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Post by boahistorybuff on Sept 29, 2019 4:10:49 GMT -6
...1997 SEASON REVIEW...
There were a few more prominent bands this season whose shows took on a theme that more directly told a story. Now this was not entirely new. My opinion is that this originated with the programs that took on Broadway. Back in the 1980s, when themed shows were in their infancy, there were a lot of marching bands and drum corps who started playing music from a particular Broadway show; the 1984 Garfield Cadets playing music from West Side Story comes to mind. Over several years, these Broadway shows started to attempt to tell the story that was being told in the musical; using things like drill design and guard costuming for instance; the 1988 and 1989 Santa Clara Vanguard's show Phantom of the Opera comes to mind. During the course of the 1990s, more of the themed shows began to be built around telling the story that was being portrayed in the music and not just shows from Broadway; Marian Catholics 1990 show Henry V and 1994 Westerville South's show comes to mind. Arising in 1995 with Center Grove's show (perhaps 93 Star of Indiana in DCI), the idea of coming up with a story line and then finding music to help tell that story started to emerge. That trend started gaining traction in 1997 and really took off in the 2000s.
Like the previous year, 1997 featured ten regionals. However, no regional was held in the western US this season. Instead, BOA opted to hold a regional in St Louis, MO. The St Louis regional has been held every year since. The first regional of the season was again in Cincinnati, Ohio. This early season regional was dominated by three Indiana bands. Center Grove (IN) won and took all the highest achievement awards, while Lawrence Central (IN) and Carmel (IN) were neck and neck in 2nd and 3rd. Westerville North (OH) took 4th. This was the first time in BOA that they beat their neighboring Westerville South (OH) who placed 7th. Marian Catholic (IL) was 5th. The Toledo, OH regional was a little closer at the top than I would have guessed. Lake Park (IL) won, with Prospect (IL) 2nd and Plymouth-Canton (MI) 3rd. The Morgantown, WV regional was won again by Kiski Area (PA). Just a little over a point down in 2nd was Webster (NY), their highest finish at a BOA regional. Then packed close together in 3rd, 4th and 5th were Westerville South (OH), West Genesee (NY) and Centerville (OH). The Houston, TX regional proved very competitive at the top. Winston Churchill (TX) won their very first BOA regional and despite the competition, they beat 2nd place Westfield (TX) by just over two points. Richland (TX), who won prelims, was 3rd with Spring (TX) 4th. The Johnson City, TN regional was won by Lafayette (KY), their second regional win. It would be 22 years before they picked up a third. Every judge had them first, allowing them to win by a very comfortable margin. Just a few weeks earlier they were tenth at the Cincinnati regional; they must of had some massive improvement. Settling for 2nd again was Irmo (SC) with Alan C Pope (GA) not too far behind in 3rd.
Norwin (PA) finished in the middle of the pack at the Toledo and Morgantown regionals earlier in the season. Given that the Piscataway, NJ was not nearly as competitive allowed Norwin to pick up a regional title this season. North Penn (PA), a relative BOA newcomer was 2nd and Piscataway (NJ) was third. Looking back on this, it seems very fitting that the first St Louis, MO regional was won by Broken Arrow (OK). They have since come to dominate this regional. BA actually was ranked 1st by every judge . McGavock (TN) would have to settle for 2nd. Many of us thought McGavock would win this as at this point in time, they were the ones that had had more BOA success in recent years. Lincoln-Way (IL) was not too far down in 3rd. The Atlanta, GA regional was won by Lassiter (GA). This was the first of two years that they did music of The Wind and The Lion. Just a half point down in 2nd was still relative BOA newcomer Tarpon Springs (FL). McGavock (TN) was a solid 3rd. The Indianapolis, IN regional was insanely competitive for the era and the top 6 bands all broke 88 points with two weeks still to go before nationals. Center Grove (IN) won comfortably with Marian Catholic (IL) just under 2 points behind them. Perhaps a little surprising was Lake Park (IL) down another point in 3rd. Packed very close in 4th, 5th and 6th were Lawrence Central (IN), Carmel (IN) and Prospect (IL). The final regional of the season was held in Waco, TX. Winston Churchill (TX) broke the regional score record at the time by winning with a 96.0 points, their 2nd regional win of the season. To be fair, the north/central Texas regionals at the time tended to be scored on the high side. Winston Churchill did however have an awesome show, playing Shostakovitch. Had they attended GN this season, their music scores would likely have been in contention with the top placing finalist bands. In some respects, particularly from a music standpoint, this may have been one of Winston Churchill's best shows. 2nd place at this regional with a score over 93 points was Haltom (TX), the closest this band would ever get to a regional win. The Colony (TX) was 3rd, Leander (TX) 4th and Sequin (TX) 5th all with a score over 90 points. A big surprise at this regional was Spring (TX) down in 9th.
There were 79 bands who attended the 1997 Grand Nationals. Heading into nationals, there was a lot of talk of Center Grove picking up a second national title as they had won two regionals this season, including the competitive Indy regional just two weeks earlier. Of course, Marian Catholic was in 2nd at that regional and not too far behind. Having Marian on Center Grove's heels with two weeks to go to nationals meant the title would be competitive as we all knew that Marian was capable of having insane improvement the last couple weeks of the season. There were 30 bands selected for Semi Finals this season. During the semi finals awards, Center Grove (IN) picked up the Class AAA title for the second year in a row, with Lake Park (IL) again 2nd. Carmel (IN) was 3rd in Class 3A. In Class AA, Marian Catholic (IL) won, which was expected. Marian actually won semi finals again, this time by a very slim margin. Tarpon Springs (FL) was second in 2A and actually picked up the music performance award over Marian. In a distant 3rd was Reeths-Puffer (MI). The Class A competition was very tight this year. Elizabethtown (KY) picked up the Class A title in their first Grand Nationals appearance. This would be their first and only GN class title. They were a strong small school Kentucky band during the late 90s and early 2000s. This may have been their best show ever as they actually finished in the top 20, the first time since 93 that a Class A band finished in the top 20. This also marked the first time since 82 that a Kentucky band won the GN Class A title; a state known for having some incredible small school band programs. In a close 2nd in Class A was Bellbrook (OH) and not too far behind in third was Adair County (KY) in their first trip to GN since 1990. Upon the conclusion of semi finals, it was clear there would be three contenders for the GN title; Marian Catholic, Center Grove and Lake Park. It turned out that the semi finals score for these three bands were very close. Before the announcement of the ten finalists bands (the last year they only selected a top ten), there was certainly a lot of tension. While 97 did not have as many power house programs at the top in comparison to most other years in this decade, you could tell that there were several bands who would be battling for just a few spots in finals. There were a couple bands who failed to make finals that was very surprising. Interesting to note, looking back at the 10 finalists bands, the top eight were all either past or future Grand National champions.
In a rare instance, the top three GN contenders were the last three bands to perform in finals (back in those days all finalists took a random draw for performance time in finals no matter what they placed in semi finals). I really felt that Marian Catholic (IL) delivered a stronger performance from every aspect compared to their semi finals performance. The judges obviously agreed as they won; this being their 6th GN win. Their show was titled "Images of the Orient" and included music selections: 'Heaven and Earth' ; "Three Japanese Dances Mvt 1: Dance of Pennons"; Music from 'Joy Luck Club; "Three Japanese Dances Mvt 3: Dance of Swords". Each movement was introduced by a narrator, not only setting the theme of the movement but also telling the story. The music, the drill (which had a ton of symbolism in it) and the guard all echoed the Asian theme. The music was slow and emotional at times and fast and intense at other times. During the movement which depicted a war or battle, there were some fierce and awesome drum features. The brass also did some impressive triple tonguing while the woodwinds were fierce and piercing at times. Of course they were doing this with some pretty complex drill moves. It was during this section that I thought to myself, they are going to win this. There was also a beautiful oboe solo, played by one of the tenor drums (talk about talented). Every music judge had Marian first in finals, giving them the music and general effect awards and obviously helping them win the title. While they were not first in any visual captions, they still scored quite well. This was a solid visual performance and had some rather unique drill designs. I also thought this was one of the better Marian guard performances.
Settling for 2nd place for the second year in a row was Center Grove (IN). They had an absolutely brilliant and innovative show design. It featured a semi circular tarp stretched across the front of the field with the pit spread out across the field at the edge of the tarp. The way the band weaved in and out of this semi circle was quite interesting. This was a type of staging that had not been seen before. The guard also had brightly colored outfits with a matching flag. When they spread out, they formed the colors of the rainbow. The guard staging was also pretty cool. It also helped that CG had a really good color guard. Their show was "Concerto for Orchestra". Very interesting and well played music (their music effect was second to Marian). Also loved the percussion in this show, which included some strong keyboards. Good thing as they were front and center on the field. This marked the third year in a row that Center Grove was seen as having incredibly innovative show design.
In third place, but just a tenth point behind CG, was Lake Park (IL). Their show was "Tchaikovsky Sketches". Very few marching bands back then could have delivered a music performance like this. Not just the rich sound quality, but they sounded so much like a wind symphony. This was wonderfully arranged with quite a few interesting percussion moments thrown in their as well. Much like the previous year, this was a clean show both musically and visually. Their solid marching technique earned them the visual performance award, the third time they had won this in GN finals. In fact, their combined music and visual performance scores easily had them in first. It was the general effect scores, particularly the visual effect, that dropped them to third. I personally just don't think this show had as much impact as say their 96 or 93 shows.
