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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 14, 2020 4:35:15 GMT -6
...2009 SEASON REVIEW...
This was the year that BOA went from a three class system to a four class system. They essentially split the large school class into a 3A and 4A class. In my opinion this was a long time coming. Over the previous couple decades, rapidly growing suburban communities were building larger high schools or expanding their existing high schools, capable of accommodating many more students than those built in the 60s, 70s or 80s. This led to a larger spread among the sizes of schools competing in BOA. The growing number of very large high schools was simply making the old Class AAA too large. BOA also did not want to take away the chances for bands from smaller schools from picking up class titles.
This being the last season of the decade, it is interesting to look back at the changes that occurred over the 2000s. The show themes became increasingly more sophisticated and creative. A wider array of musical selections and genres were being incorporated into one show; which occurred through brilliant music arrangements. Band members were moving their bodies a lot more, often times breaking from the strict military marching style. Uniforms were more artistically designed and made of material that allowed for a wider range of motion. Those of us in the audience were also being witness to bands that were really challenging themselves both musically and visually. This included the color guards. The last few decades had seen a lot of growth in winter guard programs. This was really showing itself in how much stronger the marching band color guards had become. Bands were also striving to make their shows more interesting to the audience. I have often heard those who have been in the band programs of the 2000s and 2010s refer to the marching band shows from the 70s, 80s and even 90s as being somewhat boring. I guess seeing how the shows have developed over the last two decades I can kind of understand that view point.
A total of 14 regionals were held this season, including three super regionals. The season started Sep 26th at the Louisville, KY regional. Weather delays led to the cancellation of finals. So the results which were based on prelims had Carmel (IN) winning; every judge had them in first place. In 2nd was Ben Davis (IN). Ben Davis is one of the best bands to have never won a BOA regional. Second place is the closest they ever got. In a not too distant 3rd was Columbus North (IN). The next weekend featured regionals in Centerville, OH and Pearland, TX. At Centerville, Carmel (IN) won their second regional of the season. Centerville (OH) gave them a run for their money but had to settle for 2nd. In 3rd was a band that was proving on the rise; William Mason (OH). At Pearland, it was tight at the top with four bands. Stephen F Austin (TX) placed 1st and took visual. Cedar Park (TX) came in 2nd and was just two tenths a point lower than SFA. Another band I consider one of the best bands not to win a BOA regional, 2nd place is the closest Cedar Park has come to winning a regional title. A point lower in 3rd was The Woodlands (TX) who actually won GE. In 4th was James Bowie (TX) who picked up music. The next weekend at Arlington, TX, LD Bell (TX) walked away with the win, beating 2nd place Marcus (TX) by almost a point. These two bands were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The Towson, MD regional was attended by just 13 bands. Westminster (MD) won. This was their 2nd regional title and first win since 2003. Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was in 2nd, the closest they would ever get to a regional title. The Ypsilanti, MI regional turned out to be a tough battle at the top. After finishing second in prelims, Lawrence Central (IN) came out on top in finals. This was their ninth and last BOA regional title. The band they edged out was Plymouth-Canton (MI) who came in 2nd. Reeths-Puffer (MI) was 3rd.
At the St Louis Super Regional, Broken Arrow (OK) came out on top and swept the highest achievement awards. Marian Catholic (IL) was a respectable 2nd with Centerville (OH) in 3rd. Also the weekend of St Louis was the Massillon, OH regional. The top three bands were pretty close, with Kiski Area (PA) winning the title. I was surprised it was so close because I thought it was the strongest I had seen Kiski at this point in the season for several years. Fort Mill (SC) was 2nd with Norwin (PA) in a very close 3rd. The San Antonio Super Regional was a little earlier in the season this year (Oct 23-24), which is why the scores were a bit lower than previous years. A total of 14 Texas bands comprised finals. LD Bell (TX) walked away with the Super Regional title and won visual and GE. In 2nd was Marcus (TX) who claimed music. The Woodlands (TX) was about a point and a half down in 3rd, followed closely by James Bowie (TX) in 4th. This was a rare instance where the top 4 bands at San Antonio all attended Grand Nationals later in the season. Rounding out the top six was Cedar Park (TX) in 5th and Richland (TX) in 6th. A resurging Spring (TX) landed in 7th. Also the weekend of San Antonio was West Chester, PA. Rain delays caused the cancellation of finals, so the results were based on prelims. While Lassiter (GA) was the overwhelming favorite to win, they actually only won by just under a point. Their visual scores were their Achilles heel. This was their ninth regional title. While not their last, it was their last win with director Alfred Watkins. In a strong 2nd was Norwin (PA) with West Johnston (NC) in 3rd.
The Atlanta Super Regional was won by Tarpon Springs (FL). Their show revolved around the Jason Bourne trilogy. They really brought the concept of an outdoor performance ensemble to life with this show. The props, constant motion and the way they sold this show was impressive. I really wished they took this show to nationals. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) gave a strong performance and finished 2nd. These two bands both broke 90 points. Harrison (GA) was 3rd while Wando (SC) was 4th and Carleton J Kell (GA) was 5th. At the Santa Clarita, CA regional, Ayala (CA) sustained a half point penalty but still won by over two points. William S Hart (CA) was 2nd , closely followed by Clovis West (CA) in 3rd and Upland (CA) in 4th. The weekend before Grand Nationals this season featured the Indianapolis, IN and St George, UT regionals. At St George, American Fork (UT) walked away with their 2nd BOA regional title and swept the highest achievement awards. Clovis West (CA) was 2nd with JM Hanks (TX) in 3rd. The Indianapolis, IN regional had four bands break 90 points. Avon (IN) walked away with the title and swept the highest achievement awards. Carmel (IN) was a relatively close 2nd. Lawrence Central (IN) was 3rd with Marian Catholic (IL) in 4th.
Ninety One bands participated in the 2009 Bands of America Grand Nationals with 34 advancing to Semi Finals. Given how well they had performed their demanding show a week earlier at Indy, Avon seemed the favorite to win the GN title assuming they pulled off a clean show. Based on the roster, it was clear this was going to be a competitive nationals. Some other names being tossed around as potential eagle contenders included; LD Bell, Carmel and Broken Arrow. Upon conclusion of Semi Finals, the Class 4A title went to Avon (IN). So Avon became the first band to win this new class at GN. This was the third class title for Avon in three different classes. No other band has had GN class titles in three different classes. The Avon school district must have had some explosive growth this decade. Avon also walked away with visual and GE in 4A. LD Bell (TX) was 2nd in class 4A while Marcus (TX) was 3rd and took music. The Class 3A title went to Center Grove (IN). This was their third GN class title and first time winning it since 1997. Obviously they benefited from the split in the large class. Center Grove swept the 3A highest achievement awards and ended up being the only Class AAA band to make finals this year. 2nd in 3A was Lafayette (KY) and West Johnston (NC) was 3rd. There was absolutely no surprise that Marian Catholic (IL) won the Class AA title and swept the 2A highest achievement awards. I actually thought they should be in 3A since they were so much stronger than all other 2A bands. North Hardin (KY) ended up 2nd in Class AA with Belbrook (OH) 3rd. The Class A title went to Bourbon County (KY) for the second year in a row. Bourbon was heavily favored to win this. They also swept the Class A highest achievement awards. Williamstown (KY) was 2nd in 1A with Springs Valley (IN) 3rd. So upon the conclusion of semi finals, Avon was still favored to win, but LD Bell was quite strong too. I will say this was an awesome Grand National finals. At the time I thought Grand Nationals could not get any better (boy was I wrong). The top three placing bands in finals actually gave Grand National champion worthy performances, but only one could take home the eagle.
So it was Avon (IN) that placed 1st and walked away with their second consecutive Grand National title. This was the first time since 1991 that a band defended their title. Their show was titled "Comm-UNIFORM-ity" and featured; Samuel Barber's Symphony Numbers 1 and 2. In the opener, the band and guard were in all black and had black masks on their faces. During the ballad in the middle, they took their masks and hats off, a touch of gold also appeared. The guard also sported some purple flags in the ballad. Then in the closer, the band and guard were in all gold, including gold masks. At the very end a guard emerged in purple and the band revealed purple gloves. While the concept seemed overall simple, the music and drill were anything but simple. There were some amazing technical moments by the band; especially the brass in the opener and the drum line throughout. They just attacked this show with confidence and executed it so well. The ballad was also well played and emotional. Of course I have to mention the strong performance by the Avon guard; those rifles WOW! In typical Avon style, the faster the band played, the faster they moved. The ending, where the band collapses into a circle on the field and the guard tosses their flags out put an exclamation point on this powerful show. They were second in music performance and strong with the music effect scores (although they were third by a narrow margin). Their visual scores really propelled them into 1st. They tied Marian for visual performance and their very high visual effect score allowed them to tie Bell for GE. I actually thought this show was better than their 08 performance even though it did not score as high.
In 2nd place was LD Bell (TX). They actually tied Marian for 2nd but their higher GE score gave them 2nd place. Their show was titled "Prayer For Light". The band sported uniforms specially designed for this show; all white, yellow and gold. The band seemed to enter the field as rays of light. Overall, this show was a bit slower and melodic but really impactful. The music and visuals flowed extremely well. The vocal narrator in an Indian accent added to this unique performance. As had become the norm with Bell, the music was just enjoyable to listen to. I loved some of the subtle yet effect percussion features too. The emotion just flowed off the field and no doubt helped them earn a first place (in a tie) score for overall music effect. Their visual effect score gave Bell the higher overall GE score over Marian which allowed them to place 2nd. This was the second consecutive year that Bell was runner up to the GN title. This was also the year that Van Mathews took over as director from Jeremy Earnhart.
Marian Catholic (IL) did not only have massive improvement in the week leading into nationals, they improved both in score and placement from prelims to semi finals to finals. In finals, they ended up tying for the second highest score. Bell's higher GE score meant Marian placed 3rd, their highest finish since 2002. Had it not been for the two strong performances at the top, Marian would have been a worthy Grand National champ this year. They put forth a very clean show which really showcased some moments of musical genius. Their show was titled "The Nightingale: A Parable of Gilded Cages". The story had a distinct Japanese theme with some cages featuring in the visual design of the drill. Some of the musical selections were actually the same as their 1997 show "Images of the Orient". The guard, all decked out in Japanese attire, actually took their heavy make up off in a symbolic moment in the show; the first I had ever seen a guard do that in a performance. They ended up tying Avon for the visual performance award, the first time in ten years they won that in GN finals. They also tied Bell with the combined music effect scores.
Making their debut at Grand Nationals this season was Marcus HS, from Flower Mound, TX; a Dallas/Ft Worth Suburb. Thanks to their success at the BOA Texas regionals the last few years and online videos, the BOA world outside of Texas knew what to expect with this band. That of course was a strong performance, especially from a musical standpoint. They certainly delivered and won the music performance award in finals (they were heavily favored to win this). The strength of their shows the previous few seasons actually made their Grand Nationals debut a highly anticipated one. Their show "A Midsummer Night's Dream", was based on the Shakespeare comedy. It even featured a wedding scene. Marcus extended the length of the show a bit from what they typically did and added a little more visual difficulty; probably for Grand Nationals. Their classical musical selections were played so well with such an amazing ensemble sound. They ended up placing 4th (just 0.05 points ahead of fifth) as they received a .2 point penalty and had a couple visual scores that prevented them from scoring higher. This year would be the start of Marcus attending Grand Nationals once every four years.
Carmel (IN) placed 5th with their show "Virtue-OSITY". This was another show filled with classical music. Featured soloists included a cello, piano and flute. The cellist was on the field during the opener. The piano player was actually staged on a seesaw prop. It was definitely a unique prop, with guard members bouncing on it at times. The piano player did an awesome performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto Number 3. The last few drill segments of this show were also extremely fast and difficult. Carmel handled that difficulty really well.
This year BOA allowed those watching online to vote for their favorite performance. The fan favorite went to 6th place Broken Arrow (OK). This was the third year in a row they placed 6th. Their show was titled "Rite of the Raptor". The melody from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was heard throughout the show (so much so it was hard to get it out of your head after watching the performance). This was yet another BA show where the music and visuals just flowed brilliantly. Not only did the guard take on the role of the raptor, the band did as well. There were several sections where the band broke from form and moved about as though they were raptors. This type of movement, where the band breaks out of the formation and moves about was nothing new, but I don't think any other band had done it so extensively as BA did at that time. Turns out this visual style (featuring a lot of individual moves at times) would become much more common over the coming years.
When I heard that The Woodlands (TX) show this season was titled "Amen", I thought it would be an overall slower/softer show. While it did have some slow parts, most of it was up tempo and loud. There was quite a bit of vocalization and a pretty cool guitar feature. Also have to mention some wonderful drum features in this show. There was also a section where the percussion did some percussion sounds with their vocals, a technique first done by the Bluecoats in DCI a few years earlier. It got a huge response from the audience. The Woodlands ended up finishing in 7th place.
In 8th place was Lawrence Central (IN) with their show "To Begin Again". They tackled current news events very directly in this show, which was about the financial recession that hit the nation at the end of this decade. Through props and flags they focused on the greed and obsession with money that led to the 2008 financial meltdown and then ended on a positive note about renewal, or rising out of the recession. This was yet another solid show from LC, especially on the visual front. I was a bit surprised they did not place higher. I kind of thought their visual scores could have been higher. Their clean guard performance also helped on the visual front. On the video, there was a small section cut out do to BOA not being able to get licensing. With bands packing more musical selections into their programs, licensing had become a huge obstacle for BOA.
Center Grove (IN) was making it a habit of bouncing right back the season after missing finals. They did it again this year and ended up with a 9th place finish in finals; this after nabbing the 3A title in semis. I personally loved this show, "Music Box Macabre". It featured a giant music box prop and a violin player with darken eyes (adding the macabre flare). The band really played up the dark theme of this show; even playing a piece from the movie Edward Sissorhands. Historically known as having a strong percussion section, they had a really good feature in this show which showcased their percussion. This ended up being Center Grove's highest finish at nationals since 2003.
Returning to Grand Nationals in their second finals appearance was James Bowie (TX) who finished 10th. They actually slid into finals by finishing twelfth in semi finals. Bowie had a much better show than their GN debut in 2006; really strong musically. Their show was titled "The Mystic". They tackled some pretty challenging music in this show. In addition to the strong music, there was a section where the drill (with the use of a prop) created a moving dragon-like figure. It was a hit with the crowd.
Making their first appearance in not only Grand Nationals, but also Grand National finals was Wando HS from Mt Pleasant, SC (outside of Charleston). They finished 11th in finals. Wando had been on a gradual improving trend for the better part of the decade. They had just won their 5th consecutive South Carolina state title this season. They became only the second South Carolina band to be a GN finalist. Their show was titled "Beyond". It had several colorful props on the field and was overall a high energy performance. You could tell that they were really enjoying this experience. Thankfully Wando would make more appearances in GN finals as they were still a band on the rise.
The 12th place band in finals was Centerville (OH) with their show "ICON: The Art of Elvis". This show was packed full of Elvis songs and songs about Elvis. They really built this show up to the end when the guard guy representing Elvis runs off the field. The show ends with the announcement "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has left the building." In typical Centerville fashion, the number one goal of this show seemed to be to entertain the audience. This was Centerville's 19th GN finals appearance. Sadly, it was their last. Centerville did not fade away though. They remained (and still remain) a near consistent regional finalist and Grand National semi finalist. They even picked up a couple more regional titles.
Despite having a much better season than 2008, Plymouth-Canton (MI) wound up in the unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals. It was a shame that they did not make the finals because they had some of the most innovative props ever this season. In their show "Beneath the Surface", they had props that the band emerged from at the beginning of the show, then descended into at the end. These props were broken apart, moved around the field, stoop on end, and all sorts of things. The music performance judges just did not think this show was quite finals worthy. In 14th was Lafayette (KY). This was Lafayette's fourth appearance at Grand Nationals over a 25 year time period and the first time they failed to make finals. In 15th was American Fork (UT). They overcame a tragedy this season. On the way to a competition, one of their busses was involved in an accident and an instructor was killed while helping to save the lives of the students on the bus. American Fork was not scheduled to attend this year (they had attended last year). They were invited last minute and within just a week or two their community raised the money to send this band to Indy, all the way from Utah. The band honored that instructor in their show and BOA awarded them the Esprit de Corps award. Rounding out the top 20 were Lake Park (IL) in 16th, Ben Davis (IN) in 17th, Owasso (OK) in 18th, West Johnston (NC) in 19th and William Mason (OH) in 20th. This was the first time William Mason finished in the top 20 at nationals.
Below are the top three performances:
2009 Avon
2009 LD Bell
2009 Marian Catholic
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Post by LeanderMomma on Feb 16, 2020 20:19:07 GMT -6
Wow, loved both Avon and Bell. Equally fabulous shows in completely different ways!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 21, 2020 4:42:08 GMT -6
...2010 SEASON REVIEW...
This being the first year of a new decade, there were already a few indications of the trends that would emerge over the next ten years. Shows which would at one point would have seemed way too over the top would be gaining popularity. This would include an explosion of the use of props. The themes would also become more of an epic, with the band playing an ever greater role in telling the story. Things like jazz running, dancing, and other intricate body movements would become as much a part of the visuals as marching. Musical performances featured vocalists more frequently. Technological advances in electronics enhanced the sound quality reaching the audience and made for ever more unique visual frills for the audience. Year by year there would also be the loss of the more military look of the band for more artistically and colorfully designed costuming. But through all of this, bands kept getting stronger. The quality of the music performances grew almost steadily each year. More and more BOA regionals would be added and BOA competitions would become ever more competitive. Nowhere was this more the case than in the state of Texas. By the end of the decade, Texas arguably had nearly two dozen bands who were of Grand National finals caliber.
The 2010 season featured 15 regionals, including three super regionals. The season started Sep 25th with the Louisville, KY and North Huntingdon, PA regionals. At Louisville, Carmel (IN) was essentially in a league of their own and won by nearly five points. In a somewhat surprise 2nd place finish was Adair County (KY) who placed ahead of notable bands like North Hardin (KY) in 3rd and Ben Davis (IN) in 4th. Adair and North Hardin actually tied but Adair had the higher GE score, thus giving them second place. The North Huntingdon regional was a battle between two long time PA rivals. Kiski Area (PA) won, edging out 2nd place Norwin (PA) by just two tenths of a point. In a not too distant 3rd was James Madison (VA). The next weekend, the first weekend of October, featured the Arlington, TX and Kettering, OH regionals. In Arlington, like last year, there were two bands head and shoulders above everyone else. LD Bell (TX) walked away with the win followed by Marcus (TX) in 2nd. Topping the rest of the bands was LV Berkner (TX) in 3rd. At Kettering, Carmel (IN) was again head and shoulders above the rest of the competition and won, their second win of the season. Centerville (OH) was solidly in 2nd. Packed very close together was Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) in 3rd, Bourbon County (KY) in 4th and Lincoln-Way East (IL) in 5th.
The second weekend of October had three regionals. At Jacksonville, AL, Carleton J Kell (GA) won their very first regional title. Bourbon County (KY) was 2nd, the closest this band ever got to winning a regional title. Forsyth Central (GA) was 3rd. The Pontiac, MI regional was really close and somewhat controversial. William Mason (OH) edged out Plymouth-Canton (MI) by a mere 0.05 points to win their very first BOA regional title. PCEP actually won visual and GE but had a very low score by the music individual judge which cost them the title. Finishing 3rd at this regional, their highest finish in a BOA regional, was West Bloomfield (MI). At The Woodlands, TX regional, Stephen F Austin (TX) walked away with the win. This was their sixth and last BOA regional title. Cedar Park (TX) was a strong 2nd. What was really surprising at this regional was that Vandegrift (TX) placed 3rd and finished ahead of such stalwarts as Ronald Reagan (TX) in 4th and The Woodlands (TX) in 5th. This was Vandegrifts first year competing in BOA. The school was just opened the prior year and was mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores, which is why they were in Class A this season. They failed to make regional finals at Arlington but came in strong here. Their music was very strong for such a young band. This program, in its infancy, did not have the visual package to remain competitive later in the season. They still did well at San Antonio but did not make finals. I had a feeling that Vandy would be one to watch over the coming years. The St Louis Super Regional proved to be an exciting one as with two contenders at the top. Broken Arrow (OK) edged out Carmel (IN) by roughly a point and a half for the win. One of the surprise performances was 3rd place Union (OK) who was less than a point lower than Carmel and took the visual award. Making the trip from Michigan, Plymouth-Canton was 4th. Also the weekend of St Louis was Akron, OH. Carleton J Kell (GA) won their 2nd BOA regional of the season. This was their second and last BOA regional, both of which came in just one season. Their director at the time was legendary director David McGrath. With David as director I expected great things from this band in upcoming years. Mr. McGrath, however, did not stay with Kell for long. He soon left for Kennesaw Mountain. Rounding out the other top contenders at Akron was Kiski Area (PA) in 2nd, Norwin (PA) in 3rd and Fort Mill (SC) in 4th.
