Participating Director Information

Is my marching band eligible to enroll in a Bands of America event?

All high school bands are eligible to enroll in Bands of America Regional or Super Regional, and Grand National marching band championships. Bands do not have to enroll in a Regional Championship to enroll in Grand Nationals. All events are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Bands may choose competitive or input only participation. 

What are the registration requirements?

Registration is complete once an application form has been submitted, a consent form (Registration Signatures) signed and submitted by the band director and school principal, and the Registration Fee has been paid.  

Ready to register? Register online here. 

How do I register?

Register online or download the PDF to complete and register by mail.  

Register by February 28, 2021 to be eligible for the initial draw for preliminary performance times.  

You can complete your application online, with the option to pay online with a credit card, or offline with a check.  

Regardless of payment method, payment MUST be postmarked by the February 28 deadline for your application to be considered complete and eligible for the initial random draw. Online applications will still require a consent form. Your administrator listed on your online application will receive an online consent form by email immediately upon submission of your online application. 

Payment – either deposit option OR full amount – must be postmarked or submitted, online or by mail, with a completed application including administrator signature, by February 28 for a band to be considered for the initial draw for performance times. 

 Paper applications must include the signed consent form on page 1 of the paper application and payment (credit card or check only) to be considered complete. No purchase orders will be accepted as a method of payment to complete registrations.  

How are bands "classified"?

Per our commitment to re-evaluate the classification numbers of 2A-4A, classification numbers have been updated for 2018. Bands are classified by school enrollment, grades 10-12 only. Under our four-class system:

• Class A is up to 600 students
• Class AA is 601-1250
• Class AAA is 1251-1750
• Class AAAA is 1751 and above

The classification system was adopted by BOA in 2009 following a presentation of research on the enrollment of past participation at BOA to the Music for All Programmatic Advisory Committee, and it is intended to provide better enrollment balance at events. The system will be re-evaluated every three years. For purposes of determining enrollment, your principal must certify enrollment and consider all those students in the grades 10-12 population as reported on fall State and/or FTE funding reports.

How do I become eligible to participate in a Super Regional or Grand National Championships?

All of our events are non-qualifying, which means that all you have to do is have a complete registration in order to participate in Grand National Championships. You are not required to participate in another event prior to enrolling for Super Regionals or Grand Nationals.

What is a "complete registration"?

A complete registration consists of an application, a consent form, and payment. A Purchase Order UNFULFILLED or NOT PAID by February 28 will NOT be considered a registration complete by the postmark deadline of February 28, therefore not eligible for the random draw. 

Where do I find the consent form?

The consent form is attached to your confirmation email, and can also be found here.

Can I still enroll in a Bands of America event after February 28?

Yes. Equal priority scheduling will be granted to complete registrations that are postmarked on or before February 28. After February 28, preliminary performance times are based on the postmark of completed applications, with the earlier postmark receiving the later performance time, if space is available. Many of our events still have available space after the February 28 deadline.

Now that I have applied for a Bands of America event, what’s next?

We will be processing all applications during the month of March. We will begin releasing schedules in April, starting with Grand National Championships in early April, followed by Super Regionals in late April or early May, and finishing with Regionals by the end of May. You will receive a separate tentative performance time email for each event.

If I choose to pay the deposit when I enroll, when is the remaining balance due?

Balances must be paid in full by May 15.

How do I know if you have received all of my materials?

Please refer to the Directors’ Checklist if you want to verify that we have received all of your required forms.

Why do you need copyright documentation?

Music for All takes care to comply with copyright laws and requires compliance by those who participate in our events. Music for All insists that its participants demonstrate that they have complied with the law by providing evidence of written permission from copyright owners to perform custom musical arrangements. By doing so, we can also meet our own obligations to acquire live performance, mechanical, and synchronization rights. Musical arrangements may not be duplicated or recorded in any form by the user, without permission from the copyright owner. 

How many bands can compete at each event?

In general, Regionals have a capacity of 32, Super Regionals have a capacity of 84, and Grand National Championships has a capacity of 112. A lower capacity may be determined for particular venues.

How are the bands scored?

Music Performance Individual
Possible Total – 20
Music Performance Individual judge is located on the field. 

Music Performance Ensemble
Possible Total – 20
Music Performance Ensemble judge is located at a vantage point from above.  

Visual Performance Individual
Possible Total – 20
Visual Performance Individual judge is located on the field. 

Visual Performance Ensemble
Possible Total – 20
Visual Performance Ensemble judge is located at a vantage point from above. 

Music General Effect
Possible Total – 40
There are two Music General Effect judges, located above, each with 20 possible points that are then added for a total of 40 possible General Effect Music points. 

Visual General Effect
Possible Total – 20
Visual General Effect judge is located at a vantage point from above. 

• Music Performance scores are averaged for a total of 20 possible points. 
• Visual Performance scores are averaged – possible 20 points. 
• Music and Visual averages are added to the G.E. Music total (40) and G.E. visual score (20) for a possible total of 100 points. 
• Any penalties are then deducted for the final score. 

How are schedules determined?

Complete registrations received on or before the designated postmark date of February 28 are eligible for the initial random draw. After February 28, performance times, if available, will be based on the postmark of application, with the earlier postmark receiving the later performance time. 

