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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 16, 2022 3:52:37 GMT -6
Post Number 1000!! This is a special post I have done to commemorate my one thousandth post on the HornRank Forums. First and foremost, I would like to thank Jeremiah Wooten for creating these wonderful forums and all those who moderate these pages to keep them respectful and enjoyable for us all. I also want to thank all of you for reading my posts, which in some way have kind of turned into a series of blogs. I have noticed since I started posting these vintage videos that a large number of old videos that were never online have now appeared. That is great because I think it is important to pay respect to some of the great shows and bands of the past. I especially want to thank all those who have reached out with their commentary with respect to past performances and who have offered a more clear picture of the deeper meaning behind some of BOA's legendary shows. I am foremost a BOA fan and do not have all of the musical knowledge or background understanding behind the meaning of many of these shows, especially those from the more recent decades. So I really appreciate all of the added commentary. I also really want to thank those, especially thebigtall, who have helped piece together the results and some of the historical highlights from years past, especially the MBA years of the late 1970s/early 1980s. For this post I am going to focus on BOA itself with a series of videos. The first video I have posted before. It is from the very first Grand National Championships held in June of 1976, when the circuit was known as Marching Bands of America. Larry McCormick was the founder and his company produced the video. Larry is the father of BOA. There are many people over the years who have offered an enormous amount of time to make Bands of America what it is today. I could not possibly post videos of all of them in this thread. Those that I chose to feature are in my opinion simply synonymous with BOA and have been or were with the organization for a very long time. Many of them also contributed heavily to the alumni campaign which helped BOA through some very tough economic times during the 2008 financial crisis. I also want to give a special recognition to Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. Not only did I enjoy his leadership clinics, he was a very good friend to my high school band and sympathetic to some of our hardships back in the day. This video sequence also features some of the venues that have been home to BOA events. Grand Nationals is a very bitter sweet event for the band members. It is a great experience but for many it marks the end of the road for their marching band career. Grand Nationals marked one last performance in particular, one that has been memorialized in BOA History that I have shared (sorry if it is a tear jerker). I will conclude on a high note with a few select Grand National montages from this past decade, including 2021. Enjoy! and thanks again for sharing my love for marching band history.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 16, 2022 13:24:26 GMT -6
Ahhh Sophie. I’m so very grateful to have been in the audience that weekend in 2016 and got to hear her sweet voice those three times, basically mere moments before she was so tragically killed, along with her daddy and grandmother. I think we all felt the loss that Sunday morning when we got the news! You will never be forgotten Sophie. May you rest in His arms forever. ♥️♥️
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Post by allthingschaotic on Oct 16, 2022 16:07:36 GMT -6
I found the old montage videos to be quite interesting. It's interesting to see how various aspects of this art evolved from 2011 to 2021.
The 2011 video felt alien to me as a current marching band member because of how different the uniforms and the show designs were. A lot of the uniforms felt much more military-esque, but you can see some more modern aspects in the show design (you can see this in Carmel's segment and in some of the Texas bands.) I recognized a few bands (Broken Arrow, The Woodlands, Union, Carmel, CTJ) because their uniforms are iconic (BA, TW), haven't changed much (Carmel), or have made recent appearances (CTJ at 2021 San Antonio or state prelim retreat?) Blue Springs easily caught my eye because of how much they evolved (their hats looked like SCV's hats, sad that they're gone now. Another band looked suspiciously similar to the Cavaliers.)
2013 seemed similar to 2011. I don't know how to explain this, but the performers look... older? They seem like they're from a very different generation from current high school students. Maybe it's the makeup, or the glasses, or something. Uniform styles are similar to 2011, but I feel like there were more uniforms that were tailored to the shows. I did recognize some more famous bands, like Round Rock, Avon, Castle (kept those uniforms until 2021), Cedar Ridge, and Marcus.
2017 was much more recognizable. Show design and uniform styles were much more similar to what we currently see. Props seem to be more common compared to the other two videos, and show-specific uniforms seem to have increased. Guard uniforms also feel more modern compared to 2013. Marcus and The Woodlands made appearances with updated versions of their iconic uniforms of the past, while Broken Arrow marked their first season using show-specific uniforms. I recognized some of the more successful and famous shows of the past few years, such as Marcus' PrODDigy and Flower Mound's Fractured Moments, as well as Broken Arrow's Age of Discovery: The Return to Xeno (with carts and racing helmets!!) and Castle's Fly To Paradise.
The bands shown in the 2021 video appeared as if they had come from a parallel universe when compared to 2011. While the Cavaliers-esque band appeared in the first moments, the video was filled with bands that ditched traditional uniforms and switched to full body suits (like William Mason, Blue Springs, and The Woodlands) or replaced jackets with just the shirts (like Dobyns-Bennett). Guard uniforms were no longer just dresses but included many accessories. Props added more bursts of color to the green turf and appeared to be much more intricate and versatile compared to previous years. Lots of the shows felt more like big-budget movies in comparison to the shows of previous years (the Texas bands and Broken Arrow fall into this.) To me, 2021's montage made an impression that the marching arts made a giant leap in just a decade from 2011 to 2021. I am excited (and a bit scared) to see what the future holds for the marching arts and how it will progress in the next 10 years.
TL;DR, current high school marcher is impressed by the evolution of show design from 2011 to 2021.
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Post by oldarmybandguy on Oct 17, 2022 13:00:42 GMT -6
The Percussion Takes Center StageIn 1993, Winter Guard International (WGI) expanded to not only be about color guard, put also percussion. It would be another 22 years before they included indoor winds. The band that won the Scholastic A Division (per Wikipedia the only division WGI had in percussion that year) was Clovis West HS from Fresno, CA. Here is their performance. Clovis West's strong percussion also extended to their marching band. The band was considered one of the best in California in the early 1990s. Here is a video of their 1992 show. From what I understand this show was much talked about in California that year. It is interesting to note that stylistically this show seemed to have a lot of similarities with Etiwanda and Ayala, the only two California bands that have appeared in Grand National Finals over the past four decades. I know I'm REALLY late to the party, but as someone that was competing in Southern California this year, the major match-up was when Clovis West came to RCC's big Orange classic and competed against then SOCAL powerhouses Poway, Vista, and the aforementioned Etiwanda-who had attended GNF and made finals that year. Etiwanda won the head-to-head, with Clovis West taking 2nd. Etiwanda claimed themselves as state champions, which was actually pretty accurate.
