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Post by thewho on Oct 29, 2021 5:59:26 GMT -6
We're going to close this thread as we discuss the best course of action.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 29, 2021 7:50:38 GMT -6
We now return you to your regularly scheduled history lesson presented by boahistorybuff
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 29, 2021 15:48:02 GMT -6
My next history lesson will be another week or so away. In the meantime, how about some mid 1990s vintage winter guard from Bishop Kearney HS from Rochester/Irondequoit, NY. They won the WGI Scholastic World Title 5 years in a row (1993 - 1997). Enjoy!
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Post by macwinlin on Oct 29, 2021 22:43:33 GMT -6
I can watch those Bishop Kearney shows over and over again! Love them. My fav is still the New Era Dance/Pollock show.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 5, 2021 3:46:07 GMT -6
A Big Comeback for the Knights of Norwin
I wanted to post this as we get closer to Grand Nationals. Norwin HS, PA is attending Grand Nationals for the first time since 2011. Before that they last attended in 1997. On the regional front, however, Norwin has participated in BOA regionals every year since 1979 (possibly 1978), with the exception of 1992. During the 1980s and 1990s they were a frequent Grand National participant and finalist, and of course won the GN title in 1982. During the formative years of MBA/BOA, Norwin and their legendary director at the time LJ Hancock were fundamental in shaping the course of Bands of America. LJ Hancock sat on the advisory board for many years. Not only does Norwin still hold a record 29 BOA regional titles, they have participated in/been a finalist in more BOA regionals than any other band. Now in more recent decades, Norwin has not been among the top echelon of BOA band programs (although they still have picked up several regional titles), their band/school is a little smaller and I suspect they don't have as deep of financial pockets in relation to some of the top BOA contenders. Back in the 1980s and for some of the 1990s, Norwin was however among the top level bands competing at Grand Nationals. That of course does not mean that they did not have their fair share of ups and downs. They certainly had some disappointments. On the flip side, they had some amazing comebacks. In earlier posts, I showcased their early 1980s performances, which included their 1982 Grand National winning performance. After failing to make GN finals in 1988 (which was a big shock), Norwin roared back to the top and finished in 3rd place at Grand Nationals in 1989 with their Disney show (that is also in an earlier post). In 1990, they finished in 8th place in Grand National finals with another Disney show (I have been unable to find that performance on line). It also earned them the affectionate nickname "The Disney Band". They had another disappointment in 1991 when they failed to make GN Finals. They then did not even partake in BOA in 1992. In both 1993 and 1994, Norwin participated in Grand Nationals but were not quite at the level they once were. Don't get me wrong, they were still quite good, but just not finals caliber. In 1993, they finished 19th overall at Grand Nationals and in 1994 they were 24th. That placement in 1994 was their lowest placement at Grand Nationals to date. I do not know what kind of struggles Norwin may have been facing those years. They still had legendary director LJ Hancock at the helm. After 1994, many of us were counting Norwin out of ever being in GN Finals again. Norwin had something different to say about that. In 1995 Norwin came roaring back. Not only did they make Grand National finals, they finished in 7th place with their show "American Pageant". I have tried finding a video of that performance on line but have been unable. It has been a very long time since I have seen that show, but I do remember it being very good. It had everyone saying "Norwin is back!". That was their 9th appearance in Grand Nationals finals. I would have been very surprised at the time to know that that was actually their last ever appearance in Grand National finals. It does not, however, mean that they fell back into a slump. They had a very successful season in 1996. After being runner-up to Kiski at the 1996 West Virginia regional, they won the Toledo regional. That was their first BOA regional title since 1989. They beat PCEP, Westerville South and Centerville for that win. Now 1996 was the first year of the Semi Finals format at Grand Nationals. Instead of the top 12, only the top 10 bands from semis were selected for finals. So even back then it was a heated competition. I was still sure that Norwin would be in finals. Many of us considered them a lock. It of course came as a shock and disappointment that they did not make finals. Norwin ended up 13th in Semi Finals, although I still think they would have been a worthy finalist. They still remained quite strong through the rest of the 1990s (although they again did not make finals in 1997). Had they attended GN in 1999, I do think there was a good chance they would have made finals.
The video that I will show is of their 1996 GN Semi Finals performance (the performance starts around minute 2). Their show was "Songs of the Sea". The vocal recording in one segment of the show is of President John F Kennedy who served in the Navy during World War II.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 10, 2021 4:52:22 GMT -6
Grand Nationals...Where It All Began
In honor of Grand Nationals week, I wanted to post this video. Much earlier in this thread I posted the edited version of this video. Mike Rubino, former director of the Live Oak 'Emerald Regime' of Morgan Hill, CA posted the unedited version of this video; it is 25 minutes in length.