The Hemet, CA regional was actually pretty close. Ayala (CA), who was favored to win, did indeed place 1st. This was Ayala's fifth consecutive win at BOA southern California. Just three tenth lower in 2nd was Vista Murrieta (CA). Clovis West (CA) was 3rd. At the Towson, MD regional, Westminster (MD) walked away with the title. This was the third and last BOA regional title for Westminster. As of the end of 2019, they remain the only Maryland band to have won a regional title. Hickory (VA) was 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional and Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was 3rd. The San Antonio Super Regional was the last weekend of October this year. Like the previous couple years, the 14 finalist bands were all from Texas and the top two bands were notably stronger than the rest of the competition. This time, Marcus (TX) walked away with the win. There show "Illuminaries" highlighted some well renowned composers like Mozart. They played the classical music in this show absolutely brilliantly. The visuals, albeit lacking in some of the difficulty as most of the other bands, was so incredibly clean. Marcus took music and GE and won by just over a point. LD Bell (TX) was 2nd. Leading the rest of the pack was James Bowie (TX) in 3rd. Bowie won the visual award. The Woodlands (TX) was 4th, LV Berkner (TX) was 5th and Ronald Reagan (TX) was 6th. I also have to mention the 13th and 14th placing bands who were surprise finalists; Plano East (TX) and Aledo (TX).
The same weekend as San Antonio was the Atlanta Super Regional. Tarpon Springs (FL) was pretty dominant at this regional and won by over three points, despite a low score by the music ensemble judge. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 2nd and took the music award. Also strong at this regional was Wando (SC) in 3rd and William Mason (OH) in 4th. The weekend before Grand Nationals was the Indianapolis, IN and St George, UT regionals. At St George, Clovis West (CA) upset American Fork (UT) who was favored to win. This was Clovis West's 2nd BOA regional title, coming 22 years after their first. This 22 year gap is the longest between regional wins and was tied in 2019 by Lafayette (KY). So American Fork (UT) would have to settle for 2nd with Clovis (NM) placing 3rd. The Indianapolis regional proved to be highly competitive with many bands traveling some distance to attend. This led to a few notable bands failing to make finals, including Ben Davis (IN) and Lake Park (IL). This likely prompted BOA to make this a super regional in 2011. Avon (IN) won the regional and broke 95 points, taking visual and GE. Carmel (IN) was a strong 2nd and won music. Marian Catholic (IL) was 3rd, edging out 4th place Lawrence Central (IN) by a mere 0.05 points. I also have to mention that Norwin (PA) took 7th at this regional. It was the strongest performance I had seen from Norwin in over ten years.
The 2010 Grand Nationals was attended by 85 bands; 34 advanced to semi finals. The second prelims panel was significantly more competitive than the first, making it somewhat controversial. This was not the first or last time this would happen. I think this year the differences were quite extreme. After seeing Avon perform at BOA Indy the week prior, the sentiment was that Avon just needed a clean show and they would walk away with another GN title. Some bands considered as dark horses in eagle contention based on the BOA regionals were LD Bell, Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs. Upon conclusion of Semi Finals, Avon (IN) won the class 4A title and took GE. Broken Arrow (OK) was 2nd in 4A and took visual and LD Bell (TX) was 3rd in 4A and took music. The Class 3A was significantly more competitive this year than in 2009. Five 3A bands ended up making finals this year as opposed to just one in 2009. The Class 3A title went to Tarpon Springs (FL) who took visual and tied in GE. Of the four years that Tarpon was in Class 3A (08 - 11), this was the only year they walked away with the 3A class title at nationals. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 2nd in 3A and took music and tied Tarpon in GE. Stephen F Austin (TX) was 3rd in 3A. In Class AA, Marian Catholic (IL) took the title and swept the highest achievement awards as expected. Kiski Area (PA) was 2nd in Class AA and Morton (IL) was a surprise 3rd in 2A. This year the Class A competition was the strongest it had been in many years. Bourbon County (KY) ended up winning the Class A title for the third consecutive year and took music and GE. This may have been the strongest show ever for Bourbon County. Western (IN) was 2nd in Class A and took visual. This was their first trip back to GN in 19 years, despite remaining a strong small school band. Adair County (KY) ended up 3rd in Class A. Before I talk about the 12 finalists, I will make a point about the top four bands. Each band had an iconic show, rare to get that many in one Grand Nationals. The shows were all highly difficult and really pushed the envelope in terms of show theme and visual difficulty. Each show was very different from each other but stayed true to the identity of their band. These shows were also warmly received by the audience, so much so as each show had moments of loud applause before the show even ended.
Avon (IN) really delivered in finals. They ended up becoming only the second band to win three consecutive Grand National titles. This also placed their director Jay Web in a very elite group of band directors who have led a band to three GN titles. Very much like their previous two wins, this show was bookended by up tempo, loud, fast and difficult sections with a soft ballad in the middle. Their show was called "Iconoclash". It featured the music of Beethoven, Barber, Led Zeppelin, and REM. The opening drill design was that of a yin and yang symbol. This show was essentially a juxtaposition of old world classical with modern rock. The band had some classical flares to their uniforms and the guard was dressed half and half; one half to match the classical and the other to match the rock. The musical styles were seamlessly blended together; an absolute masterpiece in musical arrangement by Jay Bocook. I thought it was clear when the band played a segment of Beethoven's 5th Symphony that they were going to take the title. Every aspect of this band was not just good, but incredibly good. At the time, I thought this was the best brass/woodwind performance Avon had ever done. Also have to mention that awesome percussion; huge shout out to the keyboards. They played such challenging music so well, all while doing an amazing job with the complex visual package. And of course, I have to mention the world class color guard. Anyone who has tossed a rifle around needs to watch the guard in this show. The fast and complex ending of the show put an exclamation point on this win; the staff up front were practically jumping out of their shoes. Avon took music and GE in finals and scored an impressive 97.7 points, almost breaking their 08 record score (I actually thought this show was better than 08). As of the end of 2019, this has been the last GN title for Avon, even though they have not finished lower than third in finals since. I am definitely not ruling out another title(s) by this band in the 2020s.
Taking a unique look at the Wizard of Oz was Broken Arrow (OK), whose show was titled "ZO". It was inspired by the Wizard of Oz and took a lot of the music and visual frills from that movie. Although there were other musical selections and visual frills (like a queen) that were not related to the movie, it was blended so well together it kind of felt like it should have been in the movie. This show was another masterpiece in musical arranging; it packed sections of thirteen different songs into one show. This show made over the top seem not so over the top. The guard wore ruby red slippers, there were bicycles, kids dressed in monkey costumes, etc. I imagine that this show was as fun to perform as it was enjoyable to watch. Once again BA was voted as fan favorite among the online viewers. As fun as it was to watch and another huge favorite from the audience, it was also really good and cleanly executed. They ended up winning the visual performance award over Avon in finals and they finished 2nd in finals, their highest finish at nationals since their surprise win in 2006. One of the big questions I still have with this show is that it looked like the monkeys threw actual water on the guard (when the guard was taking on the role of witches); was that real water and if so how did they get away with that?
One of the more emotional performances this season was LD Bell (TX) who placed 3rd with their show "Honor: We Will Remember". The show paid tribute to soldiers lost in battle. Bell went back to their blue cadet style uniforms, fitting for the theme of this show. The guard was initially all dressed in army camouflage. Slowly, sections of guard changed to white while white crosses and Stars of David were brought onto the field, representing those soldiers who were killed. By the end of the show, all of the guard members were in white with each one represented by a large white cross or Star of David on the field. It was pretty powerful symbolism. While yes there were certainly some slow and emotional portions of this show, which included a great rendition of Amazing Grace and Amber Waves, there were also a lot of fast up tempo sections with complex drill; representing battle. Have to give a big shout out to an amazing percussion performance in this show; especially those snare drums. The ending of the show featured the band crowding down by the crosses and stars on the field, with the pit members saluting as a trumpet plays taps and a lone drummer walks across the field. The audience was stone cold silent; it really made an impact. This was Bell's 6th consecutive top three finish in finals. Despite the long distance this band had to travel, they had managed to attend six Grand Nationals in a row. However, we would have to wait three years to see them return to GN.
The other iconic show this season was Tarpon Springs (FL) who placed 4th. Their show was titled "Paranormal". Tarpon went to extremes with a big budget production full of tarps and props. It was like watching a mini horror movie set to motion. A girl was wandering/running around the field as though trying to escape from inside a house but is being tormented by paranormal activity. At one point she gets onto a bed prop where she is levitated into the air; one of the most talked about props this season. While there was so much going on in this show, what really struck me was the complexity of the drill design. There were also some amazing musical moments; especially some fantastic woodwind soloists. This show and subsequent Tarpon shows had so much going on, you had to watch them multiple times to really be able to take everything in. The band, while still small, looked a little bigger than previous years. They had a huge and strong world class guard in relation to the band. I am not sure when, but it was around this time that Tarpon Springs HS became a magnet school for performing arts. The fact that this school would attract more students with interests in music and the performing arts would lead to an ever increasing band in relation to the size of the school.
Finishing 5th place in finals for the third year in a row was Carmel (IN) with their show "Stop and Smell the Roses". Every aspect of Carmel was strong; great marching and visual design with difficult and complex drill moves, strong music and a clean world class guard. I personally think this show did not resonate with the audience as much as the top four bands. To me it seemed they were not quite living up to their potential the last few years. Perhaps they thought so too as their shows became more interesting and much stronger in subsequent years. There of course were still some amazing moments in this show. I believe there was an accordion player in one section. The guard was also extremely good. The ending of the show also featured the band forming a detailed rose, with the guard acting as the flower portion and the band the stem/leaves. It was a subtle yet effective ending.
Kennesaw Mountain (GA) landed in 6th place with their show "Awakening Angels". A white tarp was draped across the right side of the field, flowed into the pit who were all white. A large white podium was used for some featured performers and there were also smoke effects. This show, while often soft and melodic, really showcased the musical prowess of KM. It too had a ton of musical selections seamlessly arranged. I felt this was one of the stronger performances from a musical aspect from KM, particularly the way in which they conveyed this highly emotional music to the audience. The music effect judges actually had them in third.
After watching their finals performance, I was somewhat surprised that the judges had Marian Catholic (IL) in 7th place. I thought they would have been much higher. Their show was titled "On Being Hit on the Head". It featured Greg Bimm as narrator. The premise was that you, the audience member, get struck on the head just as Marian is starting to perform. The narrator takes the audience through the confusion and delirium of someone who just suffered a severe blow to the head. The music was then portraying the emotion being talked about in the narration. For me personally, I am not big on overuse of vocal narration, especially from a band like Marian. I will have to say though, there were some amazing musical moments in this show. In typical Marian fashion, insane difficulty handled really well.
Lawrence Central (IN) gave us a little Latin Flare with their show "Evolucion". There was even a section where they played a Samba. Spiraling red tarps wound around the field adding a unique visual look to the show. There was even an extended accordion soloist. Although I felt a little something missing in this show (I don't know what, just seemed there could have been a little more), I did enjoy the music and the wonderful guard performance. LC finished 8th for the second year in a row.
In 9th place was Stephen F Austin (TX) whose show was titled "Miss Understood". The guard (or shall say the Angels Dance Team) helped to tell the story. In typical SFA style, the band played classical music (this was a popular year for the classics) and played it well. The all black uniforms against the light colored dance team was also well played upon in the visual design. This was SFA's fourth appearance in finals and it was their last. The band slowly dropped in placement at the Texas BOA regionals over the coming years. Their BOA appearances also became less frequent. Seeing as they were a finalist at BOA Houston in 2019, I am not counting this band out for a bit of a comeback.
After watching their BOA San Antonio performances on line for the last several years, there was a lot of excitement about Cedar Park HS, from Cedar Park, TX (a suburb of Austin) making their first trip to Grand Nationals this year. This was their first of two finals appearances. They had emerged as a strong contender at the Texas regionals the latter half of the 2000s. Their show was titled "Genius" and it paid homage to famous geniuses. And yes, they too played some classical music; some of which was very difficult I might add. They just slid into finals by finishing twelfth in semi finals (a low score by the visual effect judge almost sunk their chances at making finals). In finals, they finished 10th. While from a visual standpoint, I don't think this show was as strong as some of their shows in the mid-late 2000s, the music was very good. They really sounded amazing. One unique aspect about this band was that they had a very small guard in relation to the size of the band. I think there were around 14 guard total. In all of the fall Grand National finalist bands going back to 1980, I can only think of two guards who may have been smaller; Adair County and Jackson Academy, who marched very small bands.
This year we welcomed back Union (OK) to finals. This was their first appearance in finals in ten years. They hit a rough patch in the mid 2000s. I actually was wondering if we would ever see them return to finals. They staged a big comeback the latter half of the 2000s, culminating in an 11th place finish in finals this season. Their show was appropriately titled "Reinvention". This was classical played loud and powerful. They also joined Marian in making GN finals at least once in each decade since the 1980s (PCEP would join them in 2012).
I was actually wondering if Center Grove (IN) would be able to make finals this year, they seemed the quintessential bubble band this year. They really delivered in semi finals and ended up 12th in finals. This was another dark themed show titled "Something Wicked This Way Comes". The percussion battery even darkened their eyes and wore black capes to give them a ghostly look. This show was centered around a dark fairy tale and was quite well received by the audience. Everyone loved the dead tree prop that had a guard guy tied to it. This prop then swallowed that performer until the end of the show when another guard member was taken into the tree, whereby the guard guy reemerges (or something to that effect; been a while since I have seen this show). CG was still in Class AAA this season and would move up to 4A in 2011.
The unlucky number 13th band in semi finals this season was Plymouth-Canton (MI). It was kind of a shame because their show "Out of the Shadows" was highly innovative. They struggled getting this complex show down during the course of the season and had some pretty big disappointments; including losing the BOA regional by 0.05 points and then losing the state title to Walled Lake Central. They really pulled this show together by nationals and I felt delivered a performance worthy of finals. They were just two tenths behind twelfth place. Their show featured a choir. During the middle of the show a large white tarp is stretched across the field. The band then emerges from behind dark curtains (the shadows) in white and yellow spandex outfits. I almost felt that this show was so out of the box the judges had a hard time judging it (just my opinion). In 14th place, and also giving a finals worth performance, was William Mason (OH). Mason had turned a lot of heads this season. Everyone was predicting they would make finals someday, which ended up happening in just one year. In 15th was Lincoln-Way East (IL). They had been having such success in Illinois, it was nice to see them do so well at nationals. Rounding out the top 20 were Centerville (OH) in 16th, Lake Central (IN) in 17th, Ayala (CA) in 18th, Kiski Area (PA) in 19th and Lafayette (KY) in 20th. Walled Lake Central (MI) was 21st, their highest finish ever at GN. The other Lafayette, from Louisiana was 22nd. It was a bit of a surprise and disappointment this season was that not only did Winston Churchill (TX) not make finals, they ended up placing 23rd.
Here are those top 4 iconic shows (unfortunately the video cuts out BA and Bell's unique pre shows):
Avon 2010
Broken Arrow 2010
LD Bell 2010
Tarpon Springs 2010
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Post by flplantguy on Feb 21, 2020 7:58:48 GMT -6
This was my first time attending nationals in person. It was way more fun than i anticipated even with no sleep. Ive been every year since except this past year. If i can i will try to leave my thoughts after you (thanks!) Remind me of all the smaller details. I still have the books but didnt take many notes
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Post by LeanderMomma on Feb 21, 2020 10:55:58 GMT -6
I loved hearing the details about LD Bell's beautiful show and how Cedar Park was beginning to make a name for themselves. (And Vandy too!). So cool.
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Post by verysaxy on Feb 21, 2020 11:21:28 GMT -6
Paranormal is my favorite Tarpon show! I like it better than 2018 (and I wanted them to WIN!)
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 21, 2020 11:51:52 GMT -6
I loved hearing the details about LD Bell's beautiful show and how Cedar Park was beginning to make a name for themselves. (And Vandy too!). So cool. I am getting into the years when a lot of Texas bands started making names for themselves. So chime in anytime all of you Texans think I may have missed something.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 21, 2020 11:53:58 GMT -6
Paranormal is my favorite Tarpon show! I like it better than 2018 (and I wanted them to WIN!) I think 2010 (or arguably 2009) is the year that Tarpon really took things up a notch. Yes this show was highly talked about at Grand Nationals that year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 27, 2020 5:31:57 GMT -6
...2011 SEASON REVIEW...
With an economy on the upswing, props were notably more common this season. That trend would only increase over the coming years. There were 14 BOA regionals this season, which included 4 Super Regionals (this was the first year that Indy was made a super regional). For some reason there was no California regional this year. This meant only one regional west of the Rockies.
The season started Sep 24th with the North Huntingdon, PA and Richmond, KY regionals. At North Huntingdon, Norwin (PA) easily won this regional (no competition from Kiski at this event). It had been 11 years since Norwin had won a regional, their longest period without a regional win. Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was 2nd and James Madison (VA) 3rd. The Richmond regional was a strong competition for most of the top Kentucky bands of the day. North Hardin (KY) placed 1st and swept the highest achievement awards. This was their second BOA regional win coming 11 years after their first. Adair County (KY) was 2nd followed closely by Lafayette (KY) in 3rd. Beechwood (KY) was 4th and Bourbon County (KY) was 5th. Bourbon had moved up to Class AA this season. The first weekend of October featured the Arlington, TX and Mason, OH regionals. Arlington was fairly surprising and exciting as James Bowie (TX) edged out LD Bell (TX) by a mere 0.05 points for the win. This was the very first regional title for James Bowie. Richland (TX) was 3rd but several points behind Bell. At Mason, Centerville (OH) won and swept the highest achievement awards. After perhaps a disappointing finish just one week earlier, Bourbon County (KY) came in strong and finished 2nd. They narrowly edged out Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) who was 3rd. Yes a lot of strong Kentucky bands this season.
At Conroe, TX, Marcus (TX) came in 1st and swept the highest achievement awards. They beat 2nd place LD Bell (TX) by over a point. The Woodlands (TX) was a respectable 3rd. The Jacksonville, AL regional had a bit of a surprise. Father Ryan (TN) won the regional, their first and only regional title. They also became only the second Tennessee band to win a BOA regional at the time, 15 years after McGavock's last win. This was Father Ryan's "Tron" show. A highly innovative show with the band wearing futuristic costumes. Carleton J Kell (GA) was 2nd followed very closely by Franklin (TN) in 3rd. Making the trip north to the Pontiac, MI regional was Harrison (GA) who won and swept the highest achievement awards (all judges had them first). They beat 2nd place Plymouth-Canton (MI) by over four points. Reeths-Puffer (MI) was 3rd. At the St Louis Super Regional, Broken Arrow (OK) was highly dominant and of course won and swept the highest achievement awards. Union (OK) was 2nd and Owasso (OK) was 3rd. Union and Owasso actually tied in score but Union had the higher GE score. These two bands would remain neck and neck all season. Marian Catholic (IL) was 4th and William Mason (OH) was 5th. Also the weekend of St Louis was the Akron, OH regional. In a very big upset, Fort Mill (SC) placed 1st over Centerville (OH) who would have to settle for 2nd. This was the very first regional title for Fort Mill. Prior to this win, I believe they were the band that had the record for most second place finishes without actually winning a regional. Yes that all changed this year. Also have to mention a strong 3rd place finish by McEachern (GA).
The Towson, MD regional was won by Kiski Area (PA). Hickory (VA) was 2nd and Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was 3rd. I will say that the Atlanta Super regional was very exciting this year as Tarpon Springs (FL) had a formidable challenger in James Bowie (TX). Tarpon Springs ended up winning and took visual and GE. James Bowie was 2nd and took music. They were actually neck and neck to Tarpon in music but were no match for Tarpon's visual prowess. Tarpon's show was titled "The Insanity of an Imaginary World". It was essentially Alice in Wonderland Tarpon style (props and theatrics galore). This year Tarpon marched snare drummers (all of their percussion had been grounded in previous years). This show was actually pretty awesome. They handled the demanding drill really well. Knowing Tarpon's rigorous practice schedule and considering this competition was still late October, I actually think they could have been a contender for the GN title had they attended. Also have to mention a strong performance by 3rd place Kennesaw Mountain (GA) at this regional. The only regional held out west this year was St George, UT. Upland (CA) delivered a strong performance and won over 2nd place American Fork (UT). This was Upland's fourth and last regional title. Finishing a strong 3rd was Davis (UT) with Clovis West (CA) not too far behind in 4th.
The first weekend of November, the last weekend of regionals before nationals, were two big competitions; the San Antonio and Indianapolis super regionals. First off at San Antonio, after finishing in second at the two earlier Texas regionals this season, LD Bell (TX) won the Super Regional title. Bell's show was titled "The Circle's Edge". Yes, circles featured heavily in the drill design. Bell played extremely well and were very clean with their complex drill routine. Unlike the previous several years, much of the drama in this show was handled by the guard. It seemed pretty clear that there were different designers from previous seasons. While yes very clean, the show did not have the emotional impact as previous years (just my opinion). Perhaps that is why they did not win GE (they took music and visual). This was LD Bell's 15th regional title. These 15 regionals all happened in just 12 seasons! To this day, LD Bell still has the most BOA regional titles of any Texas band. So far this win in 2011 has been their last regional title. In 2nd place by just three tents of a point was The Woodlands (TX). Just 0.05 points lower was James Bowie (TX). Bowie actually won GE. No offence to Bell or The Woodlands but I thought Bowie should have won. A low score by the music individual judge cost them the title. Their show was titled "The Promise of Winter". Props and visual designs echoed that of snowflakes. Overall, their powerful music performance (some amazing musical selections by the way) made this an awesome show. I thought overall one of the best Bowie shows ever. While it may have been a bit surprising, Marcus (TX) was 4th. While still a strong show, I don't think it quite had the visual impact the top three bands had. Another surprise at the time was Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX), who was very new on the scene, finishing 5th. Cedar Park (TX) was 6th and broke 90 points. This meant that the top 6 bands at this competition all broke 90. The remainder of the finalists were again all Texas bands. Finally, the Indianapolis Super regional was won by Avon (IN) who swept the highest achievement awards. Carmel (IN) was a respectable 2nd place for the third year in a row. Quite the surprise was that Lake Central (IN) was 3rd, finishing ahead of Marian Catholic (IL) in 4th and Lawrence Central (IN) in 5th.
