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BDPA and USBands Establish Nationwide Pageantry Arts Network

Investment in 2020 sets the foundation for year-round participation in the pageantry arts

During these uncertain times, the continuation and relevance of scholastic music is more important than ever. BD Performing Arts (BDPA) and USBands have announced a significant investment in the future of the marching arts, through the end of 2020 and beyond, to provide rewarding and fulfilling experiences for talented young people in the activity.

The creation of this new nationwide music network is the first step toward serving educators and students year-round while preserving the educational community’s standards, traditions and culture in each region. Through this ground-breaking arrangement, BDPA now adds the management and operation of USBands to its existing roster of scholastic marching arts groups, national educational events, and the Western Band Association.

“We’re investing in the pageantry arts today by providing world class services for 2020 and looking ahead to an exciting future of growth and expansion for the activity,” said Shaun Gallant, CEO of BDPA. “We understand the importance of music education in the development of young people, and now more than ever are committed to providing top quality experiences and education for student performers across the country.”

USBands will remain under the leadership of Executive Director, Sean King, with Eric Kitchenman and Virginia Kraft serving in the areas of adjudicator and ensemble relations. Members of the BDPA team will provide vital administrative assistance with events and innovative technology solutions, and USBands operations will rely upon an active Advisory Board led by volunteers with decades of experience including Matt Chamberlin, Jon Swengler and Kevin White. Additional members of the USBands Advisory Board will be announced shortly, and will represent educators, academia, adjudicators, parents, and students. Separate Task Forces and Steering Committees for each of the USBands stakeholder groups will be established this fall.

"Our vision has been to develop a network for the pageantry arts that creates an environment of excellence and inclusiveness,” said Sean King, Executive Director of USBands. “Building upon three decades of commitment to our participating schools and students, this investment is the realization of that vision having found a like-minded partner in BDPA that also shares in that goal.”

USBands will continue to be sponsored by their trusted and loyal partners including the Yamaha Corporation of America, DeMoulin Bros. & Co., Zildjian & Vic Firth, Remo Inc., the BAND Mobile App, FloMarching and PepWear.

For more information on USBands and the new nationwide pageantry arts network, please visit usbands.org or follow USBands on social media at facebook.com/usbands.

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Fascinating. USBands had become popular and runs most shows in Idaho, but hasn't gotten much of a foothold elsewhere in the West. I remember USBands trying a few southern California shows here and there that received minimal attendance. 

BDPA took over the WBA (Western Band Association) which then took over MBOS (Marching Band Open Series), and those two circuits cover most of the top flight bands across California and southern Nevada. 

WBA gets most of the top bands in California and is the only statewide circuit, but still only claims about a quarter of the total number of competing field bands in California. There's some overlap between categories, but this is the number of bands I have tracked competing in each circuit over the past four years (2016-2019):

SCSBOA (Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association) - 314 total, 305 from CA

WBA (Western Band Association) - 210 total, 164 from CA

CSBC (California State Band Championships) - 154 total, 154 from CA

NCBA (Northern California Band Association) - 94 total, 79 from CA

For me, it will be interesting to see how BDPA tries to insert USBands into the California landscape. Both the WBA and SCSBOA seem to be love/hate circuits: many of the band directors I've talked to are very much "all in" for one or the other. The NCBA is slowly fading. The CSBC's focus seems to be largely beginner/entry-level or other bands that just don't have the resources to compete at the level WBA requires (though the CSBC has produces a couple of really good bands, like BOA Regional Finalist Gahr H.S.)

 

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9 minutes ago, hostrauser said:

Fascinating. USBands had become popular and runs most shows in Idaho, but hasn't gotten much of a foothold elsewhere in the West. I remember USBands trying a few southern California shows here and there that received minimal attendance. 

BDPA took over the WBA (Western Band Association) which then took over MBOS (Marching Band Open Series), and those two circuits cover most of the top flight bands across California and southern Nevada. 