For those who are new and have not been following my history lessons, here is a very brief history. The first Grand Nationals (the circuit was originally called Marching Bands of America), took place in June in Whitewater, WI. (Summer competitive marching bands were a thing back in the 60s,70s and 80s). The first four Grand Nationals all took place in June. In 1980, they moved Grand Nationals to late fall. The June Whitewater, WI event continued on as the Summer Nationals through the rest of the 1980s. In 1990, the June event became the BOA Summer Symposium, with the competition portion being dropped. Bands started abandoning their summer competitive season to focus on the fall in the 1980s; likely as costs increased and as the shows became more difficult.
Those Grand Nationals of the 1970s comprised a competition portion and featured numerous workshops. Instructors came in to teach students various aspects of marching band during the workshop sessions. The first four Grand Nationals (1976 to 1979) had between 25 and 40 total bands competing. The bands were divided into two classes; Class A for small school bands and Open Class for the larger school bands. The format consisted of a Prelims Competition and a Finals Competition. The means of selection for finals was the top 6 scoring bands from the Open Class and the top 6 scoring bands from Class A advanced to finals. In finals, the bands competed for Open Class and Class A Champion. The band with the highest overall score, regardless of Class, was named Grand National Champion.
In the video, you will see segments from the workshops and clips from the competition. Yes, the uniforms and the style of a marching band show was very very different from today. If you follow this thread from the beginning, I kind of showcase how marching band shows have evolved over time. In the video, there is a band dressed in Scottish attire and marching bagpipes. That is the Dundee HS Marching Band 'Scots' from Dundee, IL. They finished second in Open Class and 2nd overall. To my knowledge, they are the only Grand National finalist band to have actually marched bagpipes. This video also shows clips from the very first Grand National Finals Award Ceremony. You will see Kosciusko HS (from Kosciusko, MS) win the Class A Title and Live Oak HS (from Morgan Hill, CA) win the Open Class Title and win the overall Grand National Title, the very first band to be crowned Grand National Champion.
So here is the video, enjoy!
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Post by kvgdc on Nov 10, 2021 18:25:52 GMT -6
Anderson Highland in Indiana marched bagpipes every year during the 80s. They were competitive for ISSMA finals altough not always making State, they sometimes did quite well! I think they might have done a few MBA shows but never were finalists at the GN level.
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Post by Marching Observer on Nov 10, 2021 20:00:36 GMT -6
Anderson Highland in Indiana marched bagpipes every year during the 80s. They were competitive for ISSMA finals altough not always making State, they sometimes did quite well! I think they might have done a few MBA shows but never were finalists at the GN level. Although the school has merged with Anderson HS, the band itself still retains the tradition. They still call themselves the Marching Highlanders, wear kilts, and yes, play the bagpipes during their shows for Track Band!
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Post by kvgdc on Nov 10, 2021 20:52:21 GMT -6
Yeah Anderson was a separate high school back then. They squeaked into state finals one year and we were sort of taken aback that their guard was in these fakey and sort of ratty looking old indian headresses (which most indians never wore anyway) and fairly skimpy cheerleader outfits. Even then it seemed a bit galling and in bad taste.
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Post by Shroom on Nov 10, 2021 22:34:19 GMT -6
These videos aren't nearly as old as some of the others that have been posted so far, but I think they're deserving of note. Here are a few videos from O'Fallon Township from the 90s/2000s, I really have don't anything specific to say about them but I think it's pretty interesting.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 11, 2021 4:40:45 GMT -6
Any video of a BOA GN Finalist during their earlier years is worth noting. Thanks for posting. I believe this was before their BOA years. It looks like these were some formative years for the band. Their visual design became more intricate and their music became more challenging by 2001.
While my original thought of vintage was 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, I think the term 'vintage' is all relative. To the high schoolers today, 2001 is probably considered vintage. To some of us, 2001 still seems like yesterday.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 19, 2021 6:08:31 GMT -6
They Came Out of Nowhere and Took Michigan By Storm
In the 1980s, Mona Shores HS from Muskegon/Norton Shores, Michigan began a competitive marching band program. The mainly performed in competitions on the west side of Michigan. In the early 1990s, they decided to step it up a notch. They participated in BOA Grand Nationals and they entered the MCBA circuit in Michigan. In 1991, my band hosted Mona Shores as they spent a weekend over on the east side of the state and competed in a Saturday and Sunday competition (we hosted the Michigan Invitational Competition in Flint which was on a Sunday this year). That of course gave us a bit of a bond with this band. They also looked up to us and cheered us on a Grand Nationals that year. Interesting how quickly the tables would turn. Under the direction of Jack Adams, this band underwent a huge transformation over the next couple of years. With a strong staff and the visual designs of Gary Czapinski, this band rocketed to the top echelon of Michigan bands and really embraced the visual changes occurring during this time period. They also became frequent BOA regional finalists (never quite able to nab a regional Class AA title though) and they came close on a few occasions to making Grand National finals. This post will feature their 92 to 95 seasons.