From what I understand, back in 1994 Kevin Ford became director of Tarpon Springs HS, From Tarpon Springs, FL near Tampa. I read that the marching band was small and somewhat struggling. Mr. Ford took over that band and in 4 years made them a Grand National finalist; amazing. This being only their 2nd year in BOA, they had done very well at the previous two BOA Atlanta regionals, being runner up this season. They were expected to be a finalists, but their 4th place finish in their first trip to Grand Nationals was surprising. Their show had a western theme and right from the start they had a ton of props (well probably a bit minimalist compared to what they have done this decade). They created an old west store front, where performers moved in and out of the doors and even stood atop the balcony. They also brought out a prairie wagon at one point. Amidst the props was a strong and interesting performance. I think they only had somewhere between 80 and 85 members in the entire band. This not only made them the smallest GN finalist this season, I think they just might be the smallest non-Class A band to have made GN finals. They would remain on the small side right through the end of the 2000s, although this season they may have been smaller than subsequent years. Aside from the use of props and their small size, another trait that they would continue through the end of the 2000s is that they did not march a drum line. All of their percussion instruments were in the pit. Despite their small size, the effect judges gave them high marks which solidly landed them in 4th.
I think Plymouth-Canton (MI) played it a little safe in semi finals, so much so that they finished eighth and were dangerously close to missing finals. They stepped it up in finals and ended up finishing 5th. Their show "Where the Wild Things Are" took a unique take on story telling. A narrator told us the story, like reading a children's book. The music, visual design, props and a character actor added to the story being told. This type of show concept (love it or hate it), where vocal narration told the story while the music and drill were used to enhance the story, become extremely popular during the 2000s. Even though I am not a big fan of that much vocal narration, have to admit the music and drill execution were really good; they actually placed first in visual effect in finals. They also went back to their signature bright yellow uniforms for this show.
In 6th place for the second year in a row was Lawrence Central (IN). This was a big season for them as they had won the coveted Indiana Class A state title earlier in the season. Their show was Romeo and Juliet, with the music and drill design used to tell the story. Really strong music, soft and subtle at times and loud and harsh at other times. I never saw their state championship performance but I had heard that many thought it was better than their GN finals performance. They would skip BOA competition the next season (98) before returning in 99 when they would start to really make strides in BOA.
For the second year in a row, Carmel (IN) placed 7th in finals. I personally thought the semi finals performance was a touch better. Nonetheless, Carmel stepped up the difficulty a bit in this show "Fragments: Conversations in Rhythm". Props on the field and some color guard props I think were creatively used to echo the whole fragments theme.
I personally thought that this season we would see Centerville (OH) miss out on finals. While they were still good, they were just not quite to the level of previous seasons. They proved to be very determined the Saturday of Semi Finals and Finals. They gave a solid show in semi finals to nab the 10th spot (by a mere tenth of a point) and then ended up finishing 8th in finals. It was actually their music performance scores (they were 2nd in music performance) that propelled them into finals. They performed music of Blood, Sweat and Tears. They had several colorful tarps on the field to add some visual interest. We would see tarps become more common over the coming years.
Although they did not pick up a regional title this season, McGavock (TN) still walked away with the coveted MTSU Contest of Champions title earlier this season. They would still need a strong performance in semi finals to nab one of the ten spots and they managed to do it. They finished 9th in finals. This was their 5th BOA GN finals appearance and first appearance since 1990. Sadly this would be their last appearance in GN finals. While they remained a Tennessee power house into the 2000s, their performance level slowly declined over coming years. They still made BOA regional finals several more times over the coming decades.
After a relatively rough 96 season where they finished 22nd in semi finals, Webster (NY) came roaring back this season. A very strong semi finals performance (which I think may have been their strongest show ever) landed them solidly in finals as they placed seventh in semi finals. In finals, they finished 10th. Their show was Holst "The Planets". As was typical in the 90s, there was a ton of symbolism in the drill that echoed the whole planets theme. This show also had some interesting percussion moments, including near the end where something like a dozen cymbals were marched onto the filed. This was Webster's second and last GN finals performance. In fact, this was the last time a band from New York state has made GN finals. In the 2000s, Webster split into two high schools, but I believe they kept just one marching band. They remained active in BOA into the 2000s. During the 2000s, their performance level slowly declined. Even though they are still a competitive band active in New York competitions, they are just not yet at the level of their 1990s glory years.
This year it was again the unlucky number 11th spot that would not be in finals. This year it was Pomona (CO), who was just a tenth of a point behind 10th place. I was stunned, not just because they had placed 5th and were so good in 96, but I thought they still had a strong show this year and was sure they would make finals. Their show "Rite of Spring" was awesome. Maybe not as clean or powerful as 96 but still very good. I thought the judges had missed the mark and that they should have been in finals. So did many others. I am not sure if this is the reason (or if it that many thought just having 10 bands in finals made it a bit too short), but the next season they would go back to top 12 bands for finals.
In 12th place in semi finals was Westerville South (OH). 13th place went to Prospect (IL). I was very surprised that they failed to make finals. Both 96 and 97 were strong seasons for Prospect and they did very well at BOA regionals. From prelims, it seemed they would be a sure bet finalist band. Even after semi finals, I thought they would be in. If you added all of their scores except visual effect, Prospect would have easily made finals. Their visual effect score, however, was so low that it dropped them to 13th place; a huge disappointment for them. In 14th was Richland (TX), their first trip to Grand Nationals. After their success earlier in the season at the Houston regional, they were certainly a finalist contender. They too were disappointed. The judges were split with them, some had them in and some thought they were just not quite ready. Northglen (CO) wound up 15th, their highest finish at GN. Westerville North (OH) was 16th and Norwin (PA) was 17th. This would be Norwin's last trip to GN until 2011. Elizabethtown (KY) was 18th, Reeth-Puffer (MI) was 19th and Mona Shores (MI) was 20th. Also of note, this was Avon (IN) first appearance in semi finals. They have not looked back since.
All of the 97 finalist bands are on YouTube. However, I believe all of the performances are from semi finals; with the exception of Lake Park. I will include links to the top three bands. Note: Marian Catholic's finals performance was stronger. Their semi finals show is still worth watching.
97 Marian Catholic
97 Center Grove
97 Lake Park
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Post by dallasman on Sept 30, 2019 9:47:21 GMT -6
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Post by musicgirl on Oct 1, 2019 11:37:41 GMT -6
These reviews are awesome! I am just looking for my band but I need to go back and read them in detail! Thanks!
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 1, 2019 14:06:56 GMT -6
These reviews are awesome! I am just looking for my band but I need to go back and read them in detail! Thanks! Our History Buff is awesome indeed!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 9, 2019 8:39:45 GMT -6
...1998 Season Review...
Overall, 98 was a great season; highly competitive with a lot of interesting shows. One of the trends, which had started years earlier in DCI, that was certainly gaining traction around this time was the need for more conditioning in high school marching bands. More and more bands were doing shows that were putting a lot more physical demands on the marcher; not just the color guards. Band members were moving more and moving faster; all while managing to sustain control of playing their instruments. This was quite notable among the top bands at Grand Nationals this year.
BOA increased the number of regionals this season to 12. I remember thinking at the time that this was an insanely high number of regionals. I never thought that in 20 years we would see that number nearly double. The first regional of the season, late September, was Toledo, OH. Lake Park (IL) was favored to win both because of their success in prior seasons and because they were typically strong early season competitors. While they won prelims; a big surprise came in finals when Carmel (IN) won by a mere tenth (the finals recap is missing from the BOA website but is on the results section of this site). Lake Park had to settle for 2nd. This was Carmel's first regional title and only one this decade. A very close third at this regional and winner of the GE award was Plymouth-Canton (MI). PCEP was a band that peaked late season. Unfortunately, the regionals they attended in the late 90s/early 2000s (when PCEP was incredibly strong) were all very early in the season. Marian Catholic (IL), another band that really peaked late season, was actually 6th at this regional. The Morgantown, WV regional also had a big upset. Centerville (OH) won this regional, with heavily favored Kiski Area (PA) coming in second. Over the previous 10 years, this was only the third time Kiski did not win this regional. Just two tenths behind Kiski in 3rd was Webster (NY), with Norwin (PA) not too far behind in 4th. 98 saw the return of a BOA regional to Florida, the first time one had been held in the state since 1980. It was held in Orlando. There were a ton of delays at this regional due to thunderstorms. They ended up having to cancel finals in order to get all of the prelims bands to perform. When this happens, the results, including regional champion, are based solely on prelims scores. Tarpon Springs (FL) won this regional by several points; this being their very first regional win. Cypress Creek (FL) was 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional and Seminole (FL) 3rd. The Hempstead, NY regional proved to be a battle between two long time northeast powers; Norwin (PA) and West Genesee (NY). Norwin dominated in finals, beating West Genesee by a point. Liverpool (NY) was a few points down in 3rd. One of the finalist bands at this regional was Cicero North Syracuse (NY) in their first BOA competition since their 1988 GN finals appearance. A BOA regional returned to San Antonio, TX and the Alamodome this season (still a few more years before this became a super regional). Winston Churchill (TX) won the regional by almost a full point over Westfield (TX). Not too far behind in 3rd and 4th was Leander (TX) and Robert E Lee (TX). The Cincinnati, OH regional was held in mid October again. Big in-state competitions that day prevented some of the big name Indiana bands and a few of the more prominent Ohio bands from attending. This resulted in Kentucky taking the top two spots; Harrison County (KY) won, their first and only regional title. Elizabethtown (KY), the defending GN Class A champ, finished 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional.