The 2011 Grand Nationals was attended by 92 bands; 33 of which advanced to semi finals. After this season's regionals, it looked like a strong possibility that Avon would become the first band to win four titles in a row. I figured they would have strong competition from The Woodlands and Broken Arrow, with Carmel in the back of my mind as a dark horse. While it was clear that this Grand Nationals would be competitive at the top, the field of potential finalist contenders was not as deep as in years past. Upon conclusion of Semi Finals; Broken Arrow (OK) won the Class 4A title. This was actually their first GN class title. BA also took GE in 4A. Avon (IN) was 2nd in 4A and took both music and visual. A low score by one of the music effect judges may actually have cost Avon the Class 4A title. The Woodlands (TX) was 3rd in 4A. Unlike 2010, the Class 3A group was not very competitive this season. Center Grove had advanced to 4A and all the other 3A bands from the previous years GN finals did not attend nationals. I actually thought we would not have a Class AAA band in finals this year. That was not the case. Lafayette (LA) won the class 3A title and took all the highest achievement awards (tying in music performance). This was Lafayette's first and only GN Class Title and the only one for a Louisiana band. Blue Springs (MO) was 2nd in 3A and tied Lafayette in music performance. Norwin (PA) was 3rd in 3A. In Class AA, Marian Catholic (IL) won again and swept the highest achievement awards. Father Ryan (TN) was 2nd in 2A and Bourbon County (KY) was 3rd. With both Bourbon County and Western having moved up to Class AA this year, it seemed as though Adair County would easily win Class A. They were upset by Beechwood (KY) who took all of the highest achievement awards (tying Adair for visual). In fact, had Bourbon and Western competed in Class A, Beechwood still would have beaten them. This was Beechwood's second and so far last GN Class Title. Adair County (KY) would have to settle for 2nd in 1A and Monrovia (IN) was 3rd. So upon conclusion of semi finals, it seemed like finals would be a battle between Broken Arrow and Avon for the GN title (which it was). A final point about the group of finalists was that there were three Oklahoma bands in finals; each of whom had strong and enjoyable shows. This was the last time that a state other than Indiana or Texas had more than two bands in finals. Yes 2011 was a great year in BOA of Oklahoma.
Pulling off their second Grand National title and denying Avon their fourth consecutive title was Broken Arrow (OK). Their show was titled "Destiny Leaves You No Choice". It featured the following musical selections: My Immortal (Evanescence); Message for the Queen (Tyler Bates); Trannhauser (Wagner); Tristan and Isolde (Wagner); Funeral March (Patrick Cassidy); Prelude to Act 3 and Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral (Wagner). My take was that the show revolved around two lovers who kept getting torn apart only to keep being reunited. They were of course reunited at the end of the show. It featured two actors; a guard girl and a guy in a BA band uniform. There were also times when other band members interacted with the guard in the same manner as the actors. The movement, dancing and theatrics of the band was spectacular. The level of choreography that was done with the band was mind blowing. The music was also pretty solid; some wonderful flute features in this show. Broken Arrow had already become known for the high quality of their guard; particularly the flags. Well the flags really stepped things up a notch this season. Those flags were whipping and flying all over the place in near perfect unison. As solid as this show was, for me what really stood out was how well they sold this show to the audience. The passion that was being displayed by the two actors was also being displayed brilliantly by the band; both musically and visually. It is no surprise they won GE. I think this show is a great example of how to convey a powerful emotion both musically and visually. The passion just seemed to flow off the field and into the stands; really well done. Their general effect scores propelled them into 1st place.
Avon (IN) packed a ton of wonderful classical musical selections into their show titled "Oddities". There were times when individual performers were intentionally excluded from the ensemble; I guess they were the odd person out or something to that effect. I don't think the theme of this show really resonated well with a lot of people. For me personally, I did not really care. I was just impressed with the strength of the performance. Classic Avon; strong sound, fearless, clean yet difficult drill and an amazing guard. I was very impressed with this performance. There were several moments when I thought they were going to take the title; particularly in their opener when they played a section of Beethoven's Symphony Number 7; WOW. Avon tied for music performance and won visual performance. During the awards, when it came down to Avon and Broken Arrow, I had no idea who would win. They both gave GN champion worthy performances. Avon ended up in 2nd place, finishing just two tenths of a point lower than Broken Arrow. This is the closest a band has ever come to winning 4 GN titles in a row.
Carmel (IN) gave a really strong performance in finals and ended up finishing 3rd. Their show was titled "Going Viral". The theme concept was that an individual solo feature would permeate through the rest of the band. Sometimes this was a particular body movement or guard feature and other times it was a solo; with the melody of the soloist being picked up by an ensemble then the whole band. At the start of the show, the entire band was lying on the field with their arms and legs spread apart. It created an image like you would see in a molecular biology book. It was one of the coolest opening drill sets I had ever seen. Another neat feature was when a band member revealed the underside of their glove to be fluorescent green. Pretty soon the whole band was showing off the fluorescent green undersides of their gloves (yes the trick went viral). Overall, I felt this was the strongest performance Carmel had given since their 05 championship performance. Such wonderful ensemble sound and musical technique allowed them to tie Avon for the music performance award.
This was only a year after the retirement of Brett Johnson, who had directed The Woodlands (TX) band since the school opened in 1996. So there was obvious curiosity as to how the band would go on without him. Well the new director (who had been assistant director) Joni Perez and a solid instructional/design team carried The Woodlands into a new era. This was the same big sound and demanding visual performance as usual, only to me, The Woodlands seemed much cleaner than in past performances. Their show was titled "Uninvited" and featured the Alanis Morrisette song of the same name, blended with several classical pieces. The whole blending of more current pop music with classical became highly popular in this era. I believe the premise was that a performer would be kicked out of or prevented from being into group (ie they were uninvited). A beautiful vocalist comprised this amazing musical performance and landed them in 4th place.
An absolute masterpiece and perhaps highly underrated show is how I would describe 5th place Marian Catholic (IL)'s show. Their show was titled "The Passion Tree". It told the story of Jesus Christ from his life, to his crucifixion/resurrection to the afterlife. A prop of a tree was used to help tell the story. It had green leaves during the life, the leaves were stripped off at the start of the crucifixion, and then the tree was in full bloom during the after life. This was obviously a show that a public high school marching band would not dare tackle, but it was perfect for a private Catholic school like Marian. The drill in itself was packed full of religious symbols. This show had a small group of choral singers chanting in Latin at one point. During the crucifixion an oboe solo is interrupted by a repetitive clanking sound, meant to represent the nails being driven into the crucifix. It sent chills down my spine. The beautiful ending of the show closed with the band laying on the ground to form the branches of a tree. Now I agree there were moments that were not as polished as the top four bands, but I still thought the GE scores could have been much higher. This show delivered a strong impact to the audience; at least it did from my perspective.
Having their highest finish at Grand Nationals since their fourth place finish way back in 1986 was Union (OK) who placed 6th. Their show was titled "Juxtaposition". It had a nice blend of classical and jazz music. There was also a play on the juxtaposition of the band and the guard. There was one section where horn players picked up rifles. They were pretty good too and got a big applause from the audience. At the end of the show, the guard wore outfits that matched the band uniforms. Moveable black panels gave a unique visual look to this show. There were also several interesting percussion features and several unique electric keyboard sounds. Overall this show was very high energy and full of little segments that just proved highly entertaining. They also brought the house down with some of their jazz selections.
Just one tenth point lower in 7th place was Owasso (OK). Their show was titled "The Last Straw". It had several performers dressed as scarecrows propped up on poles. The scarecrow movements were well choreographed with the music. At one high point in the show, the scarecrows get onto the field and run and dance around. It was so entertaining the audience erupted into applause. Yes, the Oklahoma bands really delivered this year. Throughout the show, the music of the Coldplay song Fix You was heard. After seemingly slipping a bit in performance level the previous few years, Owasso really came back strong this season. This ended up being their highest finish at Grand Nationals. This was also their second and last appearance in Grand National finals. They still had a few more strong seasons ahead of them (most notable was in 2012). They just did not attend GN during their most successful seasons. Although they have slipped a bit in placement at BOA regionals the last few years, one thing I have learned about the Tulsa area bands is to never count them out for a comeback.
Claudia Taylor Johnson HS from San Antonio, TX opened in 2008 and in just three short years made Grand National finals, finishing 8th. Now many of their students came from existing band programs, like Ronald Reagan due to some redistricting, but still that is amazing. CTJ first appeared in BOA in 2009. They gradually got stronger over their first two seasons and then 2011 hit and wow. Their show was titled "Lincolnshire Posy: A Collection of Musical Wildflowers". While I was a bit uncertain of the exact story line, I honestly did not care. The performance was really good. They obviously had that high quality Texas ensemble sound. Over the next couple seasons, CTJ would develop their own distinct identity a little more than what was showcased this season. That included artistically styled and very unique uniforms and an overall visual design that set it apart from most other Texas bands. So in other words, they were just getting started in 2011 and the BOA world would see a lot more of them over the coming seasons.
Through the use of a big white round circular tarp and long straight tarps on the edges of it, Lawrence Central (IN) turned the field into the top of a drum head for their show "Drumatic". Several large tympani were also staged near the front of the field. For any tympani players out there, this is a much watch show. So while there were of course several interesting percussion moments in the show and it was also cool to see the visual design against the backdrop of the tarps, I personally did not get what the whole theme was supposed to be other than a lot of neat drum features. Nonetheless, it was a strong performance that landed them in 9th place. I think it was a bold move to have so much drill against the bright white tarp as it is not so easy to disguise subtle visual flaws from the judges; perhaps why they scored lower in the visual performance category; typically their strong suit.
I was actually unsure of the last three finalist bands chances of making finals this season based on earlier season performances. Each one of these bands came into nationals stronger than expected and made Grand National finals. The first band who ended up finishing 10th was William Mason HS, from Mason, OH (north of Cincinnati). Mason had been around for a long time and even participated in BOA in the 1980s. They had been a small band that never really came close to regional or national finals. In the late 1990s, Robert Bass took over the marching band and during the course of the 2000s assembled a team of instructors/designers with the goal to build the size of the band and make it a state and national power. Over the previous few seasons that goal was becoming realized. William Mason was now nearly three times bigger than what they were 20 years earlier and had been improving steadily over the last several years. At the start of the season, I was really not expecting them to make finals this year. Their early season performances were a bit shaky. Boy did they improve heading into nationals. Their show this year was titled "A Winter's Solstice". They had snowflake props all over and through the use of projection used the black backdrop at Lucas Oil to create the illusion of falling snow. It was very cool. Two things were apparent this season that would become staples of this band. First, for Mason, there was no such thing as too many props. Second, they put forth some of the most amazing and difficult woodwind features. This season ended up being just the start of an incredible rise for this band program.
Just making it into finals by finishing twelfth in semi finals and then finishing 11th in finals was Lafayette (LA). They had just missed making the top 20 in 2010 but came roaring back this season. This was their second appearance in GN finals. Their show was titled "Southern Dawn", very appropriate for this band from the deep south. Southern style umbrellas were used as props by the guard. At the end of the show, the entire band popped open some umbrellas. This was really the extent of the frills with this band. Much like their 08 show, I thought they played really well. In fact, their overall music effect is what landed them in finals. This was the last time Lafayette, Louisiana was in GN finals. They have remained an occasional BOA participant and regional finalist ever since. The glory years for this band really extended from the late 2000s to the early 2010s.
After their 6th place finish at BOA Atlanta just two weeks earlier, I was uncertain if Wando (in their 2nd GN appearance) would make finals. They delivered a strong show in semi finals and then finished 12th in finals. Their show was titled "Daedalus and Icarus: A Metamorphosis". This show told the famous story from Greek Mythology. Actors and props helped tell the story. The music was quite good. What really struck me was how well they stuck to the storyline. They did a good job conveying the story line to the audience. I will detail it more in the 2014 review, but there would soon be some changes at Wando that would propel this band into becoming the most successful South Carolina band in BOA.
The unlucky number 13th spot in Semi Finals this year went to Spring (TX). This was their first appearance at GN since 2002. I was really hoping they would make it but it just was not in the cards for them. Two low scores kept them out of finals. Spring was actually stronger in 2009 and 2010, both years they may have been able to make finals had they attended. Center Grove (IN) placed 14th. They had a much stronger show than what they had done a week earlier the Indy regional but just came up short. Father Ryan (TN) placed 15th, their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals. I am sure that 2011 is a season that this band continues to talk about to this day. Blue Springs (MO) was 16th. I knew they were not quite ready for finals, but I had a feeling we would be seeing more of this band. Ben Davis (IN) was 17th. In 18th, was the Class A champ Beechwood (KY). This was their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals. This was also the highest finish for a class A band a nationals this decade. Norwin (PA) placed 19th. This was Norwin's first appearance at Grand Nationals since 1997. So far it has been their last, but I would love to see them return. Centerville (OH) came in 20th. A very big surprise from semi finals was that Lake Central (IN) placed 21st. They had finished 3rd just a week earlier at the Indy regional, beating both Marian and LC. Their prelims score was in the top 10. I just don't know what happened in Semi Finals; nerves perhaps?
I will include the top 5 bands performances from this season.
2011 Broken Arrow - GN Semi Finals
2011 Avon - GN Finals (really bad camera shot from the audience; if a better video is out there please post)
2011 Carmel - GN Semi Finals
2011 The Woodlands - GN Finals
2011 Marian Catholic - GN Finals (another video from the audience)
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Post by LeanderMomma on Feb 27, 2020 6:10:34 GMT -6
Another great one, Buff. You make me feel as if I was there!
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Post by Allohak on Feb 27, 2020 7:58:52 GMT -6
Something to mention for 2011 is that many groups were hit hard by the flu (this was the swine flu year, IIRC). I know Mason was decimated during their trip to St Louis, only about 3/4 of the band actually performed, and they were even missing some soloists.
A neat story I'll never forget from 2011 was that as Mason was leaving the field to go to their truck, it started snowing. Very fitting for their Winter themed show, and a nice cap on their first finals performance.
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Post by hewhowaits on Feb 27, 2020 12:32:15 GMT -6
Something to mention for 2011 is that many groups were hit hard by the flu (this was the swine flu year, IIRC). I know Mason was decimated during their trip to St Louis, only about 3/4 of the band actually performed, and they were even missing some soloists. A neat story I'll never forget from 2011 was that as Mason was leaving the field to go to their truck, it started snowing. Very fitting for their Winter themed show, and a nice cap on their first finals performance. It started snowing HARDER as Mason exited the field after prelims. The snowfall began during the show and could be seen through the windows at the end of LOS if you managed to see around the black curtains.
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Post by thewho on Feb 27, 2020 20:33:57 GMT -6
Buff, I really wish I was able to jump in a bit earlier with some anecdotes from the past few years in the '00s, but life got in the way. Right now, I can offer some brief anecdotes on 2011 (but unfortunately no major details): - I know people talk about Broken Arrow being the big upset story, but Homestead winning ISSMA Class A over Avon in Indiana was just a crazy, crazy, crazy moment. It is quite literally as close as a Cinderella story as one could get with all the storylines leading up to state finals. Phantom 2008 is probably the poster boys of band upsets, but nothing beats Homestead 2011 for me.
- Speaking of upsets, GN was seen as contention between The Woodlands and Avon. BA's name was thrown out there every once in a while, but many conversations then seemed to be between those two. Imagine the surprise from many of us when BA pulled ahead at semis, then barely edge out Avon for the Eagle.
- It's crazy to me that BA 2011 has likely been one of the lowest quality shows from BA this decade. I didn't think BA would've been able to surpass the excellent design in that show, but they've far eclipsed 2011 many times this decade. I loved the subliminal text of quite possibly being a depiction of a toxic and abusive relationship.
- You'd catch me with my pants down if you asked me whether Carmel 2011 was a great show top-to-bottom (especially considering their latest shows)... But for what the show was (yes, memes), I loved it. The opening drill was clever, being all about uploading the video to the internet- the hands were populating/uploading bits of the video data, and then sideways hourglass funnel move was compression and upload to a video sharing website. Dream Hands was a nice touch that didn't feel out of the place at all- it's definitely makes the show a bit more dated, but that meme was around and in and was hilarious. Carmel 2011 was just right at the good time to capture some of that internet weirdness in a show. I don't think a similar show would be possible in today's environment.
- The Woodlands's take on Alanis Morissette makes this show one of my favorites- Uninvited was such a great mixture of music content and arrangement. I go back to this show to listen. Uninvited was definitely more (not too much, but definitely more) forward-thinking than what many Texan bands were doing at the time (UIL and all). It's such a shame this show didn't medal on Finals night because it was worthy of one.
- This was 100% Oklahoma's year. Owasso and Union were neck-and-neck all season long. One band would pull ahead a bit and then the other would. The Union/Owasso storyline was a fun thing to follow all season long up until Grand Nationals and even still, both were still duking it out.
- CTJ was also a dark horse. People were surprised to see them sign up for GN so soon, thinking they'd miss Finals. Well, surprise surprise, they showed up to play that weekend. One of my favorite things about that show was the band played the Lincolnshire Posy suite, with the Horkstow Grange piece as the finale. I've never gotten the chance to see Mark Chambers-era Ronald Reagan play, so knowing CTJ was Ronald Reagan's sister school and hearing them play that piece made me tear up a bit. I've wondered whether CTJ's arrangement of the piece was a homage to Ronald Reagan 2003.
- There were certainly questions whether Mason would make GN Finals with the Winter Solstice show all season long. It didn't really quite help that some thought 2010 was a stronger show than 2011. I know they used laser projections for the snowfall on their backdrops, that being something I always wished I was able to see live.
- I can't emphasize how out of the blue Father Ryan was that year starting with the win at Jacksonville. It unfortunately was a one-hit wonder show for the program, but it was such a fun show to watch all around. Networks was a Tron-based show with very eye-catching uniforms and extremely well-performed. Networks did have that bit of a cheeky taste to it, but the band sold the show ridiculously well with fantastic programs. It didn't really dawn on me until now about how surprisingly exposed many parts in the show were for a band of Father Ryan's size. Would've made for an incredibly fun addition into the GN Finals if they made it. If anything, watch the show for easily the #1 drum major salute of all time. (Nothing will ever come close)
- Have you ever heard the tragedy of Lake Central?I thought not. It all started in 2011, when Lake Central performed at state finals. They were well on the way to a top-5 finish... but a timing penalty knocked them all the way to 8th. The cause? The T&P judge thought they started early when the pre-show music began, so they began assessing points when Lake Central went over time- which was about 3 minutes from the time the judge (incorrectly) began their performance time with the pre-show music. Indy Super comes around and Lake Central does fantastically well (3rd), no worries there. However, GN had Lake Central finishing 9th in preliminaries... but dropped all the way to 21st in semifinals. I've always thought Chris Harmon (current assistant at LD Bell) and Lake Central had always deserved their shot in 2011. Somewhere in Time was a full-blown, gorgeous show and a total clinic in show design. Lake Central hit every possible stride you could ever think of in a homage to the 1980 move of the same name- absolutely beautiful costume design, incredible drill writing, the cheesiest (but very tasteful) music, impeccable guard work. It is what it is, but I'll never forgive the judges that year for stiff-arming Lake Central for no apparent reason that year.
