3rd. BOA went to Bridgeport, CT for a regional this season. It was won by Westminster (MD), their first of three regional titles. Westminster became the first and only Maryland band to win a BOA regional. Norwalk (CT) was 2nd, the closest they would ever get to a regional title and North Penn (PA) was a close 3rd.
This was the first year that BOA held what they termed a Super Regional in San Antonio, TX (where else to have it but Texas). They would add two more super regionals in 2004. What the super regional did was expand the regional from a one to two day event, allowing up to 60 (or more) bands to participate instead of the 32 for a one day event. The top 14 (or 12 at some supers) bands from prelims would then advance to finals. This regional had a total of 57 bands participate, most from Texas. Just about all of the best bands in Texas at the time were in attendance. Westfield (TX) pulled off the win, becoming the very first band to be crowned super regional champion. This was Westfield's first win since 1996. It was their ninth total regional title and it would be their last. Packed closely together by mere fractions of a point were LD Bell (TX) in 2nd, Stephen F Austin (TX) in 3rd and Ronald Reagan (TX) in 4th. Although not nearly as cut throat as today, the scores indicate the level of competitiveness also extended to the other finalist bands (14 in total).
The Phoenix, AZ regional was won by Etiwanda (CA). Etiwanda dominated, winning by nearly 6 points and having every single judge placing them first. El Toro (CA) was 2nd, the closest they ever got to a regional win and Coronado (TX) was a close 3rd with Bel Air (TX) tying them but placing 4th by having the lower GE score. The Indianapolis, IN regional was just one week before Grand Nationals and it was very competitive. Carmel (IN), which seemed to be having an off year up to this point, came in strong and placed 1st. Center Grove (IN) was 2nd. Then packed tightly together was Lawrence Central (IN) in 3rd, Avon (IN) in 4th and Marian Catholic (IL) in 5th. The final regional of the season, also a week before nationals, was St Petersburg, FL. This proved a rematch between the two dominant Florida powers of the day. After having been defeated by Seminole (FL) at Atlanta a few weeks earlier, Tarpon Springs (FL) won. Seminole would have to settle for 2nd.
The 2003 Grand Nationals were attended by 88 bands, 31 of which made Semi Finals. After the regionals, it was certainly looking like this would be a battle between the top Texas bands and the top Indiana bands for the GN title. I was actually thinking it would be a battle between Carmel and Westfield, Reagan or Bell. Upon conclusion of semi finals, the top three bands in Class AAA were the three Texas bands. We did not need to see the recaps to know it was close, Westfield (TX) won and took the Class AAA title but only won music. Ronald Reagan (TX) was 2nd in 3A and took GE, while LD Bell (TX) was 3rd and took visual. In Class AA, it was a huge match up between Tarpon Springs (FL) and Kiski Area (PA). Tarpon Springs won (this their third 2A title at the time) and took visual and GE. Kiski Area was 2nd in 2A and took music. Louisville Male (KY) was 3rd in 2A. In Class A, Norwell (IN) won their second consecutive Class A title. Although Norwell swept the Class A highest achievement awards, Jackson Academy (MS) was only one placement lower and was 2nd in Class A. Even though Jackson Academy did not win, I think this may have been their best show since 1993. Adair County (KY) was 3rd in 1A. So after semi finals, there was a lot of expectation that one of those top three Texas bands would take home the eagle. Before I get into the finalist bands, a few points. First, BOA decided this season that during the finals awards they would not announce scores or placements, just highest achievement awards and the GN champ. The idea was that just making finals was an achievement in itself (blah blah blah). The finalist bands each got their trophy but we did not know what they scored or placed. Most people hated this and expressed their displeasure. I mean come on, this is a band Competition. BOA did not even release the recap sheets until a month later. This led to a rumor being spread that the outcome was determined by a penalty. While there was a penalty, it did not affect the outcome (more on this later). So all in all, this decision was a complete disaster for BOA and they have not done this since (although in 2004 they did not announce scores). This also kind of made the 2003 awards ceremony feel a little anticlimactic. Aside from this blunder, a couple other interesting aspects about this group of finalists include: 1. This was only the second time in BOA history that all finalist bands had been previous GN finalists; 2. 10 of the 12 finalists bands were either past, present or future Grand National champions; 3. Only 6.7 points separated first from last place in finals, the smallest point separation ever; 4. It was extremely odd watching finals without PCEP or Lake Park.
In one of the biggest Cinderella moments in BOA, Westfield (TX) walked away with their first and only Grand National title. From the mid 80s to the late 90s, Westfield was one of the best marching band from Texas. From 1984 to 1999 they were either first or second at every BOA Texas regional they participated in (they attended one per year). They had only attended three Grand Nationals; 85, 90 and 95 where they placed 2nd each time (in 1990 by just 0.05 points). The early 2000s however were a little different story as Westfield started to slip in placements at the Texas regionals. This was in part due to the fact that the competition was getting stronger. The other reason was that Westfield was just not as polished as they were in the 90s. So the story goes (and someone can correct me if I am wrong) that Westfield's longtime director, Phillip Geiger was nearing retirement and wanted a Grand National title for this band. The decision was made that Westfield would forgo Texas UIL competition for a year so that they could exceed UIL's practice restrictions. So they made this a BOA season, attending two regionals and making the trip to Grand Nationals. This was only their fourth time attending GN and the first time they had attended in eight years. They obviously had one big goal in mind this season and that was to be Grand National champions. Their hard work paid off as not only did they win the Grand National title, they had an amazing show this season. Their show was titled "Because We Are..." Their musical selections included; Oh Lois! from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty); Dead Elvis (Michael Daugherty); Lex from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty); Water Night (Eric Whitaker); and original Music from Mark Higginbotham. The whole premise of the show was to introduce each section of the band and show how they fit together to form the complete full band. The show bounced back and forth between soloists and ensemble groups and the full ensemble of the band. Many of the ensemble members were staged high up on platforms. Each section of the band (and the solos/ensemble groups) had fantastic and pretty difficult features; woodwind, brass, percussion and even the guard. The times when the full band came in had some highly impactful moments as well. This show was absolutely brilliantly arranged and had some moments of pretty fast paced, difficult and interesting drill maneuvers. Some of the highlights during the up tempo beginning included a group of bassoons playing Dead Elvis (it was awesome) and some insane snare drum features. The soft and emotional mid sections had some subtle vocalists and a brilliant euphonium and flute soloist. They then brought the house down during their fast paced ending, which had an incredible group of French horns and interesting final drill segments. Every music judge had Westfield first and rightfully so. They walked away with the music performance and GE awards. However, they only won by a mere 0.05 points. This was in part because they received a .2 point penalty (talk about cutting it close). I am not sure what the penalty was for. The other reason is that they placed 8th overall in visual performance. Yes in today's environment that would have cost the band the title. During this particular finals, remember the scores were really close. Their visual performance score was only eight tenths lower than the winning visual performance score. I will admit that had their visuals been a bit cleaner, this should would have scored much higher. They actually scored higher in their second place finishes in 1990 and 1995. This would end up being Westfield's last trip to Grand Nationals. The following few seasons, although still good and innovative, saw the band fall back down in placements at the Texas regionals. The retirement of Mr. Geiger also had some impact on the band. This past decade, Westfield along with other Spring and Klein ISD band programs have been in decline. Westfield's BOA participation has also become much less frequent.
In 2nd place and only 0.05 points behind Westfield was Ronald Reagan (TX) in their second trip to Grand Nationals (their only back to back trip). They had a much better performance compared to their eleventh place finish in 2002. Their show was titled "Beyond Perimeters". This was a must see show from higher up. This was not only my favorite Reagan show, I would say that it had the best drill design of the decade. The drill seemed very much DCI ish (reminding me of the Cavaliers design a bit that decade). I am not sure who designed it but wow. The design combined with their execution of it garnered them the highest visual effect score. Of course the music was fantastic as well. A highlight of the show came when the band again did their plume trick, this time changing the color of their plumes multiple times, all while some amazing soloists were performing. The design coupled with how they portrayed the music was extremely effective, causing their GE score to only be two tenths of a point lower than Westfield. This show ended up being a definite fan favorite this season and one of the most talked about shows.
Carmel (IN) tackled the theme a little more extensively this year than in seasons past with their show "Dome of the Heavens". The whole celestial theme was echoed in some difficult and intricate drill designs, subtle visual props (including what they had on top of their heads) and musical nuances. Some out there synthesizer segments with some of the Jetson's theme were heard from time to time. I think it took Carmel a while for this show to come together this season. After winning the Indiana Class A state title the previous two seasons, they ended up a disappointing fifth this year. The show must have really come together late in the season as not only did they win BOA Indy, the had a very strong finals performance and finished 3rd.
Proving that all the hype they got in 2002 was justified, Kennesaw Mountain (GA) had improved in every aspect this season and ended up finishing 4th in finals. Their show was titled "Four" and told the story of the four seasons. They packed an incredible amount of musical selections into this show; kudos to the music arranger. They played everything from Christmas music to Take Me Out to the Ball Game. And of course for Spring you have to play Appalachian Spring. Each season actually had a multitude of music selections (in some cases playing right over top of each other). A lot was also going on visually in this show. Great drill features and at one point giant snow globe props with a dancer inside them. Pics of that were all over the place in 04. KM again delivered a strong and very entertaining show.
Although they were certainly in the mix for the GN title this season, LD Bell (TX) would have to settle for 5th place in finals. Their show was titled "Convergence" featuring Sameul Barber. It was simply amazing how good they played considering how fast paced and difficult their drill was. They obviously had to do quite a bit of conditioning. I think their difficulty also earned them some bonus points from the visual ensemble judge. It was a powerful Texas sound and some insane drill moves that really made this show eye opening. Although this was only their 2nd appearance at GN, their success the last few seasons at Texas BOA regionals and UIL had already earned them power house status. I think in finals this show was just not quite as clean as in semi finals.
After failing to make finals the previous two seasons, the Centerville (OH) Jazz band returned to finals for the 15th time and wound up in 6th place. They started the season really strong as they often did during this era. This season they really carried that momentum into Grand Nationals. Their show was titled something to the effect of "Out of the Box" (correct me if I am wrong), where a fancy box prop featured heavily. It was their jazz and solid marching technique that really sold the show, as usual. Centerville had been a band that really had good marching technique, really going back to their 92 Championship season. They ended up tying Avon for the Visual performance award this season, the only time they won this in finals.
It was quite apparent that the Avon (IN) school district was in the midst of rapid growth. The increasing size of the school this season bumped Avon up from Class B to Class A in Indiana state competition and Class AA to Class AAA in BOA competition. The band itself also appeared quite a bit larger. Despite the obvious influx of new members, the performances this season were the best to date. They actually walked away with the Indiana Class A state title this season and their first BOA regional title. After failing to make finals in 02, they were a sure bet finalist this season. They had a tarp in the middle of the field which looked like a Yin and Yang symbol, which featured heavily in the them. The difficult and well executed visual performance earned them visual performance award (in a tie with Centerville). This was the first of many times Avon would win this award. While Avon had made significant improvements over the previous two seasons, there were definitely signs in this show of what was to come from this band (Avon had arrived!). Avon actually tied for 7th place. They tied Kiski in both raw score and GE score; a true tie.
So also in 7th place, was Kiski Area (PA). Their show was something to the effect of Head, Hands and Feet. Some tarps and various body movements added some subtle yet effective visual points of interest. For me, it was their jazz that really sold this show. It was solid and just really enjoyable. This was one of my favorite Kiski shows. I actually thought they should have won the Class AA title this year. This was Kiski's 8th Grand National finals appearance and sadly it would be their last. It was certainly a good way to end their finals appearances. I am not sure what changes had taken place but Kiski had a bit of an off season in 2005 and just did not seem to get back to the level they had been prior. They would not attend Grand Nationals again until 2008 where they were a semi finalist but fell far short of making finals. A couple of more GN appearances this decade also landed them in Semi Finals. So while they would no longer be a GN finalist contender, they have remained a strong contender at BOA regionals in the northeast and would go on to win several more regionals over the coming years. Like a lot of mid sized schools, the size of Kiski's band has dropped some since their late 80s to early 2000s glory years, which I am sure has also posed some challenges.
One of the most innovative shows this season was Center Grove (IN) who finished 9th. Their show was "A Futuristic Game of Capture the Flag". Large colorful props and tarps (red and blue on each side and purple in the middle) were quite a site to see. Looking at a snapshot of this show, you may think it was from just recently. That is how ahead of its time the props and tarps were. Overall, this was a difficult and fast paced show and really well designed. A huge shout out to the guard in this show. The whole contest between the red team and blue team was what the show was centered around. At the end of the show, the team that won would have their color ribbons shot out of one of the props.
Had the scores and placements been announced, there probably would have been a big gasp when Marian Catholic placed 10th. At the time it was their lowest placement ever at Grand Nationals. In fact, they had not placed out of the top 6 in finals since their Grand Nationals debut way back in 1984. Of course, this probably could be taken with a bit of grain of salt seeing as the scores were very close this season. Marian's show was titled "Facets" and as usual had music that was so difficult I don't think any other band would dare attempt. Overall, I really liked the design of the drill (obviously a ton of symbolism in it). There was also an interesting percussion feature near the end, and at one point band members picked up small percussion instruments. Despite the tenth place finish, Marian made history this season. This was their 20th appearance in Grand National finals. They became the first band to achieve this milestone.
I am sure if the audience heard that Lawrence Central (IN) placed 11th, they would also have been very surprised. Lawrence Central's show was titled "Breakthrough". It had several black and yellow tarps laid out in paths, with some interesting designs around that. They utilized some amplified vocals and other unique enhancements to the music. There was also a lot of body movement among the band at times, somewhat innovative. This show also had some wow factors both musically and visually. At one point, the band quickly made their plumes change from black to blue, getting some oohs and aahs from the audience (and a "Hey They Stole Our Move" from Ronald Reagan LOL). The tarps and guard were also transformed to a bluish hue during this segment. This show seemed to be somewhat polarizing. There were a few that really liked it. Most people, however, felt that it just did not come together in an effective way like their shows from previous seasons. The judges at GN also did not seem as impressed. For me I think the one area they struggled was visually, which was surprising seeing as they have always been known for their solid marching technique. So while most bands would be thrilled with an 11th place finish in GN finals, at that point in time that may have been a little disappointing for Lawrence.