In 1992, they attended their first BOA regionals (and made finals), they finished second in Flight II at the MCBA state championships and they surprised us a bit a Grand Nationals, by finishing 15th. In fact, they beat both my band and Lakeland, two bands they had never beat before. Here is their BOA GN Performance, their theme was Swan Lake.
In 1993, they again made finals at BOA Toledo. They shocked us all at MCBA state championships. They had jumped up to Flight I this year. They ended up winning the Flight I state title. Now Plymouth-Canton did sustain a huge penalty. However, even if they had not received the penalty, they would have tied Mona Shores. They were actually considered a possibility for finals at Grand Nationals. They did not make finals. They did however place 3rd in Class AA and 14th overall. Here is their GN performance, they did Copland.
I could not find a video of 1994 and I don't remember what their theme was. Mona Shores did not have as successful a season as they finished 4th in MCBA Flight I state finals. They did however made BOA Toledo regional finals again and finished 20th at Grand Nationals. In 1995, Mona Shores dropped to Flight II in MCBA and ended up winning the Flight II state title. They made finals at BOA Toledo and came very close to making Grand National Finals. This was the year (just prior to the start of the semi finals format) in which they selected 14 bands for GN Finals instead of 12. Mona Shores ended up in 15th place, two tenths away from making finals. Their show was named New Directions. Here is their GN performance.
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Post by 70sguardchick on Nov 19, 2021 8:37:26 GMT -6
Yeah Anderson was a separate high school back then. They squeaked into state finals one year and we were sort of taken aback that their guard was in these fakey and sort of ratty looking old indian headresses (which most indians never wore anyway) and fairly skimpy cheerleader outfits. Even then it seemed a bit galling and in bad taste. Back in the olden days when I marched, we only did the State Fair track show. I remember being so jealous of Anderson's guard/dance corps and the fact that they had different color costumes for day shows and night shows....because of course they always made the evening finals. Those headdresses, though.....
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Post by kvgdc on Nov 20, 2021 18:47:26 GMT -6
Yeah Anderson was a separate high school back then. They squeaked into state finals one year and we were sort of taken aback that their guard was in these fakey and sort of ratty looking old indian headresses (which most indians never wore anyway) and fairly skimpy cheerleader outfits. Even then it seemed a bit galling and in bad taste. Back in the olden days when I marched, we only did the State Fair track show. I remember being so jealous of Anderson's guard/dance corps and the fact that they had different color costumes for day shows and night shows....because of course they always made the evening finals. Those headdresses, though..... Yeah. These were field shows and it would have been the mid to late 80s. Highland was actually pretty good but those pipes were lost in the vacuum of the Hoosier Dome. I remember at regionals they sounded amazing. The headdresses were bad enough, but our guard was pretty amused by the simplicity of the guard work they did too. I mean I was literally all 8 count repeats of simple things with no releases.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 21, 2021 5:28:15 GMT -6
A Visual Pioneer
I will admit, one of the things that has been difficult for me to wrap my head around is all of the visual changes that have occurred in recent years. I am mostly talking about how bands move nowadays. The visual is so much more than just marching. Band members are now dancing, jumping, running, laying on the ground and moving their bodies in so many different ways. It has certainly veered a lot from the days when bands strictly marched from formation to formation with most of their movement occurring in their legs, not so much the upper body. In fact, you youngsters may hear some of us old folks say 'back in my day we marched' LOL. It was actually during the 1990s that bands really began experimenting with using different body movements to enhance the visual effect. One such band was Center Grove HS from Greenwood, IN. In 1996, their show was titled "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night". Now first off, the music in this show was certainly complex and very difficult. The drill designs were also intricate and extremely demanding. You will see in this show some visual techniques that were not as common back then; in other words moving in ways that are not just strait up marching. Aside from the circular tarp in the middle of the field (tarps were still a relatively new thing back then), there were a few sections where the band veered from standard marching and instead utilized their bodies to create (at the time) a unique visual presentation. It also created an interesting visual flow, again something that is so common today.