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Post by Jake W. on Feb 28, 2020 1:07:28 GMT -6
I'll expand on thewho 's thoughts for 2011: This is my opinion only, but I still maintain that Avon's 2011 "Oddities" show was one of their weaker, if not weakest, design efforts to date. Incredible music and incredible drill, but it truly didn't hold a candle to their previous 3 (4) offerings, in the way that Carmel's attempt at 4-peating this year was also not on par with their prior championship designs. The show just never made sense or developed much throughout the season. It just sort of...was what it was. BA came in with a tight, intricate, gorgeously-constructed show that Avon's design just couldn't match up to, despite Avon's massive sound and visual prowess. I adored TW that year. They set the tone for what the band would look like under Joni Perez and haven't let up since. They sounded utterly PHENOMENAL on Beethoven 7 for the opener. Their version of Alanis Morissete's "Univited", heard on the field many times, is still the best to date, and one I wish Oregon Crusaders had been able to replicate a little more closely in 2018. The insanely demanding ending proved to be a bit much stamina-wise for the group by the time they reached their third performance that weekend, and you can hear that in the recording. I think running out of steam is what caused them to drop in Finals placement. Looking back on Carmel's original Sauce music era makes the band seem so trite and young compared to the masterpieces they started putting out from '16 onwards. They truly had a ceiling back then, and in my opinion, the band's potential was unleashed when they started playing real music on the field. "Going Viral" was nice, and I enjoyed it at the time, but looking back on it now, they just seemed stuck in a rut of similar shows year after year. Of course, they'd go on to claim Championship #2 the year after, but it just feels like a different Carmel band; one that certainly lacked the depth & sophistication of the current iteration. Marian was excellent. I miss this Marian so much, but I have confidence they'll get back to this level. Unfortunately, there was a massive tear between the vocalists and the band proper at the end of Firewater Paper just before the ballad on Finals night; I remember that cringe quite clearly as an audience member (one of those "NOOOO, get it back together, come on come on come on" on the edge of your seat moments). As buff & others mentioned, the cross nailing interruptions in the ballad were unnervingly gripping, and I'm not even religious. Just really moving. If I recall correctly, it was the first time Bimm had the brass play the ballad kneeling with their bells pressed into the turf, a move that I love that they've used a few times since then. Owasso has always been a head scratcher for me in the design department. Always bizarre designs that rarely hit well; this one and 2015's "Unveiled" hit perfectly. An exceptional group with an exceptional design who truly earned their highest GN finish ever. I died when Mason made Finals. I remember the first time I saw Mason; it was Semis 2006. I was a freshman in college, they marched like 300 kids, and were honestly...shockingly mediocre/subpar. I, up to that point, had always equated bigger with better. After that, I watched them grow over the years. They got Daniel Montoya Jr as a music arranger and started producing some phenomenal shows; 2008, 2009, & 2010 were all brilliant designs that saw them making Semis regularly (yes, Mason rarely made it out of GN Prelims before that, surprising as that is) and climbing in the ranks each year. 2010 was the first year they were a legit Finalist contender, and while I ADORED that show, it just didn't clean up as well as it should have in the end. But they came out in 2011 having finally "arrived"; there was no doubt in my mind they'd make Finals upon watching them in Semis, and I was so so happy when they were announced, having watched their progression upward the prior half decade. 2011 was a masterpiece of a show, and, to my ear, among the best treatment of Vivaldi's "Winter" ever heard on a field. It needed Mason's delicate musicality to sound correct, and they delivered. If anyone hasn't heard it, go listen to the fantastic audio recording on YouTube...one of the best woodwind runs of all time, and a massively talented flute soloist who sounds like he/she has 12 tongues. This year was the fruition of many slow years of growth upward for Mason, and yet a mere foreshadowing of what was to come (I still maintain they'll be a GN champ soon enough). Finally, to Lake Central. Ah, Lake Central. I loved everything about them this year, and while they certainly placed much higher other seasons, I think this was the pinnacle of Chris Harmon's Lake Central. As thewho detailed out, they received the craziest results all season, and I think 2011's final results ultimately took some wind out of the band's sails. I will say that, unfortunately, Lake Central under Chris Harmon never sounded good as a full ensemble, and that's all the more apparent to me rewatching their 2011 video. They were visually phenomenal (this was also when their winter guard was near their peak), but musically, I thought their early 2010s designs were a lot of smoke & mirrors, even though I thoroughly enjoyed those shows overall. My biggest memory of 2011 Semis was that their GORGEOUS preshow was completely ruined by various ads playing at full blast throughout the stadium. Nothing could be heard on the field (it was before their announcement, of course; even long before it --- it was like a 3 minute preshow or something), and that preshow unfortunately set the tone for the entire gorgeous production. The kids kept performing under the noise of the ads on both screens, but no one could hear anything. With the preshow spoiled, the kids seemed lost, and their Semis performance was incredibly underwhelming. This beautiful show relied solely on emotion & grace, and once that was swept out from the performance by a jarring preshow for the kids, there wasn't a ton of terrific musicality or, frankly, substance to fall back on, and they plummeted in placements. Way lower than I thought they should have, but once the run was over, I knew they weren't making Finals, when I had been so sure they would after Prelims. A sad end to that year for them. They would have made a worthy GN Finalist, as their Prelims numbers clearly showed. One more note not mentioned yet: as of the 2019 season, Spring 2011 is the last Texas band to make San Antonio Super Regional Finals and then not make GN Finals a week or two later. Blue Springs of course met the same fate in 2013, but Spring is the last Texas band to have this distinction. Since then, or around then, making SA Finals has all but guaranteed that you will be a shoo-in for GN Finals in the following weeks, and that has not been proven wrong by a Texas band since Spring missed in 2011.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 28, 2020 6:31:07 GMT -6
Love all the comments. Yes I forgot to mention Avon loosing to Homestead at state. With so many bands and so many competitions this past decade, a lot of stuff to remember. And yes, I was perplexed by the wild placement swings with Lake Central, so thanks for the insight.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 6, 2020 10:53:21 GMT -6
...2012 SEASON REVIEW...
In 2012, BOA featured 15 regionals, which included 4 super regionals. The season opened Sep 22nd at Louisville, KY and Monroeville, PA. At Louisville, North Hardin (KY) pulled off the win. This was their third and so far last regional title. Lafayette (KY) was a close 2nd, while Ben Davis (IN) was 3rd and Adair County (KY) was 4th. At Monroeville, Norwin (PA) won quite handedly. Kiski Area (PA) was 2nd with James Madison (VA) not too far behind in 3rd. The next weekend at Denton, TX, weather delays forced the cancellation of finals. So the results were based on prelims which saw Marcus (TX) in 1st, followed by James Bowie (TX) in 2nd and Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) in 3rd. At Kettering, OH, Centerville (OH) won, this being their 19th regional title. Bourbon County (KY) was actually a fairly close 2nd, narrowly edging out Paul Laurence Dunbar (KY) in 3rd. At Conroe, TX, The Woodlands (TX) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Despite their long time success, this was actually the first regional title for The Woodlands. The reason likely being that they were a band that tended to really peak late season and always attended the competitive Texas regionals. Ronald Reagan (TX) was several points down in 2nd, followed by Cedar Park (TX) in 3rd and Cedar Ridge (TX) in 4th. At the Pontiac, MI regional, Plymouth-Canton (MI) placed 1st. This was their first regional title since 2007 and fifth total. This was also their last regional win. Lake Orion (MI) was 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional. Walled Lake Central (MI) was 3rd. This ended up being the last regional held at the Pontiac Silverdome (the host venue for the 1987 and 1988 Grand Nationals). The stadium had gradually been falling into disrepair ever since the Detroit Lions left for their new stadium in Detroit (Ford Field). A couple years ago the stadium was finally demolished.
At the Akron, OH regional, it was the second win of the season for Norwin (PA). They swept the highest achievement awards with every judge having them first. Fort Mill (SC) was 2nd with Lincoln-Way North (IL) in 3rd. At the Jacksonville, AL regional, Franklin (TN) placed 1st. This was their first of two regional titles for this long time Tennessee band program. They actually upset Harrison (GA) who had to settle for 2nd. Nation Ford (SC) was 3rd. The weekend of October 19-20 featured both the Indianapolis and St Louis Super Regionals. At Indy, Avon (IN) edged out 2nd place Carmel (IN) for the win. Turns out these two bands had quite the competitive season between the two of them. Marian Catholic (IL) was in a strong 3rd. Packed close together in 4th, 5th and 6th was Lawrence Central (IN), Center Grove (IN) and Plymouth-Canton (MI). Broken Arrow did not attend the St Louis super regional this season. Last season they were selected to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade. I believe their school only allowed them two out of state trips, so they opted to attend Grand Nationals. So Broken Arrow did not attend any BOA regionals this season. With no Broken Arrow, LD Bell (TX) was heavily favored to win. They ended up finishing 2nd, with Owosso (OK) placing 1st. This was a very big upset and the first and only regional title for Owasso (and yes it was a big win). Packed close together was Blue Springs (MO) in 3rd, Union (OK) in 4th and Anderson (TX) in 5th.
The following weekend was the Atlanta Super Regional. Tarpon Springs (FL) easily won and they broke 91 points. After their disappointing loss in Alabama, Harrison (GA) had a really strong show and placed 2nd and won music performance. Packed close together was Wando (SC) in 3rd, William Mason (OH) in 4th and Kennesaw Mountain (GA) in 5th. Blue Springs (MO) who was third in St Louis the week prior was 6th at this regional. After not having a California regional in 2011, BOA returned this year holding a regional at Glendora. Not only did Ayala (CA) win, they won by almost six points. Vista Murrieta (CA) was 2nd, followed closely by Upland (CA) in 3rd and Clovis West (CA) in 4th. At the Towson, MD regional, Norwin (PA) won and swept the highest achievement awards. By doing so, Norwin became the first band to win three regional titles in the same season. Kiski Area (PA) was actually a close 2nd followed by James Madison (VA) in 3rd. At St George, UT, American Fork (UT), who was runner up at this regional the last two seasons, won and swept the highest achievement awards. Clovis West (CA) was a strong 2nd while Foothill (NV) was 3rd.
The weekend before Grand Nationals was San Antonio. James Bowie did not attend; I think they were focused on preparing for Grand Nationals. The other Texas powers of the day did attend. Marcus (TX) not only won, they swept the highest achievement awards (well tying The Woodlands for visual) and broke 96 points. Their show was titled "Gilded Melodies" and featured music by Bach. Their music performance was simply incredible. Their visual execution was also extremely clean. The use of large gate props added to the visual interest. I certainly think this was one of Marcus's best performances. They lived up to their reputation of being one of the best bands from a music performance standpoint. This was Marcus's seventh regional title and third win in San Antonio. Surprisingly, as of the end of 2019, it has been their last regional win, even though they have remained an awesome band. In a very strong 2nd place was The Woodlands (TX). They took on Copeland in their show "Letters to Home". This show also had some amazing moments. I thought they brought more emotion to their performance in comparison to years past. LD Bell (TX) was 3rd with their show "This Bitter Earth". Very big shout out to an amazing percussion feature in this show. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was 4th with their show "Eve". CTJ was absolutely amazing. They also improved their visuals considerably from 2011. This show should have scored/placed higher but a very low score by one of the music effect judges prevented that. Yes I guess judges do make mistakes. Cedar Park (TX) was a strong 5th followed by Ronald Reagan (TX) in 6th. The rest of the finalists were all Texas bands.
There was a total 87 bands who participated in the 2012 Bands of America Grand Nationals. 34 bands advanced to the Semi Finals. Heading into Grand Nationals this year, I was actually fairly uncertain who had the best chance to take home the eagle. Both Avon and Carmel were strong and had been very close this season; Avon won BOA Indy but Carmel won the Indiana Class A State Title. The defending Grand National Champ Broken Arrow did not participate in a regional this season and I had not seen their show at all prior to nationals. I felt James Bowie was really strong in 2011 and had a chance this year. Bowie did not participate in San Antonio, so I was uncertain how they had progressed late season. Also had to admit the Tarpon Springs was really strong. So in short, I did not have a clue as to who would come out on top. There was a little more clarity after Semi Finals, but I thought there were still some wildcards. After Semi Finals, Carmel (IN) won the Class 4A title. This was only their second GN class title at the time. Broken Arrow (OK) was 2nd in 4A. We did not have to see the scores to know it was close between these two bands. Carmel won music, Broken Arrow won GE and they tied in visual. James Bowie (TX) was 3rd in 4A. When they created the four class system in 2009, I had thought Class 3A would be highly competitive. While it was in 2010, it was starting to look like that would not be the case so much. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) won the Class 3A title and swept the highest achievement awards. They scored almost 10 points higher than the next 3A band and were the only AAA band in finals. Franklin (TN) was 2nd in 3A and Bellevue West (NE) was 3rd. Tarpon Springs (FL) moved back down into Class AA from AAA this year. As of this writing, they remain in Class AA. Despite their jump down to a lower class, the band (and especially the guard) were still growing in size as Tarpon was now a magnet school for the performing arts. There was a pretty big battle for the Class AA title this year between Tarpon Springs (FL) and Marian Catholic (IL). While less than two points separated them, Tarpon Springs placed 1st and took the Class AA title and swept the highest achievement awards. Marian was 2nd and tied Tarpon in visual. Nation Ford (SC) was 3rd in Class AA. After being in Class AA last year, Western (IN) dropped back down to Class A this year. They ended up winning the Class A title, their 5th Class A title and the first time winning it since 1990. This 22-year gap is the longest between class titles. Western also took music and visual in Class A. Their in-state rival, Forest Park (IN) was 2nd in Class A and took GE. This was the closest this band would get to a GN class title. Norton (OH) was 3rd in Class A. Before I get to the finalist bands, one point of note about this year's finalists is that this marked the third time in history that all finalist bands had been previous GN finalists.
During the award ceremony, when Broken Arrow was announced as winning both visual and GE it seemed pretty clear they would win. When the announcement came over that they were second, huge surprise (at least I was surprised). Carmel (IN) ended up placing first and would be the band to get to take home the eagle. This was their second Grand National title, coming seven years after their first. Their show was titled "What A Tangled Web We Weave" and featured original music by their director Richard Saucedo. There were several white geodescent domes that looked like spider nests that moved around the field. At the beginning, the band was moving about like spiders. The image of a web appeared in segments of the drill. A flute soloist (a pretty awesome flute solo by the way) was encased in a web tarp at one point. At the end of the show huge ribbons were hoisted up and attached to the domes which gave the image of a spider web suspended above the band (the band was tangled up in the web I guess). This was very well done and got a big response from the audience. I personally loved this show and I thought it was easily their best show since their 2005 GN title. There were several sections that showcased some pretty amazing technical ability by various sections of the band. It was all blended so well together. Some of the sections that really stood out to me were the piccolo/bass clarinet sections near the beginning, moving yet powerful low brass moments and very clean percussion sections (especially from the snares). Piccolos were used quite frequently back in the old days (late 70s/early 80s), so a little bit of a blast from the past. Carmel's piccolos in this show were really good. I noted a few other throwbacks in this show, like a few segments of symmetrical drill and even a baton twirler. Carmel ended up winning music performance (even though they were 4th in music ensemble). They also had the highest overall music effect score (BA edged them out for GE by their higher visual effect score). Carmel was still pretty strong on the visual front; all visual judges had them second. Also have to mention the amazing color guard, which included some wicked rifles (wow). Carmel ended up winning by a pretty slim margin (.15 points). Since 1980, this marked only the 4th time that the GN champ did not take general effect.
Even though Broken Arrow (OK) had to settle for 2nd, they had a pretty amazing show. Broken Arrow knows how to sell a show to the audience. Their show was titled, "Surrender To Hope". This seemed to give some glimpse at the horrors of being in the midst of a war (I am guessing from the civilian viewpoint). The band stumbled onto the field in the midst of smoke effects. Occasionally band members would be wearing gas masks. Air raid siren sound effects were used. There were several guard members perched on these tall podiums with long black skirts draping down onto the field during the first half of the show. BA delivered the dark theatrics in an amazing way. They packed a ton of musical selections into this show, which were brilliantly arranged and very well played. They too had an amazing flute solo. From a visual standpoint, this show flowed very well. It blended fantastic marching with intricate body movements that helped deliver this saga to the audience. Don't get me started on those flags. During the end, a large black tarp is draped over a portion of the field and several band members get underneath it and then form dark shadowy figures at the very end of the show (perhaps these were the fallen). This whole show was a visual extravaganza. This combined with the well played and emotional music performance had a lot of people thinking they should have won. Looking at the scores, the music individual judge had them 1.5 points lower than Carmel, which is what likely decided the outcome. So yes it was a little controversial. I personally thought both Carmel and Broken Arrow gave Grand National Champion worthy performances. They both had such different style shows, especially from a visual standpoint. While I could see one completely different judging panel giving it to BA, I think other judging panels may just have easily given it to Carmel (the semi finals judges did have Carmel in first).
After a somewhat disappointing third place finish at Indiana State Finals, where they finish behind Carmel and Homestead, and after a somewhat lackluster Semi Finals performance, which had the unfortunate wireless mic fail on their vocal soloist, Avon (IN) delivered a strong show in finals and landed in 3rd place. This would not be the first time that it would seem that Avon would not land in the top three only for them to deliver an incredible finals performance. Their show was titled "Feast or Famine". This included a wonderful rendition of Belshazzar's Feast. The up tempo segments seemed to reflect the feast while the slower more emotional moments reflected the famine. The vocal soloist, who sang "Heroes" performed to a mic grounded in the pit for finals. It lost a bit of the drama not having the soloist on the field but given what happened in semis, totally understandable. At one point, large table props were brought out to simulate the feast. During the up tempo ending, plates were being flung across the field in a high impact finaly. Overall the show was classic Avon, strong on all fronts with some fairly demanding drill moves.
By now it was quite obvious Tarpon Springs (FL) was attending nationals every other year (the even years). They were also consistently a crowd favorite every time they came. This year, their show was titled "Poisoned". It was a Disney-Esque style show that featured an evil queen and a good queen. The good vs evil plot played out throughout the show. Also in typical Tarpon fashion, big budget props filled the field. With a growing band and a battery of snare drums, they seemed to have a fuller, bigger sound than in years past. It was still very much in the Tarpon style, which of course included some insane woodwind features. For me, I was impressed not only with the visual difficulty but with how clean their visual were. They were doing some pretty difficult moves on the field, and I loved it. They placed 4th, but were just a tenth of a point lower than Avon.
In 5th place was Marian Catholic (IL) with their show "My Brothers Keeper". This was another bold theme taken on by Marian. The show centered around such serious subject matters as war, genocide and slavery. Much of the show was done with typical jaw dropping technical ability by the Marian band and some fast and difficult drill moves. I also should acknowledge some insanely difficult percussion segments in this show. During the slow and somber ending, the band gathered around these large gray statues on the right side of the field while poetry was being recited from the pit. This show seemed to grab hold of the audience from the start and never let them go. This was certainly one of Marian's best shows of the decade and as it would turn out, their last time finishing in the top half of finalist bands.
Making their third appearance in GN finals was James Bowie (TX) who finished 6th with their show "Stellae Errantes", which I believe had a celestial type theme. This included multiple colorful geodescent domes moving across the field, perhaps representing planets. Bowie did an absolute fantastic job with the music in this show. I actually thought they may nab the music performance award when I was watching them (the music individual judge was not impressed). They did however get the third highest overall music effect score in finals (they actually had the highest overall music effect score in semi finals). While on the visual side Bowie was not to the level of the top five bands, I still thought their overall score could have been a bit higher (at least over 90 points). As of this writing, this has been the last finals appearance by Bowie. They failed to made finals at a later attempt in 2016. While they have had some ups and downs in recent years, they have still been doing quite well in the ever more competitive Texas BOA regionals, so I am not going to count Bowie out of a fourth GN finals appearance just yet.
Kennesaw Mountain (GA) landed in 7th place. I thought they had made some substantial improvements in their show since the BOA Atlanta regional. Their show was titled "Deliver Me" and it had an overall carnival vibe. The pit was staged on the field and underneath a prop that appeared like a bit tent. The music also had several whimsical moments that echoed the whole carnival theme. I really thought KM upped the level of difficulty from previous seasons. The whole show overall felt a little more intense/powerful in moments than previous KM shows (just my opinion). Kennesaw also used remote controlled devices that lit up fluorescent lights that were attached to the bands uniforms. It turned out to be a hit with the audience. KM had a new director this year following the departure of David Starnes, who had directed the band since their founding in 2000. Their new director was David McGrath, the man who directed the legendary 99 Plymouth-Canton to their GN title. Under his direction, I expected great things from this band in coming seasons. I did not know at the time that Kennesaw Mountain, a magnet school for the sciences, would soon be placing new academic restrictions on its students which would make it more difficult for juniors and seniors to be in the band, obviously a policy that would have adverse consequences for the band. This was however not the last GN finals appearance for Kennesaw.
The eight through eleventh place bands were separated in score by only .35 points. Leading this tightly clustered group was William Mason (OH) who placed 8th. Mason had continued their upward trend. They were stronger this season on pretty much all fronts. Their show was titled "This Land" and had an African Safari/Lion King type of theme. The animal props and those animal costumes by the guard gave this show a bit of whimsy. I was simply impressed at how well they played and how wonderful the visuals flowed in this show. Mason was now using Wes Cartwright for their design and it really showed.
Center Grove (IN) seemed to have a tendency to really come in strong at Grand Nationals and this year was no different. I was uncertain of their chances but they gave a wonderful show in semi finals. They ended up sliding into finals by finishing twelfth in semis, mainly due to a very low score by one of the music effect judges. In finals, they finished 9th. Their show was titled "The Guardians" and featured the music of Bach. I found the visual design and prop placement in this show quite interesting and it certainly added to their wonderful music performance. This was Center Grove's 15th GN finals appearance over a 19-year period. Sadly this was Center Grove's last GN finals appearance. They would however finish in the dreaded number 13th spot in semi finals in both 2013 and 2018. Even though they missed semi finals in 2019 (perhaps just a fluke), Center Grove has remained a consistent regional finalist and top 20 finisher in Grand Nationals, aside from 2019.
In 10th place was Lawrence Central (IN) with their show titled "Col Legno". This was one of many shows were I (being a little more old school) was clueless of the theme. Wood obviously featured heavily in the theme as the guard used long wooden sticks at times. While an overall clean show from a visual standpoint, for me I felt a little underwhelmed with the music. Not that it was bad, just perhaps lacking a little impact. I did however think the last few fast and difficult drill segments at the end were awesome. The final few moments of the show had the band members pick up the wooden sticks for the last bit of visual frills to close out the show.
Ronald Reagan (TX) returned to Grand Nationals this season, their first appearance since their disappointment in 2007. After a bit of a rough patch in the late 2000s, after losing their director and suffering some loss in students to redistricting, Ronald Reagan was now making a comeback. This season ended up only being the start of a steady improvement trend for this band that would persist through the end of the decade. At the time, this was their fourth Grand National finals appearance. They ended up finishing 11th, but only .35 points behind eight place. Their show was titled "Let It Shine". They too had fluorescent lighting on their uniforms that lit up bright green at times. I was wondering if this would be the new norm for bands. It turned out to be a bit more of a fad. Reminiscent of their earlier years, Reagan gave a strong music performance. I believe they attended this season because it marked ten years since their debut at Grand National finals. They also did the changing plume trick that garnered so much buzz when they first did it in 2002.