After their third place finish in Atlanta, Tarpon Springs (FL) must have really had some intense practice sessions the latter half of the season. The ended up finishing 6th in semi finals and edged Kiski out for the Class AA title by a mere .15 points. In finals however, disaster struck. They had several audio problems and failures that I think kind of threw the band off a bit. So they wound up 12th place in finals, their lowest finish ever (at least as of 2019) at Grand Nationals. Their show about time featured some clock hand-ish props and fast paced drill (Tarpon style) and they were still barely 110 members strong.
Ending up in the unlucky number 13th spot in Semi Finals was Seminole (FL). In my opinion this was Seminole's strongest show of the decade. It would also be the closest they would get to finals since their 1994 GN finals performance. Pomona (CO) gave GN another try and wound up 14th (again so close for this band). Plymouth-Canton (MI) was 15h. Between 1988 and 2008, this was the only year the PCEP failed to make GN finals. It was a season where they just could not bring this show to level it needed to be in time. Lake Park (IL) was in 16th, their first season out of finals and another heartbreak. Proof that St Louis was no fluke, Louisville Male was 17th, their highest placement at GN. With a very innovative and 'out there' show (and much talked about), Broken Arrow (OK) was 18th. I was loving the way Broken Arrow was evolving around this time. Their performance this season was just not quite to the level of GN finals. Rounding out the top 20 was Bellbrook (OH) in 19th and Northmont (OH) in 20th.
Most of the 2003 shows are on line. To my knowledge the only ones that are not include; Carmel, Centerville, Marian and Tarpon. Here are the top two Texas bands.
2003 Westfield
2003 Ronald Reagan
2003 Carmel
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Post by sethb811 on Dec 19, 2019 13:33:08 GMT -6
Couple notes:
Kevin Nix wrote Reagan's drill.
Carmel deserved what they got all season. They were ROUGH all year until the Indy Regional. Completely different band those last two weeks.
Saucedo wrote Kennesaw's music.
At State Finals for Center Grove, one of the parents accidentally triggered the air canons during setup so the streamers all shot before the show started. Nevertheless the band had an outstanding performance. Very deserving of 3rd place.
2003 is one of my favorite overall years. So many great shows!
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Post by dbalash on Dec 23, 2019 7:55:14 GMT -6
...2003 SEASON REVIEW... [
Had the scores and placements been announced, there probably would have been a big gasp when Marian Catholic placed 10th. At the time it was their lowest placement ever at Grand Nationals. In fact, they had not placed out of the top 6 in finals since their Grand Nationals debut way back in 1984. Of course, this probably could be taken with a bit of grain of salt seeing as the scores were very close this season. Marian's show was titled "Facets" and as usual had music that was so difficult I don't think any other band would dare attempt. Overall, I really liked the design of the drill (obviously a ton of symbolism in it). There was also an interesting percussion feature near the end, and at one point band members picked up small percussion instruments. Despite the tenth place finish, Marian made history this season. This was their 20th appearance in Grand National finals. They became the first band to achieve this milestone.
My least favorite year of GN to watch/listen to. I don't know why, but the shows this year outside of Reagan, Bell and Kiski Area never really captured my attention. Fun fact: Marian won visual in Indy the week prior - dead last here. Rough year for Marian - 7 pointed by Lake Park at the Joust (yes, Lake Park used to compete in their own show.), 3 pointed by Prospect at U of I, and Lake Park won their (up to now) last ISU title.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 30, 2019 10:37:26 GMT -6
...2004 SEASON REVIEW...
Advances in technology were beginning to allow more people to see a wider array of BOA performances thanks to online recordings. This would only accelerate in subsequent years, especially with the introduction of YouTube. I am not sure if it was started in 2004 or 2003, but BOA began live streaming Grand National finals. Recorded versions of Grand National performances and Super Regionals were also posted to the BOA website. In subsequent years this expanded to include all BOA regionals in addition to Grand Nationals. It was awesome to be able to watch and re watch performances at your leisure and on your own time. Unfortunately, that all came to an end in 2015 when licensing restrictions became too stringent and only live broadcasts were allowed.
This season, St Louis and Atlanta became super regionals. This made three super regionals this season. These three cities would be the only ones to host a super regional through the rest of the decade. 2004 was a season that essentially started and ended a week earlier than most seasons. It stated on Sept 18 with the Louisville, KY and Massillon, OH regionals. At Louisville, Lawrence Central (IN) came away with the win with Avon (IN) in 2nd. Lawrence Central swept the highest achievement awards and won by almost two points. A resurging Castle (IN) was 3rd. At Massillon, Harrison (GA) came away with the win, their first BOA regional title. Norwin (PA) was a very close 2nd. Harrison and Norwin had actually tied in prelims. Harrison's music scores were able to pull them ahead of Norwin in finals with Norwin dominating the visual scores. The next weekend at the Murphysboro, TN regional, there was a rather big upset. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was heavily favored to win but ended up finishing 3rd. Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) ended up winning, their first of three BOA regional titles. Dunbar was under the direction of Jeff Hood, who had led George Rogers Clark through their late 80s/early 90s BOA glory years. Sandwiched in between in 2nd place was Ooltewah (TN). This was the closest that Ooltewah would ever get to a regional title. One of the finalists at this regional was Murray (KY), the 1977 Grand National champ. Also this weekend was the Pontiac, MI regional. Centerville (OH) was fantastic at this regional. They won with every judge having them in first. In 2nd was Marian Catholic (IL). This was the first time in several years that Marian attended such an early season regional. Despite being a band that usually took until late season for their shows to get really strong, I thought they did well and fully deserved 2nd, and just a little over two points lower than Centerville (a band that typically started the season strong). Bellbrook (OH) was a few points down in 3rd with Plymouth-Canton (MI) close behind in 4th.
The Huntsville, TX regional, held the first weekend of October, was won by Stephen F Austin (TX), marking the third consecutive year that they won the Houston area regional. They won by over 2 points and took all highest achievement awards (well tied visual with The Woodlands). Speaking of The Woodlands (TX), they were solidly in 2nd. Packed close together was James Bowie (TX) in 3rd, Winston Churchill (TX) in 4th and Cedar Park (TX) in 5th. Also the first weekend of October was the Youngstown, OH regional. Kiski Area (PA) dominated this regional and won by nearly four points. Central Crossing (OH) wound up 2nd and over three points higher than 3rd place William Mason (OH). The Arlington, TX regional had several rain/thunderstorm delays which ended up causing the cancellation of finals. So LD Bell (TX), the winner of prelims, walked away with the win, while Ronald Reagan (TX) came in 2nd. With just 0.05 points separating them, Haltom (TX) was 3rd and Westfield (TX) was 4th. Two up and coming Texas bands by the name of Marcus and Hebron also did quite well at this regional. This was the first season that BOA went down to the Rio Grande region of south Texas with the La Joya, TX regional. Winston Churchill (TX) won with every judge having them in first. Harlingen (TX) did have a respectable 2nd place finish. The Piscataway, NJ regional saw the return of King Phillip Regional (MA), their first trip to this regional since 2001. Despite a relatively competitive field, King Philip pulled off the win, their third regional title. They beat two New York state powers in the process; Arlington (NY) who was 2nd and West Genesee (NY) who was 3rd.
The very first St Louis, MO Super Regional this season was attended by 41 bands with a whopping 15 in finals. LD Bell (TX) made the trip to this super regional in lieu of San Antonio and placed 1st, becoming the first band to be crowned St Louis Super Regional Champion. Bell gave a stunning performance and swept the highest achievement awards. Their show style changed a bit this season (not so much insanely fast drill), but much richer sound and heavy focus on general effect. Bell did not win by a huge margin though and that was because of a significant improvement this season in two Oklahoma bands; Owasso who took 2nd and Broken Arrow who took 3rd. Unfortunately, all three of these bands did not attend Grand National this season. It would have been a treat to see them in GN finals. The St Petersburg, FL regional had two bands at the top that were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. Tarpon Springs (FL) won by two and a half points while Seminole (FL) finished 2nd. Seminole scored seven points higher than 3rd place North Hardin (KY).
The week after the Florida regional was the very first Atlanta, GA Super Regional. Holy cow was it competitive. 41 bands participated and 14 were in finals. The top six bands were separated by around three points. Centerville (OH) pulled off the win, taking music and GE and winning by just over a point. Yes Centerville was really good this season and became the first band to be crowned Atlanta Super Regional Champion. Broken Arrow (OK) was 2nd and took visual. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 3rd. Tarpon Springs (FL) was 4th and Seminole (FL) was 5th, this time just a quarter point lower than Tarpon. Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) was not too far behind in 6th. With Etiwanda not attending the western regional this season, held in Las Vegas, NV this year, the field seemed wide open. The regional was won by Upland (CA), their first of four regional titles. El Toro (CA) wound up being runner up for the second year in a row. In 3rd was a band that proved to be back on the rise, American Fork (UT).
The San Antonio, TX Super Regional was attended by 43 bands with 14 advancing to finals. Even though Bell and Stephen F Austin did not attend this regional, it was still extremely good. Two San Antonio bands rose above the pack. Ronald Reagan (TX) came away with the win and swept the highest achievement awards. Their show "Synergy" was another show that had some awesome drill design. The music was also strong, including one of the best renditions of A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. In 2nd place was Winston Churchill (TX). They really had a great show at this competition, one of their best performances. Their show was "Blueprints" and I loved it. In 3rd place, which was a bit of a surprise, was Owasso (OK). Yes 04 was a great season for them. Since the first official San Antonio super regional in 2003, this has been the highest that a non Texas band has placed at this regional. Just mere fractions of a point separated 4th through 6th place, with Cedar Park (TX) in 4th, Haltom (TX) in 5th and Westfield (TX) in 6th. Yes the 6th place finish by the defending Grand National champ was a bit surprising.
Also held the weekend of San Antonio (one week before nationals) was the Indianapolis, IN regional. Lawrence Central (IN) won and took all highest achievement awards, their 2nd regional win of the season. Avon (IN) was 2nd by over a point. Packed close together was Carmel (IN) in 3rd, Marian Catholic (IL) in 4th and Ben Davis (IN) in 5th. Also, Lafayette (KY) was not too far down in 6th.
The 2004 Grand Nationals was attended by 93 bands. 34 bands advanced to semi finals. I am not sure of the reason, perhaps a scheduling conflict with the RCA dome(?), but Grand Nationals was the first weekend in November rather than the 2nd weekend. Going into nationals, the big names for potential champions based on the season thus far were Lawrence Central, Avon, Stephen F Austin and Centerville. During the semi finals awards, there was a bit of a surprise. The Class AAA title went to Kennesaw Mountain (GA), their first BOA class title. KM also took music and GE. After the result from the Atlanta regional, I was not expecting this. 2nd in 3A was Lawrence Central (IN) who took visual. Avon (IN) was 3rd in 3A. Without Kiski or Tarpon attending this year, the Class AA title became a battle between Belbrook (OH) and Ooltewah (TN), both of whom were having strong seasons. In fact, Ooltewah had a big come back this year off a couple lack luster seasons. Belbrook claimed the Class AA title and took the GE award. Ooltewah came in second (by a mere .4 points) and took music and visual. Norwell (IN) having moved up from Class A took 3rd in 2A. In all the years that Bellbrook was in Class AA, this was the only year they won the class AA title at Grand Nationals. This year also marked the second time that no Class AA band would advance to finals. Another interesting point, this is the last time that a band other than Marian Catholic (who was still in 3A this season) or Tarpon Springs won the Class AA title at nationals. With Norwell in Class AA this season, the Class A title was wide open. Jackson Academy (MS) pulled off the win and took music and visual. The visual ensemble judge had them 11th! This was Jackson Academy's first GN class A title since their legendary win in 1993 and it would be their last; a band that always had a total band of 40 members or less. They did the music of Quincy Jones this year and it was really quite entertaining. Lone Oak (KY) was 2nd in 1A and took GE. This was the closest this band ever came to a GN class title. 3rd in 1A was Hart County (KY), yes Kentucky has had a lot of good small school bands in BOA. So upon conclusion of Semi FInals, there was a new band favored to take home the eagle; Kennesaw Mountain. While BOA did announce the placements in finals this year, they did not announce the scores. So we did not realize until the recap sheets came out just how close the top 8 bands in finals were to each other; separated by just a little over three points.
There was a lot of suspense when the awards were being announced, especially when several bands had picked up highest achievement awards. During the performances, there were sections in each of the bands who finished in the top four when I thought, they might be the band to win this. Even though they did not win the award for General Effect (again), Lawrence Central (IN) walked away with the title, their 2nd and last BOA Grand National Champion title. Unlike their win in 01, they did however take a highest achievement award this year, outstanding visual performance. This show seemed so much more streamlined (did not try to pack too much into one show like their 03 show) and so much better executed; a huge improvement over their 2003 season. Their show was titled "La Rosa" and featured; Desolation (Arturo Rodriguez); Danzon (Arturo Marquez); and Spanish Fantasy, Part IV (Chick Corea). Their upcoming trip to the Rose Bowl provided the inspiration for this show. There were numerous images of roses that appeared periodically in the drill. The finishing set actually had the guard with petal props that made, you guessed it, a rose. The visual interest of the design combined with great music, with just the right amount of Latin flare, made this show enjoyable to watch. It was also extremely well controlled with the band exhibiting exquisite marching technique. Interesting point about the scoring is that the visual individual judge is the only one who placed them first. Their overall combined scores were enough however to pull them into first place by a mere quarter point.
After their placements at the two regionals they attended earlier in the season I was not expecting the performance we got out of 2nd place Kennesaw Mountain (GA). This show must have really peaked right at Grand Nationals. Their show was called "Evolution" and told the story of how a performance comes together from the start of the season right up to the Grand Nationals performance. It utilized vocal narration to walk us through the trials and tribulations of learning all the things needed to make a show great. It even started with the band doing basics in a block. The music and visual designs that were interwoven into the first half of the show while we were listening to the story was actually quite good (even for those of us not big on vocal narration). The ending of the show was 'the performance' and opened with a recorded Chuck Henson announcing the band in finals performance; the first of several times that Chuck's voice would be featured in a show. When they hit the performance part, it was fast and very difficult and boy did they nail it. It was during this section that I thought to myself that KM might win this thing. While they did get the General Effect award (in a tie), they would have to settle for 2nd place. This would be their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals and closest they would ever come to winning the Grand National title.