The St Louis, MO regional in its 2nd year in existence was again comfortably won by Broken Arrow (OK). The big battle was for second as 2nd, 3rd and 4th placements were tight. The placements went; Union (OK), North Hardin (KY) and Alan C Pope (GA). This regional was the same weekend as Cincinnati. I bet had North Hardin attended the Cincinnati regional, they probably would have picked up their first regional win (no offense to Harrison County). BOA returned to the western US this season with the Las Vegas regional. Etiwanda (CA), in their first BOA competition since their 95 GN finals performance, won this regional comfortably (by nearly 2.5 points) and took all highest achievement awards. Valley View (CA) was 2nd and several points above the other finalist bands. The Indianapolis, IN regional was held the last day of October and was extremely competitive at the time. In a huge surprise, Centerville (OH) won the regional by almost a point. This made this the first time Centerville picked up two regional wins in the same season. Coming in off their defeat in Toledo, Lake Park (IL) was 2nd. Less than a point down in 3rd and 4th was Center Grove (IN) and Marian Catholic (IL). Carmel (IN) was 5th, likely somewhat disappointing after their surprise win in Toledo. The Johnson City, TN regional was won (and highly dominated) by Lassiter (GA). Lexington (SC) was in 2nd, over 4 points lower. This was Lexington's highest finish at a BOA regional. Irmo (SC) was a point down in 3rd. Just one week after Johnson City, Lassiter (GA) won the Atlanta, GA regional. This was the first time Lassiter attended two BOA competitions in the same season and only time they picked up multiple wins in the same season. 6 of the 7 judges had them first, not only giving them the win but allowing them to break 93 points. Tarpon Springs (FL) was solidly in 2nd. 3rd place went to James F Byrnes (SC) with Lafayette (KY) in 4th. Although they did not pick up a regional win, the South Carolina bands did pretty well at the southeast regionals this season. The Houston, TX regional was held the same weekend as Atlanta, which was the weekend before Grand Nationals. Spring (TX) managed to upset Winston Churchill (TX) for the regional win by just .15 points. This was Spring's first regional win since 1995 and 4th total win. Their show "Apocalyptic Dreams" was fairly innovative for the time, both musically and visually. While I have not seen all of the Texas shows from 98, I would guess that Spring was the strongest Texas program this year. I am actually surprised that they did not win this regional by a wider margin. Had Spring attended nationals this year, I would have expected that they could have had a top five finish with this show. Aside from those top two, based on the scores, the Houston regional also had strong performances from 3rd place LD Bell (TX) and 4th place The Woodlands (TX).
A total of 81 bands participated in the 1998 Bands of America Grand Nationals, with 32 bands advancing to Semi Finals. They also expanded the number of bands qualifying for finals from ten back up to twelve this season. Going into nationals, it was clear that this was going to be a competitive year. There were a lot of bands being discussed as the potential GN champion. Centerville had picked up two regional wins, including Indy. Of course Lake Park, Center Grove and Marian all did well in Indy too. There was a lot of hype about Winston Churchill and of course a lot of talk about Lassiter. This is one Grand Nationals I was sorry to miss (I had to watch the recorded versions). At the conclusion of Semi Finals, the Class AAA title went to Lassiter (GA). Center Grove (IN) was 2nd in 3A (as it turns out they were not too far behind Lassiter in score in Semi Finals). Plymouth-Canton was 3rd in 3A. The Class AA was very competitive as the top three 2A bands in the country this season all attended nationals. Marian Catholic (IL) won the Class AA title; this was the 11th time they won this. Kiski Area (PA) was a close second; they actually won the GE caption in 2A. Tarpon Springs (FL) was 3rd. In Class A, Belbrook (OH) was solidly head and shoulders above the other small school bands and won all of the highest achievement awards. This was their third Class A title and first one since 95. Last years's Class A Champ Elizabethtown (KY) was 2nd with Kings (OH) 3rd. So upon conclusion of Semi Finals, I am sure it was obvious that Lassiter was in contention for the Grand National title. There were however 6 bands that scored over 92 points in Semi Finals, so I don't know that Lassiter quite had it in the bag. In fact, Center Grove was only three tenths behind Lassiter in Semi Finals. So going into finals likely carried some degree of uncertainty this season. One interesting point about the finalist bands this season; every single one of them had won at least one regional title prior to finals; the first time this has happened.
I am sure that at the conclusion of their finals performance, there was no doubt that Lassiter (GA) would be crowned Grand National Champion. Lassiter, under the direction of Alfred Watkins, was on a once every four year rotation in attending nationals. This was their third appearance in finals since 1990. They won their first of what would be two Grand National titles, the only band from Georgia to have one the title. Their show was music from the motion picture "The Wind and The Lion". Three panels in the back of the field and the color guard attire were really all that was used to enhance the theme of the show. It did not really need a lot of added frills. To say they delivered a strong show in finals would be an understatement. They were awesome. On the close ups, the band looked confident and highly focused. The show started in a woodwind flurry and then it took off; loud and powerful. There were moments that featured insanely good woodwinds, then some jaw dropping brass and some great percussion moments. Even the slower, softer and more emotional mid section of the show was fantastic. They had one of, it not the best, percussion performance of the decade. The percussion feature near the end of the show got a huge applause from the audience. Had I been there, I probably would have been out of my seat. Lassiter was known for delivering strong music performances in years prior. Surprisingly, they did not win the music performance caption. I think the two reasons were: 1. Marian was quite good and 2. I think there were a few sections where the brass may have got a little too excited; perhaps over playing a touch. In terms of music effect, both judges had them first and rightfully so. In years prior, Lassiter was a band that had its lowest marks on the visual front. They obviously worked a lot on their visuals for this season. Despite being a relatively large band, they really covered the field well in this show. Their drill transitions were fast. In the multi cam video, you can see in some sections where the band was just hauling you know what across the field. Their marching technique as a whole was also much improved from years past. Rounding out this phenomenal show was a great color guard performance. Several segments featured large flags in perfect unison. This and their fast drill segments garnered them first by the visual effect judge, which earned them the GE award. They also tied for the visual award. Although I saw a few bobbles here and there in the video, I image their high degree of difficulty was factored in. At the end of this show, the audience instantly rose to their feet (it actually looked like there were people starting a standing O before they even finished). You could also hear it in Chuck's voice that he knew they had delivered the Grand National champion performance. Of all the bands back in the 80s and 90s that performed "The Wind and The Lion", no one came close to the level at which Lassiter played this music. They won with a score of 97.55 points. This was the highest BOA score of the decade. It would not be broken until 2007 GN Semi Finals. Lassiter 98 is often included with Spring 93 and Plymouth 99 as best BOA show of the decade.
After finishing fifth in semi finals, Plymouth-Canton delivered a strong show in finals to finish in 2nd place; the first time they ended in top three since 92. Since their BOA regional performances were so early in the season, they were often considered a wild card in Grand Nationals because most outside of Michigan had not been seeing how well they were improving during the course of the season. This season marked the first of four outstanding and highly innovated seasons for PCEP. This was aided not only by their director David McGrath, but also in large part by their show designer Alan Spaeth, who continued PCEP's tradition of having shows often considered ahead of their time. Their show this year was "America: Land of the Free". It was a complex story line. Enhancing the music was voice amplification and narration. The visual designs featured large black moveable prop panels which spelled out words; like justice at one point. They definitely brought their A game to finals, delivering a strong music performance (2nd overall in music effect) and exceptionally clean marching/drill execution. They tied Lassiter for Visual Performance. They scored a 96.3, which was their highest score at BOA to date; higher than their 90 and 91 GN Champion performances.
After coming so close to Lassiter in Semi Finals, Center Grove (IN) finished 3rd in finals; still a very strong show. Their show was "A Study in Contrast". No tarps this year, but still a well design show packed with a ton of difficulty; they too were moving pretty fast at times; also toss in that excellent guard. This was a truly brilliantly arranged show. It featured a lot of music by Samuel Barber. After 93 Star of Indiana, Barber became a very popular composer among high school marching bands. This season in particular saw a lot of bands playing Barber. There were sections of this show that were very similar to 93 Star. In other words, really powerful. I also have to hand it to the percussion who handled the difficulty in this music well. Very few marching bands could have pulled off such a difficult show like this back then. Quote from Dallasman "IMO this was Center Groveβs finest musical performance. Adagio was on point. Too bad they always programmed for very short shows.. The semis panel almost had them overtaking Lassiter, but their 3rd place in finals seemed appropriate. Likely 4th."
Marian Catholic (IL) also delivered a strong finals show. They finished 4th with their show "Exotic Gardens". Like 97, they again used segments of vocal narration to walk the audience through the story line. As usual, Marian played a ton of notes, with a ton of tempo changes and delivered it cleanly all while doing complex drill maneuvers. They won the Music Performance award over Lassiter. This was the third consecutive year that they won (or tied) the music performance award in finals. If I were to watch this show without having seen the other performances, I would have been shocked to have been told this was a 4th place performance. The top three bands were just so good. Marian still scored over 94 points. Quote from Dallasman "Marian Catholic SET the record for highest music caption score (I believe it was only matched a few years ago or so). One of the movements of their program is the hardest thing I have ever heard (to this day) played on the field. And so well. I think the second movement. Just lacked GE on the back end. Fundamentally the 1st or 2nd place band there but their concept did not come through all that well."
After the previous two seasons, I was a little worried that Centerville (OH) may be slipping a bit. Then this season hit and they came roaring back. In my opinion this was their best show since the 92 and 93 seasons. Their show was titled "Big City Jazz". Watching it did kind of felt like you were transported to a 1940s or 50s era jazz nightclub in New York City. Man was that some awesome jazz; some smooth jazz mixed with a little Latin flare at the end. Centerville gave us some awesome soloists this year; not to mention some incredible saxophone elements and a great percussion feature near the end. To top it off they had a clean visual package, aided by a strong guard routine. While they were fifth, they scored a 93.9 points. When I saw the finals scores I thought the judges were probably a bit too generous. When I saw the performances however, it made perfect sense.
In 6th place was Kiski Area (PA). By this time, a big part of Kiski's identity had become jazz and Broadway. So it only made sense for them to do West Side Story. It was such an enjoyable show to listen too. Also very clean all around; musically and visually. During the 80s and 90s, the music from West Side Story was pretty popular in marching band shows. I can't think of another marching band during this era that played this music better than Kiski. Very much like Centerville, they too had some great saxophone features and also some strong muted trumpets.
