BANDS OF AMERICA

'Bands of America' (BOA) 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 which has been held since 1984 in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, attracting many high school marching bands in the country, although no performance qualifications are required to compete. In 2007, regional competitions will be held in Oxford, OH, Ypsilanti, MI, Houston, TX, Clarksville, TN, Youngstown, OH, Arlington, TX, El Paso, TX, St. Petersburg, FL, Towson, MD, Connecticut/New York, Flagstaff, AZ, 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, early-season, non-competitive events. The 2007 Fall Previews will take place in Carmel, IN, Cleveland, TN, Owasso, OK, Ft. Mill, SC and Midlothian, TX.
In addition to marching band events, BOA also organizes concert band festivals and symposiums, musical and leadership clinics, as well as the Honor Band of America and 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 school students from across the nation come together in Normal, 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.
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 (later renamed RCA Dome in the 1990s).
Grand Nationals was also held in the Pontiac (MI) 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.
In March of 2007, for the first time in Bands of America history, two middle school bands also competed: Rising Starr Middle School Symphonic Band from Fayetteville, GA (with director Steven Tyndall), and Bailey Middle School Wind Ensemble from Austin, TX (with director Bill Haehnel). They performed in the Clowes Memorial Hall in Inianapolis, Indiana.
Bands of America is an operating division of Music for All.

Contents

Past Grand National Champions

Summer National Championships

Trivia

External links

Past Grand National Champions

★ 2006 - Broken Arrow High School, OK
'Show 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, IN
'Show Title:' Suspended Symbols

'Musical Selections:'

Original Music (Richard Saucedo)




★ 2004 - Lawrence Central High School, IN
'Show Title:' La Rosa

'Musical Selections:'

Desolation (Arturo Rodriguez)

Danzon (Arturo Marquez)

Spanish Fantasy, Part IV (Chick Corea)




★ 2003 - Westfield High School, TX
'Show 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, GA
'Show Title:' Liturgical Sketches

'Musical Selections:'

Ballet Exaltare (David Holsinger)

Requiem Aeternam (John Rutter)

Lassitare: The Old 100th Doxology




★ 2001 - Lawrence Central High School, IN
'Show 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, IL
'Show Title:' The Tragic Medusa

'Musical Selections:'

Gorgon (Christoper Rouse)

Flute Concerto (Christpoher Rouse)

Phantasmata (Christoper Rouse)




★ 1999 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, MI
'Show Title:' Thoughtcrime

'Musical Selections:'

Circuits (Cindy McTee)

Lex from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)

Red Cape Tango from Metropolis Symphony (Michael Daugherty)




★ 1998 - Lassiter High School, GA
'Show Title:' The Wind and the Lion

'Musical Selections:'

Music from The Wind and the Lion (Jerry Goldsmith)




★ 1997 - Marian Catholic High School, IL
'Show Title:' Portraits of the Orient




★ 1996 - Lake Park High School, IL
'Musical Selections:'

Vesti La Guibba (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)

Pique Dame (Peter Tchaikovsky)

La Danza

Nessun Dorma! (Giacomo Puccini)




★ 1995 - Center Grove High School, IN
'Show Title:' A Journey into the Adventure Zone: Music of Stephen Melillo




★ 1994 - Marian Catholic High School, IL



★ 1993 - Spring High School, TX
'Show Title:' The Music of Paul Hindemith

'Musical Selections:'

Symphony in Bb (Paul Hindemith)

Symphonic Metamorphosis (Paul Hindemith)




★ 1992 - Centerville High School, OH

★ 1991 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, MI

★ 1990 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, MI

★ 1989 - Marian Catholic High School, IL

★ 1988 - Marian Catholic High School, IL

★ 1987 - Marian Catholic High School, IL

★ 1986 - Rocky Mount Senior High School, NC

★ 1985 - Marian Catholic High School, IL

★ 1984 - Rocky Mount Senior High School, NC

★ 1983 - Rocky Mount Senior High School, NC

★ 1982 - Norwin High School, PA

★ 1981 - Chesterton High School, IN

★ 1980 - J.M. Tate High School, FL

Summer 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

★ 1977 - Murray High School, Murray, KY [1]

★ 1976 - Live Oak High School Emerald Regime, Morgan Hills, CA

★ 1975 - Holmes High School Covington, Kentucky

Trivia

★ The largest points gap between first and second place at BOA Grand Nationals was 5.60 set in 1988 by Marian Catholic High School.

External links

★ Official website