Much like last season, Carmel (IN) seemed to be struggling a bit getting their show to really come together during the course of the season. Well, it came together at Grand Nationals or more specifically, Grand National finals as they had placed eighth in semi finals and then improved to a 3rd place finish in finals. Their show was titled "This Just In..." This was a rather whimsical show that featured a radio announcer reading news headlines. There were also banners that were brought onto the field that had news headlines on them. During each news story, the band would play music to fit the mood of the headline that had just been announced. The way they managed to capture these moods/emotions so well with their music earned them the highest music effect score and in turn won them the General Effect award in a tie with KM (the first time we had a tie for GE). I simply think they sold this show in finals in a way that they had not been able to do in earlier performances.
Returning for their second trip to Grand Nationals, Stephen F Austin (TX) finished 4th. Of their four trips to Grand Nationals, this would be SFA's highest finish. Their show was titled "Ballet For Martha" and featured Copland music. While this music has been played frequently in BOA (and some may argue too frequently), Austin played this music brilliantly with such great sound quality. A huge shout out to the drum line in this show; so crisp and clean. They won the music performance award and rightly so. Their band was in all black and their dance team (again no traditional guard) was in white. This contrast was utilized extremely effectively in the drill design. Overall the visual aspect of this show was very clean. They ended up second in visual performance and the visual effect judge had them first. It was both music effect judges that put them out of contention for the title and the reason for their 4th place finish. I have always been perplexed by that and thought this performance should have at least scored higher.
In 5th place was Centerville (OH), their highest finish at nationals this decade. This was the last year that Wayne Markworth directed the band before his retirement. So there was likely a desire to make it a good one. Their show was called "Countdown 5 4 3 2 1 " and featured original music by Andrew Markworth, Wayne's son and past member of Centerville. Those five numbers appeared frequently throughout the drill, which was often times fast and complex. The music actually seemed more classical with bits of jazz infused here and there; still very high energy with amazing solos. Andrew is a percussionist so there was a ton of great percussion features in this show too. The end of the show then featured the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 emerge in the drill. Even though I would have liked a touch more old school Centerville jazz in this show, it was still amazing and was well received by the audience.
Avon (IN) converted the football field into, well, a football field in their 6th place performance. Their show was titled "Are You Ready For Some Football". This was a little out of the box compared to the type of shows Avon did this decade, a lot of added frills. The guard was dressed as football players and the drum majors were referees. There was a coach on a bench on the side lines. A mock football came even commenced at the end of the show. There was a lot of football references in the drill (this was a big year for more literal symbolism in drill design). If you are going to do a show about football, it needs to be high energy. That is how I would sum up this show. Yes it had some softer moments but most of it was up tempo with some crazy visual difficulty. Kudos to the guard who really sold this show and did some amazing work with their flags and weapons.
Returning for their second trip to GN, The Woodlands (TX) was the first band to perform in finals. I suspect that had they gone a little later, they may have performed a touch better/scored a little higher. They were fourth in semis and ended up 7th in finals. They too had a show centered around numbers. The premise was to describe how numbers and dates affect our lives. Numbers and various important dates in history appeared throughout the drill. In the opening, the band seemed to just appear as moveable black panel props were dragged across the field, then at the end the panels were dragged back across the field and the band disappeared; neat effect. This was after they did one powerful closing moment. Overall, this show was a more polished performance than their 02 appearance and really made a statement.
Even though they were just two placements higher than in 03, Marian Catholic's (IL) 8th place performance was much more polished and impactful than their 03 show; something that just looking at the placements don't always convey. Their show was titled "Wyldewood Solstice: An Impressionist Tableau". I just loved the music in this show. So sophisticated and well performed. I again was perplexed with the music effect scores; should have been higher. While this show had some cool brass and percussion moments, I think what stood out to me the most was their woodwinds. During this era, very few woodwinds could play like this in marching band. Given Marian's history of peaking right at Grand Nationals, I suspect they would have placed higher had GN been held one week later.
Ben Davis (IN) participated in MBA/BOA Grand National from 1981 to 1984, finishing as high as second place in 1983. After 84, they ceased participation in BOA, even though they remained an Indiana power through the rest of the 80s and well into the 90s. Although they were not as successful when they returned to BOA competition in 2000, they were a consistent regional finalist and GN semi finalist. I would say that this season was their best since their return to BOA. Their success in Indiana (they were third in Class A at the state championships) carried over to a strong performance at the BOA Indy regional and then landed them in finals this season, their first finals appearance since 1984. This 20 year gap is the longest gap between finals appearances (and was tied by Homestead in 2014). They ended up finishing 9th in finals, their highest finish at Grand Nationals since returning in 2000. Their show was titled "Quo Vadis" and is my favorite Ben Davis show since their BOA return. Very enjoyable music with nice visual touches here and there. This ended up being a bit of a Cinderella season for them, but it would not be their last appearance in finals.
I was somewhat worried in 2003 about Plymouth-Canton (MI) as they did not make finals and their was some financial strains in the school district. The band program does however get most of their financial support from parents and fundraising. After their disappointment in 03, they came back this season and made finals again, finishing 10th. Their show was titled "The Trainman Cometh". Train track props and musical nuances to suggest the train is coming added some frills to this show. It was actually a little dark and suspenseful (which PCEP has always done well), like the trainman arriving signaled something ominous. The guard and pit all had their hair dyed black. The pounding drums and up tempo moment at the end obviously signaled the trainman's arrival and got a huge applause from the crowd.
This was only the third Grand National appearance by Lafayette (KY) over a 21 year time span, despite the fact they had been a Kentucky power for many years. They attended in 1983, 1995 and then this season. In all three appearances, they made finals. This season, like 95, they placed 11th. Their show was titled "The Journey of Sheba", which I assume told the story of the Queen of Sheba's trip to Jerusalem in ancient times. There were many comments from the audience about how much they enjoyed the music. I totally agree, very interesting and enjoyable music. It included an amazing oboe solo and some really interesting percussion elements. This is one of my favorite Lafayette shows. They did have some modern touches in this show, like tarps and some colorful tent props. Back in this era, Lafayette still had some visual elements that gave them a bit of an "old school" feel, which I loved. Their uniform style and some of the drill elements gave me a little flashback to the past. This was Lafayette's last Grand National finals appearance (well so far anyway). They did attend a few more Grand Nationals later on but failed to make finals. In fact, this marked the last time we had a Kentucky band in finals. Lafayette has continued to be a dominate force in Kentucky competitions and has had several appearances in BOA regional finals. Their BOA regional win in 2019 suggests this band may have many more years of success ahead of them.
The 12th place band in finals was Ayala HS (or Ruben S Ayala), from Chino Hills, CA; southeast of LA in their first BOA Grand Nationals appearance. Although they had much success in California, they were quite new to BOA. They were a participant at the 2003 San Antonio Super Regional but failed to make finals. So when they were announced as a finalist, most in the BOA world were like "who's Ayala?". Their show was titled "The Hypar Effect". It was a great show to make their GN debut. Ayala had already won many awards in California for winter guard and indoor percussion. Very much like what many California bands had trended toward over the last couple decades, their staging of the guard and frequent percussion features seemed very similar to drum corps (only with woodwinds). Kudos to the pit in this show, especially those keyboard players. Yes 2004 was a great year for percussion. From this moment onward, Ayala would become an occasional Grand National semi finalist and finalist and would come to dominate the BOA southern California regionals.
Having a bit of a rough season, the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals went to Center Grove (IN). This was the first time they had failed to make finals in 10 years, a big disappointment for them. Given this was Ken Snoeck's last season before retirement, I know Lake Park (IL) wanted to make finals. They would have to settle for 14th. Rounding out the top 20, Castle (IN) was 15th, Belbrook (OH) was 16h, Ooltewah (TN) was 17th, Louisville Male (KY) was 18th, Northmont (OH) was 19th and Norwell (IN) was 20th. That made seven Indiana bands in the top 20.
I think all GN finalist performances remain on line except for Carmel and Marian Catholic. Here is the top two performances, albeit the video quality is not good.
2004 Lawrence Central
2004 Kennesaw Mountain
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Post by dbalash on Dec 30, 2019 10:45:54 GMT -6
Performing during GN Finals retreat this year? Lee Greenwood, of "God Bless the USA" fame.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 11, 2020 6:01:00 GMT -6
...2005 SEASON REVIEW...
By the middle of the 2000s, the level of sophistication in the show themes, both in the design and music arrangements, had increased significantly in comparison to the 90s. Most of the shows were either telling us a story or were designed around a specific concept. Love it or hate it, amplified vocal narration had become very popular. Bands were also doing far more difficult drill maneuvers than what they were doing say 10 years ago. Frequent use of soloists had also become popular. And with many of the top level bands, there were some incredible soloists who performed at BOA. Another thing that was gaining in popularity was the use of a pre show. Bands were beginning to get the audience in the mood of their theme before they were even announced. For some of us old schoolers, we were like; did we miss the announcement? Have they already started their show? LOL While some of the bands developed some pretty clever pre shows, the recorded versions often started with the announcement. So in most instances, to get the full pre show experience, you had to be there in the stadium.
While 15 BOA regionals were scheduled this season, the Towson, Maryland regional was completely cancelled due to weather. All day flooding rains meant there was no way to conduct the competition. The first regional of the season was a very early (Sept 17th) one held in Oxford, OH. Carmel (IN) won with their in state rivals Avon (IN) and Lawrence Central (IN) not too far down in 2nd and 3rd place respectfully. Center Grove (IN) was a respectable 4th. The next week featured regionals at Bowling Green, KY and Massillon, OH. The Bowling Green regional was won by Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY), their second year in a row winning a regional title. They also swept the highest achievement awards. Castle (IN) was a little over 2 points down in 2nd with Harrison (GA) in 3rd. The Massillon regional was dominated by Centerville (OH). They won by over five points, with every judge placing them first. Norwin (PA) was 2nd followed closely by a rising Carleton J Kell (GA) in 3rd. At the Houston, TX regional, Winston Churchill (TX) won and swept the highest achievement awards. This was Churchill's 6th BOA regional title and it would be their last. James Bowie (TX) came in 2nd, with Cypress Falls (TX) in 3rd and Stephen F Austin (TX) in 4th. BOA did another regional in La Joya, TX this season. Unlike last season, no big name bands from the north came down. The band that won and took all highest achievement awards was Harlingen (TX), their first and only regional title. Roma (TX) was a respectable 2nd, the closest this band would get to a regional win.
The California regional, held in Long Beach, was held a bit early this season, Oct 8th. Probably the best three bands in southern California at the time attended. Upland (CA) pulled off the win by over three points and took all highest achievement awards. Ayala (CA) was 2nd with Etiwanda (CA) in 3rd. The Arlington, TX regional had several surprises this season. Ronald Reagan (TX) winning was probably not a surprise, nor was Winston Churchill (TX) placing 2nd. Richland (TX) was a close 3rd with LD Bell (TX) in a surprise 4th. Even though Brazoswood (TX) was 7th, they won the music performance award. The Woodlands (TX) in 8th and Westfield (TX) in 9th were both big surprises. The Pontiac, MI regional was held in mid October, much later than the SE MI/NW OH regional has typically been held. Centerville (OH) pulled off the win. This was actually Centerville's 8th consecutive regional title, setting a record at the time (a record that has since been destroyed by Broken Arrow). Plymouth-Canton (MI) was a close 2nd. They benefited from a later regional. With the cancellation of Towson just a week earlier, where they were scheduled to attend, Kiski Area (PA) was a last minute addition to this regional. It was a huge shock when they placed 8th. Turns out, their director George Wozniak had left the program the previous year and they had some other staffing changes, so it was a rough season for Kiski.
The St Louis Super Regional was insanely competitive this season. At the top, Lawrence Central (IN) won and took visual and GE, while Carmel (IN) was 2nd and took music. I think Carmel just had a few visual flaws, which they worked out by the time their next match up with Lawrence occurred. Just one point below Carmel was Broken Arrow (OK) in 3rd. Marian Catholic (IL) was a fraction of a point lower in 4th. Owasso (OK) was a few points down in 5th. The same weekend as St Louis was the Flagstaff, AZ regional. This was essentially a rematch between the top three southern California bands. This time, Etiwanda (CA) pulled off the win. This was their 8th BOA regional title and it was their last. In 2nd was Upland (CA) followed closely by Ayala (CA) in 3rd. So the weekend after St Louis was the Indianapolis, IN regional. Carmel (IN) made some big improvements and came in 1st by three whole points over Lawrence Central (IN) who was 2nd. Carmel also swept the highest achievement awards. Avon (IN), who had walked away with the Indiana Class A state title for the third consecutive year was 3rd. Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) was 4th (and second to Carmel in music performance). Marian Catholic (IL) was 5th. Dunbar had an awesome show and I think they would have had a good chance to make GN finals this season had they attended.
At the St Petersburg, FL regional, Lassiter (GA) returned to BOA competition. This was their first BOA competition since their GN win in 2002. They beat Tarpon Springs (FL) who would have to settle for 2nd place. Since the Florida regional started back up in 1998, this was the first time Tarpon Springs had lost. Seminole (FL) was a few points down in 3rd. The following week, one week before nationals, was the Atlanta, GA Super Regional. Tarpon Springs (FL) redeemed themselves and won, taking visual and GE. This was Tarpon's first win at Atlanta since it became a super regional the previous season. Tarpon broke 92 points, which was quite high back then. In 2nd by a little over a point (and still over 91 points) was Lafayette (KY) who also took music. I think this season may have been better for Lafayette than 04. A little over four points lower in 3rd was Walton (GA), followed by McEachern (GA) in 4th and Harrison (GA) in 5th; a lot of good Georgia bands around this time. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was the host at this regional so they did not compete. In fact, they did not compete in any BOA competition this season after nearly winning the title the previous year.