For the third year in a row, Carmel (IN) placed 7th in finals. Their show was titled "The Art of Minimalism". They had a few stringed instruments in the pit (I think it was a string quartet). This was not the first time string instruments were featured in a show, but Carmel certainly had utilized them more than bands in the past. 20 years later this band would break a record for bringing the most stringed instruments onto the field. What really propelled them into 7th place (aside from the demanding music) was very good marching technique.
I know that finishing 8th place this year was a bit of a disappointment for Lake Park (IL). This was the first time since 1986 they failed to finish in the top 5 in finals. They somewhat reinvented their visual design this season. They added tarps and staged the pit off to the left on the field. The tarps and drill designs were full of geometric shapes. I thought it was a much more interesting visual design than what they had done in years past. Their guard also seemed stronger. They played the music of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff and did a great job with it. Again this type of music was right in their wheelhouse. The music effect judges however just did not feel it and are the reason they placed 8th, just 0.05 points behind Carmel. I thought they should have scored/placed higher; but again this was a highly competitive finals group.
Winston Churchill, from San Antonio, TX finished 9th in their very first trip to Grand Nationals. There was a ton of hype about them coming to nationals considering what they had been doing at the Texas BOA regionals, i.e. winning three of the last four regionals. I suspect they may have plateaued a bit this season as many were surprised by the ninth place finish. Their show was "20th Century Reflections", meaning they played 20th century composers. Included in this was of course Samuel Barber. This show was very good from a musical standpoint; their music scores reflected that (4th in music performance). Their drill design, while still good, seemed a touch dated compared to the other bands (a little more early 90s ish). Anyway, their visual scores are what kept them out of the top echelon of finalist bands.
Tarpon Springs (FL) made their 2nd trip to Grand Nationals; back to back. They benefited from the expansion of finalist bands to twelve as they were eleventh in semi finals (FYI they have made finals every year that they have attended GN). Their show was about the American Railroad. Not only did they have railroad car props and crossing gates, they also used tarps laid out like railroad tracks. During this era (mid to late 90s) PCEP and Center Grove typically get a lot of kudos for advancement in show design and concept. I think Tarpon Springs also has to be in that mix. The music arrangement, drill designs and the way the band/guard interacted with the props tied so well together. This show was a great example of how themed shows would trend over the next several seasons. Even at the time, everyone knew this was a very innovative show. It was also fun to watch because the design was so different from what most other bands were doing at the time. Tarpon broke 91 points in finals and wound up in 10th. This was the first year that the top ten bands all broke 90 points.
Making their first appearance in Grand National finals this season was Broken Arrow from Broken Arrow, OK. This band actually goes way back into the 70s and early 80s. They won several Oklahoma State titles in the early 80s. They did attend Grand Nationals in 1982 but failed to make finals. They returned to BOA earlier in the decade and started on an improving trend, both in BOA competitions and in Oklahoma; they picked up a few state tiles the end of the 90s. Given what they had done at St Louis the past two seasons, they were favored to make finals in their first trip to nationals since 1982. They of course made finals and finished 11th with their show "When a Clown is Not a Clown". Props and guard costuming helped tell the theme. They played a lot of music from Candide in this show, arranged in a such a way that kind of went with the whole clown theme. One of the props they had was a giant teeter totter; it was the first I had seen a prop like that. At the time, BA was under the direction of Scott Tomlinson. For me, this is my favorite Broken Arrow show prior to the Darren Davis and Wes Cartwright years which began in the early/mid 2000s.
Based on the last couple of seasons, the top 11 bands to make finals were all pretty predictable. It was what band was going to nab the 12th spot and slip into finals that was a big question mark. That band was Union (OK) who also finished 12th in finals. Their show was "Feast For Kings". It had a little more intensity than years past which I kind of liked. Like most Union shows back then, I found myself listening a lot to the drum line and watching the fantastic color guard. Union being in finals this year also made it the first time that more than one band from Oklahoma was in finals.
After just missing out on finals in 97, Pomona (CO) again was the first band out, this year finishing in the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals. They missed by just four tenths of a point, largely due to their visual performance scores. Prospect (IL) wound up 14th and North Hardin (KY) was 15th. I believe is was the closest North Hardin has come to finals since 1989. Haltom (TX) made their first appearance at nationals this season and finished 16th. The class A champ Bellbrook (OH) was 17th, with Lincoln-Way (IL) 18th, Westerville South (OH) 19th and Seminole (FL) 20th. One of the semi finalist bands this season that did not finish in the top 20 was The Woodlands (TX) in their very first trip to Grand Nationals.
All of the finalist bands are on YouTube. Some of the performances are from finals and some from semi finals. I will include links to the top three bands. Lassiter's performance is the high cam version. It is a little grainy which makes it a little difficult to see the fantastic guard (their outfits blended into the background a bit). If anyone has a link to a cleaner version or the multi cam version, please share.
98 Lassiter
98 Plymouth-Canton
98 Center Grove
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Post by thewho on Oct 9, 2019 10:08:43 GMT -6
Thanks for write-up Buff!
1. Were the early season regionals generally taken with a grain of salt like we do today, or was it a bit different then? 2. Las Vegas regional? Where exactly was this held then?
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 9, 2019 10:22:46 GMT -6
Thanks for write-up Buff! 1. Were the early season regionals generally taken with a grain of salt like we do today, or was it a bit different then? 2. Las Vegas regional? Where exactly was this held then? Yes, in the 90s the early season regionals were taken with a grain of salt. There were a lot of bands that just improved immensely over the course of the season (PCEP and Marian being the two prime examples) and some bands who had their shows together early and started really strong, often reaching a plateau mid season. This was also the case to some extent in the 1980s, although the BOA regionals were not usually as early.
The Las Vegas regional was at UNLV; Specifically Sam Boyd Stadium which is I guess is a bit outside of the main UNLV campus.
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Post by flplantguy on Oct 9, 2019 15:23:26 GMT -6
I was a 7th grader at the time of the las vegas regional and attended. My sisters were part of the El Dorado HS band at the time. I remember very little other than seeing some groups that were far beyond what i expected. The stadium is not close to UNLV or the strip at all and was outdoors and a bit dusty. They did not place very high at all and apparently that program may not even exist today but we moved that next summer to a much better district for music.
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Post by dallasman on Oct 9, 2019 17:54:47 GMT -6
...1998 Season Review...
Overall, 98 was a great season; highly competitive with a lot of interesting shows. One of the trends, which had started years earlier in DCI, that was certainly gaining traction around this time was the need for more conditioning in high school marching bands. More and more bands were doing shows that were putting a lot more physical demands on the marcher; not just the color guards. Band members were moving more and moving faster; all while managing to sustain control of playing their instruments. This was quite notable among the top bands at Grand Nationals this year.
BOA increased the number of regionals this season to 12. I remember thinking at the time that this was an insanely high number of regionals. I never thought that in 20 years we would see that number nearly double. The first regional of the season, late September, was Toledo, OH. Lake Park (IL) was favored to win both because of their success in prior seasons and because they were typically strong early season competitors. While they won prelims; a big surprise came in finals when Carmel (IN) won by a mere tenth (the finals recap is missing from the BOA website but is on the results section of this site). Lake Park had to settle for 2nd. This was Carmel's first regional title and only one this decade. A very close third at this regional and winner of the GE award was Plymouth-Canton (MI). PCEP was a band that peaked late season. Unfortunately, the regionals they attended in the late 90s/early 2000s (when PCEP was incredibly strong) were all very early in the season. Marian Catholic (IL), another band that really peaked late season, was actually 6th at this regional. The Morgantown, WV regional also had a big upset. Centerville (OH) won this regional, with heavily favored Kiski Area (PA) coming in second. Over the previous 10 years, this was only the third time Kiski did not win this regional. Just two tenths behind Kiski in 3rd was Webster (NY), with Norwin (PA) not too far behind in 4th. 98 saw the return of a BOA regional to Florida, the first time one had been held in the state since 1980. It was held in Orlando. There were a ton of delays at this regional due to thunderstorms. They ended up having to cancel finals in order to get all of the prelims bands to perform. When this happens, the results, including regional champion, are based solely on prelims scores. Tarpon Springs (FL) won this regional by several points; this being their very first regional win. Cypress Creek (FL) was 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional and Seminole (FL) 3rd. The Hempstead, NY regional proved to be a battle betweenΒ two long time northeast powers; Norwin (PA) and West Genesee (NY). Norwin dominated in finals, beating West Genesee by a point. Liverpool (NY) was a few points down in 3rd. One of the finalist bands at this regional was Cicero North Syracuse (NY) in their first BOA competition since their 1988 GN finals appearance. A BOA regional returned to San Antonio, TX and the Alamodome this season (still a few more years before this became a super regional). Winston Churchill (TX) won the regional by almost a full point over Westfield (TX). Not too far behind in 3rd and 4th was Leander (TX) and Robert E Lee (TX). The Cincinnati, OH regional was held in mid October again. Big in-state competitions that day prevented some of the big name Indiana bands and a few of the more prominent Ohio bands from attending. This resulted in Kentucky taking the top two spots; Harrison County (KY) won, their first and only regional title. Elizabethtown (KY), the defending GN Class A champ, finished 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional.
