Participating Director Information

You MUST complete the following forms before your band can take the field at a Bands of America Championship.

Click here to download the schedule of deadlines as a PDF.

Due September 1, 2020:

• Copyright Report
• Information Form
• Director Name Badge & Additional Credentials Form
• Student Roster Submission Form
• Bus/Truck Parking Pass Request Form
• Enrollment Verification Form
  *The Enrollment Verification Form will be sent directly to your principal.

Due August 10, 2020

• Program Book & Script Form

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

As long as your band meets the eligibility for participation as defined by the Bands of America Official Procedures and Adjudication Handbook, you may enroll in any of our events. All Bands of America events are non-qualifying.

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 signed consent form, and payment (either the deposit or full fee).

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 January 31?

Yes. Equal priority scheduling will be granted to complete registrations that are postmarked on or before January 31. After January 31, 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 January 31 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 February. We will begin releasing schedules in March, starting with Grand National Championships in early March, followed by Super Regionals in late March or early April, and finishing with Regionals by the end of April. 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.

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 schedules determined?

During the month of February, the postmark date for all applications will be evaluated. All complete registrations that are postmarked on or before January 31 will be put in the random draw to determine the prelim competition schedule. After January 31, preliminary performance times are based on the postmark of completed applications, with the earlier postmark receiving the later performance time, if space is available.

I had a complete registration by the January 31 deadline. Why has my band been waitlisted?

When an event receives an amount of complete registrations by the January 31 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 January 31 deadline, and ending with bands with complete registrations after January 31.

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 2019 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.

Still have questions? Email fall@musicforall.org