There was another aspect about 96 Center Grove to make note of and that is the fact that this show managed to peak right at Grand Nationals, probably because this show was so difficult (much in the way Marian Catholic always peaks at Grand Nationals). Keep in mind, Center Grove went from not making GN finals in 1994 to winning the Grand National title in 1995. At the start of the 1996 season, Center Grove attended the very early (Sep 21) BOA Cincinnati Regional. They finished in 8th place with a score that was a little over 15 points lower than Lake Park (the band that won that competition). Later in the season, they finished 6th in the Indiana Class A State Finals. Now 1996 was the first year of the Semi Finals format at Grand Nationals. Instead of selecting a top 12 from semis for finals, BOA was only going to select a top 10. There was speculation that Center Grove, the defending Grand National Champion may fail to make GN Finals, something that had never happened before (turns out that has still never happened). The week prior to Grand Nationals, Center Grove attended the BOA Indy Regional (which was extremely competitive). Their show must have really come together quite well as they ended up in 4th place and just ahead of Marian. So their prospects for making GN finals was looking much better. Center Grove then obviously peaked right at Grand Nationals as during the Semi Finals awards they were announced as Class AAA Champions (no Class 4A back then), beating Lake Park who was expected to win. It turns out Center Grove was actually second overall in Semis as Marian Catholic (the Class AA Champ) was first. Nonetheless, after much speculation earlier in the season that may not make finals, they were now going into finals as a contender for another Grand National Title. They ended up in 2nd place right behind Lake Park. I personally loved Center Grove's 1996 show. My only wish was that is was a minute or two longer.
Here is the video of 1996 Center Grove. This is not from finals; I think it is from Semi Finals (yes the very first GN Semi Finals).
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Nov 23, 2021 19:11:55 GMT -6
Anderson Highland in Indiana marched bagpipes every year during the 80s. They were competitive for ISSMA finals altough not always making State, they sometimes did quite well! I think they might have done a few MBA shows but never were finalists at the GN level. Marlington High School from Ohio, who I believe appeared in some BOA events in distant years past, this year (in OMEA) did a world tour show, with a bunch of songs representing different countries or continents. They never cleaned up sufficiently and the show didn't make state finals. But the best part, in the United Kingdom segment, included a bagpipe player; that's the first time I personally had ever seen a marching band use that instrument.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 24, 2021 10:05:18 GMT -6
The Lancers Road to their Grand National Title
I have stated this before in previous posts, so here is just a brief overview. The Lake Park HS 'Lancers' from Roselle, IL was a strong competitive marching band all the way back into the 1970s. While I know they participated in the 1979 MBA Grand Nationals (they likely attended others), they did not make any of the finals during the MBA Grand Nationals of the 1970s. They did however win the first 'de facto' Illinois State Title in 1979. They did not participate in MBA/BOA during the early 1980s. It was however during that time period that some major changes occurred in the band program. In the early 1980s, Ken Snoeck (who had left the financially strapped Bridgeport HS, MI marching band program after leading them in finals in the first three years of the MBA Grand Nationals, 1976-1978) became director of the Lake Park marching band. He and a talented staff significantly transformed this band program. Following the lead of the Herscher HS IL marching band (the band that likely also inspired Marian Catholic's style), the Lake Park marching band developed a more symphonic style music program in the marching band. During the course of the 1980s, their success sky rocketed. They attended a BOA regional in 1984 and made finals. They returned to Grand Nationals in 1985 and placed 7th in finals. By 1989, they were 2nd in Grand Nationals and just 0.3 points behind first place. Their success continued into the 1990s. Their 'Fiesta Roma' show in 1993 garnered them another 2nd place finish in Grand Nationals (the videos of these are in earlier posts). That show was actually considered by many the best show that band ever put on the field. It was certainly a show worthy of being Grand National champion, however Spring's legendary performance that year solidified Lake Park's third 2nd place finish in Grand National Finals.
After such a successful season, I kind of felt that Lake Park may have briefly run out of gas a little bit in their 1994 season. They veered from their standard 'nationality themed shows' and performed a show called 'Symphonic Wizards and Witches'. Now don't get me wrong, the performance was still quite good and the music as always was brilliantly arranged and well performed. It was just not as clean as their previous few seasons and for me and I felt that it fell a little flat in the general effect area. I also kind of thought the guard costuming and routine was a little kitschy. Nonetheless, the show was strong enough to place 5th in Grand National Finals. The online video of this show is actually from Grand National Prelims (where they finished 6th). Here it is:
In 1995, Lake Park debuted brand new uniforms. I was glad they kept the dark royal blue color. I always enjoyed the look of that blue from up above. They performed the Slavonic Dances of Antonin Dvorak. Several of the songs were the same selections they played in 1988. It was a little more of a flashback to their past show themes. Their performance at Grand Nationals was brilliant, especially their music. Just wonderful and rich sound quality and arranged so well. They were actually only just 0.05 points behind Westfield in music performance in finals (Westfield took that caption). This was actually a much stronger performance than their second place performance in 1988. They finished fourth in finals this year simply because the competition at the top was pretty tough. Their lowest scores (and what put them in fourth) was their general effect scores. Here is their 1995 GN Finals performance.
