Bands Of America

Bands of America (BOA) is the host of regional championships for high school marching bands throughout the United States, including the annual Bands of America Grand National Championships. Established in 1975 as Marching Bands of America (MBA), founder Larry McCormick (3)'s goal was to provide educational opportunities for music students nationwide. McCormick organized the first annual Summer Workshop and Festival in 1976. Renamed Bands of America in 1984, the organization became an independent, tax-exempt entity in 1988. In 2006, Bands of America merged with the Music for All Foundation, a music education advocacy organization, becoming the flagship program of the combined organization. Since 1975, Bands of America's various programs, services and events have served approximately 1.75 million music students. Approximately 450,000 spectators attend Bands of America championships every year. From 1980 to 1989, Bands of America hosted an annual Summer National Championship in June. The adjudication manual and contest procedures utilized by Bands of America have been licensed to or adopted by other organizations. As a result, Bands of America functions as a de facto governing body who determines the adjudication and competitive attributes of marching band competitions throughout the United States. History Larry McCormick (3) established Marching Bands of America in 1975 as a subsidiary of McCormick's Enterprises, a music education supplies company. The goal was to provide a unique education and performance opportunity for music students nationwide. In 1976, Marching Bands of America hosted the first annual Summer Workshop and Festival on the campus of University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Included in the program was the first Grand National Championship, whose inaugural champions were Kosciusko (Mississippi) and Live Oak (California) high schools. From 1980 onward, Grand National Championships were hosted in November. The Summer Workshop and Festival was relaunched as the Summer National Championships, which continued until 1989. Marching Bands of America was spun-off as an independent entity by McCormick's, beginning in 1983, which was incorporated as Bands of America, Inc. in 1984. L. Scott McCormick, son of founder McCormick's Enterprises, was named CEO of the new Bands of America in 1985, after serving as interim-CEO. In 1988, Bands of America was awarded tax-exempt status, retroactive to 1984. The Student Leadership Workshop began as part of the Summer Workshop and Festival in 1988, which was relaunched as the annual Summer Symposium in 1990. Bands of America began a recurring program of honor ensembles in 1992 with the creation of the Honor Band of America. The Honor Band's first performance was at the National Concert Band Festival established by Bands of America to rekindle the "concert band tradition in America as exemplified by the National Band Contest in the 1930s." Also in 1992, the Summer Band Symposium became a resident program at Illinois State University. The symposium has since been hosted by Indiana University and Ball State University. The Honor Orchestra of America premiered at the National Concert Band Festival in 2005, launching the Orchestra of America program. In 2006, Bands of America merged with the Music for All Foundation, a music education advocacy organization. Bands of America became a subsidiary of Music For All, and its flagship program, with L. Scott McCormick becoming the combined organization's CEO. Other programs operated by Bands of America, such as Orchestra and Honor Band of America, were operated directly by Music for All beginning in 2007.