After a few rough seasons with multiple director changes, Plymouth-Canton (MI) took a year off Grand Nationals in 2011. They returned this year and landed in finals with their show "The Last Dance". This marked their 21st GN finals appearance. They placed 12th in finals. In some sections it seemed there was celebrations of what I assume was the last dance. In other sections, the show turned very dark. I thought this show was actually their best performance since 2007 Grand Nationals. I really liked that they played a section of Prophecy of the Earth; the piece that they played in their highly innovate 1995 show. It turns out that the name of this show was very appropriate for more than one reason. It turns out this was Plymouth-Canton's last GN finals appearance. They have remained consistent BOA regional finalists and have been a GN semi finalist every year that they have attended since (at least as of this writing). This year was simply the last year that they were at GN finals caliber. For those of us who were around in the 1990s and 2000s, this is a band that has been missed in GN finals.
After having such a successful 2011 season, Union (OK) had the disappointment of missing finals by 0.15 points, finishing in the unlucky number 13th spot. What really kept them out was their music effect scores. I thought Lake Central (IN) delivered a strong semi finals performance. The judges were all over the place with their scores and they wound up 14th. Centerville (OH) placed 15th. They were another band the judges seemed to disagree over. Ben Davis (IN) was 16th with Lafayette (LA) in 17th. Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was 18th. This was just a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey. Bridgewater-Raritan had decided to cancel their trip as a result. From what I understand, their parents were going to be paying for lodging and food. With so much property damage, I think the band decided it would be too much to expect parents to help fund their trip. Avon HS, Indiana then stepped up and housed and I believe helped feed the Bridgewater-Raritan band so that they could make the trip to nationals. Avon and Bridgewater-Raritan ended up sharing the Esprit de Corps award this year. I was thinking and hoping that someday we would see Bridgewater-Raritan become the first New Jersey band to make GN finals. Unfortunately that did not come to fruition. Rounding out the top 20 was Rockford (MI) in 19th and George Walton (GA) in 20th.
Although the video quality varies and the videos are not all from finals, here are the top five bands:
2012 Carmel - GN Prelims
2012 Broken Arrow - GN Finals
2012 Avon - ISSMA State Finals
2012 Tarpon Springs - BOA Atlanta Finals
2012 Marian Catholic - GN Finals
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Post by thewho on Mar 6, 2020 11:12:12 GMT -6
.... During the award ceremony, when Broken Arrow was announced as winning both visual and GE it seemed pretty clear they would win. When the announcement came over that they were second, huge surprise (at least I was surprised). Carmel (IN) ended up placing first and would be the band to get to take home the eagle. This was their second Grand National title, coming seven years after their first. Their show was titled "What A Tangled Web We Weave" and featured original music by their director Richard Saucedo. There were several white geodescent domes that looked like spider nests that moved around the field. At the beginning, the band was moving about like spiders. The image of a web appeared in segments of the drill. A flute soloist (a pretty awesome flute solo by the way) was encased in a web tarp at one point. At the end of the show huge ribbons were hoisted up and attached to the domes which gave the image of a spider web suspended above the band (the band was tangled up in the web I guess). This was very well done and got a big response from the audience. I personally loved this show and I thought it was easily their best show since their 2005 GN title. There were several sections that showcased some pretty amazing technical ability by various sections of the band. It was all blended so well together. Some of the sections that really stood out to me were the piccolo/bass clarinet sections near the beginning, moving yet powerful low brass moments and very clean percussion sections (especially from the snares). Piccolos were used quite frequently back in the old days (late 70s/early 80s), so a little bit of a blast from the past. Carmel's piccolos in this show were really good. I noted a few other throwbacks in this show, like a few segments of symmetrical drill and even a baton twirler. Carmel ended up winning music performance (even though they were 4th in music ensemble). They also had the highest overall music effect score (BA edged them out for GE by their higher visual effect score). Carmel was still pretty strong on the visual front; all visual judges had them second. Also have to mention the amazing color guard, which included some wicked rifles (wow). Carmel ended up winning by a pretty slim margin (.15 points). Since 1980, this marked only the 4th time that the GN champ did not take general effect. ..... I have yet to read through all your writing and I'll share some anecdotes later, but this never dawned on me until 8 years later. I feel incredibly dumb.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 12, 2020 8:47:31 GMT -6
...2013 SEASON REVIEW...
One of the big things that comes to mind when I think of 2013 was how notable the increase in number of powerful Texas bands had become. While the trend had certainly been ongoing for over a decade, this year things seemed to take a big jump when it came to the improving trend in the Texas bands competing in BOA. Perhaps it was just my perception, but the quality of performances at San Antonio seemed notably better and deeper than in previous years. Bands of America held 17 regionals in 2013, 5 of those regionals were super regionals. This was the most super regionals BOA ever held in one season.
The season started Sep 21st with the Kettering, OH and Monroeville, PA regionals. At Kettering, William Mason won. This was their second regional title at the time and first win since 2010. Mason swept the highest achievement awards. North Hardin (KY) was over two points behind in 2nd with Lincoln-Way North (IL) close on their heels in 3rd. The Monroeville regional was plagued by adverse weather. Since there were only 13 bands participating in this regional, BOA ended up canceling prelims and just had all bands advance to finals (weather conditions improved in the evening). They based the class awards on finals as a result. Norwin (PA) picked up the win, edging out their rival Kiski Area (PA) by over a point. Norwin also swept the highest achievement awards. Fairfax (VA) was 3rd. The next weekend featured the Austin, TX regional. This was the first BOA regional held in the Austin metro region. Weather conditions led to the cancellation of finals, so the results were based on prelims. James Bowie (TX) suffered a rather low music individual score yet still managed to pull off the regional win, their second at the time. They beat 2nd place Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) by just .35 points. The rest of this regional was extremely close for the top 10 bands, with Round Rock (TX) in a strong 3rd followed by Vandegrift (TX) in 4th and Cedar Park (TX) in 5th. Also the weekend of Austin was the Toledo, OH regional. Lake Central (IN) won the regional and swept the highest achievement awards. They also won by over four points. I was actually thinking/hoping that this would be the year Lake Central made GN finals. This ended up being Lake Central's first and only regional title. Walled Lake Central (MI) came in 2nd, their highest finish at a BOA regional, with Centerville (OH) in 3rd. The next weekend featured regionals in Conroe, TX and Muncie, IN. At Conroe, The Woodlands (TX) pulled off the win. They were followed closely by Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) in 2nd. Cedar Ridge (TX) surprised me and gave a really good performance, landing them in 3rd. They were followed closely by Hebron (TX) in 4th. The Muncie regional saw finals cancelled due to bad weather. Adverse weather impacted a lot of regionals this season. The scores for the top were tied between Carmel (IN) and Avon (IN). Carmel was awarded the regional title because they had the higher GE score. A similar scenario would play out just like this at GN a few years later. Carmel and Avon were way ahead of the rest of the bands. Center Grove (IN) was 3rd, followed closely by Lawrence Central (IN) in 4th and Ben Davis (IN) in 5th.
The Allen, TX regional was held the first weekend in October. After finishing 4th just the weekend prior at the Houston area (Conroe) regional, Hebron (TX) pulled an upset and placed 1st, beating BOA Dallas area stalwarts Marcus (TX) who was 2nd and LD Bell (TX) who was 3rd. Bands of America went to the Pacific Northwest this year with a regional in Hillsboro, OR. BOA did hold a regional in Moscow, ID in 1979, 1980 and 1985 but had not returned to the region since. This was an effort to get some of the Pacific Northwest bands into the BOA circuit. It was attended by 13 bands. West Salem (OR) won the regional. This was their first regional win and it would not be their last. They became the first and so far only Oregon band to win a BOA regional title. Grants Pass (OR) came in 2nd with Southridge (OR) in 3rd. After not attending a BOA regional in 2012, Broken Arrow (OK) returned to the Saint Louis Super Regional this year and won, taking music and GE. Blue Springs (MO) had a strong show and finished 2nd. They were followed closely by Owasso (OK) in 3rd, Marian Catholic (IL) in 4th and Keller Central (TX) in 6th. Marian Catholic rebounded after a really rough prelims performance that almost knocked them out of finals. Another interesting point about this regional is that despite placing 6th, Prospect (IL) captured the visual performance award. Also the weekend of St Louis was a brand new regional, which BOA made a super regional, in Winston-Salem, NC. This was the first BOA regional in North Carolina since 1983. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) ended up becoming the first band to win this regional. This was DB's first BOA regional title. Fort Mill (SC) was around a point and a half lower in 2nd place. Green Hope (NC) was 3rd followed very closely by Bassett (VA) in 4th. BOA held a regional at this venue for a few more years. This, however, was the only year that this regional was a Super Regional. Held the same weekend as these two super regionals was a regional in Powder Springs, GA. In a very close race, Franklin (TN) edged out Harrison (GA) for the regional title by a half a point. This was Franklin's second and so far last BOA regional title. East Coweta (GA) was a respectable 3rd with DeSoto Central (MS) in 4th.
The last weekend of October was the Atlanta Super Regional. This was a highly competitive and exciting regional at the top. Broken Arrow (OK) decided not to attend Grand Nationals this year and instead traveled to Atlanta. Broken Arrow won and managed to sweep the highest achievement awards. Their show was titled "Utopia" and featured the music of Copland. I will admit that when I heard they were doing Copland, I was not too thrilled. This was mainly because I have heard so many bands do this music. Yes it is good music and works well with marching band, I just get tired of hearing it so much. Well Broken Arrow pulled off one of the best performances of Copland in BOA. While it lacked some of the frills (such as props and stuff) that other BA shows have had this decade, this show was so incredibly good. In addition to being a strong music performance, the visuals were awesome, especially the guard with their flags and skirts whipping all around in near perfect unison. Despite putting forth another amazing performance, Tarpon Springs (FL) would have to settle for 2nd. Their show, "Unidentified" revolved around UFOs and alien abduction. This show was also simply amazing. I thought it was their best performance at Atlanta at the time. They also had this wildly interesting move at the end, which involved a portion of the band and guard, which I believe they referred to as the centipede move. Such a unique show which went all out with props and electronics as we had become accustomed to with Tarpon. Some other interesting performances at this regional was Wando (SC) who finished 3rd, followed by Harrison (GA) in 4th. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 5th followed closely by a BOA newcomer at the time by the name of Park Vista (FL). Also the week of Atlanta was the Towson, MD regional. Despite the recent retirement of their longtime director Alfred Watkins and a controversial new band director hire, Lassiter (GA) pulled off the win. This was Lassiter's 10th and finalal BOA regional title. Bridgewater-Raritan (NJ) was just under a point down in 2nd. They were followed closely by Norwin (PA) in 3rd.
The first weekend of November featured the San Antonio Super Regional. The overall results were extremely surprising. This practically become the norm at San Antonio over coming years. With so many strong bands, a slightly off performance or low score by just one judge could mean a drop by several placements. The Woodlands (TX) pulled off the victory by a razor thin margin. They won visual performance and GE. This was their third and so far last regional title and remains the only win at San Antonio for this band. Although they did not win any highest achievement awards, Hebron (TX) was 2nd and only 0.05 points lower than The Woodlands. Hebron's show was titled "World of Wonder". Hebron had been competing at Texas BOA regionals for many years by this time, but this season seemed to be a whole new Hebron. The quality of their music was incredible and just seemed so much improved from previous seasons. The strong music was complemented by a fantastic show design. 3rd place James Bowie (TX) had a wonderful selection of classical pieces with their show "To B or Not to Bee". Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was 4th with their show "Enigmatic". I thought CTJ really set themselves apart from the other Texas bands this season, especially in terms of show design. 5th place Ronald Reagan (TX) amped up the difficulty, especially on the music front, with their show "Epinicion". This show was full of some great classical music. The only non Texas band in finals this season was Blue Springs (MO). They gave a stunning performance and were well received by the Texas crowd. I really thought that this was their best performance ever at the time. They ended up finishing 6th and ahead of some pretty big name Texas bands. They even had the highest overall visual effect score. Even though Vandegrift (TX) placed 7th, they won the music performance award. Another huge surprise at this regional was Marcus (TX) placing 8h and LD Bell (TX) placing 9th. These were the two bands that had finished at the top of this regional for many years.
The St George, UT regional was the same weekend as San Antonio. American Fork (UT) won with every judge having them first. This was their fourth regional win at the time. Clovis West (CA) was 2nd followed closely by Vista Murrieta (CA) in 3rd. The Indianapolis, IN Super Regional was the weekend before Grand Nationals. Carmel (IN) placed 1st and swept the highest achievement awards. Avon (IN) was a strong 2nd. The 3rd through 7th place bands were very close. Lawrence Central (IN) was 3rd, with Lake Central (IN) in 4th, Marian Catholic (IL) in 5th, Centerville (OH) in 6th and Center Grove (IN) in 7th. Finally, the Long Beach, CA regional was won big by Ayala (CA). Every judge had them first and they won by over three points. Clovis West (CA) was 2nd again at a regional this season. Saratoga (CA) was 3rd. A total of 91 bands participated in the 2013 Band of America Grand Nationals. 36 bands advanced to Semi Finals, which led to a really early Sat AM start to semis. Since Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs were not attending, it was pretty clear that this was going to be a battle between Indiana and Texas for the Grand National title. Representing Indiana was of course Carmel and Avon. The strongest of a contingent of Texas bands that attended this season was The Woodlands who had just won San Antonio a couple weeks earlier. After semi finals, The Woodlands (TX) won the Class 4A title and took the GE award. This was their second BOA GN class title. They won despite getting a ridiculously low score from the visual individual judge. Carmel (IN) was 2nd in 4A and Avon (IN) was 3rd in 4A. Avon won the 4A visual award. In a surprise, Round Rock (TX), who was 4th in 4A won the music performance award in 4A. In Class 3A, Harrison (GA) won and swept the highest achievement awards. This was their first GN class title. Franklin (TN) was 2nd in 3A and Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was 3rd. With no Tarpon this year, Marian Catholic (IL) easily won the Class AA title and swept the highest achievement awards. North Hardin (KY) was 2nd in 2A and Reeths-Puffer (MI) was 3rd. It was a surprise that last years Class A champ Western failed to make semi finals. Had they been in the other prelims block they likely would have made it. So the Class A title ended up going to Bellbrook (OH), who had dropped back to Class A after being in Class AA for a decade. This was their 7th GN Class A title and 8th GN Class title total. They won visual in Class A and tied in GE. Adair County (KY) was 2nd in Class A but only .15 points lower than Bellbrook and tied them in GE. Beechwood (KY) was 3rd in Class A and took music. So after semis, The Woodlands became the clear favorite to win the GN title, but knowing Carmel and Avon, it seemed perfectly reasonable that they could deliver an upset.
During their finals performance, I kind of felt that The Woodlands (TX) was going to deliver the goods. They took such command of the field. Powerful and clean; they delivered their best performance ever on finals night. Their show was titled "Crossing Boundaries". It featured Symphony Number 3 Mvt 6 by Glass, Different Trains by Steve Reich, The Angle from Lust, Caution by Desplat, Fastest Trains by Simon/Salmon/Perez, and Symphony Number 3 by Khachaturian. This show essentially took the audience on a train ride. This was no slow train either. Much of the show was fast and powerful. There were also moments when it felt like band was taking us into a dizzying, almost hypnotic period where we were changing trains or just daydreaming on the train ride. It was delivered quite well to the audience. There were also several train gate props that were lifted and closed and moved around the field to add a bit of visual interest. There were several moments in this show that you just kind of knew this band was going to win. Such loud and amazing brass, balanced by interesting woodwind features and an awesome drum line. From a visual standpoint, this was the cleanest I had ever seen this band. They did not have easy visuals either; they really moved during the up tempo portions. One of the signatures for this band was to create a large block W in the drill. They nailed some perfectly straight diagonal lines in doing this. The Woodlands ended up winning music performance and GE in finals and they placed 1st by almost a point and a half. This was The Woodland's first and only GN title and capped off their most successful season ever in BOA competition. Their director, Joni Perez, also made history by becoming the first woman head director of a Grand National Champion marching band.
The Woodlands - Finalist Feature
Finishing in 2nd place was Carmel (IN) with their show "Totem" which again featured original music by their director Richard Saucedo; or should I say former director. This was the first season since Mr. Saucedo's retirement. Chris Kreke took over as director, assisted by a team that included Michael Pote, Andy Cook and Kyle Young. There were several large totem pole props on the field. The music was very solid and technically very clean. What impressed me was how clean their visual execution was. The drill design was also interesting in how it utilized the totem pole props in the design. Toward the end of the show, the band gathered around the larger/wider totem pole. They started doing a dance while a highly entertaining percussion feature was played. The percussion feature included some vocalized percussion sounds. At the same time, the large totem pole began to spew smoke. It was a really cool moment in this show and the audience loved it. Carmel ended up winning the visual performance award. As solid and clean this band had been on the visual front for many years, this was their first time winning the visual award in finals.
Carmel - Finalist Feature
Avon (IN) finished 3rd with their show, "Statuesque". The music blended contemporary popular music with classical. This included a vocal solo of Bette Midler's The Rose during the middle of the show and the song Turn to Stone by Ingred Michaelson. The band and guard froze in statue like poses during segments of the show. Some of the visual designs, especially when the band was lying down were very cool. In typical Avon fashion, there were also some fast up tempo sections that had some wickedly difficult drill passes. Also a huge shout out to a large and awesome pit. The end of the show, of course, had the band freeze as if turned to stone.
Avon - Finalist Feature
This year marked the very first appearance in GN finals for Round Rock HS, from Round Rock TX (outside Austin). They had been a BOA regional finalist for several seasons leading up to this year. Just two weeks earlier at San Antonio, Round Rock placed tenth. So I figured they had a good shot at making finals. However, I was not expecting what we got out of Round Rock at nationals. Their show was titled "Elemental Evolution". Both their semi finals and finals performances were awesome (they had the highest music performance score in semi finals). This was easily the cleanest and most powerful show I had seen out of this band at the time. In finals, they ended up placing 4th. They seemed to really rise to the occasion at Lucas Oil. I have to admit that I loved the dragon emblem on their long uniform jackets. From this year onward, Round Rock has participated in Grand Nationals every other year, and as of this writing have made finals in every one of their GN appearances. So far, this 4th place had been their highest at Grand Nationals.
Round Rock - Finalist Feature
After their stunning performance at San Antonio in 2012, I was expecting Marcus (TX) to be a contender for the GN title at the start of the season. Their eighth place finish this season at San Antonio was a surprise and I am sure a big disappointment for this band. This was their second GN appearance as they were on a four year rotation. I think they brought forth a little longer and more difficult show this season; probably trying to make it more BOA friendly since they were attending GN. Despite some of the disappointments earlier in the season, I really thought they delivered a strong show in finals. It ended up landing them in 5th place. Their show was titled "Charmed" and told the story from the viewpoint of a snake charmer. Images of snakes filled the field and the guard was all decked out in serpentine attire and makeup. The band even created a special musical instrument shaped like a snake. Both the music individual and visual individual judges must have really liked what they saw and heard on the field as both of these judges had Marcus in first.
Marcus - Finalist Feature
William Mason (OH) had some eye opening and much talked about props. The guard, who were dressed as brides, were carrying around groom mannequin props. Their show was titled "Til Death Do Us Part". The beginning of the show represented falling in love and getting married. Heart emblems and the band spelling "just married" were just some of the visual frills that told the story. Then a broken heart appears in the drill. Sadness then turned to anger and the guard started throwing their grooms on the ground. The audience was getting a big chuckle out this. What started as a seemingly overly sappy show turned very dark toward the end. So while the show opened with the Wedding March, it closes with a funeral procession with a trailing guard member now dressed in widow black (so did the bride murder the groom?). It turned out to be a pretty cool concept. Mason ended up 6th in finals with their ongoing streak of improving placements year by year continuing.
William Mason - Finalist Feature
After their performance at Atlanta, I figured that Harrison (GA) had a good shot at finals, but I did not think a finals slot was a guarantee for this band. They ended up finishing eleventh in semi finals and made finals for the second time; in their second trip to nationals for that matter. Harrison really rose to the occasion in finals. I was not expecting the performance that we got from this band. Their show was titled "Scarlett" and told the story of Gone With the Wind, appropriate for an Atlanta area band. Their finals performance was they best I had ever seen from this band. Aside from the clean and well designed visuals, the music was simply incredible. At the time I had never heard Harrison play like that. In fact, one of the music effect judges placed them first. They ended the show with all of the band members picking up umbrellas and spelling out Scarlett on the field. It was an awesome ending to this show. Harrison ended up finishing 7th in finals, their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals. I actually thought they should have scored and placed higher.
Harrison - Finalist Feature
Lawrence Central brought forth a highly innovative show this year titled "Shades of a Day". The pit was staged in the center of the field and surrounded by giant prop that looked like a lamp on a table. Some of the guard were even wearing lamp shades. The band was also sporting new uniforms with long black coats. My take on the show was like it was being played from inside a living room and looking out into the world, watching what goes on outside during the day (I guess). There was a section were the keyboards were playing upside down; unbelievable. Overall, this show was well performed and really grabbed the attention of the audience. I loved how the visual designs incorporated and worked around the large pit in the middle of the field. I felt it was a real step up in show design/concept from the previous several seasons. This season ended up marking the end of an era for the Lawrence Central (Spirit of Central) marching band as we knew it. The following season, the Lawrence Central and Lawrence North marching bands merged to form the Marching Pride of Lawrence Township (MPLT). This was obviously a cost saving move on the district; combining their two high school band programs into one. And yes this is allowed in BOA as long as the high schools are in the same school district. So while this was technically the end of Lawrence Central, in some ways their legacy would live on in MPLT.
