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Post by hawknate14 on Oct 27, 2023 10:43:14 GMT -6
You had to enter through an airlock in the tunnel and when they opened it there was this big whoosh of wind. We had to explain this and prep the freshmen every year because it was sort of startling and intimidating to enter the first time. . Even though they changed the support system, the JMA done in Syracuse is the same, it takes a little getting used to.
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Post by asaiah on Oct 27, 2023 17:21:49 GMT -6
Rare high cam version of LD Bell's 2007 Grand National performance. Huge thanks to user @scarlett for sending me a 2007 Grand Nationals DVD! (I also made a backup on Google Drive in case this video ever gets taken down)
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Post by Scarlett on Oct 29, 2023 17:39:18 GMT -6
Yaaaay!! I also have duplicate videos from GN 2003 and 2005. 🙂
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Post by kvgdc on Oct 31, 2023 8:49:15 GMT -6
I think they still do the ISSMA Finals show in Dec/Jan actually. I recall watching with my dad if not last year then not long ago.
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Post by kvgdc on Oct 31, 2023 8:51:16 GMT -6
You had to enter through an airlock in the tunnel and when they opened it there was this big whoosh of wind. We had to explain this and prep the freshmen every year because it was sort of startling and intimidating to enter the first time. Oh the memories of the Dome. I recall that warning from the upperclassmen-“you’ll feel like you’re alone out there from the sound”. Warming up in a parking lot, entering through the airlock, and that awful PA announcer. It was also one of our only performances on turf, so there was always the reminder to pick up your heels more when marching backward or you’ll snag on the turf and fall. I’ve never performed at LOS of course, but my memory is that the Dome always felt like there were more spectators than LOS, if that makes any sense. I also remember the state contest was televised at some wacky time like 10:00 pm on New Year’s Eve, probably on channel 4 or channel 20. Oh the parking lot warm up. On those big chunky rocks. The busses could park on them fine but watch your step crossing them because you'll twist an ankle.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 5, 2023 10:44:21 GMT -6
The Yin and Yang Theme in Shows
In 2003, the Avon marching Black and Gold presented a show called "Equinox". I am not entirely sure of concept other than there was a Yin and Yang Symbol within a Star on the center of the field, perhaps the concept that the interaction of light and dark is to maintain a harmony in the universe. The whole Yin and Yang concept was one that appeared heavily in show themes during the 2000s.Â
2003 was a big year for Avon because it marked the first indication to those of us outside the district that this school and band were growing. In the 1990s, they were a Class B band in ISSMA and in their first BOA appearance in 1997, they were a Class AA band. From 1997 through 2000 they were a solid finalist in ISSMA Class B State Finals and a solid Semi Finalist at Grand Nationals. In 2001, they won the ISSMA Class B State title for the first time and in a surprise, made GN Finals, finishing 9th. In 2002, they defended their Class B State title but just missed making GN Finals (they were 14th in Semis). They did however win the GN Class AA Title. In 2003, the band was notably larger and they moved up in class at both ISSMA and BOA. They won their first BOA Regional title this season and in a huge upset, they won the ISSMA Class A State Championship. The easily made Grand National Finals and ended up finishing in 7th (an outright tie with Kiski). Avon also tied Centerville for the Visual Performance award in GN Finals. As of this writing, Avon has now won (or tied) the Visual Performance award in GN Finals 10 times, more than any other band.Â
I know this comment is going to make sound like some old guy reminiscing about the good ol' days, but this show really makes me miss the visual drill designs of the 2000s era. This video is of Avon at the 2003 ISSMA State Championship Finals. Enjoy!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 21, 2023 10:19:00 GMT -6
Small Band Elegance
As we have seen over and over, just because a band is small in numbers does not mean it can't have an impact or be enjoyable to watch. In 2002, Norwell captured the Indiana Class C State Title and went on to win the Grand National Class A Title. In 2003, Norwell did not have the same success at ISSMA as they ended up 3rd in Class C in state finals. They did however defend their Class A title at the BOA Indy regional and then won the GN Class A title for the second year in a row. This marked their second and last GN Class A title. Arguably a little better in 2004, they jumped into Class AA in BOA. Had they not, they would have nabbed another Class A Title.
This video is from their performance at the ISSMA State Championships. The show was titled "Musing of a Minimalist" and featured the music of Michael Torke. This was a difficult show and featured some pretty challenging drill moves. This was a type of show that peaked at the end of the season, which it did. I wish the GN Semi Finals performance was online because it was a bit cleaner. Nonetheless, I really like this show, especially from a visual standpoint. I don't know who the designer for 2003 Norwell was, but I get some Michael Gaines vibes in some of the designs. Here is the 2003 Norwell Marching Knights.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 3, 2024 11:23:34 GMT -6
Costuming To The Next Level
In a much earlier post, I showed the 1992 PCEP marching bands finals performance high cam version. Well the multi cam version has finally made it to the web. This is their preliminary performance. They did win Prelims and the Class AAA Title, but ended up third in Finals.
