2011 Region X Marching Contest

[bandkid]

The 2011 Region X Marching Contest takes place in Indian Stadium tomorrow. The Indian Band goes on the field at 4:30 (it's a good idea to be in the stadium fifteen minutes early). Go cheer the band on to a First Division rating and the Area competition.

Good luck to the band from a former band member.

 

[bandkid]

I just got the news. Straight ones. PN-G is going to Area!

 

[bandkid]

Don't have it confirmed yet, but I'm hearing PN-G was the FIRST band to get straight ones at the competition today.

 

[1989NDN]

Bravo to the hardworking kids in the PN-G Indian Band. You win the halftime performance every week...I believe you are undefeated in that contest in the eyes of Indian fans...and now you go out at the marching contest and nail down straight ones to move on to the area marching contest. Job well done. Be proud, be loud, and take a bow. Just another illustration of PN-G students being the very best and exemplifying Honor, Pride, and Tradition.

Go Indians. Peace.

 

[bandkid]

Bravo to the hardworking kids in the PN-G Indian Band. You win the halftime performance every week...I believe you are undefeated in that contest in the eyes of Indian fans...and now you go out at the marching contest and nail down straight ones to move on to the area marching contest. Job well done. Be proud, be loud, and take a bow. Just another illustration of PN-G students being the very best and exemplifying Honor, Pride, and Tradition.

Go Indians. Peace.

I echo that statement. I also understand the competition ran very smoothly and that everyone is happy with the move to PN-G.

There are a lot of very proud people in Port Neches and Groves right now.

 

[MOM2INDIANS]

I was there from 9 to 9...got the burnt legs to prove it..lol. It was great! Congrats to our Purple Pride for a great show!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[pngdad8520]

Way to go !

 

[old teacher]

We are so proud of our band. They deserve all our support. I know some of the school board was there working. Did any one see the supt. and assist. supt there?

 

[bandkid]

Port Neches-Groves High School Band 2011 - UIL Region 10 Marching Contest

Special thanks to rocketfan86 for filming the entire competition and providing the video for the rest of us.

Overall, I was very impressed by the performance. I could hardly pick out anything that needed fixing and nothing that would even come close to earning anything less than a First Division. If they keep practicing, they're going to suprise some people at Area Saturday.

Congrats, PN-G band!

 

[phetonb]

I thought the band performed well. The marching was excellent. However, the sound, while good, is not loud enough. I was at the competition, and the three bands that followed PNG were smaller, but much louder. PNG has a big band, but lacks the "Big Band Sound". I have said this for the past several years. The dynamic crescendos never reach a level of a BIG Sound, like they should. I felt like I had cotton in my ears, especially at 7:08, and 7:30. The stadium should have been filled with sound but was not.

I was a section leader back in the mid 80's and I don't understand why we can not have the Big Sound like we did back then. It is not the number of musicians, as I stated, LCM, Lumberton, and Livingston were smaller, but much louder. We were slightly bigger in the 80's, but we played with much more volume.

Mr. Wells, turn the volume up from 6 to 9.....the band can play that loud and not sound bad.

Forte is not loud enough, play it Fortissimo, or even better Fortissimo Possible!!

fff does not mean BAD Sound. It means as loud as possible, with good sound. Fill the Stadium Sound!

I am afraid with a Forte sound, we will never make it back to State.

 

[squaw]

I totally agree. We cannot even hear Cherokee on the 30 yard line on the opposite end of the stadium from the band. No wonder the fans don't stand for Cherokee.

 

[bandkid]

Apparently, the judges don't agree. One of the criteria for judging is whether the volume is appropriate for a band of that size. PN-G was one of only four bands at this competition to make straight ones. Lumberton and Livingston both received Second Division ratings and LC-M was not one of those prestigious four.

I sat a few seats north of the fifty yard line at the Nederland game and could hear Cherokee just fine. In fact, I could hear it better than the Nederland band, which is larger and was facing our side. Sometimes, when the announcers aren't talking over the radio, I can hear our band playing Cherokee at home games and I know for a fact that they can be heard both in the pressbox and at the refinery on Main and Grigsby.

This is an old argument that should have died long ago. Even the poster who first brought it up three years ago has admitted that Cherokee is both louder and faster these days. Can't we just be happy for the kids' success and lay off the outdated criticism long enough to see how they do at Area?