WBA gets most of the top bands in California and is the only statewide circuit, but still only claims about a quarter of the total number of competing field bands in California. There's some overlap between categories, but this is the number of bands I have tracked competing in each circuit over the past four years (2016-2019):

SCSBOA (Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association) - 314 total, 305 from CA

WBA (Western Band Association) - 210 total, 164 from CA

CSBC (California State Band Championships) - 154 total, 154 from CA

NCBA (Northern California Band Association) - 94 total, 79 from CA

For me, it will be interesting to see how BDPA tries to insert USBands into the California landscape. Both the WBA and SCSBOA seem to be love/hate circuits: many of the band directors I've talked to are very much "all in" for one or the other. The NCBA is slowly fading. The CSBC's focus seems to be largely beginner/entry-level or other bands that just don't have the resources to compete at the level WBA requires (though the CSBC has produces a couple of really good bands, like BOA Regional Finalist Gahr H.S.)

 

this pretty much covers the areas BOA isn't big in. USBands is big from Maine to Virginia, maybe down into NC, I can't remember, plus they have had some Texas shows

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37 minutes ago, hostrauser said:

Fascinating. USBands had become popular and runs most shows in Idaho, but hasn't gotten much of a foothold elsewhere in the West. I remember USBands trying a few southern California shows here and there that received minimal attendance. 

BDPA took over the WBA (Western Band Association) which then took over MBOS (Marching Band Open Series), and those two circuits cover most of the top flight bands across California and southern Nevada. 

WBA gets most of the top bands in California and is the only statewide circuit, but still only claims about a quarter of the total number of competing field bands in California. There's some overlap between categories, but this is the number of bands I have tracked competing in each circuit over the past four years (2016-2019):

SCSBOA (Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association) - 314 total, 305 from CA

WBA (Western Band Association) - 210 total, 164 from CA

CSBC (California State Band Championships) - 154 total, 154 from CA

NCBA (Northern California Band Association) - 94 total, 79 from CA

For me, it will be interesting to see how BDPA tries to insert USBands into the California landscape. Both the WBA and SCSBOA seem to be love/hate circuits: many of the band directors I've talked to are very much "all in" for one or the other. The NCBA is slowly fading. The CSBC's focus seems to be largely beginner/entry-level or other bands that just don't have the resources to compete at the level WBA requires (though the CSBC has produces a couple of really good bands, like BOA Regional Finalist Gahr H.S.)

 

Interesting. I don't follow bands but all of those circuits sounds like those boxing title belts. 

 

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Welcome to the future of Drum Corps. DCI signing with Varsity will be the end of DCI. Their tendency to control everything (including scoring penalties for not using their equipment, serioisly, can you imagine Rennick being penalized a point for not using Yamaha drums or IP sticks, that equivalent happens in Varsity cheerleading events) will end DCI. 
 

This, or something like this, will end up succeeding DCI. 

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12 minutes ago, Buick93 said:

Welcome to the future of Drum Corps. DCI signing with Varsity will be the end of DCI. Their tendency to control everything (including scoring penalties for not using their equipment, serioisly, can you imagine Rennick being penalized a point for not using Yamaha drums or IP sticks, that equivalent happens in Varsity cheerleading events) will end DCI. 
 

This, or something like this, will end up succeeding DCI. 

Wrong.  Unfounded accusation not corroborated with facts.

Your post is off-topic; there's a thread for that.

 

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16 minutes ago, Buick93 said:

Welcome to the future of Drum Corps. DCI signing with Varsity will be the end of DCI. Their tendency to control everything (including scoring penalties for not using their equipment, serioisly, can you imagine Rennick being penalized a point for not using Yamaha drums or IP sticks, that equivalent happens in Varsity cheerleading events) will end DCI. 
 

This, or something like this, will end up succeeding DCI. 

I don't think Varsity is going to have quite that much control over DCI.

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