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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Jun 25, 2020 11:34:53 GMT -6
Midwest Clinic canceled. Not looking good for marching band. A lot of us pinned hopes that this would sort of fade away in the summer, like the flu. Obviously this isn't happening. I know things are still scheduled, including ISSMA Fall events, but honestly I'll be shocked if any of these take place. I'd hate to be the director of a major program right now. What do you do? Push ahead, just in case? Or scrap your plans now, only to have everything go off as normal and watch all of your foes competing in November while you're playing "Staying Alive" and "The Theme from SWAT" at halftime shows? It's getting close to the time when directors will need to make these calls.
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Post by paddy on Jun 25, 2020 12:01:47 GMT -6
Midwest Clinic canceled. Not looking good for marching band. A lot of us pinned hopes that this would sort of fade away in the summer, like the flu. Obviously this isn't happening. I know things are still scheduled, including ISSMA Fall events, but honestly I'll be shocked if any of these take place. I'd hate to be the director of a major program right now. What do you do? Push ahead, just in case? Or scrap your plans now, only to have everything go off as normal and watch all of your foes competing in November while you're playing "Staying Alive" and "The Theme from SWAT" at halftime shows? It's getting close to the time when directors will need to make these calls. You design a show now knowing that it can be used either this year or in a future year. It may mean that you can't build it around a particularly strong soloist or group of performers, but it will be ready if you have to answer the call this year. Of course finances can be an issue. I am not any more or less pessimistic with the news about the Midwest Clinic. That is different than ISSMA marching competitions as it is indoor, with a wide attendee pool geographically, and needs certain things to happen in order to be financially viable (sponsors, vendor hall, entertaining opportunities). As I have posted on here, an organization like ISSMA would need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to give kids an outlet to compete. They aren't in it to make money (though there is money to be made) like BOA or a local booster/HS band hosting an invitational. ISSMA can limit crowds and adjust schedules to make things work if the goal is to give kids the opportunity.
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Post by marimba11 on Jun 25, 2020 12:51:00 GMT -6
I know of a few schools that have scrapped their originally planned productions and gone for something... simpler (cheaper).
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Post by principalagent on Jun 25, 2020 12:54:13 GMT -6
I know of a few schools that have scrapped their originally planned productions and gone for something... simpler (cheaper). Expect some big name schools to start announcing that they're tabling their shows or even their seasons.
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Post by Jake W. on Jun 25, 2020 13:23:19 GMT -6
While I can't even begin to predict what will happen in October/November with local marching band circuits and BOA competition at a very, very Regional level, I do think we can all safely assume that overnight trips for groups of 200-300 people will not be approved by any public school district come October & November. I know we are only just on the cusp of July, but this thing CLEARLY isn't going away tomorrow. Even if we imagine a world where positive CoViD cases have been drastically reduced by the fall, which is a best case scenario situation, I still think that puts us all into a tender, fragile world where no one wants a spike again and even the most deeply red of principals/superintendents wouldn't dream of signing off on a 2-300 student & parent overnight band trip a mere 2-3 months after the country gets control of the cases spiking. And again, that's imagining the best case scenario with this virus. Β
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Post by Allohak on Jun 25, 2020 16:12:07 GMT -6
Midwest Clinic canceled. Not looking good for marching band. Why they would do that 6 months in advance is beyond me. While current numbers aren't looking very good, there's no telling what the situation will be in December. I understand they wanted to let directors know before they start heavily planning their trips, but 6 months just seems a little excessive to me. Midwest is an _international_ conference. Coupled with being an indoor event with lots of crowds intermingling, no surprise they went ahead and closed the door on it plenty ahead.
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Post by principalagent on Jun 25, 2020 16:38:31 GMT -6
Why they would do that 6 months in advance is beyond me. While current numbers aren't looking very good, there's no telling what the situation will be in December. I understand they wanted to let directors know before they start heavily planning their trips, but 6 months just seems a little excessive to me. Midwest is an _international_ conference. Coupled with being an indoor event with lots of crowds intermingling, no surprise they went ahead and closed the door on it plenty ahead. And even though things are starting to get a little crazy now, pretty much all public health scholars agree that the fall is going to be worse.
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Post by dallasman on Jun 26, 2020 9:48:59 GMT -6
This could have all been avoided if BOA would have canceled back a couple of months ago, with the possible exception of a few late season events.