Lawrence Central - Finalist Feature
After what I thought was a rough early season, Marian Catholic got things together just in time for Grand Nationals and finished 9th in finals. Their show was titled "The War of Art". The show was filled with vocal poetry reading. An overall slower, softer show, they conveyed the deep meaning in this show well to the audience. There was a section in the middle (one of the ballads) were the brass put down their instruments and picked up clarinets and flutes. Marian took a very bold move and taught the brass how to play woodwinds at the start of the season. They then had to balance with the actual woodwinds staged on the opposite end of the field. This is one of the main reasons their music scores were so low at St Louis. It took time for this section to sound good. I was amazed at how well they pulled it off by the time Grand Nationals came around.
Marian Catholic - Finalist Feature
Returning to Grand Nationals and making finals for the ninth time was LD Bell (TX). Their show was called "Siren Song". It was a show about sailors who are shipwrecked and who get seduced by mermaids who then ending up stealing the goods from their ship. The band took on the roll of sailors and the guard the mermaids. Props filled the field to help tell the story. Bell ended up finishing 10th in finals. This was the last appearance (at least so far) for Bell in finals; and actually their last trip to Grand Nationals. They had some ups and downs during the last half of the 2010s, but still remain a very strong band program. Their performance at the BOA San Antonio finals in 2019 has me hopeful we will see this band return to Grand Nationals.
LD Bell - Finalist Feature
Another first time finalist band this season, in their first (and so far only) trip to nationals was Cedar Ridge HS, also from Round Rock TX. This is a band that for me seemed to come out of nowhere this season. While they were a finalist at the BOA Houston area regional in 2012, they had failed to make finals at San Antonio in 2012. This season hit and they had a massive improvement. The highlight may have been their semi finals performance where they finished fifth. This coming off an eleventh place finish at San Antonio. I personally loved their show "Good Night Moon". Most of the song selections had moon in their title. They had a really strong music performance and I thought they had a pretty solid visual design. The show had some wonderful soloists, including a vocalist who moved about the field and sang a wonderful rendition of moon river. They ended up 11th in finals. I personally thought they should have placed higher. So far, Cedar Ridge has not returned to Grand Nationals, despite remaining a pretty strong band program. I would love to see this band return some day. This also made five Texas bands in GN finals this season.
Cedar Ridge - Finalist Feature
It had been nine years since Ayala (CA) last made GN finals. They finally did it again this year. Like 2004, they ended up 12th in finals. By this time, Ayala had become the dominant California band in BOA. Their show this season was titled "A Place Beyond Here". They had some unique props that lit up in various colors. What I loved about this band is that they had notable stylistic differences among the other bands. I have heard it said at the time that a lot of California bands had a somewhat DCI ish feel to their shows, which I kind of felt from Ayala. Huge shout out to their color guard and amazing pit. Thankfully, this would not be their last appearance in finals. Obviously being from California, they can not attend GN as frequently as other bands.
Ayala - Finalist Feature
Center Grove (IN) delivered a strong show in semi finals but it did not quite land them in finals. They ended up in the dreaded 13th spot in semis. After some earlier disappointments, especially in 2011, I thought this was the year that Lake Central (IN) would land in finals. It did not happen and they finished 14th. I put Lake Central in the category of strong bands that attended Grand Nationals frequently but never managed to make finals. In 15th was Franklin (TN). This was another band who had a strong show that I thought had a good shot at finals. It just was not in the cards. Franklin is yet another band I put in that same category as Lake Central. After their surprise sixth place finish in San Antonio, I really thought Blue Springs (MO) was going to land themselves in finals. I also loved their show "I'm not Wendy", a show about mistaken identity. The music effect judges just did not think this show was GN finals ready and they got 16th place. Rounding out the top 20 were, American Fork (UT) in 17th, Plymouth-Canton (MI) in 18th, Ben Davis (IN) in 19th and Jenks (OK) in 20th.
2013 The Woodlands - GN Finals Full Show
2013 Grand Nationals Montage
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Post by madisonbandman1 on Mar 13, 2020 20:05:01 GMT -6
As always, love the reviews! Also, please check your messages. I just pmed you.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 23, 2020 5:09:01 GMT -6
...2014 SEASON REVIEW...
The number of regionals held this season jumped to 18, which included 4 Super Regionals. The first regionals of the season where Sep 20th in Louisville, KY and Monroeville, PA. At Louisville, Castle (IN) edged out Franklin (TN) by just 0.05 points. This was Castle's first of three regional titles. At Monroeville, Kiski Area (PA) won over 2nd place Norwin (PA). The following weekend, at Austin, TX; James Bowie (TX) won. Leander (TX) was a strong 2nd. Most of the rest of the bands were pretty tightly clustered, with Round Rock (TX) in 3rd. At Dayton, OH, William Mason (OH) won by just over four points. Centerville (OH) was 2nd, followed by Miamisburg (OH) in 3rd. The Powder Springs, GA regional was dominated by two bands. Harrison (GA) won with Kennesaw Mountain (GA) in 2nd. The first weekend in October was the Denton, TX and Toledo, OH regionals. At Denton, Hebron (TX) edged out Marcus (TX) by a very slim margin. Flower Mound (TX) was a close 3rd, with LD Bell (TX) not too far behind in 4th. The Toledo regional featured a rather big surprise. Goshen (IN) pulled off an upset and won their first and only BOA regional. They edged out two BOA stalwarts to do so; Plymouth-Canton (MI) in 2nd and Centerville (OH) in 3rd.
At the Conroe, TX regional, Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) won and they won big, finishing several points ahead of the defending Grand National Champion The Woodlands (TX) in 2nd. Neighboring The Woodlands College Park (TX) was a strong 3rd. The Jacksonville, AL regional featured a rematch between the two Georgia powerhouse bands. Harrison (GA) again won, their second regional win of the season. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) was 2nd again. Fort Mill (SC) was a mere 0.05 points lower in 3rd. The Winston-Salem, NC regional was not made a super regional this season but did select 12 bands for finals. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) pulled off the win again. Panther Creek (NC) did however have a strong show and finished 2nd by just two tenths of a point. This was the closest this band has come to a regional title. Perhaps not that big a surprise, but the St Louis Super Regional was dominated by Broken Arrow (OK). Every judge had them first and they won by nearly three and a half points. Blue Springs (MO) was a strong 2nd and were followed by Union (OK) in 3rd and Owasso (OK) in 4th. The Pacific Northwest regional went to Takoma, WA this year, the first regional held in the state of Washington. West Salem (OR) won their second regional title here. Central Valley (WA) was a strong 2nd, the closest this band got to a regional win.
At the Indianapolis, IN Super Regional, Avon (IN) came away with the win and took music and GE. Carmel (IN) was 2nd and took visual. As what has become the norm at this regional, these two bands were well ahead of the rest of the bands. In a strong 3rd was Marian Catholic (IL). Homestead (IN) was 4th. This was their first BOA competition since the 1994 Grand Nationals. Franklin (TN) was a strong 5th. The Mid Atlantic regional wen to Newark, DE this year, the first regional held in the state of Delaware. This time, Norwin (PA) edged out their rival Kiski Area (PA) by just .15 points. James Madison (VA) was a strong 3rd. At the Atlanta Super Regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) absolutely crushed the competition. Not only did every judge have them in first, they won by almost five points. William Mason (OH) was 2nd, followed closely by Harrison (GA) in 3rd and Wando (SC) in 4th.
This year at the San Antonio Super regional, all bands were from Texas and the top six broke 90 points. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) won, their second regional win of the season and first win at San Antonio. They tied visual and won GE. Their show was titled "Chameleon". They sported new artistically styled uniforms. Their show featured a large triangular stage and some awesome brass features. This show for me really stood out from the other Texas bands in terms of visual design and would have certainly done well at Nationals. In 2nd place was James Bowie (TX) with their show "If a Tree Falls". It had a rather woodsy them. They tied for visual performance as they were extremely clean. The wonderful music in this show made this one of my favorite Bowie productions. Leander (TX) came in 3rd with their show "Color Study". They tied in music performance. After their success in the late 90s/early 2000s, a lot of staffing changes had plagued Leander for several years. They also slipped in placement in the Texas BOA regionals. The previous few seasons they were slowly getting stronger. In 2013, however, they just missed making finals in San Antonio. Then this season hit and they were like a brand new band, stronger on all fronts. Their 2014 show remains one of my favorites. Obviously colors played heavily in the design. They also did a great rendition of one of my favorite marching band/drum corps selections; Rocky Point Holiday. This season really marked a turning point for Leander as they have so far remained one of the top Texas bands ever since. Marcus (TX) placed 4th and tied for music performance. They took on a Russian theme with their show "Imperial Treasures". Among their musical selections included Russian Christmas Music and Russian Easter Overture. These were two songs played frequently in the 1980s. It was not to see these old BOA classic pieces updated with the modern visual touches. One of the music effect judges gave Marcus a pretty low score, which prevented them from placing higher. Defending GN champ The Woodlands (TX) was 5th, which illustrates how competitive this regional was. Their show was titled "Descending From Chaos" and my take was that is was about installing order. Arrows featured heavily in the designs. The drill often bounced from disorganized to organized forms, playing on the theme. They did a great rendition of Phillip Glass's The Canyon. In 6th place was Hebron (TX) with their Cinderella themed show "When Midnight Comes".
The other two regionals of the season were both out west. At St George, UT, American Fork dominated and won by over three points. Sky View (UT) had a strong show and finished 2nd. This was Sky View's highest finish at a regional in the modern era. Remember, Sky View won a regional way back in 1979, when they became the first Utah and western band to win a regional title. At the Long Beach, CA regional, Cedar Ridge (TX) made the trip out in lieu of attending San Antonio. Ayala (CA) still managed to win, with Cedar Ridge (TX) finishing 2nd. Cedar Ridge swept the music captions, but Ayala's higher visual scores pushed them to victory.
There was a total of 94 bands who participated in the 2014 Bands of America Grand Nationals. 35 bands advanced to semi finals. This was a lean year in terms of Texas powers attending Grand Nationals. After the conclusion of regionals it seemed quite clear that the contenders for the title would be Avon, Carmel, Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs, with the latter two both having some really strong performances at regionals. Upon conclusion of semi finals, Broken Arrow (OK) won Class 4A and took GE. Avon (IN) was 2nd in 4A and tied for visual. Carmel (IN) was 3rd in 4A and took music and tied for visual. In Class 3A, Kennesaw Mountain (GA) placed 1st and won music and GE in 3A. They were also the only 3A band in finals, making this the fourth year in a row where just one class 3A band advanced to finals. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was 2nd in 3A. Wakeland (TX), in their first trip to GN, was 3rd in 3A and took visual. In Class AA, Tarpon Springs (FL) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Marian Catholic (IL) was 2nd in 2A and North Hardin (KY) was 3rd. In Class A, Adair County (KY) won and swept the highest achievement awards. This was their third Class A title at the time and first win in seven years. Bellbrook (OH) was 2nd in Class A and Archbishop Alter (OH) was 3rd. So upon conclusion of semi finals, obviously Broken Arrow was in contention for the title. We all knew Tarpon Springs was very good. With them in Class AA, we did not know how they stacked up against the other bands; turns out they had won semi finals. About this group of finalists, there was a over a ten point spread between first and twelfth place. For the first time, two bands broke 97 points.
I knew from their finals performance they would be in contention for the title. I was totally impressed. Tarpon Springs (FL) ended up winning with a score of 97.15 points, their highest BOA score ever in what I would say was their best performance ever. This was their first and only Grand National title and the first time since Tate in 1980 that a Florida band won the Grand National title. Their show was titled "Man Vs. Machine" and featured Human by Christina Perry, Symphony Number 3 by Copland, Symphony in B-Flat by Hindemith, Smiling from Man on Fire by Harry Gregson-Williams and Original music by Sullivan. The opening of the show was about man's dominance of the world. The show then moved into humans and machines living side by side in harmony and ended with the machines taking over the world. Half the guard was dressed in red muscle suits to represent the humans and the other half were dressed in blue suits to represent the machines. In typical Tarpon fashion, there were a ton of big budget props used to help sell the show and tell the story. In prelims they even used a drone. It crashed and almost hit another band member, so I believe drones are now outlawed in BOA. The band opened with Fanfare for the Common man from Copland's Symphony number 3 and it was awesome. I had always thought of Tarpon as a visual power, but man they really played well in this show. They also had some demanding drill moves which were executed really well. For the last few years they had been marching snares; this year they had a full battery. The drum line played so well and at times moved with DCI-like pace. I of course have to mention the woodwinds. This show was packed full of fast and furious woodwind features; their fingers must have been on fire by the end of this show. What was so impressive was how clean those woodwind sections were given the difficulty; it was like one instrument playing; the ensemble was just so good. Helping in the stunning visuals of this show was also a large world class guard; one of Tarpons best guard performances in my opinion. It was quite something to see this band go from less than 90 members in 1997 to around 200 this season (granted they had a huge color guard that accounted for a lot of that). Tarpon ended up winning both music performance and GE in finals. This also marked the first time since 1997 that a Class AA band won the Grand National title.
Tarpon Springs Finalist Feature
The one band that really gave Tarpon a run for their money was Broken Arrow (OK) who finished 2nd with a score of 97.00. Their show was titled "FACEme". During the opening large props with faces on them were on the field. Several guard members were hanging out of the mouths looking and moving like tongues. Near the end several guard had large skirts with faces on them and at the very end a guard wearing a white mask climbs the drum major podium and takes the mask off in a very dramatic fashion. To be honest, I have never understood what this show was supposed to be about. It was somewhat odd but I really don't care because this was just an awesome show; an iconic Broken Arrow show. This was a masterful blend of several wonderful classical pieces into a visual design that flowed seamlessly from start to finish. Even though the whole theme was very abstract, you could feel some powerful emotions coming across from the music. Adding to the visual design and theatrics was the Broken Arrow flags; simply amazing. BA ended up winning visual performance. They tied Tarpon in music effect, with Tarpon's slightly higher visual effect score giving them GE. Funny how competition sometimes works. I felt this was one of, it not the best Broken Arrow show. It just was not quite enough to topple Tarpon.
Broken Arrow Finalist Feature
While yes the top two bands in finals were extraordinary, I also felt that 3rd place Avon (IN) delivered an awesome show in finals too. Their show was titled "Drawn to the Flame". The whole show had to do with moths drawn to the flame, with the guard dressed as moths. Three large podium-like props opened up to reveal flames during the course of the show. By the end, the guard were drawn into the largest props with the flames, whereby they shed their wings. Symmetry played heavily into the design, both through prop placement and drill design. At one point the band formed a large moth on the field. Their wonderful execution of some of the symmetric designs no doubt helped them achieve the highest visual effect score. Not sure what the visual individual judge saw, but his relatively low score prevented Avon from scoring a little bit higher. Huge shout out to a strong percussion in this show; I often found myself mesmerized by the near two dozen keyboards in the pit.
Avon Finalist Feature
Carmel (IN) placed 4th with their show "In The Cards". The premise of this show seemed to be that of an early 20th Century carnival, which traveled the country in caravans and typically featured a fortune teller who used Tarot Cards. Card props, caravan wagons and tarps were used to help tell the story. One of the drum majors even went out onto the field and did some juggling; and was really quite good. The audience really seemed to enjoy this show. From visual design to the interesting music it was quite entertaining. I personally loved some of the musical selections; particularly some of the percussion features.
Carmel Finalist Feature
Continuing with their year by year improving trend, William Mason (OH) placed 5th. Their show was titled "Once Upon a Time" and was based off Disney's Maleficent. The guard were decked up in full costume with green makeup and all and really helped sell this show. From their opening of Dvorak's Symphony Number 9, you could tell this was going to be an awesome show. Solid performance and at times really up tempo. Several large props formed a dragon which slowly made its way across the field during the course of the show.
William Mason Finalist Feature
Making their first trip to Grand Nationals this year was Flower Mound HS, from Flower Mound, TX in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Over the last several years, Flower Mound was becoming a more frequent competitor and finalist at Texas BOA regionals. At the time, many described this band as a band that seemed to not always live up to their potential at major competitions, including both BOA and UIL. In fact, just a few weeks earlier at the San Antonio super regional, Flower Mound placed 13th. Well they ended up delivering a very strong show in GN finals (at the time it was the best show I had seen from this band) and placed 6th. Their show was titled "Harmonic Tapestries". What struck me was how incredibly well their music sounded; very rich. They also gave the audience a surprise when a large box is lifted in the middle of the show to reveal a bassoon ensemble inside. This show seemed to mark a major turning point for this band. No longer would they be considered not living up to their potential as the remainder of this decade they would be among the most successful bands at Texas BOA regionals. This was also not their last appearance at Grand Nationals.
Flower Mound Finalist Feature
Some big changes occurred at Wando (SC) this season as Bobby Lambert became director. Mr. Lambert had been the assistant director at Marian Catholic for many years. The band had already been on a slow improving trend for several years. Mr. Lambert would take that trend even further over the coming years. Their show was titled "Of Things Unseen" and like previous shows followed a complex story line. There were many sections where the band played soft and slow, but very emotional. I kind of felt a little Marian influence in these sections. This was their third GN finals appearance at the time and their 7th place finish was their highest to date.
Wando Finalist Feature
After their somewhat surprising 10th place finish in their very first GN finals appearance way back in 1994 (should have been much higher), Homestead (IN) stopped participating in BOA. They remained a very strong marching band and for years consistently placed among the top bands in Indiana Class A state competition, even winning a few state titles. In fact, they won the 2011 Indiana Class A state title over both Avon and Carmel. I had considered them one of if not the best bands in the country that did not participate in BOA for many years. Well this season, after a 20-year absence, Homestead returned to BOA competition and it was highly anticipated. Their show was titled "Dance of the Wind Spirits". It was a strong and powerful show and a great show to reintroduce themselves to the BOA world. The guard had large wings on them which played heavily in the visual design. They finished 8th in finals, although I thought they should have scored/placed a little higher. They also tie Ben Davis (IN) for the longest gap between finals appearances; 20 years.
Homestead Finalist Feature
Kennesaw Mountain (GA) finished 9th in finals with their show "The Final Peace". Prop placement and pit staging on the field gave this show a unique visual look. The band was notably smaller than in years past. New course restrictions were preventing many juniors and seniors from being in the band (KM was a magnet school for math and sciences). Considering that the band was almost entirely comprised of freshman and sophomores, I was very impressed by how well they performed. This lack of juniors and seniors would however prove detrimental to the marching band program. This was KMs 8th and last GN finals appearance. They at least continue to be a consistent regional finalist and even managed to pick up one more regional title after this season.
Kennesaw Mountain Finalist Feature
The last several seasons, Marian Catholic (IL) tackled some heavy themes. I think it was refreshing that this season they took on a theme that was a little more of fantasy storyline, titled "Rapture of the Deep". It was about a diver who succumbs to nitrogen deprivation. Props and the guard helped to tell this story. Kudos to the drum majors for keeping the band together on the opening few moments of the show; that opening must have been challenging from a music ensemble perspective. Marian finished 10th in finals. This was their 31st consecutive finals appearance.
Marian Catholic Finalist Feature
Union (OK) nabbed the last finals spot in semi finals and then finished 11th in finals. Their show was titled "The Caged Bird". Gold bird cage props filled the field and the guard was made to represent birds. Apparently, Union claimed this show had a much deeper meaning than just being about birds. In fact they claimed the show was not really about birds; with the caged bird being more of a metaphor. The ending was quite cool when the band morphed into a cage that opens to free one of the guard.
Union Finalist Feature
This season marked the first year of existence for Lawrence Township (IN); the Marching Pride of Lawrence Township (MPLT). The band combined the Lawrence Central and Lawrence North marching bands into one. This is allowed as long as the two high schools are in the same school district. This marked the only time when two former GN finalist bands merged into one. You could tell by their size that this was two bands merged into one. I can not imagine how challenging it must have been the first season for this band, and then to be able to make GN finals, impressive. The new uniforms that Central sported in 2013 were carried into MPLT, so it kind of gave a cohesive look from Centrals program. Their show was titled "The Green Table" and almost seemed a continuation of Central's 2013 theme. Yes, large green table props featured heavily in the visual design. After their performance at the Indy super regional, I did not expect them to make GN finals. They made some significant improvements, making finals and finishing 12th. So far this was the first and last appearance by MPLT in finals. While their size has dwindled, they have remained a consistent regional finalist and GN semi finalist, even coming close to finals in 2019.
Lawrence Township Finalist Feature
The unlucky number 13th spot went to Owasso (OK). Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was 14th, Wakeland (TX) 15th, Plymouth-Canton (MI) 16th, Center Grove (IN) 17th, Lafayette (LA) 18th, Centerville (OH) 19th and O'Fallon Twp (IL) was 20th. One of the bands I thought had a good shot at finals was Franklin (TN). However, they ended up 21st in semi finals.
2014 Tarpon Springs - Full Show
2014 Broken Arrow - Full Show
2014 Avon - Full Show
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Post by hewhowaits on Mar 23, 2020 5:20:08 GMT -6
Maleficent
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 23, 2020 6:43:27 GMT -6
Ah the auto correct got me on that one. I fixed it.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Apr 3, 2020 4:22:40 GMT -6
...2015 SEASON REVIEW...