In 1996, Lake Park was having an outstanding season. They entered Grand Nationals undefeated and actually won two BOA Regional titles this season, including BOA Indy where they swept the highest achievement awards. In fact, heading into Grand Nationals I think the only band that was considered to have had a shot at beating them was Westfield TX and they were not attending Grand Nationals. Lake Park's show this year was called 'The Queen of Spades' (picking a creative show title was becoming hugely popular by the mid 1990s). Their musical selections were from Italian opera. Aside from the perfectly formed spade in the middle of the show, several hearts and diamonds appeared in the drill throughout the show. Now I am going to do a little speculating here, but this is my impression of how things went down. First off, 1996 was the first year of the Semi Finals format at Grand Nationals. I am sure that perennial finalist bands, like Lake Park, who were so accustomed to doing two shows at Grand Nationals may have found it more challenging to now have to put forth three shows at Grand Nationals. During Semi Finals, I think Lake Park may have held back a little bit (save some energy for finals kind of thing). It was a little surprising given Lake Park's success during the season that they ended up 2nd place in Class AAA at the conclusion of semi finals (turns out they were third overall as Marian won Class AA and placed first in semis). Lake Park had lost the Class AAA title to Center Grove IN, the defending Grand National Champion. I am sure this made them nervous. Prior to the start of the 1996 finals, Lake Park was the most decorated band at Grand Nationals who had yet to win a Grand National title. They had 11 past GN finals appearances under their belt at the time (only Marian had them beat for most by just one year). They had been runner-up to the Grand National title three times and had finished in the top five in GN Finals every year since 1987. It seemed that if they were going to win a Grand National Title, this was the year they were going to do it. In fact, I think there was a sentiment that this year may be their best shot. So when they entered the field in finals, I sensed some nerves. Now I knew this band was going to be clean given their success during the season and knowing how much this band practiced. I thought the nerves might affect their overall general effect, maybe preventing them from making enough of an impact with their music. I really thought that during finals it was the Lake Park parents who pulled this band through. They cheered and they cheered loud. I think it gave this band confidence during the course of their show. I really think that came through during their performance of Nessun Dorma; I felt the emotion and thought 'they are bringing this home'. While they ended up third in overall music effect, their high visual effect score (19.9) allowed them to win best General Effect. They also tied Marian Catholic in music performance and were second in visual performance. This was all enough for them to win finals and be crowned the 1996 Grand National Champions.
Now over the years I have read a few comments of folks that were not as pleased with this win. I kind of disagree. This show was very clean with great execution of the drill. While we may take incredible ensemble sound quality for granted these days, back in 1996 there were not many bands who could play with this type of sound. I mean it was so rich and smooth and there was so much going on musically. I also think they made this music sound easy to play, which I don't think was the case. You have to be a pretty good marching band to pull off Italian opera on the field they way Lake Park did in 1996. So here is the Finals performance of the 1996 Grand National Champion, Lake Park.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 1, 2021 11:41:49 GMT -6
Always Entertaining and Always Innovative - OZ
The movie "The Wizard of Oz" was released in 1939 and was based off a book written many years earlier. The music that was in this movie has been instilled in the marching arts for decades. Of course the most famous song from that movie "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" has been a highly popular song for marching bands and drum corps for many decades. In fact, in DCI this was a signature song for The Cavaliers during their early years; 1970s and early 1980s. I would certainly include this song as one of the most played in Bands of America. We have of course heard many different arrangements of this song over the years. I think Chesterton HS was the first Grand National Champion to perform this song as part of their repertoire for the GN title in their 1981 GN Championship performance. In the era of theme based shows, The Wizard of Oz has certainly been a popular theme. In 2010, Broken Arrow did a modern take on this classic with their show 'ZO' which was based on the Wizard of Oz. Just this past season in 2021, Tarpon Springs did another Oz inspired show. The idea of doing a show based on the Wizard of Oz actually goes back many years. In 1986, the Sky Ryders Drum Corps finished 9th place in DCI finals with their Oz themed show, making it one of (if not the) earliest Oz themed shows. They even had a guard member ride a bicycle onto the field. In 1991, Northmont HS, Ohio performed a Wizard of Oz themed show, which I believe is still on line. The focus of this post will be Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park MI who performed the show "The Road to Oz" in 1996. This show took music from both the movie soundtrack and the more jazz styled Broadway adaptation "The Wiz" which debuted in the 1970s. I think the video is from Semi Finals. You can see the guard took riding the bikes to a whole new level. In finals, PCEP finished 8th with this show. I think with all of the Oz inspired shows I have seen over the decades, I can say that these shows seem to be as fun for the kids to perform as they are for the audience to watch.