As a reminder, PCEP's show was from the Sondheim musical; Sweeny Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. During the early 90s, It was becoming more common to see the guard dress the part to fit the theme. In 1992, PCEP's guard took that to a whole new level by dressing as demon barbers, make up and all. Their was also a character on the field who represented Sweeny Todd and even enacted a murder scene at the start of the show. That raised a lot of eyebrows and made this a controversial show for the times. PCEP also took electronics and vocal amplification to new heights. This and the level of theatrics made this a very innovative show for the time. Back then there were still a lot of people who could not stand the singing and electronics in marching band shows. Love it or hate, this show and this band was very much a must see for the Grand National audience. Aside from Centerville's surprise win this year, PCEP's show was probably the most talked about thing at the 1992 Grand Nationals. Here is the multi cam version.
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Post by das88 on Jan 3, 2024 19:57:45 GMT -6
I watched "Wonka" last night and evertime I hear "Pure Imagination" I think of Lake Central's 2013 show. Flute player was amazing. During the height of LC glory days and oh so close to GN finals. I hope they can continue an upward trajectory. The program has been through A LOT of changes. There used to be a video of this show at GN's. But it appears to be gone.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 9, 2024 11:48:55 GMT -6
A Clean Sweep for the Marching Eagle Regiment
At the 2003 BOA Phoenix Regional, Etiwanda HS CA won and swept the highest achievement awards. In fact, every judge had them in first and they won by near 6 points. This marked Etiwanda's seventh (of eight total) BOA Regional Title. As has long been common with California bands, Etiwanda made extensive use of percussion, which I loved. You will note that this was a baseball stadium turned makeshift football field, which I think made it a bit difficult to gage the full visual effect of this show. Here is 2003 Etiwanda at BOA Phoenix.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 6, 2024 10:43:41 GMT -6
The Dragon Band...The Early Years
Thought it might be neat to take a look at a band that has been performing quite well the last few years and made their first appearance in GN Finals in 2022. That band is the Southlake Carroll Marching Band from Southlake TX. I stumbled across some early 80s videos of this band, a much smaller band back in those days. If anyone knows a little bit more about the rich history of this band, please chime in.
The videos are from 1981, 1982 and 1983. Enjoy!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 24, 2024 11:23:22 GMT -6
A Keyboard Fantasy
A brand new vintage video recently hit the web, one I have been searching for for some time now. It has been so long since I saw this show, I actually forgot a lot about it. That show is the 1999 Grand National Finals performance of the Lake Park Lancer marching band, titled "A Keyboard Fantasy". They finished in 6th place with this show. I know I have said this before, but I will say it again, Lake Park's music during their glory years had so much depth, so much nuance, and was so sophisticated. Not all of their shows were a big crowd favorite as say some of the Kiski, Centerville, PCEP and Marian shows of the day, but man this band could play. Lake Park will truly be looked upon as one of those bands that really excelled at bringing a symphonic band style and quality to the marching field.
On a personal note, of all the non Michigan bands I competed with in my BOA years (which was actually long before 1999), I think we all felt a deeper connection to Lake Park than any other non Michigan bands. Their director, Ken Snoeck, was actually from Michigan. He and our director were good friends. I remember standing on the field in my very first BOA awards ceremony as a performer and watched as Lake Park won their first BOA regional title. Then my senior year, I got to stand front and center with the Lake Park drum majors as they won their second BOA Regional Title. We loved their show that year and were actually pulling for them to win Grand Nationals. That did not happen, but we were rooting for them nonetheless. What we also admired about this band was that they challenged themselves with both difficult music and difficult drill. Their size also inspired us as even though they were in Class AAA back then, they marched a pretty small band. I think my senior year we were actually the same size as them, if not maybe a little larger because of our guard (Lake Park had a notoriously small guard). So it was nice to see a band of our size go head to head with the much larger Marian Catholic and PCEP and beat them at times.
Anyway, new online, here is 1999 Lake Park.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 29, 2024 6:26:25 GMT -6
Revelations of the Spirit
Yet another 1999 video has hit the web. This is another performance that I have not seen in many many years. This is the 1999 Grand National Prelims performance of the Lawrence Central (Spirit of Central) Marching Band. After not attending BOA in 1998, everyone was excited to see their return in 1999. They would remain a consistent BOA power until their merger with North in 2014. For me personally, my favorite of Central's shows were the late 1990s and early 2000s. I just think those shows had some incredible musical moments. This video has poor sound quality, which unfortunately does not quite do this show justice. Also, of their three performances at GN in 1999, the finals performance was the strongest. They placed 5th. Anyway, here is the 1999 Lawrence Central marching band.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 30, 2024 4:06:09 GMT -6
Taking a Step Back in Time with the Marching Quakers
I can't remember if I posted this way back. If I did, y'all are getting it again.