It seemed that this year props made an even more notable presence in the show designs. Large and moveable props which not only helped tell the story, but in many instances were used as stages for performers. In many cases, a band used several replicas of the same prop. This was also a season where the weather posed a lot of challenges, both in terms of practice times and competitions. This was especially the case in the south. This year also marked the year where performance videos were no longer archived on line due to licensing restrictions. Watching the performances live on the subscription service Flo Marching or hoping videos get posted to YouTube would now be the only way see the performances if you were not at the competition in person.
BOA held 19 regionals this season, four of which were super regionals. The season began September 19th at Clarksville, TN and Monroeville, PA. At Clarksville, O'Fallon Township (IL) came back from a fourth place finish in prelims to win the regional in finals. They edged out Castle (IN) by a half a point. Franklin (TN) was 3rd and the other Blue Springs; Blue Springs South was 4th. This was the first regional title for O'Fallon Township and the first time an Illinois band picked up a regional win since 2001 when Lake Park and Prospect picked up titles. At Monroeville, Kiski Area (PA) won the title. Allatoona (GA) was 2nd, the closest this band would get to a regional win, Bassett (VA) was 3rd and Norwin (PA) was a surprise 4th. The next weekend was Austin, TX. This regional had a very dramatic result. First off, the top four bands were all within a quarter point. Leander (TX) placed 1st. This was their second regional title coming 19 years after their first. Cedar Park (TX) was 2nd by a mere 0.05 points. Round Rock (TX) was 3rd. Round Rock actually sustained a half point penalty which cost them the regional title. This is the only time that I know of where a penalty cost a band the regional win. In 4th was James Bowie (TX). At Bowling Green, OH, William Mason (OH) won by nearly four points. Plymouth-Canton (MI) was 2nd with Goshen (IN) in 3rd. At the McAllen, TX regional, thunderstorm delays led to the cancellation of finals, so the results were based on prelims. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) easily won. Harlingen (TX) was a respectable 2nd and actually tied CTJ in music.
At the Conroe, TX regional, Ronald Reagan (TX) won. This was their first regional win in nine years. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was a strong 2nd. Even though they were 3rd in prelims, The Woodlands (TX) did not participate in finals as they had a prior commitment; a home football game (seriously ?). The Dayton, OH regional was plagued by weather and had finals cancelled. Avon (IN) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Carmel (IN) was a strong 2nd and North Hardin (KY) was 3rd. The Powder Springs, GA regional also had finals canceled due to weather. In a huge upset, Fort Mill (SC) placed 1st over Harrison (GA). This was Fort Mill's second regional win. At Arlington, TX, Flower Mound (TX) won. This was their first BOA regional title. Hebron (TX) was just a tenth of a point lower in 2nd and Marcus (TX) was 3rd. At the Jacksonville, AL regional, Kennesaw Mountain (GA) placed 1st and swept the highest achievement awards. This was KM's sixth and last BOA regional title. East Coweta (GA) was a respectable 2nd and were followed closely by Hillgrove (GA) in 3rd. At the Winston-Salem, NC regional, Dobyns-Bennett (TN) won for the third consecutive year. Nation Ford (SC) was only a quarter point lower in 2nd and actually took music and GE; their visual performance scores cost them the title. Fort Mill (SC) was a respectable 3rd.
The St Louis Super Regional was dominated by Broken Arrow (OK) who won by four points with all judges having them in first. Union (OK) was 2nd and closely followed by Blue Springs (MO) in 3rd. The Newark, DE regional had one of the most surprising outcomes in BOA history. After finishing fifth in prelims, Joe E Newsome (FL) won the regional title in finals. This was their first and only BOA regional title. In their limited BOA regional appearances, they have never even come close. James Madison (VA) who I thought was going to win came in 2nd with Trumbull (CT) in 3rd. At the Indianapolis Super Regional, Avon (IN) won quite comfortably. Carmel (IN) was a strong 2nd. Marian Catholic (IL) had a strong show in finals and finished 3rd, just under a half point behind Carmel. Marian also won music performance over Avon. Blue Springs (MO) was a strong 4th with Homestead (IN) in 5th. Blue Springs had now become a band that had made finals at all the big super regionals. At the Long Beach, CA regional, Ayala (CA) had a decisive victory. Upland (CA) was 2nd followed closely by Vista Murrieta (CA) in 3rd.
At the Atlanta Super Regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) won by over 3.5 points with every judge placing them first. Their show "Caged", which had a lot of snippets of Maroon 5's Animals, was simply amazing. The cage props and all was Tarpon to a tee. LD Bell (TX) made the trip to Atlanta in lieu of San Antonio and placed a solid 2nd. Harrison (GA) was 3rd. Looking at the results, one may wonder why Wando (SC) placed so low (10th). Well, the Charleston area had experienced weeks of heavy rain and severe flooding in October. Wando actually had school and practices cancelled for two weeks; this was in addition to having several outdoor practices rained out. They would of course be back in 2016.
At the San Antonio Super Regional, the top 6 bands all scored within a point and a half of each other. Each one of them gave performances deserving of a super regional champion. This regional did have some weather related challenges. Severe flooding in the Austin area made getting to the regional a challenge for many bands. Leander, who would have done very well, missed their prelims time slot and had to perform in exhibition. After finishing thirteenth at this regional in 2014, Flower Mound (TX) ended up winning. This was their second regional win and first super regional title. Their show was titled "Surreal" and was a perfect way to describe this magnificent performance. The white and light blues of the band and guard were balanced by frequent pops of color. Egg shaped props gave a unique look to the visual design. They again opened a large box during the show, this time revealing vocalists. Overall, the show was clean and controlled. The music was very emotional. It was the general effect scores that propelled them to victory. Ronald Reagan (TX) came in 2nd. Their show Every(one) was in many ways a stark contrast to FM. They were loud and aggressive and had some pretty demanding drill moves. Their handling of the difficult visuals earned them the visual performance award. They also tied FM in music effect. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was 3rd with their show "White Rabbit". Hebron (TX) was 4th and tied music performance. Cedar Park (TX) was 5th and played some opera classics in their show "What's Opera, Doc?". Marcus (TX) was 6th with their show "The Fifth Element" which played some famous Symphony Number 5 pieces. Marcus tied in music performance. A final note about this regional is that Owasso (OK) was the only non Texas band in finals. They did quite well, placing 8th. This was one of the best Owasso shows; too bad they did not take this one to nationals. The final two regionals of the season was St George, UT and American Canyon, CA. American Fort (UT) won St George with Sky View (UT) in 2nd. The American Canyon regional was won by Saratoga (CA). This was the first and only BOA regional title for Saratoga. Homestead (CA) was 2nd, the closest this band would get to a regional win.
The 2015 Bands of America Grand Nationals was attended by 95 bands. 34 bands advanced to semi finals. There was quite a bit of shock/surprise when Eden Prairie (MN) failed to make semi finals. Two bands in attendance also made headlines. Mililani (HI) and Colony (AK) attended Grand Nationals. This marked the first time the states of Hawaii and Alaska sent bands to Grand Nationals (the first time these states even had a band participate in BOA). My thoughts heading into nationals was that it would be a battle between Broken Arrow and Avon. There were however several strong Texas bands in attendance, most notably Hebron and The Woodlands, both somewhat dark horses. Upon conclusion of semi finals, Hebron won the Class 4A title and took music and GE. When the recap sheets were released, it was revealed that Hebron actually scored a 97.85. This broke the highest BOA score record and as of this writing remains the highest BOA score ever, and they got this score despite a low score by the visual individual judge. Not to minimize the accomplishment, but I will say that the scores at nationals this year were quite generous. Broken Arrow (OK) was 2nd in 4A and took visual and Avon (IN) was 3rd. In Class 3A, Harrison (GA) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Franklin (TN) was 2nd in 3A and Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was 3rd. In Class AA, Marian Catholic (IL) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Kiski Area (PA) was 2nd in AA and Miamisburg (OH) was 3rd. In Class A, Adair County (KY) placed 1st and swept the highest achievement awards. Beechwood (KY) was 2nd and Saint James School (AL) was 3rd. Although we did not know the actual scores, it was quite obvious that Hebron was in contention for the title as they were incredible in semi finals. The one caveat was that they were unlucky in the draw and would be the first band to compete in finals. A tough slot, especially considering Broken Arrow and Avon would be gunning for the title as well.
Given what Hebron had done in semi finals, I figured they would have the music scores locked in finals. So in order for Broken Arrow (OK) to win, they would need to get some very high visual scores and do very well in music. They achieved that and managed to win the Grand National title in finals. This was their third GN title and put their director Darren Davis in a very elite group of directors with three or more titles under their belts. Their show was titled "Wild Blue Orchid" and featured the music of Dmitri Shostakovich. The bright blues of the guard really popped against the band and several large black podium props. These props were moved about the field during the show to enhance the visual design. Year after year, Broken Arrow had been putting forth shows that just flowed seamlessly from start to finish, with the visuals matching the music perfectly. This year was no different. I personally love Shostakovich played on the field and Broken Arrow really played the music well. During the waltz piece, they had a wonderful saxophone ensemble and an amazing baritone sax solo. Their crisp marching style and amazing array of well choreographed body movements gave some spectacular visual moments in the show, aided of course by the now famous BA flags. The powerful ending was capped off by ribbons shooting out of the props. This was certainly one of Broken Arrows best shows from a music standpoint and they were really not too far behind Hebron's music scores. They tied Avon for visual performance and their high visual effect score countered Hebron's high music effect score to earn them the GE award. Broken Arrow ended up scoring a 97.5 points which is their highest BOA score to date.
Broken Arrow - Finalist Feature
Avon (IN) really delivered a strong show in finals. So much so that I thought they could possibly win the title. Their show was titled "Black Gold", so appropriate for the marching black and gold. It told the story of the oil industry with several large drilling well props on the field. At one point a black tarp was used to represent the oil. When the drilling well props were moving, gold ribbons appeared, representing how the oil had turned to wealth or gold. In typical Avon fashion, there was a ton of difficult yet well executed drill moves. This of course was all done while the band was playing with some incredible difficulty. As was typical with Avon, the percussion and guard were on fire. I felt this was Avon's best show since their 2010 Grand National title. They even scored 97 points and ended up finishing 2nd in finals. They also tied BA for the visual performance award.
Avon - Finalist Feature
This was the very first trip to Grand National for Hebron HS from Carrollton, TX (in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area). They made quite an impression and after their semi finals performance had many thinking they may be able to pull off the title in their first trip to Grand Nationals. Hebron had been a near consistent finalist at Texas BOA regionals going way back into the early 2000s. The last couple years, however, saw this band rise to be among the top echelon of Texas powers. They came to nationals sporting brand new and very stylish uniforms. Their show was titled "360". The idea of things revolving 360 degrees is what formed the basis of the show. This appeared in the visual designs and podium props for featured performers which turned 360 degrees. Hebron gave an absolutely stunning music performance. It was clean and controlled with wonderful rich sound quality. At the time I felt it was the best music performance I had ever heard at Grand Nationals. The pre show and ending featured an oboe solo, one of the best oboe solos ever in BOA in my opinion. Of course you can't talk about this show without mentioning the incredible tenor sax solo. It was a lengthy solo and certainly one of the best solos ever at Grand Nationals. So of course having to be the first band to perform in finals was a huge challenge. I personally thought they looked a little nervous, which is understandable. They still won all of the music captions, including winning the music performance award. Their visual scores are what dropped them to 3rd. Now it is not that their visual scores were bad, they were just not anywhere near Broken Arrow and Avon, two bands who excel year after year on the visual front. After this year, BOA enacted what I call the Hebron rule, where the top six scoring bands in semi finals would be the last six to perform in finals.
Hebron - Finalist Feature
Perhaps another dark horse consideration was William Mason (OH) seeing that they did not participate in a late season regional. Given their track record, there was a lot of expectations for them at GN. They did not disappoint. They ended up placing 4th with their show "Somewhere". Just like their placements kept improving, so did their performance level. They used several large scaffolding like props in this show. I was impressed with how well they handled moving those large pieces around the field. While there was some complaints that their show was a little too similar to a Broken Arrow show (same designer - Wes Cartwright), the music was still very Mason. Given the large props, I felt that this show was better seen from high up.
William Mason - Finalist Feature
Carmel (IN) took a modern take Cats, with their show titled "9 Lives". Large scratch posts were used as props as was a large runway (or should I say cat walk) at the front of the field, which served as a platform for some featured performers. They played a couple of the more recognizable selections from the Webber musical Cats, including of course Memory. The song selections were not all from the musical, they also did a great rendition of Bolero. This was a show that admittedly I was unsure of at the start of the season, but ended up enjoying the final product by the time nationals rolled around. They ended up finishing 5th. I heard they had a large influx of new members this season. Their band did also look a little bigger. So 5th place is probably fairly impressive taking that into consideration. This also marked Carmel's 20th appearance in Grand National finals; making them only the third band thus far to achieve that milestone.
Carmel - Finalist Feature
This season was really not shaping up to be as strong as the last 4 or 5 years for The Woodlands (TX). They failed to place in the top six at San Antonio and actually ended up ninth in semi finals. In finals however, I thought they delivered a very strong show. The judges did as well as they placed them 6th in finals. They were able to deliver a very solid performance of Mahler's Symphony Number 1, a piece that I imagine was not easy to perform on the field. their show was titled "Time Benders". The props, visual design and music frequently echoed that of distortion.
The Woodlands - Finalist Feature
Round Rock (TX) returned for their second trip to nationals and finished 7th in finals. They would be on an every other year rotation in attending GN. Their show was titled "This is My Letter to the World". While the music was Appalachian Spring, yes a piece played many times in BOA, Round Rock stuck very strictly to the ballet for which this song was written. This included props and guard costumes which echoed that of the nineteenth century prairie. Overall, it seemed like a fresh take on this music.
Round Rock - Finalist Feature
In 8th place was Marian Catholic (IL) with their show, "String Theory". The theme was that of a puppeteer controlling his puppets. The guard were dressed as puppets. The choreography with the music was simply brilliant. The whole theme was very out of the box and really came across well. They opened with Petrouchka, the same music they opened their 85 and 88 GN champion winning shows; for me a piece I always associate with Marian. During the ending, the band formed a large stick figure puppet which moved across the field; very college bandish. It was a really cool ending.
Marian Catholic - Finalist Feature
Making their third appearance in finals was Harrison (GA) who finished 9th. They claimed the Class AAA title for the second time. This also marked the fifth consecutive year that only one Class AAA band was in finals. Their show was titled "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and told the story of Mary Queen of the Scots, aka Bloody Mary. So yes this was a rather dark show. The guard really played into the dark theatrics and this show was packed with some pretty enjoyable music. While this was their third so far last finals appearance (they fell short of finals in 2019), I am not counting them out of a future return to finals.
Harrison - Finalist Feature
Blue Springs HS, from Blue Springs, MO (outside Kansas City) made history by becoming the first (and so far only) band from Missouri to make Grand National finals. They ended up finishing 10th in their first of three (and counting) appearances. Blue Springs had been slowly building and improving their program for over ten years and had finally become a finalist caliber band. Their show was titled "Subliminal" and referred to the hidden messages we get from television. Several large TV props dotted the field and large screens up front displayed messages from time to time through the show. As what had become and what continues to be with this band, a very innovative theme and design made this band one of the favorites with the audience.
Blue Springs - Finalist Feature
Sliding into finals by finishing twelfth in semi finals, and then placing 11th in finals was Keller HS, from Keller TX (outside Forth Worth). This was their first and so far only trip to Grand Nationals. Keller is a band that was a frequent finalist at BOA regionals. Had this band been from another state, they probably would have gotten more attention from those outside of Texas (so many awesome Texas bands that some get lost in the shuffle). Their show was titled "Do Not Go Gentle" and had a bit of a woodsy theme with several large bare white trees used as props. As is typical for a Texas band, the quality of their music really propelled them into finals. I should also mention that the other Keller (Keller Central) also attended and was a semi finalist.
Keller - Finalist Feature
In 12th place was Homestead (IN). We were all pleased that 2014 was not a one and done thing for Homestead. Their show was titled "Poiesis, The Art of Creation". Dozens of large sticks were used as props throughout the show and were used to build various things. It was certainly a unique look and concept. Somewhat uncharacteristic for them, but their music performance this season was a bit of an Achilles Heel and almost kept them out of finals. Their exceptional visual performance saved them. Homestead - Finalist Feature
The unlucky number 13th spot in semi finals went to Franklin (TN). This was the closest this band would ever get to finals. While their music and visual performance scores easily had them in, their general effect scores sealed their fate. Lawrence Township (IN) had a really a strong show in semis and improved markedly from the Indy regional but just did not quite make finals. They were 14th. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was 15th, Center Grove (IN) was 16h, Lake Central (IN) was 17th and Centerville (OH) was 18th. Homestead (CA) was 19th in what I felt was the best performance I had ever seen from them. Bentonville (AR) finished 20th, the highest finish at nationals for an Arkansas band.
2015 Broken Arrow - FInals
2015 Avon - Finals
2015 Hebron - Finals
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Post by twhsalumniparent on Apr 3, 2020 10:09:50 GMT -6
...2015 SEASON REVIEW...
At the Conroe, TX regional, Ronald Reagan (TX) won. This was their first regional win in nine years. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was a strong 2nd. Even though they were 3rd in prelims, The Woodlands (TX) did not participate in finals as they had a prior commitment; a home football game (seriously ?).
To comment on this - it was actually an away football game, as the Conroe regional was held at the home stadium (shared with College Park and Oak Ridge at the time). This was the first year our son was in band, and I was not immediately aware that this conflict was on the schedule. It almost happened again in 2018, but there was a campaign locally and via TXBands (I was a rabble raiser) to write to the administration to allow the band to perform at finals rather than the away football game. It was successful on that front.
And to clarify a little more -after the write in campaign, the administration had the band students vote on what they wanted to do, and they voted to attend finals.
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Post by abtwitch on Apr 3, 2020 12:17:32 GMT -6
2015 finally rolls around, my junior year at Westwood! This year was very important to us, as it marked our first appearance ever in BOA finals at Atlanta. While I do not remember as much as I would have liked to since I wasn't as into the activity as I was starting my senior year, I do have some interesting things to say about this contest. If I recall correctly, this was the most Texas bands in finals at a non-Texas BOA regional or super regional ever with a whopping 5 (just one band from being half of finals). L.D. Bell (2nd), Cypress Falls (6th), Winston Churchill (7th), Westwood (9th), and Clements (11th). I actually was lucky to meet someone at college from L.D. Bell who was at this super regional, so it was actually really cool getting to talk about it a few years later. Cypress Falls were here and put on a fantastic show which appropriately prepared audiences for their unexpected San Antonio finals appearance the next season. Winston Churchill actually had a similar story to Cypress Falls, main difference being that they have a history (and long one) of placing in finals at San Antonio but had a few down years. Clements is one of the top Houston-area bands, but they just have very limited BOA participation so they go under the radar for a lot of people not in the area. One of their biggest achievements as a band was winning the Texas Marching Classic in 2012 over Ronald Reagan. They have been a regular at TMC ever since and hadn't missed finals until this past year, which was easily the most competitive it had ever been. I always find myself hoping to see their name on BOA lists every season, but they haven't gone to any contests since Atlanta 2015. Westwood, as I mentioned earlier, had their first appearance in finals ever as a BOA band, and this was also their first out-of-state trip for this band for a contest. We had an especially rough prelims run as the directors didn't realize the difference in hashes, which caused the prop crew to set up their hang-gliders too far up. We were devastated after the run, but when they announced that we made finals, to say the hotel we were staying in erupted with 300 band kids would be an understatement. We then put on probably the best performance in Westwood history to that date, the energy was absolutely electric. Going off the field, we were shushed at least 3 times by our directors because of how loud our cheering was. Westwood has attended BOA Austin every year since it started in 2013 and until 2019, they were in the 11-13 range every single time. Since 2015, Westwood has continued to improve to become the program it is known as today and this contest I feel was a major turning point for the band. The forbidden video: Westwood BOA Atlanta Prelims run
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Post by hewhowaits on Apr 3, 2020 15:07:30 GMT -6
...2015 SEASON REVIEW... Perhaps another dark horse consideration was William Mason (OH) seeing that they did not participate in a late season regional. Given their track record, there was a lot of expectations for them at GN. They did not disappoint. They ended up placing 4th with their show "Somewhere". Just like their placements kept improving, so did their performance level. They used several large scaffolding like props in this show. I was impressed with how well they handled moving those large pieces around the field. While there was some complaints that their show was a little too similar to a Broken Arrow show (same designer - Wes Cartwright), the music was still very Mason. Given the large props, I felt that this show was better seen from high up.
Thankfully BOA didn't play any ads during Mason's setup/warmup time. The brass choir playing away from the stands backfield set the tone for the whole show. Absolutely lovely - the first time I was ever as impressed with Mason's brass as the well-known woodwind section.
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Post by lostchoirguy on Apr 3, 2020 21:46:16 GMT -6
...2015 SEASON REVIEW...
At the Conroe, TX regional, Ronald Reagan (TX) won. This was their first regional win in nine years. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was a strong 2nd. Even though they were 3rd in prelims, The Woodlands (TX) did not participate in finals as they had a prior commitment; a home football game (seriously ?).
To comment on this - it was actually an away football game, as the Conroe regional was held at the home stadium (shared with College Park and Oak Ridge at the time). This was the first year our son was in band, and I was not immediately aware that this conflict was on the schedule. It almost happened again in 2018, but there was a campaign locally and via TXBands (I was a rabble raiser) to write to the administration to allow the band to perform at finals rather than the away football game. It was successful on that front.
And to clarify a little more -after the write in campaign, the administration had the band students vote on what they wanted to do, and they voted to attend finals.