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Post by kvgdc on Dec 1, 2021 19:20:23 GMT -6
Chesterton's relationship with Somewhere Over the Rainbow was a special one. I can't recall the genesis of it but they had played it in their 1980 and 1981 shows and it had a lot of signifcance for their director, Al Castronovo.
When Castronovo left in 84 the program had retained it as their 'band song' and warm up for years. In 1986 when word came that Al had died in a car accident in Indy, the band was practicing that song. They made it their warmup song for the 1986 season and then would play it in the lot after every show. The amount of emotion poured into that number when the band played it that year was...incredible.
Castronovo's name was added to the Esprit du Corps award for MBA/BOA that year too.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 10, 2021 4:05:24 GMT -6
The Northeast Regionals
In 1996, BOA held a regional in metro Philadelphia (Bensalem, PA). For the next 10+ years, a BOA regional was held somewhere in metro Philly or metro New York just about every year. Despite this region being very populated, these regionals did not typically garner a big participation. I believe a lot of the bands from this region were heavily vested in US Bands and/or the New York Field Band Conference and PIMBA. Eventually, BOA moved this regional to the mid Atlantic (Baltimore/DC) area by the late 2000s. That is not to say however that this regional did not have some memorable performances by some strong band programs.
So at the 1996 Bensalem regional, a band by the name of Northwestern Lehigh HS from New Tripoli, PA won the regional title in their first ever BOA competition. What was also notable is that they were a Class A band. They ended up being the only Class A band to win a BOA regional title the entire decade. Later in the season, Northwestern Lehigh traveled to Indy to attend the Grand National Championships. They proved their regional win was no fluke as they made Semi Finals and won the Grand National Class A Title (a bit of history here, but this was the last GN Class A title for a Pennsylvania band to date). We all thought this band would be a BOA Class A power for years to come. It turns out that 1996 GN performance was the last BOA performance for this band. So in their first and last two BOA performances (both in 1996), Northwestern Lehigh won a regional title and the GN Class A title. Not bad. Their 1996 GN performance was on line at one time, but I can no longer find it. I would have posted it because it is good and has some degree of historical significance.
Instead, I will post the performance of the runner-up band at the 1996 Bensalem, PA regional. That band was Piscataway HS from Piscataway, NJ. This performance also marked the first BOA performance for this New Jersey band (at least I think). Unlike Northwestern Lehigh, Piscataway did remain a frequent BOA regional participant for several more years. Here is their 1996 regional performance. This second place finish is the closest this band ever came to winning a BOA regional title. Yes, they played some Copland; a composer whose music has been frequently used in marching band even before BOA existed.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 13, 2021 5:40:04 GMT -6
The Sea, the Earth and the Sky
That was the title of Marian Catholic's show in 1996. You can see in the video how the guard was used to depict those three elements as was the music selections. The 1996 Grand National Championships had a couple ups and downs for Marian. Just one week prior to GN was the BOA Indy regional. Marian finished in 5th place at that regional. Given how late in the season that regional was held, that was considered a low placement for Marian. Then just one week later at the very first BOA Grand National Semi Finals, Marian not only won the Class AA title, they actually won Semi Finals. From what I understand, several band members became ill prior to the start of finals. You would never have known that by their performance. While they tied Lake Park for best overall music performance and they had the highest overall music effect score, their visual scores landed them in fourth place in finals.
This show had a lot of slower/ballad sections, until the end which was typical Marian fast and crazy difficult. A couple things I want to point out in this show is that first off, it is a great example of how well Marian could play with an emotional impact. The second thing was the amazing use of woodwinds; pretty much a standard for Marian. Mr. Bimm certainly knows how to arrange the music to highlight Marian's extraordinary woodwinds. I will show two videos of this performance. This first is the Finals multicam and the second is the semi finals hi cam (the multicam cut out some interesting visual moves).
1996 Marian GN Finals - Multicam
1996 Marian GN Semi Finals - Hi cam
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 14, 2021 5:40:04 GMT -6
Maximum Sound in an Awesome Show
In 1994 a band by the name of Pomona HS from Arvada, CO attended Grand Nationals, their first BOA competition. Although they did not make finals, they did finish 14th overall in prelims. Pomona's second trip to Grand National came in 1996. This of course was the first year of the semi finals format. Not knowing much about this band, many did not have them in consideration for finals (keep in mind, they only chose a top 10 for finals this year). After their semi finals performance, many had to reevaluate their picks for who would be in finals as Pomona was simply awesome. Pomona did indeed make GN finals that year as they finished 7th overall in Semi Finals. They also made history by becoming the first (and so far only) Colorado band to make Grand National Finals. They certainly rose to the occasion in finals as they jumped to 5th place with an even stronger show than what they had done in Semi Finals. As you can imagine, the band was a bit stunned with that high of a placement.
