Bands of America

Bands of America (BOA), a division of Music for All, Inc., is a nonprofit organization that promotes high school music education in the United States. Specifically, BOA organizes many marching band competitions for high school students, including regional and national events. Its largest event is the Grand National Championships, an annual competition currently held in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which attracts 80 high school marching bands from around the country. No performance qualifications are required to compete.

In addition to marching band events, BOA also organizes concert band festivals and symposia, musical and leadership clinics, as well as the Honor Band of America and the newly formed Jazz Band of America. One of the largest events of the year is the annual Summer Symposium, which offers a week of instruction from some of the most renowned musicians in the world. High school students from across the nation come together on the campus of Illinois State University. The week includes camps for concert band, jazz band, percussion, marching band, colorguard, and the famous George N. Parks Drum Major Academy.

Honor Band

A Bands of America Honor Band will perform in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2009 in Pasadena, California. Under the direction of George Parks, the 300-member marching band will be composed of select high school band students from across the country. Parks is the director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. The ensemble will march adjacent to a float sponsored by NAMM the (International Music Products Association), who is a major sponsor of Bands of America. [cite journal| title = The BOA Honor Band in the 2009 Rose Bowl Parade| journal = Music For All newsletter| volume = 21| issue = 1| pages = 16| publisher = Music For All| location = Indianapolis, Indiana| date = January/February 2008| url = http://www.musicforall.org/resources/newsletters/pdf/08hsjan.pdf| accessdate =2008-06-30]

History of Grand National Championships

In 1976, the first Bands of America marching band championship was held: the Summer National Championship in Whitewater, WI, part of the Summer Workshop/Festival. In 1980, the first BOA Grand National Championships was held at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL, which was won by J. M. Tate High School and received the name "Show Band of the South".In 1984, the Grand National Championships for Bands of America was moved to Indianapolis, IN into the Hoosier Dome (renamed the RCA Dome in 1994). Grand Nationals was also held in the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987 and 1988. Beginning in 2008, the Grand National Championships will be held at the new Lucas Oil Stadium located in downtown Indianapolis.

Current locations of BOA Regionals & Super Regionals

In 2008, Regional competitions will be held in Centerville, OH, Ypsilanti, MI, Houston, TX, Massillon, OH, Arlington, TX, Las Cruces, NM, St. Petersburg, FL, Towson, MD, Hempstead, NY, Murray, KY, Las Vegas, NV, Centerville, OH, Los Angeles, CA, and Indianapolis, IN. Super Regional competitions are held in St. Louis, MO, Atlanta, GA, and San Antonio, TX. BOA's newest events are the Fall Preview Experiences, an early season, non-competitive event. The 2008 Fall Previews will take place in Tulsa, OK, Ft. Mill, SC and Austin, TX. Additionally, there will be a "Sound Check" at the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana as an inaugural event for Bands of America.

Past Grand National Marching Band Champions

*2007 - L.D. Bell High School - Hurst, TexasShow Title: TRANSCENDents
Musical Selections:
Long, Long, Time Ago from Pan's Labyrinth by Javier Navarrete
Variations for Winds, Strings, & Keyboards by Steve Reich
Lux Aurumque: Light of Gold by Eric Whitacre
Original Composition by Donald Hill and Bret Kuhn


*2006 - Broken Arrow High School - Broken Arrow, OklahomaShow Title: Aqua
Musical Selections:
Harrison's Dream (Peter Graham)
Time to Say Goodbye (Andrea Bocelli)
Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Benjamin Britten)
Original Music (Aaron Guidry)


*2005 - Carmel High School - Carmel, IndianaShow Title: Suspended Symbols
Musical Selections:
Original Music (Richard Saucedo)


*2004 - Lawrence Central High School - Indianapolis, IndianaShow Title: La Rosa
Musical Selections:
Desolation (Arturo Rodriguez)
Danzon (Arturo Marquez)
Spanish Fantasy, Part IV (Chick Corea)


*2003 - Westfield High School - Houston, TexasShow Title: Because We Are....
Musical Selections:
Oh Lois! from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)
Dead Elvis (Michael Daugherty)
Lex from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)
Water Night (Eric Whitacre)
Original Music (Mark Higginbotham)


*2002 - Lassiter High School - Marietta, GeorgiaShow Title: Liturgical Sketches
Musical Selections:
Ballet Exaltare (David Holsinger)
Requiem Aeternam (John Rutter)
Lassitare: The Old 100th Doxology


*2001 - Lawrence Central High School - Indianapolis, IndianaShow Title: Metamorphosis: Ancient Myth to a Modern Vision
Musical Selections:
The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms (Michael Kamen)


*2000 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, IllinoisShow Title: The Tragic Medusa
Musical Selections:
Gorgon (Christoper Rouse)
Flute Concerto (Christpoher Rouse)
Phantasmata (Christoper Rouse)


*1999 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park - Canton, MichiganShow Title: Thoughtcrime, Music for an Orwellian Era
Musical Selections:
Circuits (Cindy McTee)
Lex from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)
Red Cape Tango from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)