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Post by Samuel Culper on Jun 26, 2020 15:36:18 GMT -6
This could have all been avoided if BOA would have canceled back a couple of months ago, with the possible exception of a few late season events. Exactly WHAT would have been avoided?
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jun 26, 2020 15:51:48 GMT -6
This could have all been avoided if BOA would have canceled back a couple of months ago, with the possible exception of a few late season events.Β No one had a crystal ball then and we still donβt. Should we go ahead and cancel the 2021 season as well? Would that satisfy you?
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jun 28, 2020 14:04:50 GMT -6
So how about the recent chatter in Texas of having our competition season moved to the Spring? I wonder if thatβs even doable. π€ I mean technically it can be done, but realistically what would that look like? No Spring sports? No WGI for Texas groups? Freezing cold rehearsals? Is it even worth it.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Jun 28, 2020 15:41:56 GMT -6
So how about the recent chatter in Texas of having our competition season moved to the Spring? I wonder if thatβs even doable. π€ I mean technically it can be done, but realistically what would that look like? No Spring sports? No WGI for Texas groups? Freezing cold rehearsals? Is it even worth it. Seems pretty sketchy to me. Youβd be talking about starting rehearsal in the dead of winter. Seems unlikely that would be a better plan. Does it get freezing cold in Texas?
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jun 28, 2020 17:08:40 GMT -6
So how about the recent chatter in Texas of having our competition season moved to the Spring? I wonder if thatβs even doable. π€ I mean technically it can be done, but realistically what would that look like? No Spring sports? No WGI for Texas groups? Freezing cold rehearsals? Is it even worth it. Seems pretty sketchy to me. Youβd be talking about starting rehearsal in the dead of winter. Seems unlikely that would be a better plan. Does it get freezing cold in Texas? Yes believe it or not it can get pretty chilly here. And it snows from Dallas on up. I donβt know how serious they are about moving it to the Spring and I donβt see how it would work.
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Post by paddy on Jun 28, 2020 19:23:22 GMT -6
In Indiana the competition season is basically 3 months with invitationals in September and early October and 3 weeks of ISSMA over a 4 week period from mid October through early November. Practice starts basically around July 4 so it is a 6 month activity.
If you ended in early June the season would start in January with completions in April and May. Not feasible for weather and the fact that it overlaps with WGI.
You could talk about just having an ISSMA season, but no director is going to roll in to ISSMA without some type of invitational or competition under their belt. It would shorten the competition season by about 6 weeks.
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Post by secret on Jun 28, 2020 19:29:37 GMT -6
Starting marching band in the Spring would also make it conflict with many schools' concert band assessments. It will be hard for band directors to justify focusing on marching band over concert band. It's likely we don't get concert band in the fall as well.
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Post by paddy on Jun 28, 2020 20:39:26 GMT -6
Starting marching band in the Spring would also make it conflict with many schools' concert band assessments. It will be hard for band directors to justify focusing on marching band over concert band. It's likely we don't get concert band in the fall as well. Concert band is what happens in class. Marching band is extra-curricular. At least thatβs how most schools up here roll.
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Post by Allohak on Jun 28, 2020 20:52:44 GMT -6
Starting marching band in the Spring would also make it conflict with many schools' concert band assessments. It will be hard for band directors to justify focusing on marching band over concert band. It's likely we don't get concert band in the fall as well. Concert band is what happens in class. Marching band is extra-curricular. At least thatβs how most schools up here roll. This. Concert band is an all-year thing that doesn't get put on hold because marching band is also happening.
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Post by paddy on Jun 28, 2020 21:33:39 GMT -6
Concert band is what happens in class. Marching band is extra-curricular. At least thatβs how most schools up here roll. This. Concert band is an all-year thing that doesn't get put on hold because marching band is also happening. One of the ways the 8 hour rule is not really 8 hours...
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Post by dbalash on Jun 28, 2020 22:00:51 GMT -6
Concert band is what happens in class. Marching band is extra-curricular. At least thatβs how most schools up here roll. This. Concert band is an all-year thing that doesn't get put on hold because marching band is also happening. When I marched, concert band season didn't start until after Thanksgiving.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jun 28, 2020 22:32:09 GMT -6
This. Concert band is an all-year thing that doesn't get put on hold because marching band is also happening. When I marched, concert band season didn't start until after Thanksgiving. Same for me. Plus we did a Christmas parade and a Presidents Day parade we had to practice for every year. π And we marched barefoot in the snow. For five miles. Uphill both ways.
