TJ you're actually wrong. We got 4th in finals, however the combo judge from the prelims who judged overall in the finals gave us a a 33/35, which means basically nothing. So you're wrong. Wrong. Really wrong. So wrong.
I asked, but Olentangy beat the Medina Combo by half a point, and it wasn't noticed until later when the Findlay director went over scores.
Medina recieved a 28/35 and olentangy recieved a 28.5/35. It was very close, but if anyone deserved it over us, I would admit it was olentangy. ;)
Despite this however, I would like to point out that in finals, Medina recieved a 33/35 Combo Score
I couldn't find a website either but here is an e-mail address: [email protected] (330-922-5606)
On the Spot Digital Imaging did the pictures. In the program the website is otsdi.net, but I can't get it to connect. I found it at photoreflect.com. Findlay 2009 is not up yet. Their phone number is 419-634-0194.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so very much for all of your detective work!!!
QUOTE(singersRgreat @ Feb 1 2009, 09:52 PM) 451108
couldn't find them by googling- so you happen to have the web site address handy?
AND who did the pictures
There was so much to look at I forgot to look at the name?!
I couldn't find a website either but here is an e-mail address: [email protected] (330-922-5606)
On the Spot Digital Imaging did the pictures. In the program the website is otsdi.net, but I can't get it to connect. I found it at photoreflect.com. Findlay 2009 is not up yet. Their phone number is 419-634-0194.
Congratulations to two great Andy Haines' groups.
Although I didn't get a chance to attend this competition, I wanted to commend the both of you on the outstanding presentation you put forward, and to state that I couldn't be more excited to see both groups later in the season => I expect many Grand Champion titles for both of these first class groups.
This was my first time at Findlay as a spectator and it was overall a very pleasant experience. I will say that any competition that employs emcees with the guiding principle of NEVER STOP TALKING is a competition that I think is sadly mistaken in its philosophy. I like my emcees to introduce groups and inform me of when the competition will be taking a break, otherwise get offstage and don't speak at me incessantly.
Again, before I comment on the finalists I will note that Beavercreek was right in the mix. I did not see Garfield Heights's daytime show, but I felt Beavercreek sang better than Medina in the day and could easily have edged them out of finals.
Olentangy:
No other group came close to delivering the complete package that Olentangy brought to the stage. A captions sweep was absolutely deserved in this case, as the group truly had the best vocals, the best band presence and the cleanest choreography of the competition. There are aspects of the show I don't take to, but everything was executed with such precision and confidence so that it all became a highlight.
Still, I found it odd that "Transylvania Mania" was used as a run of the mill jazz number. Perhaps I am biased against such an uninspired interpretation after seeing a group like Sioux City East perform it to its full potential, but I thought it was a rather bland part of the show. Also, the girls' and guys' features felt fairly expected out of an Andy Haines group, but again, the material was performed extremely well. Lastly, though the ballad is given a very tender and accomplished performance, it is very odd to listen to an entire choir sing a song about pregnancy.
Center Grove:
I'd never much liked watching this group online, so it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy Center Grove's show as much as I did. This is an Andy Haines blitz. Less focus on vocal production, and more on staging and putting on a show - with all the costuming, props and set that that entails. Luckily, the group has a solid handle on this approach and mostly delivers on what all the extras signify to an audience. I do wish that the female sound was less thin than was noticed at times, and I'd rather see an accomplished ensemble than have individuals featured for excess amounts of time, but overall this was a fun show stuffed to the gills with every trick in the book.
Marysville:
The changes made to the show since Piqua do aid the flow of the second half, and I still think this show has all the potential to be the best Marysville show yet. However, this is the second week in a row when the finals performance did not improve upon the group's day showing, and with attendance at some very difficult competitions comes the need for every group to pump up the volume from day to night. The vocal sound remained well crafted and the choreography did improve in cleanliness during finals, but otherwise it was a much less exciting performance that opened the door for other groups.
Also, though I like the second half more than before, I would enjoy a break for applause after the guys' number. Right now it seems slightly awkward and a little rushed to go straight through three numbers without any time to react as an audience member.
Garfield Heights:
Not having seen the group since the Marysville "Showcase" in 2008, I was curious as to what Garfield Heights would put onstage. The show was enjoyable, and certainly less derivative than last year's set, but I did think that the set lacked a certain sense of musicality. A friend noticed that before most crescendos the group would also sing an exaggerated sforzando. This technique can be used for great emphasis from time to time, but used repeatedly it reeked of a certain "Look at us! We can sing really loud and really soft!" mind frame.
Medina:
Unfortunately, Medina suffered from having the least memorable show in finals. I felt their vocal sound was slightly better and more appropriate than what Garfield Heights produced, but since their show lacked exciting choreographic moments the fifth place finish was also appropriate. The band was very solid though, and I felt the ballad was well done despite the unnecessary movement.
Their improvement from Marysville's competition was drastic. I went from not liking this show at all to fully respecting almost everything about it. Vocally they were so polished, and though I don't take a liking to their style of choreography it was very clean. The only thing I did not like about the show before that still held true today was that the final dance break in the closer is over shadowed by the movment of six bar like structures around the stage (there are members on the bars and they are to represent a jail, which is the theme to their last few numbers). The last dance break is actually very interesting, but you can't really see it because of the distracting bars moving around the stage. They deserved the win and you could really tell how bad they wanted it. Congrats to the Keynotes on a job well done!!!
Their show consisted of:
Live Out Loud*
Transylvannia Mania
Home
Big Dollhouse*
Working on the Chain Gang*
A Little Upset*
*=not exactly sure of the title but almost certain these are the names
This was the first time I had ever seen Center Grove live and it was very interesting. They sing well, and when they dance it is very good. I just am not a fan of the show choir stage being a stage for spectacle, and I felt that during their girls and guys features all you got was spectacle and no substance. They did an amazing job performing their show, and they are wonderful showmen. I will definitely want to see them in future years, and I understand why they have been one of the top groups in the nation for some time now
Garfield was very fun to watch. Very energetic and for the most part very clean. They had a very early time slot so them just making it into finals was a great feat. I thought they deserved the placement that they recieved, and I can't wait for them to make the next step. Great Job!!!
Medina was good vocally. I felt that they actually performed better during the day show. They performed well, but I just didn't feel their show was memorable.
Great Job to all of the finalists today, it was a fun competition. Also great job to Marysville on changing so many things in your show and performing it so well today!!! Can't wait to see it again at Dekalb!!!
Findlay Fest 2009
