Franklin Central and Center Grove are definites for me, and for second runner up I think it is a battle between John Burroughs, Los Alamitos, and Mt. Zion.
I'm thrilled to formally announce that showchoir.com will be teaming up with Heart of America and Show Choir Live once again to produce the live stream for this event. Just like last year, we're pulling out all the stops. I can't imagine how crazy this competition is going to be, but if you can't be there in person, now you can catch it live from anywhere in the country. Join us on March 24th for one mammoth day of show choir! Virtual ticket presales are officially open at showchoir.com/live.
Prediction:
GC: Los Alamitos (BC)
1RU: Franklin Central (BV)
2RU: John Burroughs
3RU: Center Grove
4RU: Decatur
5RU: Jackson Prep
(I imagine Jackson Prep, Petal, Decatur, and Mt. Zion will all be really close in score).
I keep coming back here to try and make predictions. And every time I do, my head explodes because of how stacked this competition is. At this point, I might as well just say that this one can’t be predicted.
I like FC Singers for GC. They have been on fire this year (and the past few years). But how do they get compared to Los Al and John Burroughs? I saw JB via the live periscope tonight and am really liking their show (what it is so far anyway). Meh, and I want to pull for some of my southern groups, but it’s going to be TOUGH to make finals here against the nation’s best.
Needless to say, I’ll be taking the day to watch this one at home! (or how much is a plane ticket to Orlando?)
Well this is a national event and the southern circuit of show choirs isn't seen by many outside of the south (for obvious reasons) so it would make sense. And don't get me wrong, there are a TON of amazing show choirs here! Im breaking the bank for this livestream there's no way I can miss this.
Well this is a national event and the southern circuit of show choirs isn't seen by many outside of the south (for obvious reasons) so it would make sense. And don't get me wrong, there are a TON of amazing show choirs here! Im breaking the bank for this livestream there's no way I can miss this.
To be fair, the southern groups haven't competed on the quite the stage that some of these other groups have competed on. While Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy, and Petal have all won grand championships, you must also compare their competition to the rest of the competitors records/placements.
1.) At Jackson Academy, Jackson Prep finished first, beating out Brandon and Madison Central, but beyond that the rest of the groups in finals regularly compete in the middle mixed division.
2.) At Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy placed first to Petal and Brandon, but beyond that the other groups in finals regularly compete in the single-gender and middle mixed divisions.
3.) At the Mississippi State Show Choir Contests, Petal finished first to all groups that regularly compete in the middle, small, and single gender divisions. With the exception of Oak Grove, who finished third here and did not place at South Jones or Purvis.
This compared to...
1.) Center Grove, who finished second to Loveland (who has three grand championships) and finished third to Franklin Central (who is undefeated, I'll get to them shortly) and Zionsville (who hasn't placed below 2nd place since February 11th, 2012).
2.) Decatur finished fourth at their first competition of the year, losing only to Glenwood, Troy Buchanan, and Wuabonsie Valley, and beating Twinsburg. They have a grand championship. They also placed third at Fort Atkinson (losing to Totino Grace and Craig).
3.) Mt. Zion has competed twice thus far. In their first competition, they fell short only to Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North. In their second competition, they fell short to Wheaton South once again, Mitchell, and Broken Arrow.
4.) Praire competed at Urbandale, failing to best Johnston, Waukee, and Ankeny Centennial, but beating Happiness, Inc. and Sioux City East.
5.) Franklin Central is undefeated on the season. They have wins over Noblesville, Whiteland Community (who has a win over Fairfield), Naperville North, Zionsville, and Center Grove.
Not to mention that John Burroughs and Los Alamitos have not even competed yet.
My point in this is that the southern groups haven't faced as steep of competition as the other groups here have. Grand championships are important and are telling of a groups success, but some weigh more than others when you compare who finished 2nd through 6th.
Absolutely wonderful post, John, and it further reinforces why you can't put much stock in rankings based solely on "wins." The cool thing is that the depth of competition is so amazing here that so much variety and talent is going to be on display regardless of what the placements end up being. I really feel in my soul that this is going to be an unforgettable night of show choir and it's why I care so much about doing a live stream and helping as many people see it as possible.
I wouldn't even begin to make predictions (like you've said, Burroughs and Los Al haven't even started their seasons yet), but much like WIG's absolute showstopper of a finals performance at Heart of America Nashville last year I think we may see something truly magical happen here. I almost feel a sort of fire about this in the same way that the Olympics takes positive competitive spirit to a whole different level. I want to root for everyone just because everyone is world class. I don't want to fast forward to March 24th because there is still so much amazing show choir season left to take in this season, but boy I cannot wait. I believe that the lucky few who will actually get to see it live are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
There's a pretty big difference in the depth of each region. Southern show choir is basically limited to Alabama and Mississippi while the midwest has several states that have a ton of show choir like Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and even Minnesota and South Dakota. California doesn't have a ton of depth, but there is obviously Los Al, Burroughs, and Burbank that all have established themselves on a national level whereas no southern group outside of Clinton has really done that.
I truly feel like it is impossible to gauge how the regions stack up against each other. Heck, Indiana and Ohio are right next to each other, yet totally different in style. This is why I love going to national competitions. It is so fun to see how the regions compare. HOA Orlando and Show Choir Nationals are so exciting this year because of the sheer depth of competition! I cannot even predict what will happen here! Best of luck to all!
Heart of America Orlando 2018