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Post by oldarmybandguy on Oct 17, 2022 13:10:02 GMT -6
Etiwanda was under the direction of Don Jaramillo during their legendary run. He retired about a decade ago, but they're still a very good band. The old Tournament of Champions competition was held in Santa Ana the first Saturday in... DECEMBER!! To this day there are only one or two competitions in the state in September, and most bands don't have their first competition until the second Saturday in October. All of the circuit championships are (usually) the Saturday before Thanksgiving, or the week AFTER Grand Nationals. Ah, that Southern California weather. Fred C. Beyer was one of the juggernauts of northern California during the late 80s and early 90s. Another name you'll probably recognize: Dr. Gary Gilroy. He was their director during that fantastic run. The Modesto area as a whole has fallen off over the past 20 years; all of the bands in that area are very small, now. In 1997(ish), James Logan (already a pretty good band) got a new band director in Ramiro Barrera. He came from Clovis West H.S. in Fresno, which was also a juggernaut band of the 80s and 90s. Along with Ramiro Barrera came about 90% of the instructional staff of the Blue Devils, and James Logan was basically Blue Devils H.S. for about 20 years. They were unstoppable in WGI and mostly unstoppable in marching band competitions throughout the 90s and 00s. Barrera has since retired, but James Logan remains one of the biggest and best bands in the state of California. They usually duel it out with Ayala for the WBA Championship every November, but before Ayala rose up Logan won the unofficial state championship in 11 of 12 years from 1999-2010. The WBA is the only marching band circuit (of about six) that covers both northern and southern California. Unofficial California State Champions 1989 Clovis West 1990 Clovis West 1991 Clovis West 1992 Clovis West 1993 Clovis West 1994 Fred C. Beyer 1995 Clovis West 1996 Clovis West 1997 James Logan 1998 Mission Viejo 1999 James Logan 2000 James Logan 2001 James Logan 2002 James Logan 2003 Mission Viejo 2004 James Logan 2005 James Logan 2006 James Logan 2007 James Logan 2008 James Logan 2009 James Logan 2010 James Logan 2011 Ruben S. Ayala 2012 Ruben S. Ayala 2013 Upland 2014 James Logan 2015 Ruben S. Ayala 2016 James Logan 2017 James Logan 2018 canceled (smoke from fires) 2019 Chino Hills 2020 canceled (COVID-19) One last note: in 2004 after traveling to Grand Nationals and making a shock Finals appearance, Ayala went to the WBA Championships the next week and placed 5th in both Prelims and Finals. 2004 WBA Finals 97.24 James Logan 95.68 Mission Viejo 95.05 Upland 94.21 Clovis West 93.20 Ayala I have to argue the 1992 unofficial state champ is Etiwanda. I was at the show in which they beat Clovis West. I also would argue Beyer took 1993 with their Western regional win, and they also beat CW during the season. Other than that, no disagreements, although I feel like CW should have visited us in SoCal more often to see how they stacked up against San Diego.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 17, 2022 18:53:54 GMT -6
Really like the California history here. James Logan was certainly one of the best bands in the 2000s who did not compete in BOA. There will be plenty of Logan Videos to come. Anyone who has vintage videos of some California bands that I missed, feel free to post. A large number of us on these forums are either from the Midwest or Texas/Oklahoma, so it is nice to get some info from bands and competitions from different regions of the country. Although my main interest over the years has been BOA, I do love to hear about other circuits. I know there have been lot of good shows and innovations that have occurred outside BOA over the decades. I have tried to include some of these shows outside the BOA world, but am always receptive to seeing some old videos that I have missed.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 21, 2022 3:07:11 GMT -6
The Top 5 Separated by Less Than a Point
This is going to be a series of posts over the course of the next week or so. These will feature the bands who placed in the top 5 at the 2001 Grand National Championships. Yes, their scores were less than a point from each other. I remember thinking at the time, it can't get any better than this. Seems I have been saying that just about every year for the last 20 years. For me personally, this was a time when my career, for which I work a lot of weekends, and other financial obligations (life responsibility stuff) prevented me from travel to Indy. Back then you could order the videos of the finalist bands but had to wait months before those videos would arrive. Luckily for me, viewing performances online was just a few years away as was live streaming and all that good stuff that I rely on so much today.
I know that most of you on these forums were not alive in 2001 or too young to remember (yes that makes me feel old LOL). The start of the 2001 season was marred by the September 11th terrorist attacks. I remember that fall was a strange time. It was a period of national mourning. There was a lot of uncertainty (would another attack happen?), and we were facing the prospects of a major war in the Middle East. I can't imagine what it must have been like for all those involved in the marching arts to push forward and continue with a successful season. I do at least know that marching band shows and BOA in particular became a means for those of us to take our minds off the state of the nation during such uncertain times.
If you follow these videos all the way back to the early 1970s, you will probably notice that the more rigid military style often did not allow for a lot of variability among shows from band to band. Many bands often used a piece of music or signature drill move from season to season to help form their identity. During the course of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as the rules became less restrictive and things like asymmetry in drill design took hold, show styles started becoming more diverse between bands. That trend has proven consistent in the decades that followed. This has been great for sustaining so many fans over the years as you were guaranteed to get a completely different style show from band to band. I think the top 5 bands at the 2001 Grand Nationals really exemplified the diversity in styles that had emerged since the more military style of the 1970s. Each one of these bands had a completely different style show. As different as each show was, I loved every one of them. Again, over the course of the next week or so, I will present each show in a separate post. Enjoy!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 21, 2022 3:20:25 GMT -6
Reflections of a Dark Millennium
In 5th place in Grand National Finals was the defending champ at the time, Marian Catholic with their show titled "Reflections of a Dark Millennium". Interesting this show was somewhat redone just a few years later in 2005's "Impressions in Black Granite". I really enjoyed both shows. I knew the 2005 show referenced the Vietnam War. I am not sure if that was the case with 2001 as well. Marian, who up until that time always wore white pants, had half of their band in dark pants and the other half in white pants (they did that again for 2005's show). The contrast made for extremely interesting visual effects. Prior to that time, I had observed that technique in color guards but never the band. It echoed a good vs evil vibe (think 2011 Cadets). Aside from the visuals, the music was so complex and brilliantly layered. It was like they were playing musical selections forward and backward, different pieces together, etc. At times, the band also did these verbal chants; so chilling. As much as I loved the visual design, it was actually the visual effect judge that gave them the lowest score. Given as close as the scores were, this is what put them in 5th place as opposed to getting into the top three.
