State Marching Titles

[Samuel Culper]

Does anybody know how many and which states hold annual state marching contests?

[HighSchoolBandNerd212]

Here's a partial list of some states that have state marching contests, with their respective hosting organizations.

 

 

California: WBA

Colorado: CBA

Florida: FMBC

Illinois: University of Illinois Bands

Indiana: ISSMA

Kansas: KBA (New)

Kentucky: KMEA

Nebraska: NSBA

Oklahoma: OBA/OSSAA

South Carolina: SC Band Directors Association

Texas: UIL

Wisconsin: WSMA

 

Trying to make this list was a pain because there is no certain type of organization that sponsor state marching contests, making it hard to know what to search for in the many trenches of the Internet.

[Xenon]

California: WBA

California has WBA (Western Band Association), SCSBOA (Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association), and NCBA (Northern California Band Association), and unfortunately none of them gets a full representation across all of the bands in the state the way that UIL does for TX.

 

Also, Michigan has MCBA (Michigan Competing Band Association).

[takigan]

There are several states like California.  Take Louisiana for example.  They have a statewide circuit (called Louisiana Marching Band Circuit - LMBC) but they're largely ignored, with only 16 member schools (and not even very many of the best ones, like Lafayette).

2 other organizations, LMEA and SLBDA (Southern La. Band Directors Assoc.) do what they call "District Assessments" (think Region UIL Marching, but with no Area advancement in existence at all).  They also cover events like All-State and Solo and Ensemble contests, but even the most participated of these events don't attract more than 70% of the state's band programs.

As Texans we should feel fortunate to have organizations like UIL to provide a near universally participated state marching circuit, a meticulously carved and refined Perscribed Music List (PML) which features the highest quality literature by the greatest composers who've ever lived, UIL Solo and Ensemble contests and Concert and Sightreading for thousands of ensembles across the entire state.  We should also be grateful for TMEA which provides teacher development, job networking and a music industry presence, in addition to a grueling All-State band competition and Honor Band call for tapes, which showcase some of the finest young musicians on the face of the planet at a state convention which rivals the Midwest Convention in size and scope, despite being just a single state teacher's co-op.  Both Oklahoma's and Louisiana's versions of "TMEA" meet in a single hotel convention hall.  TMEA meets at a large convention center/theatre multiplex and sells out hotels all over the city of San Antonio.

[HighSchoolBandNerd212]

2 other organizations, LMEA and SLBDA (Southern La. Band Directors Assoc.) do what they call "District Assessments" (think Region UIL Marching, but with no Area advancement in existence at all).  They also cover events like All-State and Solo and Ensemble contests, but even the most participated of these events don't attract more than 70% of the state's band programs.

 

ASBOA (Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association) also covers at least some of the same events as LMEA and SLBDA.

 

And is UIL a rarity in that it governs both athletic, academic, and some music activities as opposed to either just athletic/academic or music activities?