*1998 - Lassiter High School - Marietta, GeorgiaShow Title: The Wind and the Lion
Musical Selections:
Music from The Wind and the Lion (Jerry Goldsmith)


*1997 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, Illinois Show Title: Portraits of the Orient
Musical Selections:
Music from 'Heaven and Earth' by Kitaro
"Three Japanese Dances Mvt 1: Dance of Pennons" by Bernard Rogers
Music from 'Joy Luck Club' by Rachel Portman "Three Japanese Dances Mvt 3: Dance of Swords" by Bernard Rogers


*1996 - Lake Park High School - Roselle, IllinoisMusical Selections:
Vesti La Guibba (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)
Pique Dame (Peter Tchaikovsky)
La Danza
Nessun Dorma! (Giacomo Puccini)


*1995 - Center Grove High School - Greenwood, IndianaShow Title: A Journey into the Adventure Zone: Music of Stephen Melillo


*1994 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, IllinoisShow Title: Symphonic Music from South America
Musical Selections:
"La Fiesta Mexicana" by H. Owen Reed
"Sinfonia India" by Carlos Chavez
"Pampeana No. 3 Mvt 2: 'Imperpetuosomente' by Alberto Ginastera


*1993 - Spring High School - Spring, TexasShow Title: The Music of Paul Hindemith
Musical Selections:
Symphony in Bb (Paul Hindemith)
Symphonic Metamorphosis (Paul Hindemith)


*1992 - Centerville High School - Centerville, OhioShow Title: Tower Of Power
Musical Selections:
So Very Hard To Go (Kupka & Castillo)
Down to The Nightclub (Kupka, Castillo & Garibaldi)
You’re Still A Young Man (Kupka & Castillo)
What Is Hip? (Kupka, Castillo & Garibaldi)

*1991 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park - Canton, Michigan
*1990 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park - Canton, Michigan
*1989 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, Illinois
*1988 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, Illinois
*1987 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, Illinois
*1986 - Rocky Mount Senior High School, NC
*1985 - Marian Catholic High School - Chicago Heights, Illinois
*1984 - Rocky Mount Senior High School - Rocky Mount, North Carolina
*1983 - Rocky Mount Senior High School - Rocky Mount, North Carolina
*1982 - Norwin High School - North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
*1981 - Chesterton High School - Chesterton, Indiana
*1980 - J. M. Tate High School - Pensacola, FL

ummer National Championships

*1988 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
*1987 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
*1986 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
*1985 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
*1984 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
*1983 - University High School, WA
*1982 - Herscher High School, IL
*1981 - Independence High School, San Jose, California
*1980 - James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates, IL
*1979 - Sylva-Webster High School, NC
*1978 - Live Oak High School Emerald Regime, Morgan Hill, CA
*1977 - Murray High School, Murray, KY [http://www.semper-melior.com/]
*1976 - Live Oak High School Emerald Regime, Morgan Hill, CA
*1975 - Holmes High School Covington, Kentucky

Headquarters

The Music for All/Bands of America headquarters is located in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana at the historic Union Station. BOA's headquarters were previously located in Schaumburg, Illinois before relocating to Indianapolis in 2003.

Trivia

*The most BOA Grand National Championships won by any school is seven by Marian Catholic High School of Chicago Heights, Illinois and the band program also holds a record 14 BOA National Class Championships and an unprecedented five BOA Summer National Championships, held in the 1980s.
*The highest score posted in any Bands of America event was by L.D. Bell High School (Hurst, TX) in 2007 with a score of a 97.70, while the highest overall FINALS score is held by Lassiter High School (Marietta, GA) in 1998.
*The highest score at a BOA Regional Championship was by Marcus High School (Flower Mound, TX) with a 96.20 at the 2007 Bands of America San Antonio, Texas Super Regional Championships.
*The longest consecutive uninterrupted national championship streak is three years, held by Marian Catholic High School (1987,1988,1989). Rocky Mount High School of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, won in three consecutive appearances (1983,1984,1986).
*The largest points gap between first and second place at BOA Grand Nationals was 5.60 set in 1988 by Marian Catholic High School.
*The smallest margin between 1st and 2nd place at Grand National Finals was in 2001 & 2003. In 2001, Lawrence Central High School (Indianapolis, IN) won by .05 of a point over Carmel High School (Carmel, Indiana). Lawrence Central also won no captions. In 2003, Westfield High School (Houston, TX) won by .05 of a point over Ronald Reagan High School (San Antonio, TX). 2001 also presented the closest gap between several groups, with 1st Lawrence Central High School and 5th Marian Catholic High School separated by less-than-one-point.
*The longest streak of consecutive BOA Grand National Finals appearances belongs to Marian Catholic High School (1984- ).
*The longest streak of winning consecutive BOA Regional Championships belongs to Centerville High School (Centerville, OH) at 8 (2002-2006) They were Regional Champions at the Toledo, Massilon (twice), Pontiac ( 3 times), Youngstown and Atlanta Regionals.

References

External links

* [http://www.bands.org/ Official website]