As is typical with Marian Catholic, this show was obviously packed with a ton of symbolism. It was presenting us with a topic on a far deeper level than what I probably understood. So, I would love it if someone with more understanding of this show could chime in. Here is the 2001 Grand National Finals performance of Marian Catholic.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 22, 2022 3:30:58 GMT -6
Exodus
This year marked the very first Grand National appearance for LD Bell. Their appearance was highly anticipated and came with a lot of expectations. They entered Grand Nationals having won 4 BOA Texas regionals in the previous two years and had won the 2000 UIL State Championships. In fact, many thought that they may pull off winning the Grand National Title in their first year attending. That did not happen. However, in Semi Finals they were 2nd and in Finals they ended up in 4th place. Not surprising (even back then) for a Texas band entering with such cred, they won the music performance award. The music effect judges were split with them as one had them first and the other had them 6th. The 6th place score from one of the music effect judges is what garnered them 4th instead of a top three (there just 0.05 points behind 3rd place). Luckily for us, we would see this band several more times at Grand Nationals in the coming years and get to witness this taking home the eagle 6 years after their Grand National debut.
This show featured original music by Mark Higgenbotham. This was the final year of Joseph Grzybowski as director. It was prior to Wes Cartright being their designer, so stylistically much different than the shows that the Blue Raider band would put on later in the decade. It was still fun to watch. They really attacked this show. It was full of powerful musical moments and a lot of fast paced drill. This was a high energy show and I loved it. Aside from the sure quality of the music (especially some amazing brass moments), I loved the saxophone duet and the drum feature. One of the things that make the visual aspect of a show like this exciting (especially when done by high school bands) is that deep down you kind of know that on some of those moves if one kid missteps or gets their timing wrong, a whole section of the band could come crashing down. It is kind of like watching a high wire act. Its the fear of seeing a fall that makes you not take your eyes off it and when a fall does not happen, you think wow that was awesome. In the high cam version (hard to see but around 8 min 30 sec), there was actually a moment that a band member took a tumble. That kid managed to both get out of the way to prevent more falls and managed to find their way back into formation, all when some pretty wild and fast drill passes were occurring. I have seen many falls at Grand Nationals, this one may still go down as the greatest save.
Since both the multi can and high can version of this show are online. I have opted to show both. So here is the 2001 LD Bell 'Blue Raider' Band in Grand National Finals.
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Post by tjuillerat on Oct 22, 2022 7:27:30 GMT -6
Ahhh Sophie. I’m so very grateful to have been in the audience that weekend in 2016 and got to hear her sweet voice those three times, basically mere moments before she was so tragically killed, along with her daddy and grandmother. I think we all felt the loss that Sunday morning when we got the news! You will never be forgotten Sophie. May you rest in His arms forever. ♥️♥️ Dang it! This literally brought tears to my eyes! That was such a great performance from her that weekend and then to hear the news the next morning. Absolutely devistating.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 23, 2022 3:41:15 GMT -6
Programme One
Finishing in 3rd place in 2001 Grand National Finals (just a mere 0.05 points ahead of 4th) was Plymouth-Canton Education Park with their show titled Programme One. I was a little uncertain how this season would go for PCEP as David McGrath had left for, I believe a more lucrative teaching position. Clayton Wachholz took over as director and based on this show did a pretty good job. PCEP would undergo numerous director and staffing changes in the years to come. This season, PCEP still had an amazing staff, which included their designer, Alan Spaeth. True to form, this show seemed to get a slow start at the beginning of the season and then really peaked at Grand Nationals.
It seems from the start of the theme based shows back in the 1980s and early 1990s, there was an ongoing trend to tie the show together more from start to finish. In the 2000s, that trend would continue. In my opinion, the PCEP shows of the late 1990s/early 2000s really tended to embody that trend. I think this season's show in particular set a new benchmark for having a show that was more fluid, where everything seemed to tie together from start to finish. In other words, rather than go from movement to movement throughout the show which can sometimes make it feel a bit choppier, it was like experiencing one continuous musical selection, even when tempo changes and subtle shift in musical style occurred. Everything just blended so well from start to finish (which yes we really see that now in marching band shows of today). First off, I loved the music in this show, much of which is quite familiar to us long time BOA aficionados. What really made this show a hit was the visuals. In fact, if I had not chosen to title these top five shows by their show name, I would have called this post "Another PCEP Visual Masterpiece". First off, the visual designs worked so well with the music and they were very interesting (yes, the audience loved it). Second, the way large moveable black props and all of the various color fabrics by the guard were used was simply genius. I cannot imagine the amount of practice time that had to go into all of that. PCEP ended up taking the visual performance award in finals. The visual effect judge also had them in first place. So here is the 2001 Plymouth-Canton marching band in their Grand National Finals performance.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 24, 2022 3:04:41 GMT -6
The Danse
In 2001, Carmel was in the midst of the era when most of their shows had simple titles and featured a lot of original music by their director at the time Richard Sausedo. This show, The Danse, was no different. My take was that the show was taking us through the old-world use of the word danse to the more modern meaning of dance. It utilized several bright yellow what I assume to be ballet bar type props which were moved around the field throughout the show. There were even a couple times when the band broke out into a little dance. Carmel essentially had no weaknesses, as every aspect of this program was strong. I particularly loved several of the drill designs, very complex and difficult. The percussion arrangement/writing was also superb. The percussion features turned out to be a big highlight of this show.