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Post by hewhowaits on Jun 29, 2020 5:21:13 GMT -6
When I marched, concert band season didn't start until after Thanksgiving. Same for me. Plus we did a Christmas parade and a Presidents Day parade we had to practice for every year. π And we marched barefoot in the snow. For five miles. Uphill both ways. The bolded part I can believe. It WAS in Tennessee, after all.
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Post by paddy on Jun 29, 2020 5:29:04 GMT -6
This. Concert band is an all-year thing that doesn't get put on hold because marching band is also happening. When I marched, concert band season didn't start until after Thanksgiving. Same here, but I marched a long time ago. Things are definitely different today at many schools. Many places have fall concerts.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Jun 29, 2020 7:24:38 GMT -6
Same for me. Plus we did a Christmas parade and a Presidents Day parade we had to practice for every year. π Β And we marched barefoot in the snow. For five miles. Uphill both ways.Β The bolded part I can believe. It WAS in Tennessee, after all.Β Yeah I didnβt own a pair of shoes til we moved to Texas. π
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Post by marimba11 on Jun 29, 2020 7:35:51 GMT -6
I highly doubt it will move to the spring, that just seems like a nightmare (also WGI would probably be upset) . If they can't have it in the fall they probably just won't have it.
it always seemed like the best bands have concert season all year round.
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Post by principalagent on Jun 29, 2020 7:57:38 GMT -6
Concert season isn't year-round in Texas and the state by far has the most Midwest invitations for high school bands.
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Post by marimba11 on Jun 29, 2020 8:05:13 GMT -6
Concert season isn't year-round in Texas and the state by far has the most Midwest invitations for high school bands. It isn't in South Carolina either. I think quality teaching is quality teaching whether it's concert class in the spring, fundamentals class in the fall... ect. Chamber work is sometimes easier in the fall if the woodwinds and brass are in their own classes.
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Post by atxbandnerd on Jun 29, 2020 8:23:38 GMT -6
Who has more pull in this whole thing? If UIL says, "We're flipflopping," does BOA follow suit? I mean, from a revenue perspective, it would make sense for them to do so. I can't imagine any band moving forward with fielding a band in the fall if football is moved to spring in Texas.
What a cluster!
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Post by marimba11 on Jun 29, 2020 8:33:58 GMT -6
Who has more pull in this whole thing? If UIL says, "We're flipflopping," does BOA follow suit? I mean, from a revenue perspective, it would make sense for them to do so. I can't imagine any band moving forward with fielding a band in the fall if football is moved to spring in Texas. What a cluster! I would imagine if UIL flipped BOA would flip
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Post by paddy on Jun 29, 2020 8:50:20 GMT -6
Concert season isn't year-round in Texas and the state by far has the most Midwest invitations for high school bands. It also has by far the most large high school band programs. Using UIL numbers Texas had 87 high schools with enrollments of at least 3,000, 15 with 4000 or more and 4 with 5,000 or more. By comparison, Indiana (the state I have the best numbers on from ISSMA) had 10 with more than 3,000, 1 with more than 4,000 and 1 with more than 5,000. Heck, there are 315 Texas high schools with enrollments 2,000+ while Indiana has 355 total high schools. 30 over 2,000 and 152 with less than 500 students. If you combine the top 2 schools in class B at the 2019 ISSMA state finals it would only be a school of 2,641 students. Throw in 3rd pace and you are just over 3,700 students. And those are 3 competitive programs across WGI, BOA and ISSMA (marching, jazz, solo and ensemble, and concert) I am not saying that one approach is better than the other (obviously Texas puts out some really kick ass bands both marching and concert. I was simply pointing out that there is no concert "season" for most schools in my area (Indiana).
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Post by SpartanMarcher on Jun 29, 2020 8:51:14 GMT -6
Who has more pull in this whole thing? If UIL says, "We're flipflopping," does BOA follow suit? I mean, from a revenue perspective, it would make sense for them to do so. I can't imagine any band moving forward with fielding a band in the fall if football is moved to spring in Texas. What a cluster! I would imagine if UIL flipped BOA would flip Iβm guessing that if UIL does take the choice to flip (which seems like a logistical nightmare), at least the Texas regionals will flip over to spring with them.
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