The St Louis, MO regional in its 2nd year in existence was again comfortably won by Broken Arrow (OK). The big battle was for second as 2nd, 3rd and 4th placements were tight. The placements went; Union (OK), North Hardin (KY) and Alan C Pope (GA). This regional was the same weekend as Cincinnati. I bet had North Hardin attended the Cincinnati regional, they probably would have picked up their first regional win (no offense to Harrison County). BOA returned to the western US this season with the Las Vegas regional. Etiwanda (CA), in their first BOA competition since their 95 GN finals performance, won this regional comfortably (by nearly 2.5 points) and took all highest achievement awards. Valley View (CA) was 2nd and several points above the other finalist bands. The Indianapolis, IN regional was held the last day of October and was extremely competitive at the time. In a huge surprise, Centerville (OH) won the regional by almost a point. This made this the first time Centerville picked up two regional wins in the same season. Coming in off their defeat in Toledo, Lake Park (IL) was 2nd. Less than a point down in 3rd and 4th was Center Grove (IN) and Marian Catholic (IL). Carmel (IN) was 5th, likely somewhat disappointing after their surprise win in Toledo. The Johnson City, TN regional was won (and highly dominated) by Lassiter (GA). Lexington (SC) was in 2nd, over 4 points lower. This was Lexington's highest finish at a BOA regional. Irmo (SC) was a point down in 3rd. Just one week after Johnson City, Lassiter (GA) won the Atlanta, GA regional. This was the first time Lassiter attended two BOA competitions in the same season and only time they picked up multiple wins in the same season. 6 of the 7 judges had them first, not only giving them the win but allowing them to break 93 points. Tarpon Springs (FL) was solidly in 2nd. 3rd place went to James F Byrnes (SC) with Lafayette (KY) in 4th. Although they did not pick up a regional win, the South Carolina bands did pretty well at the southeast regionals this season. The Houston, TX regional was held the same weekend as Atlanta, which was the weekend before Grand Nationals. Spring (TX) managed to upset Winston Churchill (TX) for the regional win by just .15 points. This was Spring's first regional win since 1995 and 4th total win. Their show "Apocalyptic Dreams" was fairly innovative for the time, both musically and visually. While I have not seen all of the Texas shows from 98, I would guess that Spring was the strongest Texas program this year. I am actually surprised that they did not win this regional by a wider margin. Had Spring attended nationals this year, I would have expected that they could have had a top five finish with this show. Aside from those top two, based on the scores, the Houston regional also had strong performances from 3rd place LD Bell (TX) and 4th place The Woodlands (TX).
A total of 81 bands participated in the 1998 Bands of America Grand Nationals, with 32 bands advancing to Semi Finals. They also expanded the number of bands qualifying for finals from ten back up to twelve this season. Going into nationals, it was clear that this was going to be a competitive year. There were a lot of bands being discussed as the potential GN champion. Centerville had picked up two regional wins, including Indy. Of course Lake Park, Center Grove and Marian all did well in Indy too. There was a lot of hype about Winston Churchill and of course a lot of talk about Lassiter. This is one Grand Nationals I was sorry to miss (I had to watch the recorded versions). At the conclusion of Semi Finals, the Class AAA title went to Lassiter (GA). Center Grove (IN) was 2nd in 3A (as it turns out they were not too far behind Lassiter in score in Semi Finals). Plymouth-Canton was 3rd in 3A. The Class AA was very competitive as the top three 2A bands in the country this season all attended nationals. Marian Catholic (IL) won the Class AA title; this was the 11th time they won this. Kiski Area (PA) was a close second; they actually won the GE caption in 2A. Tarpon Springs (FL) was 3rd. In Class A, Belbrook (OH) was solidly head and shoulders above the other small school bands and won all of the highest achievement awards. This was their third Class A title and first one since 95. Last years's Class A Champ Elizabethtown (KY) was 2nd with Kings (OH) 3rd. So upon conclusion of Semi Finals, I am sure it was obvious that Lassiter was in contention for the Grand National title. There were however 6 bands that scored over 92 points in Semi Finals, so I don't know that Lassiter quite had it in the bag. In fact, Center Grove was only three tenths behind Lassiter in Semi Finals. So going into finals likely carried some degree of uncertainty this season. One interesting point about the finalist bands this season; every single one of them had won at least one regional title prior to finals; the first time this has happened.
I am sure that at the conclusion of their finals performance, there was no doubt that Lassiter (GA) would be crowned Grand National Champion. Lassiter, under the direction of Alfred Watkins, was on a once every four year rotation in attending nationals. This was their third appearance in finals since 1990. They won their first of what would be two Grand National titles, the only band from Georgia to have one the title. Their show was music from the motion picture "The Wind and The Lion". Three panels in the back of the field and the color guard attire were really all that wasΒ used to enhance the theme of the show. It did not really need a lot of added frills. To say they delivered a strong show in finals would be an understatement. They were awesome. On the close ups, the band looked confident and highly focused. The show started in a woodwind flurry and then it took off; loud and powerful. There were moments that featured insanely good woodwinds, then some jaw dropping brass and some great percussion moments. Even the slower, softer and more emotional mid section of the show was fantastic. They had one of, it not the best, percussion performance of the decade. The percussion feature near the end of the show got a huge applause from the audience. Had I been there, I probably would have been out of my seat. Lassiter was known for delivering strong music performances in years prior. Surprisingly, they did not win the music performance caption. I think the two reasons were: 1. Marian was quite good and 2. I think there were a few sections where the brass may have got a little too excited; perhaps over playing a touch. In terms of music effect, both judges had them first and rightfully so. In years prior, Lassiter was a band that had its lowest marks on the visual front. They obviously worked a lot on their visuals for this season. Despite being a relatively large band, they really covered the field well in this show. Their drill transitions were fast. In the multi cam video, you can see in some sections where the band was just hauling you know what across the field. Their marching technique as a whole was also much improved from years past. Rounding out this phenomenal show was a great color guard performance. Several segments featured large flags in perfect unison. This and their fast drill segments garnered them first by the visual effect judge, which earned them the GE award. They also tied for the visual award. Although I saw a few bobbles here and there in the video, I image their high degree of difficulty was factored in. At the end of this show, the audience instantly rose to their feet (it actually looked like there were people starting a standing O before they even finished). You could also hear it in Chuck's voice that he knew they had delivered the Grand National champion performance. Of all the bands back in the 80s and 90s that performed "The Wind and The Lion", no one came close to the level at which Lassiter played this music. They won with a score of 97.55 points. This was the highest BOA score of the decade. It would not be broken until 2007 GN Semi Finals. Lassiter 98 is often included with Spring 93 and Plymouth 99 as best BOA show of the decade.
After finishing fifth in semi finals, Plymouth-Canton delivered a strong show in finals to finish in 2nd place; the first time they ended in top three since 92. Since their BOA regional performances were so early in the season, they were often considered a wild card in Grand Nationals because most outside of Michigan had not been seeing how well they were improving during the course of the season. This season marked the first of four outstanding and highly innovated seasons for PCEP. This was aided not only by their director David McGrath, but also in large part by their show designer Alan Spaeth, who continued PCEP's tradition of having shows often considered ahead of their time. Their show this year was "America: Land of the Free". It was a complex story line. Enhancing the music was voice amplification and narration. The visual designs featured large black moveable prop panels which spelled out words; like justice at one point. They definitely brought their A game to finals, delivering a strong music performance (2nd overall in music effect) and exceptionally clean marching/drill execution. They tied Lassiter for Visual Performance. They scored a 96.3, which was their highest score at BOA to date; higher than their 90 and 91 GN Champion performances.
After coming so close to Lassiter in Semi Finals, Center Grove (IN) finished 3rd in finals; still a very strong show. Their show was "A Study in Contrast". No tarps this year, but still a well design show packed with a ton of difficulty; they too were moving pretty fast at times; also tossΒ in that excellent guard. This was a truly brilliantly arranged show. It featured a lot of music by Samuel Barber. After 93 Star of Indiana, Barber became a very popular composer among high school marching bands. This season in particular saw a lot of bands playing Barber. There were sections of this show that were very similar to 93 Star. In other words, really powerful. I also have to hand it to the percussion who handled the difficulty in this music well. Very few marching bands could have pulled off such a difficult show like this back then.
Marian Catholic (IL) also delivered a strong finals show. They finished 4th with their show "Exotic Gardens". Like 97, they again used segments of vocal narration to walk the audience through the story line. As usual, Marian played a ton of notes, with a ton of tempo changes and delivered it cleanly all while doing complex drill maneuvers. They won the Music Performance award over Lassiter. This was the third consecutive year that they won (or tied) the music performance award in finals. If I were to watch this show without having seen the other performances, I would have been shocked to have been told this was a 4th place performance. The top three bands were just so good. Marian still scored over 94 points.
After the previous two seasons, I was a little worried that Centerville (OH) may be slipping a bit. Then this season hit and they came roaring back. In my opinion this was their best show since the 92 and 93 seasons. Their show was titled "Big City Jazz". Watching it did kind of felt like you were transported to a 1940s or 50s era jazz nightclub in New York City. Man was that some awesome jazz; some smooth jazz mixed with a little Latin flare at the end. Centerville gave us some awesome soloists this year; not to mention some incredible saxophone elements and a great percussion feature near the end. To top it off they had a clean visual package, aided by a strong guard routine. While they were fifth, they scored a 93.9 points. When I saw the finals scores I thought the judges were probably a bit too generous. When I saw the performances however, it made perfect sense.
In 6th place was Kiski Area (PA). By this time, a big part of Kiski's identity had become jazz and Broadway. So it only made sense for them to do West Side Story. It was such an enjoyable show to listen too. Also very clean all around; musically and visually. During the 80s and 90s, the music from West Side Story was pretty popular in marching band shows. I can't think of another marching band during this era that played this music better than Kiski. Very much like Centerville, they too had some great saxophone features and also some strong muted trumpets.
For the third year in a row, Carmel (IN) placed 7th in finals. Their show was titled "The Art of Minimalism". They had a few stringed instruments in the pit (I think it was a string quartet). This was not the first time string instruments were featured in a show, but Carmel certainly had utilized them more than bands in the past. 20 years later this band would break a record forΒ bringing the most stringed instruments onto the field. What really propelled them into 7th place (aside from the demanding music) was very good marching technique.