Pomona's 1996 show was Belshazzar's Feast. I think this piece of music was really popularized on the field in DCI in 1990 when it was performed by Star of Indiana. There have certainly been some good performances of this piece of music since (Avon 2012 of course comes to mind). Pomona's 96 show also ranks up there among the best performances with this piece of music. Pomona performed this while doing an incredibly complex, often fast and difficult drill routine. The 1990s was an era when many bands really pushed themselves visually and Pomona certainly fit that trend. What really caught everyone's attention was how very loud the brass performance was in this show (probably not something that will be fully appreciated in the video recording). While Pomona was a relatively big band, they were not that big. However, they managed to blast the RCA dome. Many of us were like, "wow that is loud". What was also very impressive is that this band managed to play really really loud without over playing and distorting the sound. At the time it was hailed as the loudest Grand National Finals performance ever. I suspect in recent years there have been other bands that have exceeded that, but I now watch on my volume controlled electronic devices, so who knows.
After watching this show I thought a new BOA Power had been born. As it turns out, 1996 was a big Cinderella moment for this band as it was their first and only appearance in Grand National finals. For several years following this, Pomona had a series of near misses. Don't get me wrong, during the late 1990s and early 2000s, they still produced some top quality shows. Just one year later in 1997 (the last year that BOA only selected a top ten for GN Finals), Pomona finished 11th in Semi Finals, missing finals by just one tenth of a point. I still say that 1997 show should have been in finals. In 1998, while BOA went back to selecting a top 12 for finals, Pomona finished in the unlucky number 13th spot in Semi Finals. This time they were just four tenths of a point off making finals. The visual performance scores are what kept them out. They did not attend Grand Nationals again until 2003, when they finished 14th in Semi Finals. During that time period, they were runner up to a regional title three times, never actually able to pull off a regional win. We had to wait until 2007 and Rampart HS for a Colorado band to win a BOA regional title.
I believe both of the Grand National performances of 1996 Pomona that are online are from Semi Finals. Keep in mind I think that their finals performance was stronger. Both the Semi Finals Hi Cam and Multi Cam versions are on line. I will post them both. The Multi Cam version cuts out some amazing drill during the end of this show. In fact, if I had to pick a top ten best endings of BOA shows from the 1990s, I would include Pomona 1996 in that list. So here are the videos:
Semi Finals Hi Cam
Semi Finals Multi Cam
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50fly
Senior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by 50fly on Dec 14, 2021 10:41:40 GMT -6
It is hard to describe how loud Pamona 96 was in finals. I was lucky enough to see this in person on finals night and it felt like something next level compared to the rest of the field. It was loud and fast but still crystal clear and controlled. I still rank it as one of the loudest shows put on the field, right up there with Northmont 2000 and Lassiter 2002. It’s amazing the pure volume of sound they were able to produce with a smaller band then what we are used to seeing today. It’s a shame they missed finals in 97 and 98 as they certainly deserved to be there. I think they are probably the best and most memorable one time finalist bands.
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Post by Allohak on Dec 14, 2021 12:57:00 GMT -6
It is hard to describe how loud Pamona 96 was in finals. I was lucky enough to see this in person on finals night and it felt like something next level compared to the rest of the field. It was loud and fast but still crystal clear and controlled. I still rank it as one of the loudest shows put on the field, right up there with Northmont 2000 and Lassiter 2002. It’s amazing the pure volume of sound they were able to produce with a smaller band then what we are used to seeing today. It’s a shame they missed finals in 97 and 98 as they certainly deserved to be there. I think they are probably the best and most memorable one time finalist bands. G bugles
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Post by hewhowaits on Dec 15, 2021 6:14:40 GMT -6
It is hard to describe how loud Pamona 96 was in finals. I was lucky enough to see this in person on finals night and it felt like something next level compared to the rest of the field. It was loud and fast but still crystal clear and controlled. I still rank it as one of the loudest shows put on the field, right up there with Northmont 2000 and Lassiter 2002. It’s amazing the pure volume of sound they were able to produce with a smaller band then what we are used to seeing today. It’s a shame they missed finals in 97 and 98 as they certainly deserved to be there. I think they are probably the best and most memorable one time finalist bands. G bugles Leaving it for the reader to decide if you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?