Carmel entered Grand National Finals the favored to win. They were having an amazing season (their best to date). They had won the Indiana Class A State Title and they won two BOA Regionals, including BOA Indy which occurred the week prior and in which they won by a comfortable margin. Upon the conclusion of Semi Finals, Carmel had won the Class AAA Title (no 4A Class back then). During the finals awards, once Carmel was announced as having won outstanding General Effect, I am sure everyone thought that Carmel was going to be the 2001 Grand National Champ. Imagine the shock when they were announced in second place behind a band that had won no highest achievement awards. Carmel ended up just 0.05 points behind first place. Looking at the recap sheets also show something very interesting. Carmel did not win music effect and they did not win visual effect, but their combined scores in those two areas gave them the highest overall general effect. Another really interesting thing when looking at the recap sheets is that not one judge had them in first (all of the other top 5 bands had at least one judge give them a first place ordinal). So while I am sure getting so close to taking home the eagle stung for the band members, they still had a terrific show. Here is the 2001 Grand National Finals performance of Carmel.
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Post by dbalash on Oct 24, 2022 7:19:08 GMT -6
Reflections of a Dark Millennium In 5th place in Grand National Finals was the defending champ at the time, Marian Catholic with their show titled "Reflections of a Dark Millennium". Interesting this show was somewhat redone just a few years later in 2005's "Impressions in Black Granite". I really enjoyed both shows. I knew the 2005 show referenced the Vietnam War. I am not sure if that was the case with 2001 as well. Marian, who up until that time always wore white pants, had half of their band in dark pants and the other half in white pants (they did that again for 2005's show). The contrast made for extremely interesting visual effects. Prior to that time, I had observed that technique in color guards but never the band. It echoed a good vs evil vibe (think 2011 Cadets). Aside from the visuals, the music was so complex and brilliantly layered. It was like they were playing musical selections forward and backward, different pieces together, etc. At times, the band also did these verbal chants; so chilling. As much as I loved the visual design, it was actually the visual effect judge that gave them the lowest score. Given as close as the scores were, this is what put them in 5th place as opposed to getting into the top three. As is typical with Marian Catholic, this show was obviously packed with a ton of symbolism. It was presenting us with a topic on a far deeper level than what I probably understood. So, I would love it if someone with more understanding of this show could chime in. Here is the 2001 Grand National Finals performance of Marian Catholic. I finally found what I was looking for in the alumni group. Over the years, Mr. Bimm has put out a libretto (for lack of a better term) in regards to the show. Here's the one on 2001.
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Post by dbalash on Oct 24, 2022 7:55:04 GMT -6
The Top 5 Separated by Less Than a Point This is going to be a series of posts over the course of the next week or so. These will feature the bands who placed in the top 5 at the 2001 Grand National Championships. Yes, their scores were less than a point from each other. I remember thinking at the time, it can't get any better than this. Seems I have been saying that just about every year for the last 20 years. For me personally, this was a time when my career, for which I work a lot of weekends, and other financial obligations (life responsibility stuff) prevented me from travel to Indy. Back then you could order the videos of the finalist bands but had to wait months before those videos would arrive. Luckily for me, viewing performances online was just a few years away as was live streaming and all that good stuff that I rely on so much today. I know that most of you on these forums were not alive in 2001 or too young to remember (yes that makes me feel old LOL). The start of the 2001 season was marred by the September 11th terrorist attacks. I remember that fall was a strange time. It was a period of national mourning. There was a lot of uncertainty (would another attack happen?), and we were facing the prospects of a major war in the Middle East. I can't imagine what it must have been like for all those involved in the marching arts to push forward and continue with a successful season. I do at least know that marching band shows and BOA in particular became a means for those of us to take our minds off the state of the nation during such uncertain times. If you follow these videos all the way back to the early 1970s, you will probably notice that the more rigid military style often did not allow for a lot of variability among shows from band to band. Many bands often used a piece of music or signature drill move from season to season to help form their identity. During the course of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as the rules became less restrictive and things like asymmetry in drill design took hold, show styles started becoming more diverse between bands. That trend has proven consistent in the decades that followed. This has been great for sustaining so many fans over the years as you were guaranteed to get a completely different style show from band to band. I think the top 5 bands at the 2001 Grand Nationals really exemplified the diversity in styles that had emerged since the more military style of the 1970s. Each one of these bands had a completely different style show. As different as each show was, I loved every one of them. Again, over the course of the next week or so, I will present each show in a separate post. Enjoy! Can I just say for the record, what a weird, weird year of GN judging this was? PCEP won prelims 1 with a 94.05. Carmel was 2nd, with a 92.95. Center Grove was 5.05 behind in 3rd with an 87.90. Lake Park right behind with an 87.50. Richland, in 5th place on Thursday, scored an 83.60. Northrop, in 11th place on the day, scored a 78.05. 27 BANDS ON FRIDAY SCORED HIGHER (Gilbert, AZ was 27th with a 78.10). 11th place on Friday (Owasso) scored an 89.55. One band from Thursday (Westerville North) made it into the next 8 for semifinals. The recaps/ordinals for the top 5 were all over the place as well. Marian, 19th place in Visual Individual in prelims, 15th in semifinals, 1st in finals. 2nd in Visual GE in prelims, 1st in semifinals, 7th in finals. Carmel, 15th Music GE 1 in prelims, 5th in semis, 2nd in finals.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 24, 2022 8:34:41 GMT -6
Priceless information on Marian's 2001 show. Awesome post!! Definitely showcases the thoughts of a pure genius. No wonder I have had such difficulty interpreting Marian shows over the years. And yes the 2001 GN scores were somewhat head scratching for sure.
