As much as my body isn't necessarily ready for a run to state every year, I think it's unfair to short change our students. I agree that the thought was there to save money, but it really hasn't. I even saw some programs spend money on props this year when it wasn't a state year, and I couldn't justify the expense for our program if we ended up shut down. It probably had an effect on our placement at Area just without the extras to help complete our show, but we were still finalists without the props.

Normally we go do the BOA Super-Regional on our non-advancing years. We really spend about the same on those years too. Show music is pretty much costing us the same every year, and now that Area is every year it's not like we're going back to a Hal Leonard stock show at any point.

The argument most recently about state was that logistically they couldn't make it work. Seems to me this change proves it CAN. Putting conferences on alternating years for early or late dates seems to work for me. Or, you could say 1A,2A,3A, 4A were the first week, and then second week the larger 5A/6A contests?

Again, state runs are exhausting, and doing it every year would be some additional burnout... but is it about us, or the kids? Our kids love to compete, if they had the opportunity they would be ecstatic to get a chance every year!

That being said this year was worth two state years in exhaustion level! It was the marching season that never ended, and I'm just glad to finally be able to have sit-down band when we return from this break!