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OKBC Review Bands of America Super
Regional Championships
What a weekend! After watching 50 bands in prelims plus 15 finals performances (including the Class A exhibition performance by Berryhill), I was absolutely exhausted. The state of Oklahoma was represented exceptionally well by the record-breaking 12 Oklahoma bands who participated this year. I have been very busy at work since I returned from St. Louis, so I must apologize that it has taken me so long to get my review online. It will probably take quite a while to write up reviews of all 50 bands in attendance, so I will start with my reviews of all the Oklahoma bands. I will try to get the remaining bands up as soon as possible GUTHRIE
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Playful Things This was a cute, fun show. Based on Kabalevsky's The Comedians, the show was filled with bright, vibrant colors. They marched fairly well, although the drill seemed less challenging than a number of other groups. There was a nice sound to the music, but a few people seemed to have trouble with the more difficult passages. I was impressed that the band's wind section actually performed Comedians Gallop. I've seen a number of bands perform it a percussion feature since it is a bit easier for the pit to keep up with the fast pace of the song. Although they weren't as clean as the other Oklahoma groups, the playful nature of the show design made it an enjoyable performance nonetheless.
BERRYHILL
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Geometrix: Modern Art, Modern Jazz First of all, congratulations to Berryhill for being named the Class A champion! Although they had some very stiff competition, their terrific performance earned the top spot in their class. They did a great job of capturing the moods and nuances of Pat Metheny's music. While they have a really good sound for a band of their size, I was a bit surprised to occasionally hear some people sticking out a bit. The visual execution was also very good. They hit their formations well and their turns and head snaps were sharp and in unison. The attention to detail was commendable.
PIEDMONT
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Kodo Arguably containing the most difficult musical book of the Class A bands, Piedmont has really cleaned up their execution enough to snatch the Outstanding Music Performance caption in their class. I really liked the show design. The Japanese influence in the show was evident but not overbearing. Their marching was quite good considering the fast pace of the drill. Had it been a bit cleaner, they might well have made a run for the Visual caption as well. You can't discuss Piedmont without mentioning their outstanding guard. They really outdid themselves. The equipment work was accomplished and in unison. This was a really good show that had people buzzing after its conclusion.
PONCA CITY
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Angels & Demons I must start by apologizing that there is only one picture of the band below. I had trouble with my camera during their performance and this was the only photo that came out decently. After seeing the show earlier this season, I had wondered if they had added anything more to it. I was slightly disappointed that they had not because the show really has some potential. Musically, they have certainly improved throughout the season. They deliver a good sound and the music was well-arranged. Visually, I felt that they didn't have a very good run. Some of the drill work was muddy and the forms lacked clarity at times. I also thought it could have used more Visual General Effect. Although it's a fine show, it just didn't really make a strong enough impact on the audience.
SAPULPA
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: The Trail Where They Cried This was a very powerful show recounting the ruthless story of Native Americans being forcibly removed from their land by the American government in the 1800s. The props and narration (which I'm usually not a big fan of) were used to great effect here. The music was moving and well-played, and the visuals were solid. They just need to work on nailing some of the drill work. I was a little surprised by the show title. I've usually heard this story described as the "Trail of Tears", which I had thought was the original title of their show. Although the present title means the same thing, it still sounds a little awkward to me.
EDMOND NORTH
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: A Day in the Air Although it is entitled "A Day in the Air", most of the show really seemed to take place in the airport. The band started off by standing in endless security lines (something most of us dread) before moving into the "terminal" where coffee shops and baggage claim seemed to take center stage. The band had good marching fundamentals but some of the formations were a little shaky. The music was also slightly under-whelming. A larger sound and better musical arrangements could have helped them a bit. I've always felt that Edmond North's shows are a little too dependent on props to generate GE and this program was no different. However, it is definitely an entertaining show with lots of things to look at.
BROKEN ARROW
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Phantasy This was a phenomenal show and has the potential to be on par with their National Championship show last year. Their pre-show was more impressive than the actual shows of many top bands in the nation. Based on Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral, the musical book was varied and complex and the lushness of their sound is incredible. There is still a little bit of cleaning to do in the visual department to contend on a national scale, but it was very solidly performed for this point in the season. The guard was nearly flawless. They remain one of the very best in the nation. My favorite moment in the show was when the band converges into a wide arc trapping the guard (which do back-bends in a ripple effect). The dark, heavy low brass sound brought goosebumps.
JENKS HIGH
SCHOOL Show Title: Urban Geometry After seeing the show at the Broken Arrow Invitational, I thought that if they cleaned up the show considerably that they could make finals in St. Louis. However, while the show was considerably cleaner visually, it wasn't quite clean enough musically. The beginning and ending of the show sound really good. However, they still seemed to struggle with the difficulty of the middle passage. The drill was very well-performed and their lines and forms were fairly crisp. I feel that if they had done more visually to interpret their show theme, it may have added enough GE points to make up for the slight falters in the music.
STILLWATER HIGH
SCHOOL Show Title: One Thousand and One Nights This was the first time I had been able to see Stillwater this season. After their somewhat disappointing show last year, I was happy to see that they have made major improvements, particularly in their musical sound. The Arabian-themed music was performed quite well. The loud hits were well-balanced and there seemed to be some nice individual work. Their marching was also significantly better than last year, although the drill wasn't all that exciting. This was another show that could have benefited greatly from more attention to the visual design, especially from a GE standpoint (which is very important at a BOA event). In the end, I was glad to see a little spark of the band they were a few years ago.
WESTMOORE
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Of Royal Silk and Scarlet Based on the music of Sir William Walton (particularly Belshazzar's Feast), this show was very classy. As usual, their musical sound was consistently impressive, although they still had slight trouble maintaining the straightness of the lines during the "crown" formations. I must admit that I enjoyed last year's show better, but I thought the visual program in this one was more well-designed. Since I first saw this show on YouTube, the one thing that has bugged me has been the dresses worn by the color guard. While it is a very classy look that works well for this type of show, I think that navy blue was the wrong choice in color. Considering the show's title, they really should have been red. It would have stood out more and made a bolder visual statement.
SKIATOOK
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: Lightscreens Largely using the same music that Blue Valley West performed 2 years ago, the music mixed the work of Grainger with original music by Aaron Guidry, one of the hottest arrangers/composers working today. Echoing my thoughts on BVW's performance of this same music, I felt that Skiatook underplayed it a bit too much. They have a really nice sound for their size, but the show could have been more exciting had they projected more. Coming off their Visual caption win here last year, their marching was solid once again. I noticed that they have added props since the last time I saw this show. They were nice to look at, but I don't really think it added that much to the overall package. This was a nice show that was a little too subdued for its own good.
UNION
HIGH SCHOOL Show Title: The Beat That Moves You Although there were some problems with the electronics at the beginning of their show, the band recovered nicely and delivered a wonderful performance. I certainly hope that they continue this upward trend. Their music was strong and confident, but they just need to watch their balance a little. I thought I heard a few people sticking out occasionally. With the return of Alan Mueggenborg, their visual design is massively improved over the last few years. They marched extremely well and their arm and body movements really clicked. Terrific work by the guard really helped the overall impact of this show.
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