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Post by pedazos on Oct 24, 2022 9:54:47 GMT -6
The Top 5 Separated by Less Than a Point This is going to be a series of posts over the course of the next week or so. These will feature the bands who placed in the top 5 at the 2001 Grand National Championships. Yes, their scores were less than a point from each other. I remember thinking at the time, it can't get any better than this. Seems I have been saying that just about every year for the last 20 years. For me personally, this was a time when my career, for which I work a lot of weekends, and other financial obligations (life responsibility stuff) prevented me from travel to Indy. Back then you could order the videos of the finalist bands but had to wait months before those videos would arrive. Luckily for me, viewing performances online was just a few years away as was live streaming and all that good stuff that I rely on so much today. I know that most of you on these forums were not alive in 2001 or too young to remember (yes that makes me feel old LOL). The start of the 2001 season was marred by the September 11th terrorist attacks. I remember that fall was a strange time. It was a period of national mourning. There was a lot of uncertainty (would another attack happen?), and we were facing the prospects of a major war in the Middle East. I can't imagine what it must have been like for all those involved in the marching arts to push forward and continue with a successful season. I do at least know that marching band shows and BOA in particular became a means for those of us to take our minds off the state of the nation during such uncertain times. If you follow these videos all the way back to the early 1970s, you will probably notice that the more rigid military style often did not allow for a lot of variability among shows from band to band. Many bands often used a piece of music or signature drill move from season to season to help form their identity. During the course of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as the rules became less restrictive and things like asymmetry in drill design took hold, show styles started becoming more diverse between bands. That trend has proven consistent in the decades that followed. This has been great for sustaining so many fans over the years as you were guaranteed to get a completely different style show from band to band. I think the top 5 bands at the 2001 Grand Nationals really exemplified the diversity in styles that had emerged since the more military style of the 1970s. Each one of these bands had a completely different style show. As different as each show was, I loved every one of them. Again, over the course of the next week or so, I will present each show in a separate post. Enjoy! I have been a voyeur on these forums for a few years, and I finally feel compelled to create an account solely to respond to the 2001 top five finalists! 2001 was such a fantastic year for marching band, and some of my favorite shows of all time come from this group. I'll start with Marian Catholic. I hadn't seen much band that season because I was a sophomore in college, but I was keeping up with what was going on through the BOA website. I also remember checking out Marian's band website often to see what pictures and info they would post about the show. Coming off their 2000 win, I was very anxious to see what they would produce for 2001. Boy, was I not disappointed! I LOVE dark shows, and "Reflections of a Dark Millennium" blew my mind. Like literally, I remember watching them in finals thinking "What the heck did I just watch!?" It felt way ahead of its time, and the two-colored band uniforms worked so so well. Admitted band nerd here—I've listened to this show hundreds of times (I remember my iTunes program on my 2002 eMac told me that I had listened to it over 200 times—this is probably the second-most listened to band mp3 next to "Dialogues With a Muse"...I hope to gush about that show some day!). It's truly a masterpiece, and after reading Dan's insight from Bimm about the show, now I'm even more in love with it. I remember reading that the show was going to be about the Vietnam War or the memorial and that there was a decision made to change the show shortly after 9/11 happened. In the end, it was an appropriate change. Personally, I didn't love LD Bell's show. It felt old-school, and I was more into progressive shows. That being said, I was able to recognize the excellence of the music performance and visual challenges, even though it was fairly cookie-cutter and a repeat from the 2000 show. At that point, it was the most impressive Texas show that I had seen, and that was the show that propelled LD Bell into their decade of dominance, and I'm glad I was able to see that show performed live. Plymouth-Canton 2001 is, in my opinion, one of few marching band shows where the visual representation is sheer perfection from beginning to end. I fell in love with PCEP in 1997 with their "Where the Wild Things Are" show, and they kept growing on me over the years. I fanboyed so hard over the 2001 show, and this is also another mp3 that I've listened to more than I'd like to admit. Whenever it comes on my random shuffle of music, I will never skip it. As I watched this show in finals, I couldn't understand how high school kids could get so precise with their drill and make it look so easy. The audio-to-visual package of "Programme One" was mind-blowing, and it was one of the most joyful and glee-inspiring shows ever put on the field. And can we mention how they literally put the band in a box at the end of the show and then march off the field IN the box!? Love love love this show. I was a pretty big fan of Carmel in 2001, and I was excited to see them doing well. Secretly, their 1997 show is my favorite Carmel show of all time, and that got me on the bandwagon (haha, band...wagon...) for their shows. That being said, I didn't love "The Danse". It was done extremely well, but just wasn't for me. I feel like I might be alone in this camp! After the last band performed, my friends and I discussed what was about to go down at retreat. I remember saying "LD Bell wins music. PCEP wins visual. Carmel wins GE and the show." I was so close!! No one saw LC winning it all, but man, what a story! And honestly, no one was saying "Nah, they shouldn't have won." The show was beautifully performed and designed so well that you couldn't disagree. I am a sucker for band kids reacting to results, and the three LC drum majors' reactions were incredible. A complete blindside, for sure. Very few finals retreats have been like that one. There have been a few over the years that have come close, but 2001 is a year to remember.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 24, 2022 10:24:01 GMT -6
Thanks for the comments and welcome aboard. Yes the Spirit of Central's show will be the next featured video.