Also the weekend before nationals was the San Antonio, TX Super Regional. 57 bands attended this regional and the top 14 were selected for finals; all Texas bands. The point separation between 1st and 14th was just over 11 points. The top 7 bands broke 88 points, which at the time seemed unbelievable. This was also without LD Bell participating. With the performances being archived on line at the BOA website, it was a joy for all of us not able to make the trip down to Texas to still be able to watch the performances. It gave those of us non Texans a real good look at the talent that had emerged in this state over the past few years. Every band was quite good. This winner of the regional for the second year in a row was Ronald Reagan. All three of the GE judges had them in first which allowed them to win with 93.75 points. And yes, Reagan was awesome. James Bowie was having a great season and finished in 2nd place. In 3rd, but just 0.05 points behind Bowie was Marcus. Marcus was a band on the rise. Their third place win and their amazing sound and crisp clean marching (they won music and visual) definitely put them on the radar this season. After a somewhat disappointing finish in Houston, Stephen F Austin was 4th with just over 90 points. Packed very close together was Richland in 5th, Winston Churchill in 6th and The Woodlands in 7th.
The 2005 Bands of America Grand Nationals was attended by 92 bands. 34 bands advanced to Semi Finals. Heading into Grand Nationals I think there was a consensus that this was going to be a battle between the top Texas bands and the top Indiana bands as to who would get to take home the eagle. Based on the previous two weeks, Ronald Reagan and Carmel seemed most in position to take the title, although we had not seen LD Bell recently and the defending champ Lawrence Central was still pretty strong. At the conclusion of Semi Finals, Ronald Reagan (TX) took the Class AAA title and won music and GE. This was their first (and at this point only) BOA class title. Carmel (IN) was 2nd in 3A and Avon (IN) was third. Avon took the visual award in Class AAA. There was no surprise at all that Tarpon Springs (FL) won the Class AA title and swept the highest achievement awards. During this season, there was simply no other 2A band that could come close to Tarpon. Bellbrook (OH) was 2nd in 2A and Ooltewah (TN) was 3rd. Adair County (KY) won the Class A title. This was their first Class A title. Prior to this win, they were probably considered the best small school band program not to have yet won the GN Class A title. Not only did they sweep the highest achievement awards in Class A, they scored over 7 points higher than the 2nd place Class A band. That band was Jackson Academy (MS). Croatan (NC) was 3rd in 1A. So after the conclusion of both prelims and semi finals, it was looking like Reagan was going to claim the GN title. Things just didn't quite work out that way in finals.
This season was Carmel (IN)'s 10th appearance in Grand National finals. Prior to this season, they had become one of the most successful bands not to have won a GN title. That all changed on finals night this year as Carmel delivered a very strong performance in finals, their best ever at the time, and walked away with their very first Grand National title. After some lackluster results at the Indiana State Championships the previous two seasons, they skipped them this season and made it a BOA year, attending three BOA regionals. Their show was titled "Suspended Symbols" and was an original composition by their director Richard Saucedo. The play on symbols vs cymbals was evident throughout the show. They had perhaps the most talked about props this season, several large pyramid-like structures. At times, cymbals were hanging from them (or suspended from them). Guard members and even soloists were suspended from these structures at times. Guard did more than just hang from them; they swung from them and even climbed them. The drill was also filled with symbols throughout, at one point the guard formed a piece symbol. The way the drill moved and complemented the prop staging was quite effective. As solid as the visual performance was (they were second in both visual performance and visual effect), the music really propelled them into first place. It was somewhat complex and very layered; a little jazzy in the beginning which I loved. Superb soloists also complemented the show. As you would expect, there was certainly an abundance of cymbal features. The percussion was much more than that; crisp and clean moments from the battery and a ton of interesting musical moments from the pit. Their superb performance of the music earned them second in music performance and first from both music effect judges. The high music effect score garnered them the GE award and allowed them to win by breaking 97 points. Of course one of the big things that also helped Carmel win was that they had no weaknesses, they were strong in every aspect from music to visual to guard.
Settling for 2nd place (the second time they have been runner up to the GN title) was Ronald Reagan (TX) with their show titled "You Never Know". As good and interesting as the visual design of the show was, it was the music that made this one of the most talked about show of the season. Wonderful music selections played extremely well; they took music performance in finals. There was one section that featured a soloist battle between a clarinet and a saxophone that just about brought the house down, simply amazing. It was followed by a somewhat whimsical moment when a quote from the Napoleon Dynamite movie was played. One section, during the ballad, featured guard spinning around to reveal insanely long sleeves. It was such a simple thing but proved extremely effective from a visual standpoint. This show also featured a powerful ending that really put an exclamation point on this awesome show. My impression was that Reagan was just not quite as strong in finals as they had been in semi finals, especially on the visual front. This was most likely because they were the unlucky ones who went first in finals. On the flip side, Carmel brought the goods to finals. It would have been interesting had Reagan performed in finals the way they had in semi finals. While I am not counting them out as a future GN champ, at this time, Ronald Reagan has been runner up to the GN twice without ever winning it. Flushing (MI) is the only other band to have this dubious distinction. The next season, 06 was still quite strong for Reagan, then they hit some hardships. Their director, Mark Chambers, who led this band from its beginnings in 99/2000 left the program after the 06 season. Other key staff departures and the opening of Claudia Taylor Johnson HS, which took a lot of students away from Reagan, set the program back a bit in the late 2000s/early 2010s. They later half of the 2010s would see this program reemerge stronger than ever.
Another band that really delivered a strong show in finals was LD Bell (TX) who ended up finishing 3rd and just 0.05 points behind Reagan. Their show was titled "Ascension: Light of Gold". I believe this show was the first in what ended up being a trilogy. This was Bell's third GN finals appearance (they had attended every other year since 2001). This also marked the first of six consecutive appearances; not common for a band having to travel so far but a real treat for GN attendees. They had a rather complex but well executed visual package (the visual effect judge had them first). As most often with Bell, their music really drew you in to their show. Difficult stuff made to seem easy. They ended this show with slow and somewhat reflective ballad in the back corner of the field, which I thought was highly effective. Turns out this would be their first of six consecutive top three finishes in finals.
In 4th was Avon (IN) with their show "Equus". Talk about ambitious. This was a demanding show both musically and visually. It was like they never stopped. I would probably say that Avon had the most difficult drill this season. Some of the drill passes were insane and Avon seemed to tackle them with no fear. Topping this was an awesome guard and percussion. The ending few drill segments combined with the powerful music got big applause from the audience. What was also impressive was that they won the visual performance award considering the demand of their visual package. This was Avon's 4th GN finals appearance. They also won their third consecutive Indiana Class A state title this season. It would take a couple more seasons for the BOA music judges to reward Avon the way the Indiana judges had been rewarding them.
Lawrence Central (IN) took 5th place; yes Texas and Indiana claimed the top five spots in finals this year. Their show was titled "Shadows and Light". The hints of yellow in the props and guard with the white tarp and black/gray band uniforms created the whole shadow and light theme. I felt that this show was brilliantly designed and full of awesome musical moments. The way the band utilized their body to complement the visuals was also pretty on par with future trends. A huge shout out to some fearless rifles and sabers in this show. I was actually surprised that this performance did not place higher, but finals was really strong at the top this year.
After finishing out of the top half of finalist bands the previous two seasons, Marian Catholic (IL) finished 6th. Compared to their previous performances, they really delivered in finals this year. Their show was titled "Impressions in Black Granite". From what I understand, this is the show that Mr. Bimm wanted to do in 2001, before 911 caused some alterations. So essentially this was their 01 show, Reflections on a Dark Millenium, only a little darker and more intense. The music was essentially the same and they had half the band in white pants and the other half in black just like 01. One of the big differences was the prop meant to represent the Vietnam war memorial (the black wall with the names of service members killed). Just like 01, the music was so on another level and so different from anything any other high school bands were doing. They also did the vocal chants again. While I think 01 was a little cleaner, I enjoyed this show a little more. I consider these two Marian shows; 01 and 05, among the most under rated in BOA history.
After failing to make finals at a couple previous attempts, Richland HS, from North Richland Hills, TX (in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex) made their 1st of two finals appearances. Their 7th place finish this year was their highest finish ever at nationals. They had been having much success at BOA Texas regionals the last few seasons. The mid to late 2000s would be their glory years. Their director was Bill Watson, who was the director at Spring HS during their legendary 93 GN win. Richland's show was titled "Inside Out" and told the story of the type of emotional upheavals a person goes through during their younger years, or something to that effect. It was a bit heavy on the narration, which again was common during this time period. It was of course an overall great show. Highlights included an amazing vocal duet and a really difficult and interesting drill set during the closing of the show which got a big response from the audience.
Tarpon Springs (FL) came in 8th place in finals this year with their show "Pathways". While the band was a little bigger than their earlier BOA years, they were still much smaller than the other finalist bands. They also still had all of their percussion in the pit; no battery on the field. This show, also heavy with vocal narration, addressed how choosing a path in life can have drastic outcomes. The show also paid homage to some iconic historical figures, like Rosa Parks. As you would expect with Tarpon, tarps and props filled the field. Several large arrow platforms up front served as stages for ensemble groups. The way they were coordinated in coming onto and coming off these platforms added some unique aspects to the visuals. Again, despite the small band, they had an extremely enjoyable and complex drill design. I felt that this was Tarpon's best show since 2001.
Plymouth-Canton (MI) had a show tiled "Performing...Inside Out". Although similar in name it was quite different from Richland's show. A large tarp was turned inside out through the course of the show, adding some unique visuals. Large ramps in the back of the field also added to the show design. PCEP placed 9th in finals. I felt this was also their best performance since 2001. A somewhat 'abstract show' but a really interesting one. There was one part where the band seemed to go insane, portrayed by the bands visual movements. At the same time they were playing some difficult yet intense music.
I was pleased to see Centerville (OH) make finals this year since this was the first season following the retirement of long time director Wayne Markworth. Wayne's son Andrew was at the helm (which would only be temporary until a permanent director was found). I believe Andrew also did a lot of the music composition, explaining some of the awesome percussion moments in this show. Their show was titled "BlueSPRINT". It had a lot of classic Centerville jazz moments and some effective and interesting visual moves. They ended up finishing 10th in finals.
After their 8th place finish at the Indy regional two weeks earlier, I was actually not expecting Center Grove (IN) to make finals. They really pulled things together by nationals, making finals and finishing 11th place. This was a huge victory for them as they had just missed finals in 04. Their show was titled "Conspiracy Theory" and told the story of the FBI unveiling a cover up. Near the end folder files with notes went flying all over. It was very much like a short play being set to music. This show was actually pretty ambitious in terms of music and visual demand which is probably why it took right up to GN for the show to really come together.
Sliding into the 12th spot in semi finals and then placing 12th in finals was Owasso HS from Owasso, OK (outside Tulsa) in their first of two GN finals appearances. They too had failed at a few earlier attempts to make finals. After a highly successful 2004 season (where they did not attend GN), they attended this year. While their 05 show was not nearly as strong as 04, it was still enough to get them into finals. Their show was titled "Fowl Play". Birds played heavily in the theme. Various bird sounds were heard during the show and the drill often had the effect of birds taking off, flying in the air and landing.
Castle (IN) took the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals. This was the second time they came in unlucky number 13, the first was back in 1992. The mid 2000s was a strong period for Castle. They would still have a few down years ahead of them before finally making GN finals in 11 years. The band that placed 14th was Broken Arrow (OK). Let me just say that after their regional performances the previous two seasons, this was a HUGE shock that they missed finals this year. Their show which was a play on Les Miserables was also amazing. I thought for sure we would see them in finals. The biggest reason they missed was simply because they were a little rough in semi finals; they seemed off their game. Another factor was that one of the music effect judges had given them a pretty low score. I think that had that judge scored them higher they would have had a fighting chance to make it in over Owasso. Unfortunately for BA that is not how the chips fell. BA would make up this next year. Rounding out the top 20 were Ben Davis (IN) in 15th, Seminole (FL) in 16th, Etiwanda (CA) in 17th, Bellbrook (OH) in 18th, Lake Park (IL) in 19th and Ooltewah (TN) in 20th.
I will include the links to top three performances.
2005 Carmel Video - Just Added
2005 Carmel - Audio Only
2005 Ronald Reagan
2005 LD Bell
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jan 11, 2020 10:22:35 GMT -6
Man these are just a treasure trove! Thank you Buff!! I feel like I was actually there.
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Post by lostchoirguy on Jan 11, 2020 11:32:02 GMT -6
2004 was the first year I started following marching band. I only knew or saw the big local names you mentioned (Richland, LD Bell, Marcus) but it is still really cool to finally see your commentary on stuff that I can somewhat remember!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 11, 2020 11:47:41 GMT -6
Man these are just a treasure trove! Thank you Buff!! I feel like I was actually there. My pleasure.
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Post by kvgdc on Jan 11, 2020 12:42:20 GMT -6
The 85 ISSMA finals were a disaster for Northrop. This was my freshman year and I was an alternate standing in the pit area for the start of the show assisting with this and that. There was all sorts of anxiety about getting on the field and started in time. At the Regionals (there was no semi-state yet) Snider got a penalty for taking too long to get off the field that cost them a spot in finals. So all the bands were drilled on the timing rules extensively. We had some set up problems in the pit and the director was anxious about timing and gave the head Drum Major a "go go go" as he was worried about timing. Apparently the other DMs and band were taken by surprise as the opening hit of The Bees was phased all over the field. Given that marching in the Hoosier Dome was still new to many of us, and you literally couldn't hear more than 10 yards from where you were, it was a fight the entire opener to try to pull that together. After the disaster of the opener, we actually had probably the best run of Time for a Change and First Circle we'd ever put together. But the scores were decimated by that opener. So we finished 6th. Getting 6th the next week at Grand Nats was nice but...we came to hate the number 6 when we finished there again the next year in ISSMA finals. After the disappointment of finishing 12th at the 84 Grand Nationals, Northrop (IN) came back strong this season. They had more success in BOA than Indiana state competitions, making me wonder if they made their show to be more BOA friendly this year. They had a solid performance in finals to place 6th. While they would remain frequent regional finalists, after this season, Northrop did not attend GN again until 1992.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 20, 2020 12:39:09 GMT -6
...2006 SEASON REVIEW...