I know that finishing 8th place this year was a bit of a disappointment for Lake Park (IL). This was the first time since 1986 they failed to finish in the top 5 in finals. They somewhat reinvented their visual design this season. They added tarps and staged the pit off to the left on the field. The tarps and drill designs were full of geometric shapes. I thought it was a much more interesting visual design than what they had done in years past. Their guard also seemed stronger. They played the music of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff and did a great job with it. Again this type of music was right in their wheelhouse. The music effect judges however just did not feel it and are the reason they placed 8th, just 0.05 points behind Carmel. I thought they should have scored/placed higher; but again this was a highly competitive finals group.
Winston Churchill, from San Antonio, TX finished 9th in their very first trip to Grand Nationals. There was a ton of hype about them coming to nationals considering what they had been doing at the Texas BOA regionals, i.e. winning three of the last four regionals. I suspect they may have plateaued a bit this season as many were surprised by the ninth place finish. Their show was "20th Century Reflections", meaning they played 20th century composers. Included in this was of course Samuel Barber. This show was very good from a musical standpoint; their music scores reflected that (4th in music performance). Their drill design, while still good, seemed a touch dated compared to the other bands (a little more early 90s ish). Anyway, their visual scores are what kept them out of the top echelon of finalist bands.
Tarpon Springs (FL) made their 2nd trip to Grand Nationals; back to back. They benefited from the expansion of finalist bands toΒ twelve as they were eleventh in semi finals (FYI they have made finals every year that they have attended GN). Their show was about the American Railroad. Not only did they have railroad car props and crossing gates, they also used tarps laid out like railroad tracks. During this era (mid to late 90s) PCEP and Center Grove typically get a lot of kudos for advancement in show design and concept. I think Tarpon Springs also has to be in that mix. The music arrangement, drill designs and the way the band/guard interacted with the props tied so well together. This show was a great example of how themed shows would trend over the next several seasons. Even at the time, everyone knew this was a very innovative show. It was also fun to watch because the design was so different from what most other bands were doing at the time. Tarpon broke 91 points in finals and wound up in 10th. This was the first year that the top ten bands all broke 90 points.
Making their first appearance in Grand National finals this season was Broken Arrow from Broken Arrow, OK. This band actually goes way back into the 70s and early 80s. They won several Oklahoma State titles in the early 80s. They did attend Grand Nationals in 1982 but failed to make finals. They returned to BOA earlier in the decade and started on an improving trend, both in BOA competitions and in Oklahoma; they picked up a few state tiles the end of the 90s. Given what they had done at St Louis the past two seasons, they were favored to make finals in their first trip to nationals since 1982.Β TheyΒ of course made finals andΒ finished 11th with their show "When a Clown is Not a Clown". Props and guard costuming helped tell the theme. They played a lot of music from Candide in this show, arranged in a such a way that kind of went with the whole clown theme. One of the props they had was a giant teeter totter; it was the first I had seen a prop like that. At the time, BA was under the direction of Scott Tomlinson. For me, this is my favorite Broken Arrow show prior to the Darren Davis and Wes CartwrightΒ years which began in the early/mid 2000s.
Based on the last couple of seasons, the top 11 bands to make finals were all pretty predictable. It was what band was going to nab the 12th spot and slip into finals thatΒ was a big question mark.Β That band was Union (OK) who also finished 12th in finals. Their show was "Feast For Kings". It had a little more intensity than years past which I kind of liked. Like most Union shows back then, I found myself listening a lot to the drum line and watching the fantastic color guard. Union being in finals this year also made it the first time that more than one band from Oklahoma was in finals.
After just missing out on finals in 97, Pomona (CO) again was the first band out, this year finishing in the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals. They missed by just four tenths of a point, largely due to their visual performance scores. Prospect (IL) wound up 14th and North Hardin (KY) was 15th. I believe is was the closest North Hardin has come to finals since 1989. Haltom (TX) made their first appearance at nationals this season and finished 16th. The class A champ Bellbrook (OH) was 17th, with Lincoln-Way (IL) 18th, Westerville South (OH) 19th and Seminole (FL) 20th. One of the semi finalist bands this season that did not finish in the top 20 was The Woodlands (TX) in their very first trip to Grand Nationals.
All of the finalist bands are on YouTube. Some of the performances are from finals and some from semi finals. I will include links to the top three bands. Lassiter's performance is the high cam version. It is a little grainy which makes it a little difficult to see the fantastic guard (their outfits blended into the background a bit). If anyone has a link to a cleaner version or the multi cam version, please share.
98 Lassiter
98 Plymouth-Canton
98 Center Grove
A few things to add: - IMO this was Center Groveβs finest musical performance. Adagio was on point. Too bad they always programmed for very short shows.. The semis panel almost had them overtaking Lassiter, but their 3rd place in finals seemed appropriate. Likely 4th. - Marian Catholic SET the record for highest music caption score (I believe it was only matched a few years ago or so). One of the movements of their program is the hardest thing I have ever heard (to this day) played on the field. And so well. I think the second movement. Just lacked GE on the back end. Fundamentally the 1st or 2nd place band there but their concept did not come through all that well.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 9, 2019 18:37:31 GMT -6
I just donβt know how you remember all this stuff! π±
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Post by Allohak on Oct 17, 2019 18:25:20 GMT -6
Only 20 to go to get fully caught up! Keep 'em coming Buff!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 18, 2019 14:40:41 GMT -6
Only 20 to go to get fully caught up! Keep 'em coming Buff! I will do my best. So many more bands and competitions in the last 20 years.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 18, 2019 14:51:32 GMT -6
Only 20 to go to get fully caught up! Keep 'em coming Buff! I will do my best. So many more bands and competitions in the last 20 years. I'm so sorry MFA deleted all of your amazing information!!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 18, 2019 15:32:42 GMT -6
I will do my best. So many more bands and competitions in the last 20 years. I'm so sorry MFA deleted all of your amazing information!! Well at least it looks like the history version 2.0 has found a more stable home.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 18, 2019 15:55:19 GMT -6
I'm so sorry MFA deleted all of your amazing information!! Well at least it looks like the history version 2.0 has found a more stable home. The season reviews are also being saved for posterity offline
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 20, 2019 9:14:40 GMT -6
..1999 SEASON REVIEW...
This being the last season of the decade, it was interesting to look back on the changes that had occurred over the previous 10 years. Yes, there were significant strides in how the shows looked with more and more emphasis being placed on selling the theme to the audience. I don't think the changes were quite as significant as what occurred during the 1980s. One of the big things to note this decade was the expansion that occurred in BOA. Since the start of the decade, the number of regionals had more than doubled and Grand Nationals expanded from a two day event to three with the introduction of the semi finals format. This resulted in a significantly larger number of bands who began to compete in BOA and allowed the circuit to become more geographically diverse.
Before I begin with the review, a couple points I will make. When doing my reviews, in most cases I have to re-watch old videos to jar my memory. From 99 onward, there are a lot of performances that are no longer on line. So it has been many years since I have seen a good number of these shows. I don't always remember what the show was about; in some cases I forget which season a particular band did what show. So please feel free to comment and fill in the gaps with things like show titles and aspects of these shows that stood out; for those that can remember that far back.
Like the previous season, 1999 had 12 regional championships. The first regional of the season was in Louisville, KY and it was a relatively competitive regional. Lawrence Central (IN) returned to BOA competition this season after not attending in 98 and managed to edge out Center Grove (IN) for their first BOA regional title. While it did not affect the outcome, Center Grove received a .8 point penalty; probably for the show being too short (this was late September after all). Lake Park (IL) was a few points down in 3rd with Carmel (IN) down in 4th. The San Antonio, TX regional was held rather early this year (Oct 2nd). Winston Churchill (TX) won it, this being their 4th regional win in three years. A rather close second was LD Bell (TX). LD Bell has a complete repository of videos from just about each season on line. It is interesting to watch their slow but steady progress during the course of the 1990s. They had some really cool drill moves this season. These two bands were nearly four points ahead of another up and coming band, Stephen F Austin (TX) who was solidly in 3rd. Also on Oct 2nd was the Toledo, OH regional. The top two bands at this regional really stuck out amongst the other competitors. Centerville (OH) edged out Plymouth-Canton (MI) for the win by just under a half a point. There were definitely signs of what was to come with PCEP this season at this regional because they were quite good for being so early in the season (they were a band that improved exponentially during the course of the season). Prospect (IL), who also gave a pretty strong performance, was 3rd. The Hempstead, NY regional was dominated by Norwin (PA) who swept the highest achievement awards and finished four points ahead of 2nd place King Phillip Regional (MA). This was the first BOA competition for King Phillip. Liverpool (NY) was third. The Johnson City, TN regional had a bit of a surprise this season as James F Byrnes (SC) defeated Lafayette (KY) for the regional title. This made Byrnes the first South Carolina band to win a BOA regional. Two other South Carolina bands, Fort Mill and Lexington, were not too far down in 3rd and 4th. Despite receiving a half point penalty at the Orlando, FL regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) won; this being their second BOA regional title. Not too far behind in 2nd was Cypress Creek (FL). The next three bands were all bands that made finals at the very first fall Grand Nationals in 1980; Sprayberry (GA) in 3rd; Seminole (FL) in 4th and Tate (FL) in 5th.