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Post by srv1084 on Oct 24, 2022 11:34:18 GMT -6
I have been a voyeur on these forums for a few years, and I finally feel compelled to create an account solely to respond to the 2001 top five finalists! 2001 was such a fantastic year for marching band, and some of my favorite shows of all time come from this group. I'll start with Marian Catholic. I hadn't seen much band that season because I was a sophomore in college, but I was keeping up with what was going on through the BOA website. I also remember checking out Marian's band website often to see what pictures and info they would post about the show. Coming off their 2000 win, I was very anxious to see what they would produce for 2001. Boy, was I not disappointed! I LOVE dark shows, and "Reflections of a Dark Millennium" blew my mind. Like literally, I remember watching them in finals thinking "What the heck did I just watch!?" It felt way ahead of its time, and the two-colored band uniforms worked so so well. Admitted band nerd here—I've listened to this show hundreds of times (I remember my iTunes program on my 2002 eMac told me that I had listened to it over 200 times—this is probably the second-most listened to band mp3 next to "Dialogues With a Muse"...I hope to gush about that show some day!). It's truly a masterpiece, and after reading Dan's insight from Bimm about the show, now I'm even more in love with it. I remember reading that the show was going to be about the Vietnam War or the memorial and that there was a decision made to change the show shortly after 9/11 happened. In the end, it was an appropriate change. Personally, I didn't love LD Bell's show. It felt old-school, and I was more into progressive shows. That being said, I was able to recognize the excellence of the music performance and visual challenges, even though it was fairly cookie-cutter and a repeat from the 2000 show. At that point, it was the most impressive Texas show that I had seen, and that was the show that propelled LD Bell into their decade of dominance, and I'm glad I was able to see that show performed live. Plymouth-Canton 2001 is, in my opinion, one of few marching band shows where the visual representation is sheer perfection from beginning to end. I fell in love with PCEP in 1997 with their "Where the Wild Things Are" show, and they kept growing on me over the years. I fanboyed so hard over the 2001 show, and this is also another mp3 that I've listened to more than I'd like to admit. Whenever it comes on my random shuffle of music, I will never skip it. As I watched this show in finals, I couldn't understand how high school kids could get so precise with their drill and make it look so easy. The audio-to-visual package of "Programme One" was mind-blowing, and it was one of the most joyful and glee-inspiring shows ever put on the field. And can we mention how they literally put the band in a box at the end of the show and then march off the field IN the box!? Love love love this show. I was a pretty big fan of Carmel in 2001, and I was excited to see them doing well. Secretly, their 1997 show is my favorite Carmel show of all time, and that got me on the bandwagon (haha, band...wagon...) for their shows. That being said, I didn't love "The Danse". It was done extremely well, but just wasn't for me. I feel like I might be alone in this camp! After the last band performed, my friends and I discussed what was about to go down at retreat. I remember saying "LD Bell wins music. PCEP wins visual. Carmel wins GE and the show." I was so close!! No one saw LC winning it all, but man, what a story! And honestly, no one was saying "Nah, they shouldn't have won." The show was beautifully performed and designed so well that you couldn't disagree. I am a sucker for band kids reacting to results, and the three LC drum majors' reactions were incredible. A complete blindside, for sure. Very few finals retreats have been like that one. There have been a few over the years that have come close, but 2001 is a year to remember. Welcome back!
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Post by bandirectorman on Oct 24, 2022 21:55:48 GMT -6
Priceless information on Marian's 2001 show. Awesome post!! Definitely showcases the thoughts of a pure genius. No wonder I have had such difficulty interpreting Marian shows over the years. And yes the 2001 GN scores were somewhat head scratching for sure. I remember seeing them that year & I thought it was such a cool idea. It only revealed itself as a program in their 2005 "Impressions In Black Granite" program. Kind of a shame that they couldn't have rolled with the VietNam theme, but 9/11 happened. I still would have rolled with the program that year though. Who knows if they would have actually won, but it was one of my favorite MC shows of that era. So cool. Such a strong Top 5 that year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 25, 2022 3:25:50 GMT -6
Metamorphosis - Ancient Myth to Modern Vision
One of the biggest upsets for the Grand National Title came in 2001 when Lawrence Central defeated Carmel by 0.05 points. Just one week prior to Grand Nationals, Lawrence Central placed 3rd behind Carmel and Marian at the BOA Indy regional. During the Semi Finals Awards, Lawrence Central was not even in the top three for Class AAA (they actually tied PCEP for third, but PCEP had the higher overall GE score - the tie breaker). Then during the finals awards, when it came down to the last two left, it was between Carmel and Lawrence Central. Carmel had of course won the 3A title and picked up the GE award in finals, while Lawrence Central did not win any highest achievement awards. I am sure everyone thought that Lawrence Central would be announced in 2nd. Then surprise, Lawrence Central ended up in first. This was the first of two Grand National Titles for this band.
The Spirit of Central's 2001 show is my personal favorite show of this band and has certainly become a legendary BOA show. The music of Symphonic Metamorphosis was featured. The beginning of the show represented the ancient. The percussion actually used old style drums which gave a really unique sound. For the modern portion of the show, the props were turned around (from ancient browns to modern purple) and the drum line switched to current (modern) drums. A large platform on the field created a unique staging and showcased three wonderful soloists, most notably a euphonium. The beauty of the solos kind of permeated throughout the band. It was quite clear that the finals performance was a special moment, the band really shined in finals. Although they now have the distinction of being the only Grand National Champion band that did not win a highest achievement award, looking at the recap sheets show how close they were. They were only 0.05 points behind PCEP for visual performance. They also had the highest overall music effect. Their visual effect score prevented them from taking GE, interesting as I actually think they had the best color guard of all finalist bands that year. In my opinion, what I think made the difference was that the band really seemed to have an emotional connection to the music, and it came through to the audience in their finals performance. In most of the comments over the years, it seems that most people do actually feel that Lawrence Central was the rightful winner in this tightly packed top 5. If anyone has a better quality video of their finals performance please post. Here is the 2001 BOA Grand National Champion Lawrence Central "the Spirit of Central".
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 27, 2022 15:28:41 GMT -6
BOA Storytime
If you were around in the 2000s, you will know that vocal narration was big in competitive marching bands, especially BOA. The concept of vocal narration goes much farther back than the 2000s. I showcased Center Grove using it in 1988 and PCEP opening their show with it 1991. It became more popular throughout the 1990s, with PCEP really being one of the biggest pioneers of its use. By the early 2000s, vocal narration was somewhat polarizing the marching arts world. Much of it I think was a generational thing. In 2001, Etiwanda HS from Rancho Cucamonga, CA (you could tell Chuck loved saying that city name), presented a show that was built around the concept of spinning and made heavy use of vocal narration. It was almost as if they opened a children's book to teach of the concept of spinning. Throughout the decade, these shows that had somewhat of a storybook feel to them were extremely popular.