 

[phetonb]

Bama Kid,

I respect you. My son played trumpet with you. I was at the practice competition two weeks before marching contest. I heard the judge mention the dynamics to the band. It is an issue. The contest show was good enough for straight I's, but it could be better.

When I made I's on my solo's, the judge would still mention things that I could improve on.

I am just saying, in my opinion, the dynamics are lacking at PNG, and have been for a while now.

My son felt the same as you concerning this, until he played in the USAF band, and was instructed to play fff, and he liked it. It makes a difference when the musician “fills his/her horn” with sound.

Playing loudly can sound bad, but not always. Music by its nature must flow, soft to loud, to very loud at times. That is what makes music wonderful.

fff means as loud as possible. PNG does not ever play fff anymore.

 

[bandkid]

Bama Kid,

I respect you. My son played trumpet with you. I was at the practice competition two weeks before marching contest. I heard the judge mention the dynamics to the band. It is an issue. The contest show was good enough for straight I's, but it could be better.

When I made I's on my solo's, the judge would still mention things that I could improve on.

I am just saying, in my opinion, the dynamics are lacking at PNG, and have been for a while now.

My son felt the same as you concerning this, until he played in the USAF band, and was instructed to play fff, and he liked it. It makes a difference when the musician “fills his/her horn” with sound.

Playing loudly can sound bad, but not always. Music by its nature must flow, soft to loud, to very loud at times. That is what makes music wonderful.

fff means as loud as possible. PNG does not ever play fff anymore.

I think there are areas for improvement as well. Emphasis on dynamic range (not just really loud, but going back and forth) is something that we've had trouble with in the past. Personally, I always thought it had a lot to do with the trouble in the middle school program, and I think the problem will fix itself given time as we cycle out more seniors and bring in stronger freshmen with better fundamentals.

My post was aimed more towards the argument over Cherokee. Almost everyone who's taken up that argument (including the poster that brought it up to begin with) has said that it's louder, faster and audible to more fans in the stadium. The band's improved by leaps and bounds the last few years and I think it's time to drop that argument.

I hope your son is doing well in the Air Force.

 

[phetonb]

Bama Kid,

I respect you. My son played trumpet with you. I was at the practice competition two weeks before marching contest. I heard the judge mention the dynamics to the band. It is an issue. The contest show was good enough for straight I's, but it could be better.

When I made I's on my solo's, the judge would still mention things that I could improve on.

I am just saying, in my opinion, the dynamics are lacking at PNG, and have been for a while now.

My son felt the same as you concerning this, until he played in the USAF band, and was instructed to play fff, and he liked it. It makes a difference when the musician “fills his/her horn” with sound.

Playing loudly can sound bad, but not always. Music by its nature must flow, soft to loud, to very loud at times. That is what makes music wonderful.

fff means as loud as possible. PNG does not ever play fff anymore.

I think there are areas for improvement as well. Emphasis on dynamic range (not just really loud, but going back and forth) is something that we've had trouble with in the past. Personally, I always thought it had a lot to do with the trouble in the middle school program, and I think the problem will fix itself given time as we cycle out more seniors and bring in stronger freshmen with better fundamentals.

My post was aimed more towards the argument over Cherokee. Almost everyone who's taken up that argument (including the poster that brought it up to begin with) has said that it's louder, faster and audible to more fans in the stadium. The band's improved by leaps and bounds the last few years and I think it's time to drop that argument.

I agree with not arguing about Cherokee being heard in the stands. I sit in Section C above the level and across the 50 from the band. I can hear it, but not well. The stadium acoustics are what they are from my seat.

I wish the band well at area....it is tough to make it to State against the well funded shows the Houston Area bands put on, but you never know.

 

[PNG NDN Fan]

What seems to have occurred, over the past decade or so, is that concert season has become year round. In the Fall it is on the field, in the Spring it is in the auditorium.

I certainly appreciate the musicianship and marching skills required to perform the drills of recent years; however, it has been awhile since I have found a halftime show to be genuinely "entertaining". When I was at MCM, I could not hear the band over the crowd noise, so it was nice seeing the video of contest drill so I could appreciate what the band has done this year.

Despite my criticism, I have no doubt that the average band member today is a better musician than the average band member back when I was in school.

Good Luck to the band at Area!