During the 1980s, one of the best small school band programs in the country was the New Philadelphia High School "Marching Quakers" from New Philadelphia, Ohio. They had among the most distinctive uniforms in the country. In fact, during the first couple years of the decade, I would say that New Philadelphia was the best band in Ohio. From 1980 to 1982 they did not attend the fall Grand Nationals. Note, if they had, they would have surely been finalists. Instead, they attended the Summer Nationals where they were consistent Finalists. They would however lose out to the Class A Title to Herscher HS IL. Their first appearance at the fall Grand Nationals was in 1983, when they finished 10th in finals. They would however come in second to the Class A title to their in state rival Carroll HS (now typically called Archbishop Carroll). New Philadelphia would end up making 6 appearances in the fall Grand National Finals, and would win the Grand National Class A Title twice; 1987 and 1989.Â
The video I am showing is from the 1981 BOA Midwest Regional held at Northrop HS in Fort Wayne, IN. New Philadelphia (we usually called them New Philly), was a finalist and Class A Champion. Two weeks prior to this competition, they were a finalist and Class A Champion at the BOA Northern Regional in Toledo, OH. Yes, too bad they did not attend Grand Nationals that year. If you see the comments in the description of the video, it says two weeks after the bleacher incident in Toledo. What was the bleacher incident? At the BOA Toledo Regional, the band was seated on a section of make shift bleachers. I think these were set up for the finalist bands to have their pictures taken after they competed, but I am not 100% positive of that (this was still a little before my time). Well while the whole band was sitting on the bleachers, they collapsed. There were several students who were injured in this incident.Â
On a final note, since we are nearing the end of Woman's History Month, I will point out that the director of this band at the time was Cheryl Anne Graham. She was the director at a time when very few woman were head directors of a high school marching band. She became director of this band in the 1970s. During her tenure this small town band grew to over 100 members (they were over 130 during the early 80s) and became one of the best bands in the country. Cheryl was also the only woman band director on BOA's advisory board for many years in the 1980s.Â
Here is the 1981 Fort Wayne regional performance of the Marching Quakers.Â
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Post by 70sguardchick on Apr 26, 2024 14:32:53 GMT -6
Taking a Step Back in Time with the Marching QuakersI can't remember if I posted this way back. If I did, y'all are getting it again. During the 1980s, one of the best small school band programs in the country was the New Philadelphia High School "Marching Quakers" from New Philadelphia, Ohio. They had among the most distinctive uniforms in the country. In fact, during the first couple years of the decade, I would say that New Philadelphia was the best band in Ohio. From 1980 to 1982 they did not attend the fall Grand Nationals. Note, if they had, they would have surely been finalists. Instead, they attended the Summer Nationals where they were consistent Finalists. They would however lose out to the Class A Title to Herscher HS IL. Their first appearance at the fall Grand Nationals was in 1983, when they finished 10th in finals. They would however come in second to the Class A title to their in state rival Carroll HS (now typically called Archbishop Carroll). New Philadelphia would end up making 6 appearances in the fall Grand National Finals, and would win the Grand National Class A Title twice; 1987 and 1989. The video I am showing is from the 1981 BOA Midwest Regional held at Northrop HS in Fort Wayne, IN. New Philadelphia (we usually called them New Philly), was a finalist and Class A Champion. Two weeks prior to this competition, they were a finalist and Class A Champion at the BOA Northern Regional in Toledo, OH. Yes, too bad they did not attend Grand Nationals that year. If you see the comments in the description of the video, it says two weeks after the bleacher incident in Toledo. What was the bleacher incident? At the BOA Toledo Regional, the band was seated on a section of make shift bleachers. I think these were set up for the finalist bands to have their pictures taken after they competed, but I am not 100% positive of that (this was still a little before my time). Well while the whole band was sitting on the bleachers, they collapsed. There were several students who were injured in this incident. On a final note, since we are nearing the end of Woman's History Month, I will point out that the director of this band at the time was Cheryl Anne Graham. She was the director at a time when very few woman were head directors of a high school marching band. She became director of this band in the 1970s. During her tenure this small town band grew to over 100 members (they were over 130 during the early 80s) and became one of the best bands in the country. Cheryl was also the only woman band director on BOA's advisory board for many years in the 1980s. Here is the 1981 Fort Wayne regional performance of the Marching Quakers. This is warming my little flag captain heart - they are much, much better than my school was, but seeing this brings back so many memories. You know those girls learned those skills at Fred J. Miller camp, too....
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