Early in the 2001 season, Etiwanda performed at the BOA Las Vegas regional. They were heavily favored to win. Although they did have the highest score from Prelims, in Finals they got beat by Coronado HS from El Paso TX (if I could have found that Coronado show I would have posted, calling it the El Paso Upset). Etiwanda lost by 0.4 points, 0.3 of which was a timing penalty. They did attend Grand Nationals in 2001. This was their fourth trip. Although their previous three trips landed them in finals (just two years prior they finished 8th for their highest GN Finals finish ever), they would not be so fortunate this go around. They ended up in 14th place in Semi Finals. Still, 14th place in 2001 was quite good. I wanted to showcase this performance because it just embodies so much of the early to mid 2000s style. Also, with a California band, you know you are going to get a lot of percussion features. Here is the 2001 GN Semi Finals performance of Etiwanda HS.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 2, 2022 4:38:01 GMT -6
Big Band, Big Sound
Many posts ago I showcased some Duncanville HS TX videos from the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were certainly one of the best bands in Texas at that time, including winning two UIL State Titles. They participated in BOA for just three seasons back then, 1991 to 1993. They had a lot of success in those three season too, winning two BOA Regional Titles and appearing in Grand National Finals twice (for many years I have considered 91 and 93 Duncanville to be the largest Grand National Finalist band ever, while Vandegrift may have had a larger horn section, I still think factoring in the guard that Duncanville was bigger). Duncanville stopped participating in BOA after 1993, until just a few years ago returning to regional competitions). I think this was in large part because their visual aspects did not score as well in the BOA system. They did however remain a strong program for many years. In this post, I will showcase 2000, 2001 and 2002 Duncanville. In 2002 they picked up their third UIL state title.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 4, 2022 12:44:25 GMT -6
A Giant in the Mile High City
In the BOA World, I think Pomona HS from Arvada CO (Denver Suburb) is most remembered for their incredible and loud performance at the 1996 BOA Grand Nationals, where they placed 5th in Finals. That performance is on this thread a few posts back. They made history by becoming the first (and so far only) Colorado band to make Grand National Finals. There was actually much more to this band than just that one performance. The rest of their Grand National appearances in the 1990s and early 2000s would get them close to finals. However, 1996 would be the only year they would make finals (I however think they should have made it 1997). Anyway, this band also attended several BOA Regionals back in the late 90s/early 2000s. They were runner-up at I believe three BOA Regionals, but they never actually won a regional title (in 2007 Rampart became the first and so far only Colorado band to win a BOA Regional Title). Pomona was long considered one of the best bands in Colorado throughout much of the 1990s and 2000s and won multiple CBA State Titles. In 2001, they performed a show called City Sketches. It was very on par with the trends of the era with respect to having some props and tarps. One of the things I always liked about this band, which is certainly showcased in their 2001 show, was their drill. This band always challenged themselves visually. Although they did not attend Grand Nationals this year, they did attend BOA St Louis and finished in 2nd place in finals behind Lake Park. They did however finish ahead of both Union and Broken Arrow. The video for this post is Pomona at the 2001 CBA State Finals at Denver Mile High Stadium. They won the 5A Title. For those who are fans of PCEP's 1999 show, you will recognize some of the music.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Nov 5, 2022 23:50:41 GMT -6
The 80s Revolution The 1980s saw some innovations that would quickly change the look and feel of a drum corps and marching band show. It seemed that the seeds were planted this decade that allowed the marching arts to slowly evolve into a more performance based activity rather than a military one. Although there are no videos in this thread, I will mention some performances that stood out in terms of their innovations. These are what I consider the biggest things that were either first used or significantly developed during this decade. ... 4. The Use of Electronics While the usage of electronics was not allowed in DCI until the 2000s (or was it the late 90s, I can't remember), that was not the case in high school marching bands. Actually starting the late 1970s, several high school bands marched an electric bass attached to an amplifier. The amplifier was on a cart and also had to be marched. With the development of the pit, electronics were soon moved up front. High school bands quickly began using microphones to enhance woodwind solos and in some instances stringed instruments and vocal solos. Electric keyboards (which were very popular in 80s pop music) were also incorporated into the pit in many high school bands. The use of electronics soon expanded to vocalization by the 1990s. Some of the early bands that were pioneers in the use of electronics in the pit were Warren Central HS and Northrop HS, both from Indiana and Centerville HS, OH. If someone else already noted this in the past two years and I missed it, I apologize. DCI first allowed amplification of pit instruments and vocals in 2004. (Coincidentally, that was also the first year that DCI had a cinema broadcast of Prelims.) DCI first allowed the use of electronics (i.e., synthesizers) in 2009. I'm not sure if amplification of brass instruments was allowed in 2009, but it was definitely in use by 2010 (e.g., Bluecoats' modulated baritone solo in "Asphalt Cocktail").
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 15, 2022 22:30:38 GMT -6
I know it has been awhile since my last post. There were a lot of bands to watch the last couple weeks. Work and preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas will be keeping me busy for a while. I will get a few new posts over the next month, but expect them to really pick up again after the Holidays.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 26, 2022 6:52:58 GMT -6
The Year Irmo Made Their ConquestIn 1990, Irmo HS from Columbia/Irmo SC made their first appearance at a BOA event. They attended Grand Nationals but fell far short of making finals. The very next year, however, they placed near the top at their very first BOA regional championships and then surprised us all by making Grand National Finals, becoming the first South Carolina band to achieve that. They actually ended up finishing 9th (their highest placement ever at GN) with their legendary Miss Saigon show. They followed up that success by making finals again in 1992. Prior to 1990, there was limited participation in BOA by South Carolina bands. Boy did that change by the 1990s. In addition to Irmo; Fort Mill, Lexington and Byrnes found much success on the BOA front. Following Irmo's second Grand National Finals appearance in 1992, they were unable to land back in finals the rest of the decade. In 1996, the first year of the semi finals format at Nationals, Irmo ended up in 11th in Semi Finals. However, that year BOA only chose a top 10 for GN Finals; ouch. At the regional level, Irmo was consistently near the top at all of the regional they attended and were runner up a few times but were never actually able to outright win a BOA regional. In 2001, that all changed for Irmo with their aptly named show "Conquest". At the early season BOA Johnson City regional, Irmo won their first (and only) BOA regional title, beating their in state rivals Byrnes and Fort Mill, who were 2nd and 3rd. Later in the season, at BOA Atlanta, Irmo finished 2nd behind Tarpon Springs and actually won the music performance award. Then it was off to Grand Nationals. Irmo finished 12th in semi finals to land a spot in finals and then finished 11th in finals. This was their third and unfortunately last appearance in GN finals. During the latter half of the 2000s, Irmo would fall from the top echelon of bands in BOA. I still miss that band in BOA. In their 2001 show 'Conquest' Irmo spent over half of the show performing entirely on the left side of the field, before finally "conquering" the right side of the field. This may be longest time a band has spent on one side of the field in BOA history. Irmo's 2001 Grand National performance was once online but not any longer. Here is their 2001 BOA Atlanta performance. I also enjoyed Irmo's 2000 show very much. That show was a real gem They did not take that one to Grand Nationals but did attend BOA Orlando where they finished 2nd behind Tarpon Springs. Here is that performance.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 28, 2022 5:52:38 GMT -6
Kingsport's Own; a Brief Look Back at Dobyns-Bennett
So one of the topics that has appeared in the forums the last few weeks has been about the long legacy of the Dobyns-Bennett marching band and how it has become so cherished among the residents of Kingsport, Tennesse. I decided to look for some vintage videos of the band. Now while I have seen records of marching contests results going back to the late 1960s that indicate Dobyns-Bennett was a good band back then, I have not found any videos of the marching band from the 1960s or 1970s. That of course is not surprising. There are not many videos available of that time period. Home video recorders were few and far between and what was filmed has probably not aged well and proven difficult to transfer to a digital format (home recorders and video quality improved a lot in the 1980s). Most of what I have stumbled onto from that era were professionally recorded. What I did find was a video from a trip to Austria that the concert band took in 1972. To be more specific, the video is essentially of old pictures set to music, so not technically a video. It certainly gives some insights into the concert band program back then. Looks like this trip consisted of a parade and concert performance. Notice they are in their uniforms in concert. Back then many kids did indeed wear their marching uniforms for concert band performances.