This was the year that marked the merger between Music For All (MFA) and Bands of America. MFA would be involved in all aspects of music education, while BOA would strictly be involved with the marching band aspect. So essentially, BOA would now be under the umbrella of MFA. Scott McCormick would remain CEO of not just BOA but of all Music For All. This marked a rather big expansion of this organization; much bigger than when it started out in 1975 as Marching Bands of America. This was also the season that the weather wreaked havoc on the bands across the Midwest and Northeast. It was an unusually cold and wet fall, especially October. Winter-like temperatures, frequent rain and snow all hampered outdoor practice time for the northern bands. I think this was somewhat evident by the time nationals rolled around. The good thing was that the bands from the south really rose to the occasion and gave us some awesome performances this season. This year, especially at nationals, seemed like a step up from previous seasons in terms of show design and quality. A final note before beginning the review of regionals is to point out something that was somewhat common during this era, especially from the Texas and Oklahoma bands. Bands that used a lot of extras (members who would help with prop set up or take down or to take over for a member who would have to drop out for whatever reason) would stand in full uniform on the sidelines. I point this out because it is notable on some of the videos from this season in particular.
Speaking of adverse weather conditions, heavy rains (which actually flooded the entrance to the stadium) forced the complete cancellation of the Louisville, KY regional. This would have been the first regional of the season. So this meant there were 13 regionals, including the three super regionals. So the season started a little later, Sep 30, with the Murphysboro, TN and Youngstown, OH regionals. At Murphysboro, Harrison (GA) won, this being their second BOA regional win. They edged out three Tennessee bands who were neck and neck with each other; McGavock in 2nd, Ooletwah in 3rd and Cleveland in 4th. This was the highest finish at a regional for McGavock since the mid 90s. Weather caused the cancellation of finals at Youngstown, so the results were based on prelims. After a rough 05, Kiski Area (PA) bounded back won the title. They edged out 2nd place Central Crossing (OH) by a mere three tenths. Also of note at Youngstown was Bassett (VA) in a solid 3rd place finish. The next week at the Arlington, TX regional, LD Bell (TX) won with Stephen F Austin (TX) in 2nd, followed closely by Marcus (TX) in 3rd. Also that weekend, BOA went to Ypsilanti, MI (EMU stadium) for the first time. Plymouth-Canton (MI) won the regional. This was only their third regional win at the time and first win since 1992. It helped that Centerville did not attend this season. PCEP was always a band that peaked late season. If they had attended later seasons regionals, they would likely have had more titles under their belt. Nearly five points lower in 2nd place was Lincoln-Way East (IL) followed very closely by Northmont (OH) in 3rd, West Genesee (NY) in 4th and Reeths-Puffer (MI) in 5th. The following weekend, Oct 14, BOA held three regionals in the same weekend; I believe the first time they had done this. At Flagstaff, AZ, Ayala (CA) won their very first regional title. This would turn out to be the first of many BOA regional titles for Ayala. A few points down in 2nd was William S Hart (CA), the closest they would get to a regional win, followed closely by Pomona (CO) in 3rd and Jenks (OK) in 4th. The Pearland, TX regional was won by Ronald Reagan (TX) who took music and visual. Westfield (TX) took 2nd and won GE. This was Westfield's highest finish at a regional since their championship year in 03. They could not however keep the momentum going and wound up 12th later in the season at San Antonio. 3rd at Pearland was Winston Churchill (TX). The other regional this weekend was St Petersburg, FL. Tarpon Springs (FL) won this regional by nearly four points, while Seminole (FL) was solidly in 2nd. Another strong Florida band program during this era, Timber Creek (FL) was 3rd.
The St Louis, MO Super Regional was won by defending GN champ Carmel (IN). Carmel swept the highest achievement awards. In 2nd, but by just a little over a point and a half was Broken Arrow (OK). Lassiter (GA) was 3rd. An exciting battle between the two Kentucky powers and huge rivals of the day also played out at this regional. Lafayette (KY) came in 4th, followed closely by Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) in 5th. Dunbar actually received a .5 point penalty which cost them a placement, dropping them behind their in-state rival; ouch. Also the weekend of St Louis was the Towson, MD regional. The top three bands at this regional were really close, within a point. King Phillip Regional (MA) pulled off the win; their fourth and last BOA regional title. Kiski Area (PA) was 2nd, followed by Westminster (MD) in 3rd. Norwin (PA) placed a surprising 5th at this regional, several point behind a rising West Johnston (NC) in 4th. The weekend after St Louis was the Atlanta, GA Super Regional. With Carmel (IN) making the trip down, I was expecting them to win given how strong they were in St Louis. Tarpon Springs (FL) delivered an upset and won the title by a little over a point and took visual and GE. Carmel (IN) would have to settle for 2nd. A fairly close 3rd place was Kennesaw Mountain (GA) who won music. Several points down in 4th was Centerville (OH). The same weekend as Atlanta was the Los Angeles, CA regional. It was won by Upland (CA). A close 2nd was American Fork (UT) followed by Ayala (CA) in 3rd by just a tenth of a point.
The weekend before nationals this season were two power house regionals. The San Antonio, TX Super Regional was attended by 41 bands. For some reason, they decided to only have a top 12 in finals rather than a top 14 like they have usually done at this regional. The was definitely at the dismay of James Bowie (TX) who finished 13th in prelims. Remember they were runner up at this regional the previous season. The 12 finalist bands all broke 87 points; which was without Stephen F Austin in attendance. Yes they were all really good and all of them were from Texas. The top four bands gave exceptionally strong performances and were led by LD Bell (TX), who had not attended this regional the previous two seasons. This was Bell's first win at San Antonio while it was a Super Regional. They scored a whopping 95.8 points, yet only won the music performance award (well in a tie actually). The Woodlands (TX) was in 2nd, just shy of a point lower than Bell and took visual. In 3rd was Marcus (TX) who tied Bell for music and outright won GE. Marcus had become a known commodity for their musical prowess. It was their visual scores that dropped them to third; they really did not have the visual difficulty that the other top placing bands had in their programs. A point lower in 4th was Ronald Reagan (TX) with a show that probably could have won in previous seasons; the competition was just much stronger this year. Several points down but within fractions of point apart were Haltom (TX) in 5th, Richland (TX) in 6th and Winston Churchill (TX) in 7th. Rounding out this group of strong performances: Cedar Park (TX) in 8th, Hebron (TX) in 9th, Westlake (TX) in 10th, Clear Brook (TX) in 11th and Westfield (TX) in 12th. Finally at the Indianapolis, IN regional, the top three Indiana bands of the day were separated by less than a point. Avon (IN) won and took music and GE. This was Avon's second regional title and first time winning in Indy. Lawrence Central (IN) was a close 2nd and took visual with Carmel (IN) in 3rd. Less than two points down in a very respectable 4th was Marian Catholic (IL).
The 2006 Bands of America Grand Nationals was attended by 92 bands; 35 of whom made semi finals. A big shock was that Belbrook (OH) had failed to make semi finals. They were having a bit of an off year, but still I thought they would have made it on class. Heading into Grand Nationals this year, I had one band and one band only on my mind who I thought would take home the eagle. That band was LD Bell. I thought this was their year. Some of the dark horse bands being thrown around were the top three Indiana bands (Avon, Carmel, Lawrence Central) and Tarpon Springs. It turned out that both semi finals and finals had some big surprises this year that I certainly did not see coming. I was perplexed by some of the semi finals results. When I saw the recap sheets, I understood why. The judges were all over the place. I am not sure what was going on, but there were a lot of questionable scores (some seemed too high and others too low). I did however feel that the band that actually won semi finals and claimed the Class AAA title, The Woodlands (TX) was deserving of it. It was their best performance to date; I actually think it was their best show of the decade. The Woodlands also took the GE award in 3A. 2nd place in 3A was Avon (IN) and LD Bell (TX) was 3rd. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) took music in 3A even though they did not place in the top three and Lawrence Central (IN) took visual. Tarpon Springs (FL) dominated the Class AA as expected and took all highest achievement awards. Central Crossing (OH) was 2nd in 2A and Jenison (MI) was 3rd. Without Adair County attending nationals this year, the Class A title seemed up for grabs. Beechwood (KY) ended up winning it, their first of two GN class A titles. They took GE in 1A. Croatan (NC) was 2nd in 1A and took music and visual. This was the closest this small school power would come to a national class title. 3rd in 1A was Carlisle (OH). So upon conclusion of Semi Finals, I think most everyone felt that finals was going to be either really close or very surprising. Finals was really good this year and 11 of the 12 bands broke 90 points. Going into finals, I was still thinking Bell would pull it off. The results ended up surprising almost everybody.
Once finals concluded, it was obvious that Broken Arrow (OK) did really well. Bell was of course very good too. I figured Broken Arrow would place near the top, but considering that they had not made finals the previous year, did not win the St Louis regional this season and did not place in the top three in the Class AAA awards from semi finals (they were actually fourth), I kind of discounted them. During the awards, when Broken Arrow won the General Effect award, the audience perked up a bit. Then when it came down to the last two bands; LD Bell and Broken Arrow, Chuck held the announcement for the 2nd place band for a very long time. It must have been over a minute; perhaps the longest pause ever before the winner was revealed. When Bell was announced in 2nd place, the Broken Arrow contingent when nuts. Tears of joy all around. Broken Arrow, under the direction of Darren Davis, had just won their first GN title; the first and so far only Oklahoma band to have taken home the eagle. Their show was simply titled "Aqua". Their music selections included; Harrison's Dream by Peter Graham; Time to Say Goodbye (Andrea Bocelli); Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten; and original music by Aaron Guidry. The guard was dressed in Aqua colored attire and were meant to represent an aqua colored sea. The music arrangement and visual design were meant to represent water on its journey to the sea. The water fell as rain at times, moved softly and slowly at times and roared at times. During the final move of the show, the band formed a river and created the effect of rippling water running into the sea of bright aqua color guard positioned at the mouth of the river. Let me just say, during finals, the Broken Arrow band put their heart and soul into that performance. This show was a masterpiece in design and Broken Arrow could not have delivered it more brilliantly. Aiding in the visuals were the large white stripes on one side of the bands leg which was moved and positioned at times throughout the show to enhance the whole visual effect of flowing water. The way the guard used their flags and twirled their skirts and danced also aided in the visual effect. All three of the GE judges had Broken Arrow in first. In fact, Broken Arrow broke the record for highest general effect score in BOA. In 2015, in GN semi finals, Hebron broke that score. No band has yet to break it in GN finals. The high GE score was able to pull them ahead of LD Bell by four tenths of a point for the win.
While LD Bell (TX) also delivered a strong show in finals, they would have to settle for 2nd place. They had one of the most talked about shows this season. It was part 2 of their three season trilogy and it was titled "The Remaining". The music was powerful and fast at times. These segments featured the band doing fast drill moves and transitions, reminiscent of their drill designs earlier in the decade. The slower portions of this show were intriguing and down right eerie. This show drew the audience in and just held them right through the end. The whole premise seemed to be foreshadowing some apocalyptic event. While the guard had typically been the sole performers to do a little acting in a show during this time period, the band joined in this time. It was a hint of what was to come in future years; ie the band members would have to help sell the theme almost as much as the guard. There was a segment where the band was crawling on the field like they were trying desperately to reach someone. At one point the band looked like they were either dying or had become zombies. Then during the end, the band got back on the ground and started crawling on the field like they were desperately trying to escape something until stopping, like they were dead. Then a white tarp is brought onto the field during a very quiet and somber moment in the music. A child (a girl) then pops out of the tarp and runs to the back of the field. Then human figures emerge from the tarp (I guess they were the remaining), while the band is off the sides of the tarp playing dead. It was a cool ending. This show was unique, a bit ahead of its time and just plain awesome. Amidst all of the theatrics, this was a really well performed/well played show. They won music performance and were second in music effect by a mere three tenths of a point behind BA. Had Broken Arrow not happened, Bell would have been a worthy Grand National champ this year. If I had to vote for the best GN finals performance not to have won the title this decade, it would be 2006 LD Bell.
Kennesaw Mountain (GA) also rose to the occasion in finals. I thought their performance was better than their second place finish in 04; just stronger competition this year. Their show was titled "Stages". Vocal narration walked us through the stages of growing up from a small child to adult. The music and visuals aided in telling the story. This continued the KM trend from their first three GN appearances where their theme had a rather childlike simplicity to them. The music and visuals were anything but simple. This was a brilliantly arranged/designed show played incredibly well. KM was second in visual performance (just a tenth behind bell). During the first half of the show, some band members had yellow sashes around their jackets, some had blue, some had red and some had green. The whole color variations were played up in the drill design. They shed these by the end of the show and were all black and white. They then formed a Chinese Star at the end of the show. I then realized that all of the colors that appeared in their show are the standard colors in Chinese checkers. This show had potential future Grand National champ all over it and is why I consider them one of the best bands to have competed at Grand Nationals without ever winning the title. Kennesaw Mountain would return to Grand Nationals and make finals every other year into the mid 2010s.
After delivering a phenomenal performance in semi finals, The Woodlands (TX) were the unlucky ones to have to go first in finals. They also had some audio issues with their microphones that put off a lot of static at times. I think for these two reasons, they just did not give as strong a performance in finals as what they had done in semis and ended up finishing 4th. Their show was titled "Hide and Seek". It had a ton of whimsy, with guard members really playing off the hide and seek theme. Several large tree props gave band opportunities to hide. This was another show that had a child like simplicity to the theme, but the music and drill were definitely not simple. Big shout out to the brass in this show. Also, they showed how you make a straight diagonal line. This would be a feature I noticed in many of their future shows. I think The Woodlands turned a lot of heads this season.
Placing 5th in finals, their first appearance back in the top five since 2000, was Tarpon Springs (FL) with their show "Every Passion Has Its Destiny". The story followed the inner thoughts of a long distance runner as he is running in a race. They transformed the field into a track and actually had a guy running around the track during the entire show. It was not just the runner who got a workout during this show, the band had some pretty fast and complex drill moves. This band obviously had to do a lot of conditioning, especially considering they were still able to play so well. I felt their drill designs had a bit of a DCI quality to them. The runner even timed it to cross the finish line at the end of the show. In this era of bands seeming to get larger and larger, it was great to see a small band like Tarpon right up there with the big bands. This was the last time Tarpon attended back to back Grand Nationals. They would attend every other year from here on out.
Lawrence Central (IN) ended being the top placing Midwest band in finals, finishing 6th. Their show "One Hand, One Heart" was a modern take on West Side Story. West Side Story was a highly popular show during the 80s and early 90s, the early years of theme based shows. I absolutely loved the way Lawrence gave this a modern makeover with the music arrangement and visual design. Costuming of the band was not entirely new (Union did it in 94 and 95 and Ooltewah had done it several times this decade (can't remember which season the band dressed in skeleton costumes)). This year, Lawrence Central ditched the military uniforms and had the band in attire more fitting the theme. While I thought it looked good from high up, there were obvious fitting issues when viewing the band close up. It would be another decade before band costuming would really take hold, although uniform styles had been becoming increasingly more artistically designed. Despite the baggy pants, Lawrence Central had a crisp and clean marching style that earned them the visual performance award. Also giving a shout out to the strong color guard performance.