This year the Las Vegas, NV regional was pretty exciting because it featured two strong bands; two bands who were in a league of their own compared to the rest of the competition. Etiwanda (CA) won the regional and managed to sweep the highest achievement awards. Pomona (CO), in what I believe to be their first BOA regional (I could be wrong on this one) finished 2nd but still seven points ahead of 3rd place San Marcos (CA). Second place would be the highest finish for Pomona at a BOA regional. The Atlanta, GA regional was pretty competitive this season. Broken Arrow (OK) attended this regional in lieu of St Louis and won. Alan C Pope (GA) was 2nd in what I believe to be one of their strongest seasons. Tarpon Springs (FL) was 3rd with Irmo (SC) a few points down in 4th. The Indianapolis, IN regional featured five bands who were clearly going to make GN finals in two weeks. Center Grove (IN) pulled off the win largely due to their visual and GE scores. Carmel (IN) was a close 2nd with Marian Catholic (IL) in 3rd and Centerville (OH) in 4th. Even though they finished 5th, Lake Park (IL) walked away with the music performance award. The Morgantown, WV regional was held a little later in the season than usual (Oct 30). This turned out to be an exciting show off between two long time in-state rivals, Norwin (PA) and Kiski Area (PA). I am sure it was a shocker when they tied in score in finals. The rules for a tie break (which included breaking the tie for regional champion back then) was the band with the highest GE score. That left Norwin with the win. This was a very big deal for Norwin because it was the first time they had beaten Kiski in a BOA competition since 1989. Had Norwin attended nationals this season, I am sure they would have made finals. Kiski, of course, was still quite strong and had an awesome show from a musical standpoint playing swing music. This season it was the Houston, TX regional that was the more competitive of the two Texas regionals. Spring (TX) managed to edge out Westfield (TX) for the win by a mere quarter of a point. This was Spring's fifth and last regional win. One note about Westfield; they had attended one Texas regional each season since 1983 and since 1984 they had placed either first or second at every single regional they attended. Even back then that was pretty impressive. Richland (TX) in 3rd and Winston Churchill (TX) in 4th also gave strong performances based on the scores they received. The St Louis regional was moved to late in the season this year, being held just one week before nationals. This regional really had two bands way ahead of the rest of the competition. Center Grove (IN) won the regional and swept the highest achievement awards and broke 93 points. Carmel (IN) was 2nd but still broke 91 points. Bellevue West (NE) was in third but a good seven points behind Carmel.
A total of 80 bands took part in the 1999 Bands of America Grand Nationals. 32 of those bands advanced to Semi Finals. Heading into nationals, there was a ton of talk of Center Grove being a favorite for the GN title within the BOA community as they were having an incredible season. That possibility certainly was on my mind. Those of us from Michigan however knew that Plymouth-Canton was also a potential GN champ. This was not only because they had finished 2nd the year before and won the Michigan Flight 1 state title two weeks earlier (their 13th win at the time), but they had pulled off the best performance in Michigan State Championship history this season, at least that was the consensus which I say still holds true today. Of course, during this era, you could also never really count Marian Catholic out of giving a really strong GN finals performance. During the semi finals awards, Plymouth-Canton (MI) ended up not only winning the Class AAA title but they swept all of the highest achievement awards. This was PCEP's 4th Class AAA title and first time they had won it since 1992. Marian Catholic (IL) now in Class AAA, was 2nd while Center Grove (IN) was 3rd in Class AAA. With Marian Catholic having moved into Class 3A this season and Kiski and Tarpon (the two strongest AA competitors at the time) not in attendance this season, the Class AA placements were totally up in the air. The top three Class AA bands ended up all being from Michigan. Reeths-Puffer ended up winning the Class AA title and taking the GE award. This was a big surprise as they had finished 2nd behind Mona Shores in the Flight 2 Michigan State Championships just two weeks earlier. Jenison ended up 2nd in Class AA and took the music award and Mona Shores ended up 3rd. Despite being 5th overall in Class AA, Avon (IN) took the 2A visual award. This would be Reeths-Puffer's first and only GN class title. In Class A, Belbrook (OH) was totally at another level in terms of the other 1A bands. They won the Class A title (their fourth at the time) and gave such a strong performance that I thought they had a chance to make finals. They of course swept the Class A highest achievement awards. Kings (OH) wound up in 2nd in Class A with Bassett (VA) in 3rd. So at the conclusion of Semi Finals, it became clear that Plymouth-Canton was the overwhelming favorite to win and yes they delivered. One point about the 99 group of finalists is that they have the largest point spread between 1st and 12th in the semi finals era (14.5 points).
Some of the things that have been said about Plymouth-Canton's 1999 finals performance that I completely agree with; it was the best performance ever by PCEP, it was the best BOA performance of the decade, it was a show that was a good 10 years ahead of its time, and even today it remains one of the best BOA performances ever from a general effect perspective. At that point in time, no other show had managed to convey the theme of the show through both music and visuals as well as Plymouth did. For a band that had been a big pioneer of amplified vocals and used them so frequently, they did not use them in this show, it did not need them. Their show was titled "Thoughtcrime, Music for an Orwellian Era". It included the music selections of Circuits, and Lex and Red Cape Tango from Metropolis Symphony. The show was based on the book 1984 by George Orwell. In short, the story was of a free society descending into authoritarianism where individual thoughts are persecuted. A large prop in the back corner read "Big Brother is Watching". They also had a large prop in the back of the field that looked like a big machine (I think they referred to it as a meat grinder). You could definitely see the play on the suppression of individuality throughout the show. The music was so brilliantly arranged that it was like it was written specifically for this show. The music was strong and solid; have to also mention the crisp and clean percussion including and those awesome keyboards. What really stood out musically was how well they portrayed this dark storyline; the music effect was on another level. They also delivered a clean visual performance; including the guard which blended flags, sabres and modern dance all while doing an excellent job in telling the story. The last two to three minutes of this show were spectacular and in my opinion one of the best closures in BOA history. The band momentarily tied these tubes that were wrapped around their uniforms to each other (symbolizing loss of individuality). A group of guard who came out dressed in individual brightly colored outfits were then rounded up and tossed one by one in the meat grinder. Then clone guard dressed in silver emerged. While this was happening, the band hit the high point in Lex from Metropolis Symphony (it was freakin awesome). The end then featured fast paced drill and furious flag work. At the conclusion of the show, the entire RCA dome rose to their feet in huge applause. Several members of PCEP's band actually broke into tears on the field. Every single one of the finals judges had Plymouth 1st except for the visual ensemble judge who had them 6th (seriously ). In semi finals they were first in visual ensemble with a score of 19.8. I seriously don't know what that judge was thinking. There were a few sections where some of the spacing was slightly off, but did not seem to warrant such a low score. That one score did not affect the outcome, it just cost them the visual performance award. I think if that score had been more appropriate and the music effect scores been a little higher as I think they should have (maybe if they had performed a little later in finals), this show could have (and should have) come close to 98 points (their finals score was 97.0). This is one reason I think scores don't always tell the full story. This ended up being Plymouth-Canton's third and final Grand National title.
Although they gave a Grand National Champion worthy performance, Center Grove (IN) would have to settle for 2nd place. Not only did they pick up two regional titles this season, they also won the Indiana Class A State title. Despite the impressive shows they had delivered since 95, this was their first state title since 1991. So they won all the big contests this season expect nationals; they just failed to get the cherry on top of what was such a great year for them. Their show was the music of "New Era Dance" by Aaron Kernis. This was another show that had very innovative visuals. They had several tarps on the field that transformed it into a checkerboard pattern. Their drill designs against this backdrop were not only unique but very interesting. Adding to the visuals were a world class guard performance and some unique body movements by the band. They put a rather good emotional touch to this entertaining and at times intense music. As with the past few years, their music performance scores were again a bit of an Achilles heel for them. I heard they had actually had a better show from a music standpoint the week earlier at St Louis (although I never did see that show). This was their fifth consecutive year placing in the top three in finals. Although they have not had a top three finish since, Center Grove has remained a BOA stalwart and would have several more finals appearances in their future.
Edging out Marian by a mere 0.05 points for 3rd place was Carmel (IN). This was Carmel's first time finishing not only in the top three but also in the top half of finalist bands. It was also a big deal back in these days for a band to beat Marian in GN finals. Based on their scores and placements during the course of the season, I suspect they had a strong late season improving trend. What I mostly remember about this show was that it was not only clean, but it was a very good musical performance; great rich sound quality. It was their high music performance scores, second only to PCEP, that allowed them to edge out Marian. Looking back on Carmel this season, there were certainly signs of what was to come. They had a strong director in Richard Saucedo and a very good concert band program which was winning awards. Carmel was also in the midst of rapid suburban growth that would lead to significant rises in their student population over coming years. The Carmel music program seemed to build right along with the growing school. Since this season, Carmel has placed in the top 5 in GN finals every year except 2006. That is really impressive.
After their semi finals performance and what I thought a solid finals performance, I was actually a bit surprised when Marian Catholic (IL) finished 4th. This year, Marian moved from Class AA to Class AAA. They remained in class 3A through the 2006 season. While I had thought the reason was because they wanted other bands to get a chance at the Class AA title, it turns out they had just enough of a student population increase to put them into the larger school class. They delivered yet another highly difficult show that exhibited fantastic technical ability by the Marian band. Although I think Plymouth was robbed of the visual performance award, I was glad to see Marian win it. They had been a band that did not shy away from visual difficulty. I had actually thought their marching quality had improved over the last three or four seasons. They were also a band that when not racing backwards on their tiptoes, would do a nice backwards roll step (so their toes came off the ground) which not all bands did well. They also had a ton of rapid directional shifts throughout the show which was nicely done. This was their first visual award in GN finals since 1987 (when it was called the marcing/maneuvering award).
Returning to Grand Nationals after not attending in 98, Lawrence Central (IN) came off what I felt was a bit shaky 9th place performance in semi finals to land in 5th place in finals. They gave a strong show in finals despite being the unfortunate band to have to follow Plymouth. Perhaps they absorbed some of the energy that was still left over on the field. From what I can remember of this show, it was well designed with pretty solid music. They too had strong marching skills (they would continue to have some solid visual performances for many seasons to come). I also loved their world class guard performance. Their 5th place performance also marked the first time since 1984 that three Indiana bands landed in the top half of finalist bands.
After having won the overall Illinois State title consecutively since 1989, Lake Park (IL) lost the title to Lincoln-Way Central this season. So I was unsure how they would fare at Grand Nationals. As usual, they delivered a clean show full of interesting musical nuances and landed in 6th place. Like last season, they seemed to have difficulty selling the performance to the music effect judges, with their total music effect score in eleventh place; I believe the lowest they had ever placed to date in that category. As of 2019, this has been the last season that no bands from south of the Mason-Dixon Line finished in the top half of finalist bands. Yes the southern bands have been on the rise in the 2000s.
