How to Participate in a Marching Band Competition

If you're eager to have your school participate in a marching band competition, you should have no trouble finding opportunities. Contests abound, especially for high school bands. You can participate at the district, regional and state levels. If you feel your marching band is one of the best in the nation, set your sights on the prestigious Bands of America (BOA) competition or the U.S. Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) competition.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Marching band
• Application fee
• Application
• Show routine

Participate in a Marching Band Competition

1. Try the site Marching.com for a comprehensive listing of high school marching competitions (see Resources below).

2. Determine which division your school qualifies for. Most competitions break into four or five divisions, based on the size of the school or band.

3. Apply for the competition prior to the deadline, taking care to double check that you complete all forms and send in all required fees.

4. Follow the instructions in your registration packet, and watch the competition's website for any updates.

5. Show up on competition day with your band ready to perform!

Tips & Warnings

• If your marching band is dedicated to winning competitions, you can use the half time shows at your school's football games as practice for the "real thing." While you always want to perform at your peak level, videotaping your halftime shows and playing them back can help you find and correct weaknesses before you get to the competition stage.
• Take advantage of every chance to have your band perform publicly before the main event. Some state competitions do not require that you compete at district or regional levels to qualify to participate in the state championships, but it is highly recommended that you do so. This will give your marching band confidence, and expose them to the psychological and emotional challenges of competitive marching early on.
• Pick up a copy of "The Marching Band Handbook: Competitions, Instruments, Clinics, Fundraising, Publicity, Uniforms, Accessories, Trophies, Drum Corps, Twirling, Color Guard, Indoor Guard, Music," by Kim R. Holston, at Amazon (see Resources below).
• Be sure to stay on top of deadlines, and get your application forms and fees in ahead of time. Use certified mail to show proof that you mailed in your application, and call the competition officials to verify that they received your application packet.

Resources

• Competitions listed at Marching.com

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