Avon (IN) was actually runner up in semi finals but dropped to 7th place in finals. I just don't think they gave as strong a performance in finals. Don't get me wrong, it was still good. Their show was simply titled "Push". Throughout the drill there was evidence of the band being pushed by some type of a force. The band members were also pushing on each other at times and even did push ups during a segment. What I liked about this show, and most Avon shows during this time period, was that they did not have a lot of frills, just powerful music, interesting and fast at times drill and a world class color guard. This was the third consecutive year that Avon placed in the top three in semi finals but failed to do so in finals. Whatever issue they were having in finals, they fixed it by 07. As of 2019, they have not placed out of the top three in finals again; amazing.
After their performance in St Louis, I thought Carmel (IN) was on their way to another GN title. They seemed to lose momentum during the last few weeks of the season. Perhaps too much late season long distance travel and adverse weather conditions for outdoor rehearsals in late October/early November? They ended up finishing 8th in finals. Since 1999, this is the only year that Carmel has not had a top five finish in finals. They also get the dubious distinction of having the lowest placement for a band that attended nationals the year after their GN win. Of course, seeing as they almost scored 92 points, this should be taken with a grain of salt. I actually loved Carmel's show this season. "Revolution" tackled music of the Beatles. You could also see a ton of things revolving in the drill, like a globe at one point.
I was very impressed by how Plymouth-Canton (MI) pulled things together at nationals and finished 9th in finals. They had an ambitious show, their director did not attend nationals because his wife was due to have a baby at any time and the outdoor practice conditions in Michigan that fall were horrendous; perhaps one reason they won the Esprit de Corps award this year. Their show "The Passion Within" was about finding one's artistic self. It featured an artist, a dancer and a musician. A vocalist and a violin solo featured heavily throughout the show and of course there was a lot of modern dance from the guard. One of the cleanest PCEP shows from a visual standpoint I had seen in years, they actually came in second in visual performance.
In 10th place was Winston Churchill (TX) with their show "Deception of Perception". The premise was in deceiving the audience. For instance, during the beginning there were horns standing on podiums up front. I was waiting to hear some horn features, when suddenly they took off their uniforms to reveal that they were actually guard. The end of the show then had a recording of Chuck Henson, making us think the show was over. The band then stopped turned and played a little more, then the actual Chuck announced the end of the show. Of course aside from these antics was a solid performance. This was Winston Churchill's fourth and last appearance in finals. A few attempts in later years would see them in semi finals but not finals. Although still quite good, future years would see Churchill drop in placement at BOA Texas regionals; just not competing at the level of their mid 90s to mid 2000 glory days.
Contrary to what I have heard many people say, Marian Catholic (IL) deserved to be in finals this year. Their performance in semi finals was definitely good enough for them to make it. Their show was rather unique and a bit of a risk. Their show was "VARIATIONS! A Concert for Young People". It featured was a vocal narrator who walked us through what was being done musically; kind of a class in music theory. Visually, the band kept half of the band in white pants and the other half in black like they did in 05. In finals, there was some audio problems with the narrator (a lot of audio issues at nationals this year), mainly it was hard to hear him. So this and the fact that I just don't think they gave as strong a performance as they could have in finals were the issues; don't get me wrong there was still some crazy difficult moments in the music. So this show did not seem to resonate with the finals audience and judges. Their 11th place finish would be their lowest placement at nationals of the decade.
After what had happened to them at San Antonio this year, I was kind of rooting for James Bowie HS, from Austin, TX. This band wanted to redeem themselves and that they did as they made GN finals in their first trip to nationals. They nabbed the 12th spot in semis and then placed 12th in finals. Their show "The Music of the Night" had some Broadway music in it and concluded with the Phantom of the Opera piece. Bowie was not so much about visual frills as much as they about the music. It was their music that sold this show. It turns out this would not be the last time that a band would fail to make finals in San Antonio, then come to nationals and make finals.
Getting the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals was Centerville (OH). Let me just say, I wholeheartedly disagreed with this. Centerville had a strong show and should have been in. Like I said, the semi finals judging was all over the place. Center Grove (IN) was 14th. They were having a rough season but did well at nationals, just not quite well enough. Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) was 15th, the closest they would ever get to finals. Ben Davis (IN) was 16th. West Johnston (NC) was 17th, it had been over a decade since a North Carolina band placed so high at nationals. Lake Park (IL) was 18th, Castle (IN) was 19th; making six Indiana bands in the top 20 again this year. Rounding out the top 20 was Upland (CA) in 20th.
The top four bands:
2006 Broken Arrow - Finals
2006 LD Bell - Finals - NOTE: The video on You Tube appears to have been recorded over the 2005 show. At the beginning you can hear the start of the 2005 show, then at the end you can hear the finish of the 2005 show. Unfortunately, it distracts a bit from the 2006 ending.
2006 Kennesaw Mountain - Finals
2006 The Woodlands - Semi Finals
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 27, 2020 11:10:41 GMT -6
...2007 SEASON REVIEW...
Looking back at this decade in hindsight, you would have thought the way things were trending earlier in the decade that props would be larger and more widely used by 2007. That was not actually the case. Yes there were still bands using props, but a good majority of those bands using props were using smaller props. There were also a lot of bands that were simply not using props at all. My theory is that very high gas prices and a weak economy were the culprits; the purchase/construction of props and transporting them were costly.
BOA expanded the number of regionals to 16 this season, which included three super regionals. The season started Sep 22nd in Oxford, OH. Lawrence Central (IN) came away with the win and took all highest achievement awards with Centerville (OH) in 2nd place and Center Grove (IN) in 3rd. The next weekend featured the Ypsilanti, MI regional. Plymouth-Canton (MI) won the regional, with every judge having them first. Lincoln-Way East (IL) finished 2nd at this regional for the second year in a row and Reeths-Puffer (MI) followed close behind in 3rd. The first weekend of October featured three regionals. The Clarksville, TN regional featured a bit of a surprise. Adair County (KY) won the regional. While Adair had won their class at BOA regionals numerous times, this was the first and only time they outright won a regional. This marked the first time since 1996 Northwestern Lehigh's win that a Class A band won a regional. So far, it has been the last time. Adair also walked away with visual and GE. In a close 2nd by less than a point and winner of the music award was Castle (IN); who was actually favored to win this regional. In a respectable 3rd was Daviess County (KY). At the Pearland, TX regional, Stephen F Austin (TX) won and took visual. This was their first regional title since 2004. Winston Churchill was a point down in 2nd nad took GE. James Bowie (TX) was a very close 3rd and won music. In 4th was Clear Brook (TX) with Ronald Reagan (TX) in a surprise 5th place. At the Youngstown, OH regional, Central Crossing (OH) edged out Kiski Area (PA) for the win. The mid 2000s were a strong period for Central Crossing. This was their first and only BOA regional title. Very close behind Kiski in 3rd was Jenison (MI).
October 13, 2007 also featured three BOA regionals. At Arlington, TX, Marcus (TX) sustained an eight tenth point penalty but still won and took all of the highest achievement awards. This was the first regional title for Marcus. LD Bell (TX) was 2nd and tied Marcus for visual. In a very respectable 3rd was Richland (TX). BOA decided to go to El Paso, TX for the first time this year. El Paso was won by Rampart (CO). This was their first and only BOA regional title and the first and only regional title for a Colorado band. In 2nd was another Colorado band, Air Academy (CO). Mayfield (NM) was a close 3rd and the band I thought would win, Coronado (TX) was 4th. As of 2019, this marks the last time that a non Texas band has won a BOA regional within the state of Texas. The other regional this weekend was St Petersburg, FL. This was a heated competition at the top with Kennesaw Mountain (GA) winning by a mere 0.15 points over 2nd place Tarpon Springs (FL). An up and coming band by the name of Wando (SC) was 3rd. At the St Louis Super Regional, Broken Arrow (OK) dominated with every judge having them in 1st place. This was BA's first regional title since 1999. As of the end of 2019, they have won every single regional they have participated in since; amazing. After their fourth place finish at the Oxford regional, Prospect (IL) had a very strong showing in St Louis and ended up in 2nd. Not too far behind was Rosemount (MN) in 3rd. Although they wound up 11th in finals, Blue Springs (MO), an up and coming band at the time, was third in prelims. The Towson, MD regional was the same weekend as St Louis. Kiski Area (PA) redeemed themselves a bit from Youngstown and won the regional title. Their in-state rival Norwin (PA) was 2nd with another band on the rise, Dobyns-Bennett (TN) only 0.05 points lower in 3rd.
At the Atlanta, GA Super Regional, Carmel (IN) returned and this time won, taking visual and GE. They beat Kennesaw Mountain (GA) who was just a half point lower in 2nd. KM also took music. A couple points down in 3rd was Tarpon Springs (FL). Center Grove (IN) was a respectable 4th. At the Hempstead, NY regional, an all day rain caused the cancellation of finals. So the results were based on prelims. Lassiter (GA) was head and shoulders above the rest of the bands and won by nearly 7 points. South Brunswick (NJ) was 2nd, the closest they ever got to a regional win. Westminster (MD) was 3rd with King Phillip Regional (MA) in 4th.
The San Antonio, TX Super Regional was attended by a whopping 55 bands; 14 were advanced to finals (all Texas bands). Marcus (TX) won, their first win at San Antonio. They broke the regional score record at the time, earning a 96.20 points. They also took all highest achievement awards. Their show "Botanika" had a garden theme, with some tree props and even a lady bug prop. It was the music that really blew the competition away. Very difficult music made to sound easy. Their ensemble sound was also amazingly good. Many considered this show the best BOA regional performance to date. One of their song selections was Make Our Garden Grow from Candide. I did not think any band would ever come close to Marian Catholic's 1988 GN winning performance of that song, then came 2007 Marcus. It may have actually been a little better. While they did not have as difficult a visual package as the other top bands, they were insanely clean. This was definitely a head turning performance. In 2nd, with a 94.8 was LD Bell (TX). The Woodlands (TX) was a strong 3rd with Winston Churchill (TX) in 4th. Somewhat a shame that Winston Churchill could not attend nationals this season. Their show Letters Home was one of my favorite Churchill shows. After coming close to not making finals, Ronald Reagan (TX) bounced back and landed in 5th in finals. Richland (TX) and James Bowie (TX) were just fractions of a point down in 6th and 7th place, with Bowie redeeming themselves after failing to make finals the previous season.
Also the weekend of San Antonio was Indianapolis, IN and Flagstaff, AZ. At Indy, Carmel (IN) edged out Avon (IN) for the win. Carmel took visual and GE while Avon took music. Only a couple points down in 3rd was Center Grove (IN), their best finish at this regional in several years. Marian Catholic (IL) was 4th with Lawrence Central (IN) in 5th. At Flagstaff, AZ the outcome was a bit of a surprise. Sierra Vista (NV) won the regional, their first and only BOA regional title. This was also the first and so far only regional win for a Nevada band. In fact, Sierra Vista would never even come close to another regional title, talk about a Cinderella moment. Vista Murrieta (CA) was 2nd at this regional and Upland (CA), the band favored to win, was 3rd. Finally, the last regional of the season, a week before nationals, was Monterey Park (CA). Ayala (CA) was very strong and won the regional with every judge having them in first. Upland (CA) was nearly three points down in 2nd with William S Hart (CA) in 3rd.
The 2007 Band of America Grand Nationals was attended by 85 bands, 33 were selected for Semi Finals. The roster indicated that this was going to be a highly competitive Grand Nationals with 6 strong Texas bands in attendance. Nationals was two whole weeks after the big Indy and San Antonio regionals. A lot can happen in two weeks, so I had no clear favorite as to who would win the title. Carmel had the most success on the regional level but Avon was right on their heels. Bell and The Woodlands were potential contenders as was the defending GN champ Broken Arrow. In Semi Finals, LD Bell (TX) gave an extraordinary performance and won the Class AAA title (their first and only GN class title). Bell actually broke the record high score set by Lassiter 9 years earlier (and they broke it even with receiving a .1 point penalty). Bell also took music and GE in 3A. Avon (IN) was 2nd in 3A and took visual while Carmel (IN) was 3rd in 3A. Marian Catholic (IL) dropped back down the Class AA this season. They had not been a Class AA band since 1998. This year actually marked the beginning of a steady trend in declining enrollment at Marian Catholic HS. Marian swept the 2A highest achievement awards. Bellbrook (OH) bounced back from a disappointing 06 season and came in 2nd in 2A. Reeths-Puffer (MI) was 3rd in 3A. Adair County (KY) won the Class A title (their second time winning it) and swept the highest achievement awards. They ended up finishing 21st in semi finals too. Fred J Page (TN) was 2nd in 1A, the closest they would get to a GN class title and Bourbon County (KY) was 3rd in 1A. So upon conclusion of semi finals, LD Bell was the favorite to take home the eagle. When the order of the finalists bands had been announced, Bell did not draw the 1st slot, but they did draw the 2nd slot. The previous two seasons the winner of semi finals (both Texas bands) were the first band to perform in finals and failed to win the title. So I had concerns Bell would suffer the same fate.
Well as it turned out, LD Bell (TX) delivered a strong show and ended up winning the Grand National title; their first and only title and so far the only title for a Dallas-Fort Worth area band. Their show "Transcendents" was part three in their trilogy. Their musical selections included; Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom by Sergei Rachmaninoff; Long, Long, Time Ago from Pan's Labyrinth by Javier Navarrete; Variations for Winds, Strings, and Percussion by Steve Reich; Lux Aurumque: Light of Gold by Eric Whitacre; The Engulfed Cathedral by Claude Debussy; and an original composition by Donald Hill and Bret Kuhn. This was not only an iconic LD Bell show, this was an icon BOA show. The little girl seen at the end of their 06 show featured heavily in this show; she even had a few vocal solos. Standing by her side as she walked around the field was a tall eerie figure cloaked in yellow fabric. Their pre show was actually the start of the show and it was timed perfectly with Chuck's intro. The show had amazing flow and was brilliantly arranged, with the multiple song selections seamlessly blended together. A solid and emotional music performance was balanced with clean visuals (it was the cleanest visual execution I had seen from Bell at the time). Also have to mention the phenomenal flag work by the guard (you could see Wes Cartwright's touch in this show). Bell had come a long way since San Antonio. During the ending of the show, the band disappeared under multiple pieces of yellow fabric. The music of Pan's Labyrinth is then heard as the girl and the tall figure wander around the field as if transported to a new world. The girl then disappears in the guard. The audience thought the show was done but then like magic, the girl and the tall figure emerge in all white, as though they have transcended to this new world. The girl slowly skipped off to the end zone as the show finally came to an end. This probably made the history books as the longest period in a show where the band was not playing. Although Bell did not score as high as they did in semi finals (I think they would have had a higher score if they had performed in a later time slot), they took the music and GE awards.