I sent a VERY lengthy email to the administration and was very glad when y'all were able to perform in finals. I take that as a huge win for the advancement music education in the state of Texas.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Apr 4, 2020 21:16:41 GMT -6
...2014 SEASON REVIEW...
Leander (TX) came in 3rd with their show "Color Study". They tied in music performance. After their success in the late 90s/early 2000s, a lot of staffing changes had plagued Leander for several years. They also slipped in placement in the Texas BOA regionals. The previous few seasons they were slowly getting stronger. In 2013, however, they just missed making finals in San Antonio. Then this season hit and they were like a brand new band, stronger on all fronts. Their 2014 show remains one of my favorites. Obviously colors played heavily in the design. They also did a great rendition of one of my favorite marching band/drum corps selections; Rocky Point Holiday. This season really marked a turning point for Leander as they have so far remained one of the top Texas bands ever since. This was my daughter’s Sophomore year at Leander and it was quite an exciting time for them. I think they were pretty much shell shocked that entire season with their unexpected success. I’ll never forget sitting at BOA San Antonio after finals were completed and thinking to myself, “I can be happy with 14th place. Then 13th. Then 12th, etc. And as Dan Potter kept announcing placements closer and closer to the top three, and we still hadn’t been called, let me tell you that was EXCITING! Getting 3rd place in San Antonio that year was just spectacular. The kids were beside themselves. It definitely started Leander on an upward trajectory where they saw far more success than the program had experienced in a very long time, if ever. Good stuff.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Apr 4, 2020 21:24:59 GMT -6
To comment on this - it was actually an away football game, as the Conroe regional was held at the home stadium (shared with College Park and Oak Ridge at the time). This was the first year our son was in band, and I was not immediately aware that this conflict was on the schedule. It almost happened again in 2018, but there was a campaign locally and via TXBands (I was a rabble raiser) to write to the administration to allow the band to perform at finals rather than the away football game. It was successful on that front.
And to clarify a little more -after the write in campaign, the administration had the band students vote on what they wanted to do, and they voted to attend finals.
I sent a VERY lengthy email to the administration and was very glad when y'all were able to perform in finals. I take that as a huge win for the advancement music education in the state of Texas. I, too, sent some emails on behalf of TWHS band. There was definitely a mass effort to get these kids where they should have been all along!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Apr 14, 2020 11:08:43 GMT -6
...2016 SEASON REVIEW...
This will most often be referred to the year of the tie, mainly due to what happened at Grand Nationals which I will detail later. 2016 featured 19 regionals, four of which were super regionals. BOA attempted a Pacific Northwest regional again this season (I believe they planned one in 2015 but did not get enough participants). This year, a Pacific Northwest regional was set to occur in Hillsboro OR, however a huge October windstorm struck and forced the cancellation of the regional.
The season began September 17 with three regionals: McAllen, TX, Monroeville, PA and Powder Springs, GA. At McAllen, James Bowie (TX) dominated and won the regional by 4 points with every judge having them in first. Pioneer (TX) was a respectable 2nd followed closely by Harlingen (TX) in 3rd. At Monroeville, Norwin (PA) came away with the victory. As often the case with these early season regionals, there were a few surprises. Moon Area (PA) came in 2nd, just a tenth of a point behind Norwin; the closest this band ever came to a regional title. Rock Ridge (VA) was closely behind in 3rd. Probably most surprising was that Kiski Area (PA) was 6th. At Powder Springs, Harrison won handedly with all judges having them in first. Blue Springs South (MO) was 2nd with Fort Zumwalt North (MO) 3rd. Kennesaw Mountain (GA) in 9th was a rather big surprise at this regional. The following weekend, September 24th also featured three regionals; Austin TX, Clarksville TN and Dayton OH. By now Austin had become a highly competitive early season regional. Vandegrift (TX) walked away with the win and swept the highest achievement awards. This was the first regional title for Vandy. Leander (TX) was a strong 2nd, followed by Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) in 3rd, Cedar Park (TX) in 4th and Round Rock (TX) in 5th. At Clarksville, it was a close match between Castle (IN) who won their 2nd title and Franklin (TN) who had to settle for 2nd. North Hardin (KY) was 3rd. At Dayton, Carmel (IN) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Prospect (IL) was actually not too far behind in 2nd with Centerville (OH) in 3rd.
The first weekend of October also saw three regionals; Conroe TX, Jacksonville AL, and Toledo OH. The Conroe regional turned out to be a battle between the two San Antonio powers. Ronald Reagan (TX) won with Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) 2nd. The Woodlands (TX) was 3rd. At Jacksonville, Nation Ford (SC) placed 1st. This was their first of two BOA regional titles. After their disappointment a couple weeks earlier, Kennesaw Mountain (GA) came back and took 2nd. They were followed closely by East Coweta (GA) in 3rd. At Toledo, William Mason (OH) won by over five points. Packed closely together was a Michigan contingent; Plymouth-Canton in 2nd, Rockford in 3rd, Reeths-Puffer in 4th and Walled Lake Central in 5th. The following weekend (only one regional that weekend) at the Plano, TX regional, Flower Mound (TX) won by several points. Marcus (TX) was 2nd with Hebron (TX) just 0.05 points lower in 3rd. At the Newark, DE regional, Trumbull (CT) made history by becoming the first band from Connecticut to win a BOA regional. This was their first and so far only regional title. Trumbull is actually a band that has participated in BOA off and on for decades. In fact, they were participants at the MBA Grand Nationals at least once in the early 1980s. After their disappointment earlier in the season, Kiski Area (PA) made a comeback and finished 2nd. James Madison (VA) was 3rd. At the Winston-Salem, NC regional, Dobyns-Bennett (TN) won by three points. This was their 4th consecutive win at this regional. James F Byrnes (SC) was 2nd with Panther Creek (NC) in 3rd, followed closely by Fort Mill (SC) in 4th.
Certainly no surprise that Broken Arrow (OK) won the St Louis Super Regional. They won by almost three points and every judge had them in first. Their show was called "The Age of Discovery" and was the first show in which the band were driving car props around the field. In typical BA fashion, well designed with powerful emotions. The stadium erupted at the end when the brass players were standing on top of the cars during the finale. Blue Springs (MO) was in a very strong 2nd. 3rd through 7th place were packed close together; Owasso (OK) in 3rd, Bellevue West (NE) in 4th, Union (OK) in 5th, O'Fallon Township (IL) in 6th and Rosemount (MN) in 7th. That same weekend, at San Jose, CA, Clovis West (CA) won their third regional title. Last year's winner Saratoga (CA) was 2nd with Homestead (CA) in 3rd. At the Atlanta Super Regional, Tarpon Springs (FL) won and took GE. Wando (SC) was quite strong and placed 2nd and took visual performance. Dobyns-Bennett (TN) was also strong and placed 3rd and managed to win music performance. Other strong performances at this regional included Park Vista (FL) in 4th and Harrison (GA) in 5th. The Long Beach, CA regional had a rather big upset. Vista Murrieta (CA) won over 2nd place Ayala (CA). This was actually the first time since 2006 that Ayala did not win a regional in which they participated. This was the first and so far only regional win for Vista Murrieta. The St George, UT regional was won by American Fork (UT), who had by now come to dominate this regional. Central Valley (WA) was a respectable 2nd and was followed by Foothill (NV) in 3rd.
The weekend prior to the Grand Nationals featured two big Super Regionals; Indianapolis and San Antonio. At Indy, Avon (IN) placed 1st and won all of the caption awards. Carmel (IN) was 2nd but only four tenths behind Avon. The rest of the field at this regional was quite strong and close. Homestead (IN) was 3rd, followed closely by Marian Catholic (IL) in 4th and Blue Springs (MO) in 5th. The San Antonio Super Regional finals featured 14 Texas bands; all of whom were outstanding. In my opinion, the scores could have been much higher. Winning this regional for the second year in a row was Flower Mound (TX). Their show this year was even stronger than 2015. In fact, they swept the highest achievement awards and every judge had them in 1st place. I would actually say that their performance was one of if not the best BOA regional performances ever. I would also include their performance among the best ever at any BOA competition. Their show was titled "Leonardo's Dream". It wasn't just that the music was strong in this show; there were moments of amazing technical difficulty from the brass, woodwinds and percussion. They played the difficulty so well that they made it seem easy. Huge shout out to some incredible soloists; certainly one of the best clarinet features. They also had a solid visual design that was very cleanly executed. During the end of the show, when the prop takes flight, the band really hit the emotional high just perfectly. My only complaint about Flower Mound this season was that they did not take this show to Grand Nationals. In 2nd was The Woodlands (TX) with their show "On the Waterfront". They played the classic Bernstein piece by the same name with visual designs echoing that of a waterfront. They gave an extremely strong performance in finals. You could see elements of power that had propelled them to their Grand National title just three years earlier. In 3rd with another strong show was Leander (TX). The 4th through 9th place bands had a point spread of just two points. I imagine that the placements would have varied widely depending on the judging panel. I mean they were all so good, how do you accurately place them? As it turned out; Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) was 4th, Hebron (TX) was 5th, Marcus (TX) was 6th, Vandegrift (TX) was 7th, Ronald Reagan (TX) was 8th and Cedar Park (TX) was 9th. Somewhat surprising was that Cedar Ridge (TX) and LD Bell (TX) just fell short of making finals. An even 100 bands attended the 2016 Band of America Grand Nationals, the most ever at the time. Seeing as Broken Arrow, Flower Mound and The Woodlands would not be in attendance, it seemed based on the season thus far that Avon had the best shot at taking home the Eagle heading into the Grand Nationals. There were of course some other potentials. Tarpon Springs was strong at Atlanta and Leander was strong at San Antonio. Carmel was right on the heels of Avon at Indy. Most of us had also not seen William Mason since their early season Toledo performance, so they were a bit of a mystery. Upon the conclusion of semi finals, Avon (IN) won the Class 4A title and took music and GE in 4A. This was their fifth GN Class title. Carmel (IN) was 2nd in 4A and William Mason (OH) was 3rd and took visual. This year the Class 3A was very competitive. In fact, it had not been this competitive since 2010. There were actually four 3A bands that made finals this year. Leander (TX) won the Class 3A title, their first GN Class title. They won music, visual and tied in GE. Their sister school Cedar Park (TX) was 2nd in 3A and tied them in GE. Castle (IN) was 3rd in 3A. In Class AA, Tarpon Springs (FL) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Marian Catholic (IL) was 2nd in Class AA and North Hardin (KY) was 3rd. In Class A, Adair County (KY) won and swept the highest achievement awards. Williamstown (KY) was 2nd and Archbishop Alter (OH) was third. With so many strong bands, ties were really common this year at Grand Nationals. It turned out that, Carmel, Tarpon Springs and William Mason all tied for 2nd highest score in semi finals with the overall placement determined by their GE scores. Dobyns-Bennett and Homestead tied for the 12th highest score in semi finals. When there is a tie getting into finals, both bands are selected as finalists. This resulted in 13 bands in finals this season instead of just 12. Of course, the biggest tie of all came in finals; a tie for the top.
For the first time in BOA history, there was a tie at the top. The tie break rules for this at the time was that the band with the higher GE score was awarded first place. That meant that Carmel (IN) was crowned Grand National champion over their in state rival Avon who would have to settle for second. Yes, you could hear the surprise in the audience when the tie was announced. Carmel's show was titled "Adagio-Presto" and featured Symphony Number 5, movement 4 by Mahler, Symphony No 2 by Rachmaninoff and some original music by Richard Saucedo. The theme/story was simply that of Adagio set to motion. Watching this show in finals was quite the experience. It was Carmel like I had never seen them before. The music was not only clean and controlled, it was very emotional and really enjoyable. They made some of the difficult moments in the music seem easy and they did an amazing job with all of the tempo variations. At one point a huge tuba section was featured that was done exceptionally well. Not only was the visual design interesting, it was near flawless. The color guard was also extremely clean and added several nice pops of color throughout. I really felt this show was a masterpiece and I still feel this was one of the most memorable of this long time perennial GN finalist bands shows. This was also Carmel's third Grand National title. Breaking down the scores, Carmel was second to Avon in both music and visual performance with a deficit totaling just three tenths of a point. Carmel tied Avon in music effect with one judge favoring Carmel and the other Avon. So it all came down to the visual effect score. Carmel's VE score was three tenths higher than Avon. This allowed them to win the General Effect award and tie Avon in overall score, with the tie break rules allowing Carmel to take home the eagle.
Carmel Finalist Feature
So Avon (IN) would have to settle for 2nd place. After their success throughout the season, they seemed destined to win the Grand National title this year. It just did not happen. I am sure that the fact that they got second in a tie break really stung. Their show was titled 'Go Forth!". The taking a journey aspect seemed to play heavily in the design. The show featured Copland's Appalachian Spring and several pieces by Bon Iver. They also utilized the Walt Whitman poem "Pioneers" in the show; something that proved highly popular this decade. The music was of course fast and powerful at times and slow and emotional at times. Also in typical Avon fashion, when the music was fast, they moved fast. While the music and visuals were very difficult, Avon was extremely clean and controlled in this performance. I actually think it was one of their cleanest shows from both a music and visual standpoint. This is likely whey they won both music and visual performance in finals. In addition to the music, the drill design was very interesting and of course well executed. The amazing guard added to the phenomenal design. Had the scores worked out differently, I would have been OK with Avon talking home the eagle with this show. So after this season, BOA invoked what I refer to as the Avon rule. Now if there is a tie at the top for a regional title or Grand National title, co champions are awarded (as they have always been in DCI). BOA also extended the scores out three decimal places after this season, making the chances of a tie at the top a little less likely.
Avon Finalist Feature
Perhaps their best performance ever, William Mason (OH) finished 3rd in finals. To date this is also their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals. They also set the record for having improved upon their placement at Grand Nationals every single year going back 11 years. This also marked the first time that an Ohio band cracked the top three in GN finals since Centerville in 1993. Their show was titled "World Out of Balance". They must have had over two dozen large clear spheres that were moved about the field and performers could get inside. The amount of work it must have taken to coordinate the movement and placement of these props says something about this band. They played musical selections from Samuel Barber. In some of the sections, Mason was playing and moving with incredible speed. The flow of the music with the design was just awesome. Upon watching this performance, I thought the band was destined for a Grand National title in the very near future. Well, 2017 would turn out to be a disastrous season for this band, which I will detail in the 2017 review. At least they were able to bounce back so that this was not their last finals appearance.
William Mason Finalist Feature
Tarpon Springs (FL) placed 4th with their show "Pandora". The concept was that of opening Pandora's box. A large box prop was disassembled during the show with the individual pieces forming multiple triangular props across the field. It was another brilliant execution of moveable props across the field. Aside from all the props and theatrics that is Tarpon, this show was often fast and packed with a ton of difficulty. The visual individual judge must have thought they executed this well as he scored them above both Avon and Carmel. Some of the intensity in this show was broken by moments of softness, including Paul Simon's Sound of Silence. What I also found interesting is that Tarpon had a large influx of new members this year, yet still came away with an amazing performance.
Tarpon Springs Finalist Feature
Returning to the Grand Nationals for the second time was Cedar Park (TX). Since their first appearance in finals back in 2010, Cedar Park had been giving very strong performances at the Texas BOA regionals. After being runner up to Leander for the Class AAA title in Semis, Cedar Park turned around and beat them in finals, placing 5th. Their show was titled "All Hallows's Eve". Halloween played heavily in the design and props as well as the rather dark musical selections. This was one of these shows that on face value seemed as though it would be a little cheesy. But this bands performance of this theme really worked. This was a fun show to watch and in finals I would say that Cedar Park gave their best show ever. It was much better than their performance at San Antonio just one week earlier. What really stood out was the quality of their music performance. This was the second and last trip to the Grand Nationals for Cedar Park. In recent years, their scores/placements at the Texas BOA regionals have dropped and they have even failed to make finals at San Antonio. Hopefully this band will rise back up the ranks of Texas powers in future years.
Cedar Park Finalist Feature
This was the second appearance in Grand National finals, in their second trip to Grand Nationals, for Leander (TX). It came 17 years after their first appearance. It was well worth the wait as Leander was a completely different band now, substantially stronger than what they were in the late 1990s. They finished 6th in finals with their show "The Fourth Dimension" The music was strong, powerful and interesting. I often found myself mesmerized by the level of detail and geometric shapes in the drill design in this show. Leander's also executed this complex design well. Thankfully Leader would return to Grand Nationals three years later for their third appearance in finals.
Leander Finalist Feature
Ronald Reagan (TX) made their 5th appearance in GN finals and placed 7th. Their show was titled "One Love". The Bob Marley song by the same name was featured at times. Like the other Texas bands in finals this year, the music was just really powerful. Loud at times, frequent up tempo moments and just plain awesome. Shout out to some amazing percussion sections in this show. Reagan is often known for doing some tricks with color in their shows. In this show, there was a section where the guard (in blues and pinks) spun around and were all yellow. It was really cool. They then ended in the shape of a hand on the field; a slow but impactful moment. As strong as the music was, I thought there were a few visual flaws which prevented them from cracking into the top 6. Watching the finalist feature video, I found it interesting to hear the director is the son of the former director of past GN finalist band Prospect (IL).
Ronald Reagan Fiinalist Feature
Now on an every other year rotation, Wando (SC) returned for their 4th finals appearance. After flooding devastated their region in the fall of 2015 and really adversely affected their season, Wando came back as strong as ever in 2016; back to the South Carolina power they had become known. They ended up finishing 8th in finals with their show "Therefore". Several sculpture/portrait props were used in the visual design. Much like their 2014 show, a highly nuanced music performance. I also felt they had made improvements in their visual design and technique. So even though they did not place as high as in their 2014 appearance, I felt it was a stronger overall show.
Wando Finalist Feature
Returning to Grand Nationals for the second time, Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX) placed 9th. CTJ was becoming known as a band for their entertainment factor as much as for their high quality performances. This season their show was titled "flashDANCE" and featured some classic dance hits from the 80s and 90s. So I guess they were pandering to us Gen X ers. The way they dove into the music and even did some dance moves was highly entertaining. They even had a DJ stand in the band (very Daft Punk). This was a show that most certainly would have come off as cheesy from a weaker band, but that was not CTJ. They played really well. As entertaining and strong as this show was, the couple seasons prior and after were stronger CTJ shows (in my opinion).
CTJ Finalist Feature
Castle HS, from Newburgh, IN (outside Evansville) has had a competitive marching band for decades and have had a lot of ups and downs over the years. They almost made GN finals in 1992, then faded a bit later in the decade. They came roaring back in the 2000s and almost made finals again in 2005. Then they faded a bit for a few years before making yet another come back in the mid 2010s. After their 7th place finish at the Indy regional, I was uncertain of their chances to make GN finals. They delivered in semi finals, making finals for the very first time and then finishing 10th. This would be the first of two finals appearances for Castle. Their show was titled "A Siren's Song", based on a Greek mythology story. At the time I thought, wow this was the best I had ever seen Castle. This turned out to be a bittersweet weekend for Castle. After the finals competition, on her way home from Lucas Oil, Sophie Rinehart, the featured vocalist in this show, was tragically killed in a car accident.
Castle Finalist Feature
Homestead (IN) was one of the bands who tied for 12th in semis to make it into finals. They then finished 11th in finals; thanks largely to their solid visual performance. Their show was titled "A Time to Turn". Several large tree props with LED lighting were moved about the field. The different lighting helped convey the theme. The placement of the trees and the different lightning (not to mention their visual execution) really made this a fun show to watch.
Homestead Finalist Feature
I will admit that given the tough competition, I was a bit worried that this may be the year Marian Catholic (IL) missed finals. They pulled it off in semis, making finals and then finishing 12th. Their show was titled "Unbroken", with several large cracked plates utilized as props. In typical Marian fashion, their music performance was so unique compared to the other bands. So much attention to the musical details and nuances. Have to mention some amazing flutes in this show; of course Marian has always utilized their flute section well.
Marian Catholic Finalist Feature
The other band that tied in 12th in semi finals was Dobyns-Bennett HS from Kingsport, TN in their very first GN finals appearance. They finished 13th in finals. They became only the second Tennessee band to make GN finals. DB has had a competitive marching band going well back into the 1970s. They had been occasional BOA participants and regional finalists in the 90s and 2000s. Over the last ten years, they had been showing steady improvement and after making GN semi finals every year since 2013, finally made it to finals this year. The region of eastern Tennessee, western Virginia and western North Carolina had actually been a hotbed in the growth of competitive marching bands in the 1970s and 1980s and produced a few GN finalist bands. It had not been since 1983, however, since a band from this geographic region made GN finals until Dobyns-Bennett. Their show was titled "Echoes of Hope" and had some wonderful music, coupled with an interesting visual design. The drum major in this band also exhibited some excellent conducting skills. This as we all know would not be DB's last finals appearance.
Dobyns-Bennett Finalist Feature
Since there were 13 bands in finals, no unlucky number 13 this year. Vista Murrieta (CA) was 14th. This was their highest finish ever at Grand Nationals. Owasso (OK) was 15th, rather disappointing as they were so good in 2015. Union (OK) was 16th, Franklin (TN) was 17th and James Bowie (TX) was 18th. It was a bit shocking for Bowie to not make finals. Ayala (CA) was 19th with Lawrence Township (IN) rounding out the top 20. Another California band, Clovis West, was also in semi finals. Three California bands is the most ever from that state in semi finals in the same year.
2016 Carmel - Grand National Finals
2016 Avon - Grand National Semi Finals
2016 William Mason - Grand National Semi Finals
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