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Post by Allohak on Dec 15, 2021 10:30:17 GMT -6
Leaving it for the reader to decide if you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? Nah, just providing the simple answer as to how Pomona produced the volume they did
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 20, 2021 6:52:15 GMT -6
A New York Giant Emerges
In the early 1990s, another New York band rose to prominance in BOA. Although they were never able to beat West Genesee for the New York State Field Band Championship Title during the 1990s, this band did make some notable strides in BOA. That band is the Webster HS marching band from Webster, NY (just ouside of Rochester). Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this band comprises two high schools in the same school district; Webster Thomas and Webster Shroeder. Webster entered BOA competition in 1993, with their first appearance at the BOA Eastern (Morgantown, WV) regional. They landed in finals at this regional. They then attended Grand Nationals later in the season and to the surprise of many, they made finals. They finished 12th in Finals. I have heard from many that 1994 was actually the best show that Webster put on the field during the 1990s. I have never actually seen it, so I am just going off word of mouth. They ended up finishing 2nd place at the BOA Eastern Regional, beating out such power house bands as Centerville and Kiski Area. They did not attend Grand Nationals that year. I have looked for a video of their 1994 show online but have come up empty handed. At the BOA Mideast (Toledo, OH) regional in 1995, they finished 4th in finals and actually beat their in state rival West Genesee. Again they did not attend Grand Nationals in 1995 but would have certainly been finalist contenders. In 1996, they did not have as successful a season. They did however attend Grand Nationals and made Semi Finals, finishing 22nd overall. They made a bit of a comeback in 1997. They were again 2nd place at the BOA Eastern (Morgantown, WV) regional and beat their instate rival West Genesee. Turns out 2nd place would be the closest Webster would get to a regional title. At Grand Nationals, with just a top 10 selected for finals, a strong semi finals performance landed them 7th place overall. In Finals, Webster ended up finishing in 10th place. This marked Webster's second and last appearance in Grand National Finals. In fact, it marked the last time a band from New York State would ever appear in Grand National Finals. I will note that in recent years, Webster has made a bit of a comeback in the New York circuit, which has been nice to see.
The two Grand National Finals appearances by Webster (1993 and 1997) are online. I have included both videos here. Webster did not introduce a lot of frills in those two shows like a lot of bands were experimenting with back then. What they did bring to the table was a complex/difficult drill and high quality music. In their 1997 show 'The Planets', you can see how the drill design was used to convey the celestial theme of the show. At the end you will also see how the entire battery put down their drums and marched cymbals.
1993
1997
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Post by hewhowaits on Dec 20, 2021 8:10:53 GMT -6
And there you have it - the answer to the time-honored question "What about Webster?"
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 20, 2021 13:20:06 GMT -6
And there you have it - the answer to the time-honored question "What about Webster?"
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 21, 2021 5:37:53 GMT -6
...And The Rest Is History
In late October of 1997 I was fortunate enough to attend the very first BOA regional held in St Louis, MO. This was several years before this regional became a Super Regional. I remember sitting in the dome watching finals and seeing a band by the name of Broken Arrow for the very first time. I had seen their name before in the program book for the 1982 MBA Grand Nationals. They attended but did not make finals. To my knowledge, that was the only BOA(MBA) compitition Broken Arrow attended in the 1980s. They began participating in BOA regionals again in the early 1990s and were consistent finalists. It turns out they were on an improving trend. Prior to this competition, Union was the only Oklahoma band I had seen in competitions (for you youngsters, there was still no watching bands on the internet yet). Enid HS did attend a few Grand Nationals during my era but I was never able to see their show. So I was rather excited to see another Oklahoma band. I thought, wow, Broken Arrow is quite good and I rather enjoyed their show. Broken Arrow ended up winning the regional (their first ever BOA regional at the time) and they swept the highest achievement awards. They did not attend Grand Nationals this year. The band that they beat at this regional, McGavock TN did attend Grand Nationals and finished 9th. Broken Arrow would attend Grand Nationals again in 1998, making finals for the first time. I had no idea at the time what was to come from this band that called themselves the Pride of Broken Arrow or that they would some day come to completely dominate the competition at these St Louis regionals or become one of BOA's most successful marching bands. During this era, BA was under the direction of Scott Thomlinson. I believe that was also before Wes Cartwright began working with the band. Mr. Thomlinson and the BA staff during this era did lay the foundation in the program that allowed this band to soar in future years.
I am so glad that the video of thier first regional win has made it to youtube. Someone recorded it while it played on their TV (hey whatever works). For you youngsters out there, take note of how different the visual representation of the performance was back then. What you will see is typical of the 1990s style. Much different from today in that there was less movement of the upper body and less running, jumping, dancing, etc. Much of the visual representation was strict marching with less movement in the upper body and a more pronounced roll step in the feet.
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