After failing to finish in the top three in finals the previous three seasons, despite getting top three finishes in semi finals, Avon (IN) lived up to their potential in finals this year and placed 2nd. In finals, I was thinking that they were the one band that could possibly beat Bell. They had also walked away with their 5th consecutive Indiana Class A State title this season. Their show was titled "Requiem: Against the Clock". Tall grandfather clock props and various musical and visual nuances echoed the idea of a clock. The music in this show was powerful and brilliant and had a large and amazing percussion section. Avon really attacked the difficult music and visuals. Their marching execution earned them the visual performance award in finals. Throughout the show, I also found myself drawn to the color guard. There was such a DCI esqe quality to them. During the ending of the show, the clock props are moved forward as the band forms a large cross on the field. It had a huge impact. Avon actually only scored .1 lower than Bell in music effect. Had the music individual judge not given them such a low score, Avon would have been neck and neck with Bell (they were 2nd by .6 points).
Carmel (IN) bounced back from their eighth place finish on 06 and placed 3rd in finals. Their show was simply titled "Boundaries" and featured original music by their director Richard Saucedo. The whole idea of a defined boundary showed itself throughout the drill. The band also moved their bodies extensively throughout the show; very on par with visual trends. At one point the band pulled out kazoos (yes kazoos) and played them. It actually came across really well. One section of the band that I kept focusing on was the snare drummers. Despite the size of the band, they only had four snare drummers; looked like perhaps they were missing one; maybe? Those four snare drummers were amazing as was the drum line as a whole.
This was the only time that The Woodlands (TX) attended back-to-back Grand Nationals. They again placed 4th. While last year they gave us a game of hide and seek, this year they gave us a game with numbers. Their show was titled "Sequenza" and utilized the game of sudoku in its design/concept. Several tarps with numbers on them were on the field; numbers of course factored heavily in the design. This was certainly a unique show concept. The one thing that was not a game was their performance; really solid. While The Woodlands were known for impressive brass, I believe this show had some really good saxophone features as well. After this season, The Woodlands went back to attending Grand Nationals every other year. That is how they went from attending only even years to attending only odd years.
I was a little on the fence about Marian Catholi's (IL) show this season until nationals hit. Marian really delivered the goods, especially in finals where they edged out BA by a mere 0.05 points for 5th place. This show hit its peak right in GN finals and turned out to be an enjoyable and amazing performance. Their show was titled "Secret Storm" and featured music by John Mackey. The delivery of the music certainly echoed that of a storm; no need for a bunch of frills as the music brilliantly told the story. They utilized a lot of unique instrumentation in the pit which created a whole bunch of piercing sounds and at times unique sounding music. They also had an amazing flute quartet.
While I am sure their 2006 show was a hard act to follow, Broken Arrow (OK) managed another brilliant show theme/design with their show "Phantasy" and placed 6th. They too timed the beginning of their show with the announcement. This show flowed so well and really struck a connection with the audience. During the ending the band started in the back corner of the field and then gradually come to the ground as they formed a procession across the field. Its was a very dramatic ending to this amazing show. I was actually surprised by their sixth place finish. Had it not been for a low score by one of the music effect judges, this show would have placed higher.
This was easily Plymouth-Canton's (MI) best season since 2001 and their 7th place finish in finals was their highest placement at GN since 2001. Their show "Out of the Shadows" was somewhat minimal in terms of frills like most other PCEP shows. They did have several large black panels that the band hid behind at times and then emerged from; ie coming out of the shadows. What sold this show was the challenging music and visual design; loud and powerful at times. Their visual execution was quite good. In finals they just had a few tuning issues here and there which kept them out of the top 6. This season had PCEP talking about a near future return to being a GN champion contender; a prediction that unfortunately did not come to fruition.
Returning to GN for the third time was Stephen F Austin (TX) who placed 8th. Their show was titled "Mass: A Piece for Dancers and Players". This show played musical selections from Berstein's Mass. The show theme fit this band as the Angels Dance Team (again no traditional guard) served as the dancers. While their musical selections had been widely played by many bands over the years, they still delivered a strong and enjoyable music presentation. At one whimsical point in the show, one of the dancers comes onto the field with a flag (on the flag is the word flag); perhaps a bit of sarcasm for the fact that they often got dissed for not having a traditional color guard.
In 9th place was Richland (TX) with their show "!Show". The premise of the show was from a student perspective; defining the quality and things important to their generation; generation Y. I absolutely loved the music in this show. One reason was for all of the interesting percussion features. At one point, there was a drum line feature where the band performed complex drill; it was to me a bit of a throwback to the old marching band shows of the 1980s; I loved it. This was Richland's second and last appearance in Grand National finals. Their director Bill Watson left the program around 2010 and I just don't think they were the same since. Although they have maintained a strong program this decade, their success has not matched those of their glory years of the 2000s.
Despite their regional win early in the season, this year proved to be a bit bumpy for Lawrence Central. They had a very patriotic show this season titled "We Shall...Unite, Commemorate, Honor, Overcome", playing some American classics like Amber Waves and Star Spangled Overture. While the show was not quite as polished as in previous years, they brought it up to the level needed to make finals this season. They actually edged into finals by placing 12th in semi finals. They then delivered a strong performance in finals to finish 10th.
After a relative rough 06 season, Center Grove (IN) was having a strong season this year. Their show "Malum" had some unique music and visual designs. This is one of those shows that I have not seen it many years, but I remember really enjoying the performance. Their music performance scores held them back a bit, resulting in an 11th place finish in finals.
Harrison HS from Kennesaw, GA made finals for the very first time this season in their first trip to GN. Now Harrison had already been a regional finalist for several years and had won a couple regional titles by this time. Their regional wins were not highly competitive regionals and they had not really beaten any of the big name bands. Taking into consideration that this was a highly competitive Grand Nationals and the fact that just a few weeks earlier at the Atlanta regional Harrison had placed 8th, most did not have Harrison on the list as potential GN finalist; semi finalist yes but not finalist. It was a huge shock when they were announced as a finalist. In fact, they actually finished 9th in semi finals to earn a spot in finals. They put forth the best show they had ever done at the time; especially from a music standpoint. Although they placed 12th in finals; their show "Luna Sonare" was still very strong in finals. This seemed to mark a turning point in Harrison as in subsequent seasons they became a much stronger band. This would also not be their only GN finals appearance. Placing in the unlucky number 13th spot for the second year in row was Centerville (OH) with their show "Wired". While stylistically a bit different from the Centerville we were most familiar with, this was still an awesome show. Like last year, I thought they deserved a spot in finals. After their performance at the CA regional, Ayala (CA) had to settle for 14th even though they had a much stronger show than their 04 finals show. It was the visual performance judges who really kept them out of finals. After their 4th place finish at the Towson, MD regional, West Johnston (NC) delivered a strong show at nationals and wound up 15th place, their highest finish ever at nationals. Perhaps one of the most surprising things at nationals this season was that Ronald Reagan (TX), the band who almost took home the eagle two years earlier, did not make finals. In fact they finished 16th. After their finals performance in San Antonio, I thought they would be in, but they just did not have their best show in semi finals. Reagan had also lost their director and some key staff after the 06 season, so they had some challenges this season and several more to follow. Clear Brook (TX) placed 17th. This was their only trip to Grand Nationals. Clear Brook is one of those Texas bands that have been quite good for some time but they kind of get overlooked being in a state with so many strong programs. Rounding out the top 20 were Ben Davis (IN) in 18th, Bellbrook (OH) in 19th and Lake Central (IN) in 20th.
The top three shows:
2007 LD Bell - Finals
2007 Avon (ISSMA Performance) yes GN was better
2007 Carmel - Finals (camera angle is not ideal)
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 4, 2020 10:59:11 GMT -6
...2008 SEASON REVIEW...
This year marked the first year of the new Lucas Oil Stadium. I will admit, it was sad to see the old Hoosier/RCA Dome go; a lot of BOA memories in that stadium. Lucas Oil Stadium not only became the home of Bands of America Grand Nationals but it also served as the home of the DCI World Championships and of course the ISSMA State Championships, making Indianapolis a marching arts meca. The new stadium took marching band/drum corps into consideration in its design. It even featured a black panel that dropped down over the back field stands, allowing better focus of the band on the field. I guess there were some complaints from certain sections of the stadium with respect to acoustics. Another thing 2008 was notable for was the financial recession. This not only affected many band programs across the country, but it also impacted MFA/BOA. I do not know the full story, but when Chuck Henson was featured on the MFA/BOA website asking for charitable donations to help support MFA, I had a feeling there were likely some pretty big financial problems. Luckily the organization came through them.
There were 15 regionals scheduled this season (including three super regionals) and a special BOA event. It was becoming almost routine that every year one of the Northeast regionals would be impacted by rain. This year it was the Doylestown, PA regional which had to be completely cancelled due to an all day heavy rain. The season started Sep 20th at Centerville, OH. It was very fitting that Centerville (OH) won this regional. It was their first regional win since 05. Center Grove (IN) was a couple points down in 2nd and Norwell (IN) was 3rd, their highest finish at a BOA regional. The next weekend was the Massillon, OH regional. Harrison (GA) won this regional, beating 2nd place Norwin (PA) by over three and a half points. Rock Hill (SC) was 3rd with Lake Park (IL) 4th. Also this weekend was a special event at the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium called Sound Check at Lucas Oil. This event was essentially designed to test out the new stadium (particularly with respect to sound and microphone placement) before the big competitions later in the season. This event was a competitive event, it just did not have a prelims and finals format. Since it was judges and scored, I count this as a regional. The top three Indiana bands all scored within fractions of a point of each other. Lawrence Central was 1st, Avon 2nd, and Carmel 3rd. Most of the participants at this event were Indiana bands, including Western. This was Western's first BOA event since 1991.
The first weekend in October featured two regionals; Arlington, TX and Murray, KY. At Arlington, Marcus (TX) won. Cedar Park (TX) was 2nd but just less than a point lower than Marcus. Hebron (TX) was a strong 3rd with LV Berkner (TX) 4th. At Murray, Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) won and swept the highest achievement awards. This was Dunbar's third and last regional title. Adair County (KY) came in a strong 2nd with Ooltewah (TN) in 3rd. The second weekend of October featured three regionals. In Orlando, FL Tarpon Springs (FL) won. A bit of a surprise this season was that they were now in Class AAA. This was the first of four years where Tarpon was a Class 3A band. In 2nd at this regional was Wando (SC). Several points down in 3rd was Seminole (FL). At the Pearland (TX) regional there was one band that was clearly above the rest and that was LD Bell (TX) who won by over three points. The Woodlands (TX) was a solid 2nd with Stephen F Austin (TX), Winston Churchill (TX) and Clear Brook (TX) neck and neck in 3rd, 4th and 5th. The Ypsilanti, MI regional had some pretty big surprises. Reeths-Puffer (MI) placed 1st, swept the highest achievement awards and won by nearly 4 points. This was the first and only regional title for Reeths-Puffer. Central Crossing (OH) was 2nd and another surprise was DeKalb (IN) in 3rd. The biggest surprise at this regional was probably Plymouth-Canton (MI) placing way down in 6th.
The St Louis Super Regional was won by Broken Arrow (OK) who had every judge placing them first and won by nearly three and a half points. Marian Catholic (IL) was a strong 2nd with Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) trailing by a mere two tenths of a point in 3rd. The same weekend as St Louis was Towson, MD. It was very close with the top three bands at this regional. West Johnston (NC) won, edging out Westminster (MD) in 2nd and Kiski Area (PA) in 3rd. This was the first and only regional title for West Johnston. In fact, they became the first North Carolina band to win a BOA regional since Rocky Mount way back in 1987. As of the end of 2019, a North Carolina band has not won a regional since. The Las Vegas, NV regional turned out to be fairly competitive at the top. American Fork (UT) ended up winning. This was their first of what would end up being several regional titles. It was also the first time since Mountain Crest way back in 1986 that a Utah band won a BOA regional. The band that was favored to win, Owasso (OK) came in 2nd.
The Atlanta Super Regional turned out to be a battle between two of the top Georgia bands of the day (no Lassiter at this regional). Kennesaw Mountain (GA) won and took GE. This was KM's fifth regional title. Harrison (GA) was a close 2nd and took visual. In 3rd place was Lafayette (LA). Lafayette gave a strong performance and took music performance. The same weekend as Atlanta was the San Antonio Super Regional. 51 bands attended with 14 in semi finals (again all Texas bands). LD Bell (TX) walked away with the Super Regional title. They won all of the highest achievement awards. In a relatively close 2nd was Marcus (TX) who tied Bell in music performance. Marcus's show was titled "Gods and Goddesses". I thought they stepped the visual difficulty up a touch from last season and had another strong show. In 3rd was Cedar Park (TX). This was perhaps the best season of the decade for Cedar Park and one of my favorite shows from this band. Their show was titled "On Edge" and featured some amazing performances of Copland and Barber. I really wished they had attended nationals this season. The rest of the top 6, all of whom were of course strong, included James Bowie in 4th, Winston Churchill in 5th and Stephen F Austin in 6th. I am not sure why but The Woodlands did not attend this regional, which was a bummer.
The weekend before nationals, Nov 8th, was the Monterey Park, CA regional. Ayala (CA) was the winner with Vista Murrieta (CA) in 2nd followed closely by Upland (CA) in 3rd. Also this weekend was the Indianapolis, IN regional. For those of us that based our Grand Nationals predictions on the outcome of this regional, we were dead wrong. The outcome at nationals was a bit different than the results at this regional. This regional had four bands somewhat head and shoulders above the rest. Lawrence Central (IN) won the regional and they swept the highest achievement awards. Avon (IN) was 2nd, Carmel (IN) was 3rd and Marian Catholic (IL) was 4th.