A complete registration consists of an application, a signed consent form (Registration Signatures), and payment. 

If more applications are received by February 28 than spots in a show, a Bands of America point system is used to determine which bands are eligible for the initial draw. Points are allotted based on band participation in BOA events over the previous four years. The 2021 BOA Point System will incorporate a band’s participation from the 2016 through 2019 fall marching band seasons. Bands can earn a maximum of 12 points, with a maximum of three points earned per year. For each year, 1 point is awarded for total Regional and Super Regional participation, and 2 points awarded for Grand Nationals participation. The point system does not affect performance times in any other way. 

Additional Scheduling Considerations for Regional Championships 

Any 2019 Regional Champion (with complete registration submitted on or before February 28) is given its choice of prelim performance time at the equivalent event they won the previous year.   

Additional Scheduling Considerations for Super Regionals Championships  

The structure/procedure (in order of consideration) for Day of Performance is as follows:  

Any 2019 Bands of America (BOA) Regional Champion, the 2019 Grand National Champion or the 2019 Grand National Class Champion enrolled in the event may choose its day of performance (Friday or Saturday). Note: 2020 BOA Championships were not held due to the pandemic; 2019 Champions will be honored for 2021 scheduling.   

Bands that request a Friday performance draw slot on their enrollment application will be assigned to perform on Friday.   

The 30 bands that are the farthest distance from the performance venue will be given priority for a Saturday Prelim performance time. After Saturday slots have been filled, the remaining participating bands (those geographically closest to the performance venue), will have a Prelim performance time on Friday. 

Distance is determined by using mileage information from school street address to stadium street address obtained from Google Maps.  

In the event that performance spots remain in the show, bands that apply after the postmarked date of February 28 will be placed in the earliest prelim times on Friday.  

I had a complete registration by the February 28 deadline. Why has my band been waitlisted?

When an event receives an amount of complete registrations by the February 28 deadline that exceeds our capacity, the Bands of America point system is used to determine which bands are eligible for the initial draw. Points are allotted based on band participation in BOA events over the previous four years. Bands can earn a maximum of 12 points, with a maximum of three points earned per year. For each year, 1 point is awarded for total Regional and Super Regional participation, and 2 points awarded for Grand Nationals participation. The point system does not affect performance times in any other way. Beginning with 12-point bands, spots will be taken until there are more bands with a particular point value than there are spots remaining. Example: If there are five spots left in the show and seven 1-point bands have complete registrations, a draw between these seven bands will determine who receives the final five spots. The two 1-point bands that did not receive spots will start the waitlist, followed by 0-point bands with complete registrations by the February 28 deadline, and ending with bands with complete registrations after February 28.

How is the event format different for Super Regionals?

Music for All has experienced an increased demand for participation in our Super Regional Championships, particularly the San Antonio Super Regional. We have a responsibility to provide access for as many bands as possible to our Bands of America Championships.

In order to provide the opportunity for more bands to participate, the Super Regional format for 2021 allows for an increased maximum of 80 bands at the Super Regionals, utilizing two judging panels for preliminary competition. Prelims will take place over two days, with a maximum of 50 bands on Friday, 30 bands on Saturday, and Finals Saturday evening.

 What is the date change and refund policy?

Because Bands of America uses a large number of collegiate facilities, certain dates on this schedule cannot be finalized until affected conferences issue final fall football and television schedules. Any schedule changes will be communicated to all participating bands. “Postmark” dates and Participation Cooperative Fees will be “protected” should a site or date change require you to transfer to another BOA Regional date/site, or withdraw. Participation Cooperative Fees are not otherwise refundable or transferable from one event to another. We reserve the right to cancel a Regional if 18 bands are not registered by May 15, 2021.  

DEPOSIT OPTION for applications submitted by 3/31 only 

Your school may choose to pay a deposit for your initial payment if your registration is submitted prior to March 31, 2021. All balances must be paid in full by May 15, 2021. Bands that have not paid full fees by May 15, 2021 will forfeit their performance draw. If fees are not paid by May 31, 2021, the application will be canceled without refund. For applications submitted after March 31, 2021, the deposit option is not available, and the full fee must be submitted. Deposits made after February 28 will not be eligible for the initial draw for performance times.  

Refund Policy 

• If you cancel prior to March 31, you will forfeit a $200 per show non-refundable portion of your amount paid.   
• If you cancel after March 31, but prior to May 15, you will forfeit 50% of the Deposit Option amount per show.  
• The full registration fee is due by May 15 or your spot in the show is forfeited and no refund issued.  
• If you cancel for any reason after May 15, all fees paid are forfeited and no refund issue.   
• All refunds under this policy will be made by December 31, 2021. Monies cannot be "held over" for future years except in the case of event date changes made by Bands of America. Bands with balances due for prior years may not enroll in future BOA events until such balances are paid. 

Can I use the BOA adjudication system for my own event?

Music for All believes that its Bands of America Adjudication System is a model for successful teaching and evaluation. If you would like to use the BOA adjudication sheets for your show or circuit, they are available for licensing. See License Agreement at the end of the Handbook or call BOA at 800.848.2263 for more information.  

Still have questions? Email fall@musicforall.org