In their second finals appearance, Broken Arrow (OK) finished 7th. This would be their highest finish at nationals prior to 2006. Their show "Festival Espanol" had quite the latin flare. They also had a large red rose tarp on the field. During the late 90s/early 2000s, it became rather popular for bands to move their pit onto the field. BA was no exception this season as they too brought their pit off center on the field.
Making their third appearance in GN finals was Etiwanda (CA) who placed 8th. This was Etiwanda's highest finish ever at nationals. Their show "Pure Imagination" was a hit for anyone who is a fan of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The song Pure Imagination (sung by Gene Wilder in the movie) was heard throughout the show. The guard were dressed in outfits made to look like golden candy wrappers. At one point, flags and skirts in what I am assuming was blueberry blue appeared. Unfortunately this was Etiwanda's last finals appearance. They continued to win several more regional titles into the mid 2000s and did make a few more appearances at Grand Nationals. While they made semis, they fell short of finals. After hitting a bit of a slump in the late 2000s/early 2010s, they have had a little more success in recent years. Perhaps a comeback in the near future? Another light hearted point about Etiwanda, I think Chuck got a kick out of saying; "Joining us from Rancho Cucamonga..."
Returning for back to back Grand Nationals and their second finals appearance was Winston Churchill (TX) who finished 9th for the second year in a row. Ninth would be their highest finish at nationals. Absolutely wonderful sound quality and overall music performance. Like so many Texas bands, they were also very large. So their sound really filled the dome. They had brightly colored guard uniforms and flags, framed at times in box-like props. Their music program would see some loss in the coming years to a brand new school built to alleviate overcrowding at Churchill; a school by the name of Ronald Reagan.
I really felt that Centerville (OH) had a strong and highly entertaining show this season. They really played to the crowd and boy did the crowd love it. Big shout out to an amazing sax solo. They did "Channel One Suite" made popular by the Blue Devils well over a decade earlier. Given their jazz repertoire, this is a show that had Centerville written all over it. They were having a strong season with this show too. They beat PCEP at the Toledo regional and did quite well at the Indy regional. They had a solid show in semi finals and placed fifth. I was fully expecting them to place in the top five in finals and they certainly had the goods to do it; included were some awesome soloists and an incredible drum line. In finals, while the crowd ate it up and they had a good time doing it, it was not a clean both musically and visual as their semi finals performance. So they ended up 10th in finals.
While there are so many newer high schools in the Austin, TX metro area, Leander HS, from Leander, TX has actually been around for quite some time. Their marching band began competing in Texas UIL well back into the 80s. They began competing at BOA regionals in the early 90s and became perennial regional finalists the latter half of the decade, winning a regional outright in 1996. This was their first trip to Grand Nationals. I was actually not expecting them to make finals simply because they had placed 8th a week earlier at the Houston regional. When I saw them perform, they were quite obviously finals material. I suppose perhaps they had a stronger show than at Houston and/or the competition in Texas was getting stronger. They were introduced as a marching wind symphony; a term I think echoes what many marching bands were striving for in the 90s. They wound up 11th place in finals. Their music performance certainly fit that description. They had some of the most interesting props this season; a large violin broken into three pieces on the field. The top of the violin served as a platform for soloists, opening with a violin solo. One of their assistant directors, Amanda Drinkwater, would go on to become the director of Marcus. Leander remained strong through the early 2000s (and were really good in 2000), but went into a slight decline during the later half of the decade. They made a massive comeback during the 2013 to 2015 time frame and finally returned to GN seventeen years later in 2016; a much better band.
I was not only surprised when Reeths-Puffer (MI) won the Class AA title, I was really shocked when they were announced as a finalist (and so were they). It was a strong performance in semi finals which put them into finals, where they finished 12th. Reeths-Puffer HS is from the outskirts of Muskegon, MI and is named after the last name of two people (when they first came on the scene I was like what is a reeths puffer LOL). They entered the Michigan Competing Band Association circuit around 1990. Over the next four years they grew and improved and won their first Flight two state title in 1994 (their highly entertaining baseball themed show). They also made their BOA debut this season as a regional finalist. They became perennial regional finalists and racked up a few more Flight 2 state titles during the rest of the decade and were doing quite well at the Grand Nationals that they attended. They were a band that did well with the GE judges. They also went full into the themes of their shows, especially with props and guard costuming. Their show this year "Treasures" was based on the Ben Hur soundtrack and made quite extensive use of props for the era. I would say that their semi finals show this season was their strongest show ever. Obviously this was a huge Cinderella moment for Reeths-Puffer as this was their first and only GN finals appearance. They slipped a little bit in the early 2000s (failing to make GN semi finals on a couple occasions), but still made regional finals. They came roaring back in the mid to late 2000s, a streak that has gone well into this decade. This culminated in numerous Flight 2 (and 3) state titles, several regional Class AA titles, even winning a regional outright in 2008, and several GN semi finals appearances. In recent years, they have had a decline in enrollment both in their school and the band which has posed some challenges.
The unlucky number 13th spot in Semi Finals this year went to Northmont (OH). They may not have considered this unlucky though as they barely made semi finals in 98. Turns out they were in the midst of a significant improving trend. Westerville North (OH) was 14th, their highest finish at Grand Nationals. Webster (NY) was 15th and Belbrook (OH) was 16th. Jenison (MI) was 17th, the band that I actually thought may snag the Class AA title. Mona Shores (MI) was 18th. After having beating Reeths-Puffer just two weeks prior, they were really disappointed with the outcome. They had a really cool show this season "Hot House", my favorite Mona Shores show. This would be the last time they attended Grand Nationals, they did attend a few BOA regionals in the early 2000s, but I think this disappointment soured them a bit on BOA. They were still quite good in the early 2000s and picked up a couple more Flight 2 state titles. In the mid 2000s, their director retired and they went into a quick decline. Even though they kept a marching band they opted out of the MCBA circuit and became much less competitive. I am sure there were also financial reasons that prompted this decision. Rounding out the top 20 were two more Class AA bands; Ooltewah (TN) in 19th and Avon (IN) in 20th. I should also note that Tate (FL), the 1980 GN Champ, returned to nationals for the first time in 10 years and placed 21st in semi finals. This would be their last appearance at nationals.
There are not many of the finalist performances from this season that to my knowledge that still remain on line. Those that I know are still on You Tube include PCEP, Broken Arrow, Winston Churchill, Leander and Reeths-Puffer. I will include the link to the slightly grainy finals performance by PCEP.
1999 Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park
1999 Center Grove
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 20, 2019 12:02:06 GMT -6
Thank you for including the extra bits about Leander. π₯°
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 20, 2019 13:15:43 GMT -6
Thank you for including the extra bits about Leander. π₯° My pleasure. Everyone thought their props were really cool. I also loved their uniforms.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 20, 2019 20:09:35 GMT -6
Thank you for including the extra bits about Leander. π₯° My pleasure. Everyone thought their props were really cool. I also loved their uniforms. Iβve watched the video a few times. I think this was around the same time period Leander won the TMEA 4A Honor band. 5 years before anyway, but still part of the reason they had such a great sound.
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Post by principalagent on Oct 27, 2019 9:00:04 GMT -6
Actually Bellevue Westβs best regional placement was in Midland in 2017! They placed second.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 27, 2019 22:11:43 GMT -6
Actually Bellevue Westβs best regional placement was in Midland in 2017! They placed second. Thanks for the correction. Too many competitions these last few years for me to remember.
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Post by macwinlin on Oct 29, 2019 23:04:47 GMT -6
Can anyone confirm (or deny) Mark Higginbotham as Lassiter's arranger for 2002?
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Post by sethb811 on Oct 30, 2019 2:41:21 GMT -6
Can anyone confirm (or deny) Mark Higginbotham as Lassiter's arranger for 2002? I'm almost positive it was Jay Bocook.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 30, 2019 6:45:23 GMT -6
The BOA wiki page used to have really good information about champion show repertoire but it got updated literally 5 hours ago and that info is now gone
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Post by dbalash on Oct 30, 2019 6:54:41 GMT -6
The BOA wiki page used to have really good information about champion show repertoire but it got updated literally 5 hours ago and that info is now gone If you view the wiki changes here, you can still see the repertoires.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 30, 2019 7:04:42 GMT -6
Β The BOA wiki page used to have really good information about champion show repertoire but it got updated literally 5 hours ago and that info is now gone If you view the wiki changes here, you can still see the repertoires. Yeah I already copied them across into my own documents. Was a bit of a shock that it got updated so much between when I was on the site last night and again this morning. I didn't see what I expected, and had to dig to see what I went there looking for. Rabble rabble grumble grumble
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Post by dbalash on Oct 30, 2019 7:08:44 GMT -6
If you view the wiki changes here, you can still see the repertoires. Yeah I already copied them across into my own documents. Was a bit of a shock that it got updated so much between when I was on the site last night and again this morning. I didn't see what I expected, and had to dig to see what I went there looking for. Rabble rabble grumble grumble It almost feels like someone from MFA edited the wiki. It feels a whole lot more...corporate now.
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Post by Allohak on Oct 30, 2019 7:26:44 GMT -6
Yeah I already copied them across into my own documents. Was a bit of a shock that it got updated so much between when I was on the site last night and again this morning. I didn't see what I expected, and had to dig to see what I went there looking for. Rabble rabble grumble grumble It almost feels like someone from MFA edited the wiki. It feels a whole lot more...corporate now. Almost definitely
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Post by trumpet300 on Oct 30, 2019 8:39:02 GMT -6
They also removed all of the records that had been posted there....dang
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 30, 2019 22:06:42 GMT -6
Looks to me like the new wiki page has some data collected by The Big Tall's research. Hopefully they continue to build this site.
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