The 2008 Bands of America Grand Nationals, again the first GN to be held in Lucas Oil Stadium, was attended by 92 bands. There were 33 bands in Semi Finals. Unlike the previous few years, the competition was not quite as deep at this Grand Nationals in terms of potential GN finalist bands. The competition at the top was however pretty competitive. Turns out the top 4 bands broke 96 points in both semi finals and finals. This was also a year were several bands did much better at GN than anticipated after some disappointments earlier in the season. It actually added to the excitement a bit. Heading into this nationals, I really thought that LD Bell was going to take home the eagle again. They were having a stronger season than in 07. Lawrence Central was of course being talked about as a potential GN champ too as they were also really strong this season. Upon conclusion of semi finals, it was Avon (IN) who actually walked away with the Class AAA title and won visual and GE in 3A. Lawrence Central (IN) was 2nd in 3A and LD Bell (TX) was a surprise 3rd in 3A and took music. Marian Catholic (IL) walked away with the Class AA title and swept the 2A highest achievement awards. They ended up a whopping 20 placements and over 15 points higher than Kiski Area (PA) who was 2nd in 2A. Turns out Marian actually placed third overall (ahead of Bell) in Semi Finals. Bellbrook (OH) was 3rd in 2A. With Adair not attending this season, the Class A seemed pretty wide open. Bourbon County (KY) was one of the favorites and they ended up winning and taking music and visual. This was Bourbon's first GN Class A title. Father Ryan (TN) finished 2nd in 1A and took GE, while Beechwood (KY) was 3rd. So after Semi Finals, yes Avon was obviously now in the mix for a potential GN title along with Lawrence Central and LD Bell. One point about this group of finalists is that they had one of the largest point separations between 1st and 12th place in the last 20 years of GN finals. I felt that the judges were perhaps a bit overly generous at the top. Don't get me wrong, the top placing bands were very good, I just think the judges were a little too high, and perhaps too low for the bottom placing bands in finals.
This seemed like it was going to be a disappointing season for Avon (IN) after they failed to win the Indiana Class A State Title (they had won it every year since 2003) and then they came in 2nd again to Lawrence Central at the BOA Indy regional. Avon had a pretty complex show which I think just took some time to get a little more polished. They cleaned it up quite a bit by nationals and the result was that they won the Grand National title, their first time winning it. Their show was titled Mass -IV -e and featured the following musical Selections; Critical Mass ("La Fiesta Mexicana" by H. Owen Reed and "Symphony of Psalms" by Igor Stravinsky); Weapons of Mass Destruction ("Ave Maria" byJ.S. Bach); Mass Media ("God Said" by Leonard Bernstein); Mass Exodus ("Organ Symphony Mvt. III" by Aaron Copland). So the show was essentially in four parts with each part reflecting a different way the term 'mass' could be used. After a slow French Horn feature that opened the show, it was off to the races. Notes, drill moves, flags, rifles, and sabers were all flying. Aside from the slow section where they played Ave Maria (which featured a beautiful vocal by the way), this show seemed to never stop. It was full blown high energy and high power. During the ballad, the entire guard switched to rifles. This was very unique as usually guards used flags during their ballads. What was really awesome what how good the rifles were and how well they added to the visual. The clicking of the rifles when they landed in their hands was also timed well with the music. During the whimsical mass media section, banners and flags with interesting quotes appeared throughout. I really kept my eyes on the band because they were really solid visually during this section. The ending of the show, "Mass Exodus", featured a band member, one by one, run off the field, until all of a sudden the entire band except for the drum line and I believe some guard were left on the field. This section also included some loud organ music. I personally thought this show just got better and better as the it went on. I think by the ending it was pretty clear that Avon was going to win. They simply had no weakness in this show. Solid brass/winds, awesome percussion and guard and well executed and difficult drill. The visual ensemble judge gave them a perfect score, the first ever in BOA. They ended up winning GE and tied for visual. They scored a 97.75 which is the highest score of the decade. That score was the highest BOA score ever until broken by Hebron in Semi Finals in 2015.
One of the reasons that the scores at the top may have been high is that LD Bell (TX) went early in finals and put forth a really strong show. The judges scored them pretty high, so when the other top bands did really well, they too had to get high marks. LD Bell ended up finishing 2nd in finals. Their show was titled "The Quest". I found the music in this show really interesting. It helped that Bell gave such a solid music performance. I was surprised they did not win the music performance award (they were actually third). They were however second in music effect. You could kind of feel that the band was embarking on a quest, the music seemed to have a movie soundtrack feel. Bell was also brilliant at packing emotion into their music performance. The visuals also flowed very smoothly. If Avon had not happened, this show certainly would have been a worthy GN champion performance.
Much like in 04, after a relatively rough season the prior year, Lawrence Central (IN) came in really strong this season. Not only did they win the Indy regional, they won the Indiana Class A State Title, their first time winning this since 2000. Also like 04, they based their show on an upcoming trip. This year, they were going to be attending the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. Their show was titled "Ecosphere" and the visual design was meant to represent a canyon. The pit was on the field; half on one side and half on the other. The visual designs throughout had the essence of a canyon. What made LC such a strong competitor this season was that they were so clean and controlled. Great music was balanced by exceptionally clean marching. Their guard was also extremely clean. They ended up tying Avon for the visual performance award, somewhat fitting as these two bands had been alternating back and forth with winning this award for several years. Although they did not win like 04, Lawrence Central ended up placing 3rd.
In 4th place was Marian Catholic (IL). Marian did one of the things they are known for and that is have major improvement in the week leading into nationals. I thought this was the best Marian show since 2000/2001. Their show was titled "Cosmic Speculations". This show seemed to explore the evolution of the universe, starting with the big bang at the beginning of the show. Planets orbiting and other celestial images appeared throughout the show. Brilliant music and visual designs told the story. Their execution of the drill earned them first by the visual effect judge. Greg Bimm is given much accolades for his direction and music arranging. This show in particular illustrates how good a visual designer he is.
Leaping from eighth place in semis to 5th place in finals was Carmel (IN). Their show was titled "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". The band utilized pillow props and had several whimsical moments that included snoring sounds. I thought this show was going to be a bit kitschy, but Carmel really pulled it off. All of the pillows that were moved around on the field actually worked wonderfully in the visual design. They delivered a strong show in finals, especially from a musical standpoint. While I was a bit surprised that they won music performance (again I thought Bell would get it), I have to admit they played quite well. I am sure their percussion performance aided in that. Interesting point is that this was the first time that an Indiana band won the music performance caption going all the way back to 1981. In 1981, Northrop won brass/winds (no music performance award back then). If adding all of the components that comprised music performance in 1981, then Chesterton (IN) would have won it. Anyway, Carmel ended a pretty long drought for Indiana.
Placing 6th for the second year in a row was Broken Arrow (OK), with their show titled "The Illusion and Delusion of a Super Model'. The guard took on the roll of the super model. Another show that I thought sounded a little out there, turned out to be a pretty entertaining and a good show. As had become the case with BA, the music and visuals flowed so well throughout the show. Near the end, the band seemed to descend into the delusion aspect of the show. A recording of Chuck introducing the band gets repeated over and over until it slowly morphs into a muddled dream-like state. It was just the right touch of whimsy to end this unique show.
Since 2000, this was the only year that 7th place Tarpon Springs (FL) attended Grand Nationals and did not win a class title; they were in Class AAA this season. Even if they were in Class AA, they would not have pulled ahead of Marian this year. While their show did have a lot of tarps, the props were a bit minimal for Tarpon. The show was titled "Art at the Speed of Life". It was fitting as this small band moved extensively throughout the show; getting good coverage of the field despite their small size. What amazed me is how well they played given the amount of movement they were doing; obviously a lot of conditioning. Those who say marching band is not athletic need to watch this show. At one point the band laid on the ground during their ballad and played beautifully. The played lying on their backs better than most high school bands played standing up.
In 8th place was Kennesaw Mountain (GA) with their show "The Gift". Vocal narration walked the audience through the story. While still a very strong performance, it was not quite to the level of their previous few GN appearances. Even though "Appalachian Spring" was heard throughout the show (a BOA classic), I don't think it quite connected with the audience as much, at least not until the end. KM used the band and ribbons to turn itself into a wrapped gift by the end of the show. While the show may not have had as big of an impact (ie general effect) until the ending, I will say that it was a clean show.
After just missing finals the previous two seasons, Centerville (OH) was extremely determined to make it this year. They had a great show and did make it and ended up finishing 9th in finals. This was the first GN finals appearance for their new director, Brandon Barrometti. Their show was titled "Wild Things". Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the music and props transported us to the Australian Bush Country. While not quite the style of the Wayne Markworth days, Andrew Markworth again wrote the music. As with the previous couple years, I loved it. It included some great percussion features. At one point an ensemble group came onto the field and played Australian long horned instruments; called a didgeridoo I believe.
The last three placing bands in finals each had huge Cinderella moments at nationals this year. Ben Davis (IN) finished a disappointing tenth place at the Indiana Class A State Championships this year. They then placed 7th at the BOA Indy regional just one week before nationals. Everyone figured they would be in semi finals but not finals. This show may have developed slowly over the course of the season, but it really came together at nationals. The had a strong performance in semi finals; you could tell by the parents reaction that they performed unexpectedly well in semi finals. This earned them a spot in finals. They then finished 10th in finals. Their show was titled "Pathways". Various forms of arrows appeared throughout the visual design. The show design and the enjoyable and emotional music just seemed to really click at nationals. This was Ben Davis's sixth and last appearance in GN finals. They remained a consistent regional finalist and GN semi finalist for several more years. The latter half of this decade has seen them drop in placement, even failing to make several regional finals and GN semi finals. Their appearance in semi finals in 2019 gives me hope that we will see them placing a little higher at BOA events in the future.
This was shaping up to be a season of disappointment for Plymouth-Canton (MI). After loosing their director, Marc Whitlock after the 07 season, PCEP was really struggling this year. They had a very disappointing finish at the BOA Michigan regional and placed 3rd at the Flight 1 Michigan State Championships. This marked the first time they had lost the state title since 1993, the year they lost it due to a penalty. I was really not expecting them to make finals. They somehow pulled this show together by nationals and placed 12th in semi finals to earn a spot in finals, then finished 11th in finals. Their show was titled "Kaleidoscope". The band and props were all in black and white at the start of the show. Then throughout the show, the guard, prop panels and the plumes atop the band, changed to a variety of colors. Their closing drill design was that of an image one would get when looking into a Kaleidoscope. It was actually a pretty innovative show. From what I saw of this show early in the season, they had to have had some long and intense practice sessions to get to the level they were in finals. This appearance also marked Plymouth-Canton's 20th appearance in Grand National finals, making them the second band to reach this milestone.
Making finals for the first time this season, in their first trip to Grand Nationals, was Lafayette HS from Lafayette, LA. They became only the second Louisiana band to make GN finals. It had not been since Comeaux in 1982 that we had a Louisiana band in finals. This band was slowly improving during the course of the decade. I did not really notice them until their finals appearance in 07 at the BOA Houston area regional. They held their own in that competitive field. Then their performance this season at Atlanta also garnered my attention. Their show was titled "Wild Orchid". They were a fairly large band. While they did not have as difficult a visual package as the other finalist bands, they were clean. What really stood out with them was how well they played this show. Their music performance propelled them to a tenth place finish in semi finals and earned them a spot in finals. They then finished 12th in finals. Their show started with the band lying on the ground in the formation of a vine. They ended the show in the same position only with the guard forming orchids on the vine; pretty cool. This would end up being the first of two GN finals appearance by this Louisiana powerhouse.
The band that placed in the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals was Lake Central (IN). This ended up being the closest this band would get to making GN finals, even though some of their best seasons were yet to come. I would certainly rank Lake Central as one of the best bands who frequently participated in Grand Nationals never to have made finals. American Fork (UT), also having a strong season, finished 14th. While I loved their show this season, just not a strong enough performance landed Center Grove (IN) in 15th. Union (OK), rebounding from some rough years in the middle of the decade, was 16th. West Bloomfield (MI), relatively unknown to the BOA community outside of Michigan, was 17th. This long time band program had a brief period of success during the late 2000s/early 2010s. This season ended up being their most successful. They won the Michigan Flight 1 State Title and this 17th place finish at GN would be their highest ever. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) finished 18th. Vista Murrieta (CA) was 19th and Columbus North (IN) was 20th; their highest finish at GN. This also meant seven Indiana bands finished in the top 20.
I have not found Lawrence Central's full performance on-line. I will include Avon, Bell and Marian.
2008 Avon - Finals
2008 LD Bell - Semi Finals
2008 Marian Catholic - Finals
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Post by dbalash on Feb 4, 2020 13:09:56 GMT -6
In 4th place was Marian Catholic (IL). Marian did one of the things they are known for and that is have major improvement in the week leading into nationals. I thought this was the best Marian show since 2000/2001. Their show was titled "Cosmic Speculations". This show seemed to explore the evolution of the universe, starting with the big bang at the beginning of the show. Planets orbiting and other celestial images appeared throughout the show. Brilliant music and visual designs told the story. Their execution of the drill earned them first by the visual effect judge. Greg Bimm is given much accolades for his direction and music arranging. This show in particular illustrates how good a visual designer he is.
Absolutely love this show. There are so many little things that went into this show seeing it live multiple times that season. Prospect spanked them early season with Lincoln-Way Central not far behind, and then Lincoln-Way East beat them at ISU with my favorite Lincoln-Way show. I think Greg (and his teams) are some of the smartest music programmers as well, introducing the marching band world to some of the following over the past 20 years: - Christopher Rouse
- Peter Graham: Harrison's Dream (2002) and Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2008)
- Jeff Beal with "Pollock"
- David Lang's Are You Experienced? (2010)
- Eliot Goldenthal's Fire Water Paper (Colts did do it first in 1999, but only did the Scherzo part.)[li]
[li]John Mackey (one of the first (if not the first) to play his music in 2007.) - Max Richter (2013){/li]
[li]Earthrise by Nigel Clarke (2014) - NO one To kNOW one by Andy Akiho (2016)
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