Six Takeaways from the BOA 2024 Enrollment Drop
Drum Corps show announcements are dropping left and right, for better or worse. Tickets are arriving in the mail (my Celebrations in Brass tickets arrived last week). People are microwaving their backpacks. Personally, I’m still microdosing the high of the past WGI season by getting in my daily watch of Avon World, but it’s time to accept that it’s summer band time… which is exactly why I come bearing an article about the upcoming fall band season.
Twenty-six Regionals, three Super Regionals, and one packed-to-the-brim Grand National Championships make up the largest Bands of America season in the history of the organization – at the time of writing, the Music For All website lists over 650 unique ensembles across 30 events, not counting bands on the waitlist or who have yet to pay their entry fee. This means that the next time you see a boomer with a sepia-toned, Aussie-wearing profile picture go on about how “the activity is dying” you’re allowed to destroy them with devastating facts and logic. You can even say I sent you.
In no particular order of urgency, let’s talk about six of the most notable conclusions we can draw from last week’s information drop:
The San Antonio Super Regional could be the least-attended Super of the year for the first time since 2015
Regularly touted as the circuit’s most competitive event, the San Antonio Super Regional continues to wrestle with Every Year State and the allure of out-of-state trips. Currently sitting at 72 attendees, San Antonio sits tied with St. Louis and Indianapolis dwarfs both at a full 89, five above a full enrollment of 84. Biloxi (MS) and Organ Mountain (NM) are looking to cash in on some out-of-stater luck as the only non-Texas participants registered so far.
With 14 Affiliate Events, the total number of BOA-sanctioned contests is 44, more than ever before
Counting multiple-day events, that’s 49 days spread across the nation, or over a month and a half of band. In comparison, fellow national circuit USBands will facilitate 130+ events this year.
Bands of America finally returns to the Pacific Northwest with the Moscow, Idaho Regional
Currently being warmed up by Santa Clara Vanguard for spring training, the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome will welcome bands from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho on October 12th. This will be the first BOA event in the Pacific Northwest since 2016 and the first full contest since 2014. Go Vandals!
Grand Nationals this year could set the record for the most bands in attendance
The previous record was set in 2018 at 108 attendees, one less than the current enrollment of 109. Will this number hold, or will we see a couple of last-minute drops to put this year into a very respectable second place?
Vista Murrieta (CA) will travel more than 2,000 miles to attend the BOA Orlando Regional at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
While this may seem like an unfathomable distance to attend a regional contest (at least a day of flying), it isn’t even close to the farthest a band has traveled for a Bands of America contest. That honor goes to Mililani (HI) and Maui (HI), who both traveled close to 4,300 miles to attend Grand Nationals in 2017. Hey, at least they’re going to Disney World!
New Semifinals performance time procedures may not be used at all
Without spending the time to explain the new procedure rule (I’ll save that for closer to the actual event), new protocol for this season mandates that, if one A or AA band scores in the Next 8 for Semifinals, they will be moved up to perform with the rest of the A and AA (and possibly AAA) class representatives at the end of the round. But with groups like Archbishop Alter (OH), Bourbon County (KY), Marian Catholic (IL), Argyle (TX), Catawba Ridge (SC), and Jenison (MI) all in the A and AA classes, it’s hard to see a situation where only one makes it into the Next 8, if not higher.
Hattie Bartlett is an experienced marching arts content creator. As a former member of the color guard, she has traveled across the country covering events with GEM, WGI, and Box5, as well as informally commentating via HornRank. In her life outside of the marching arts (which isn’t much), Hattie is the media director at a local business and is thrilled to be starting her classroom career this fall. She would like to shout out BandScores and Sam Mohler for their help in creating this article and dedicates it to her grandmother, Sue, who has always been her most enthusiastic supporter.