Here is that video:
As far as the marching band, I did find some videos from the early/mid 1980s. Here are a few of those.
And here is a clip from their 1984 trip to the Macy's Parade
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Post by boahistorybuff on Nov 29, 2022 14:44:20 GMT -6
Winter Guard's GOAT - The Early 2000sIt is hard to believe that these videos are now two decades in the past. This post will showcase three performances by the James Logan (Union City CA) Scholastic World Champion winter guard (2001, 2002 and 2003). The James Logan Winter Guard actually won 11 WGI Scholastic World Titles (1998-2007 and 2010; yes that is right they won 10 titles in a row). Although I have not followed winter guard too closely, I do remember back in those days hearing how James Logan was dominating the high school winter guard scene. Now before I get any comments from some of the more recent winter guard champs (like Avon, Carmel and Tarpon), I put GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in the title simply because James Logan has more WGI world titles than any other high school winter guard. Just like DCI and BOA, performances at WGI have gotten stronger over the years. So yes a WGI champion performance from 20 years ago does not really compare to the type of performances winning today. Nonetheless, at the time, James Logan was really freaking good and their record number of titles probably won't be broken for a very long time. Since I have started doing these posts, I have gone back and looked at more vintage winter guard performances (again, I did not follow WGI as closely as I should have). I was struck by how many things that were being done in winter guard found their way into DCI and marching band shows years down the road; themed shows and costuming being of course the big ones. I have noticed in some of the early 2000s guard performances that body movements were being used more heavily in creating a visual effect. Now this is not dance so to speak as dance in WGI was done long before the 2000s. It just seemed that there was a lot more use of the coordinated body movements to aid in creating a visual. There were also a lot of sections of free form (or choreographed chaos) being done, something that has become quite common today. Now seeing a lot of the gymnastic/acrobatic type movements in WGI today makes me really curious what drum corps/marching band shows are going to look like 20 years from now. Enjoy these early 2000s vintage videos of the James Logan winter guard.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 6, 2022 9:30:35 GMT -6
A Texas Band in Georgia
Going back decades, one thing that has always made me enjoy the big Texas bands was the quality of their full ensemble sound. Often loud, powerful and packed with difficulty, the Texas sound was and has been somewhat unique to many of the best Texas bands. Now don't get me wrong, other big name bands also produce great musical quality. There just seems to be a signature style that has come to embody many of the best Texas bands. There was however one band that was not from Texas that actually had that unique Texas style to their sound (at least in my opinion). That band was Lassiter HS from Marietta, GA. Maybe it is just me, but every time I heard and saw Lassiter perform, they always reminded me of a Texas band; and yes, a very good one at that. No surprise that Lassiter would claim two Grand National titles. The year before their 4th trip to Grand Nationals which would earn them that second title, in 2001 Lassiter did not attend Grand Nationals. They did not even attend BOA Atlanta even though it was in their back yard. They did however attend BOA Morgantown WV that year. They easily won the regional title (even though Kiski was quite strong). Here is that performance (yes not the best video quality). They would perform the same musical ending in 2002, which featured about a dozen French horns.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 14, 2022 9:11:32 GMT -6
What a Difference a Year Makes
In 2000, Avon HS IN made their 4th appearance in Grand National Semi Finals. They finished in 26th place. In fact, in the four years between 1997 and 2000 they placed in the 20s every time, so they were a good mid sized school band. Most of us did not consider them a future GN Finalist caliber band at the time. Then came 2001. At ISSMA, they won the Class B State Title after having placed 8th in class B the year before. At the BOA Indy regional they finished 6th in finals after placing 13th in prelims the year before. So obviously a much improved band. Then came Grand Nationals. They surprised us all and made Grand National Finals for the very first time and finished 9th. In 2002, although they would win the GN Class AA Title, they would just miss finals (getting the dubious distinction of being the first Class AA Champ not to make finals). In 2003 of course, they jumped into Class A at ISSMA and Class AAA in BOA (signs of a suburban population boom in the Avon school district). From that year on they would be permanent fixtures in GN Finals and of course have since become one of the most successful bands in BOA History.
This post features the Avon "Marching Black and Gold's" very first appearance in Grand National Finals in 2001. You can really see the joy and surprise on the faces of the kids in this video. While not quite as powerful and clean as the Avon of the past 15 years or so, looking back on this video you can certainly see the signs of what was to come from this amazing marching band. Here is the video:
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