Western Band Association

Youth marching band organization

Western Band Association

Logo

Abbreviation| WBA
Formation| 1979; 46 years ago (1979)
Founders|

* Mike Rubino
* Ramiro Barrera
* Dan Smith
* Gary Runsten
* Mel Stratton

Type| 501(c)(3) organization

Tax ID no.

| 01-0560311
Purpose| To ensure a high quality, educationally sound performing experience in full support of the total band program
Headquarters| Chino, California

Region

* California
* Nevada
* Arizona

Executive Director

| Rob van Loben Sels

Adjudicator Coordinator

* Mike Stone
* George Oliviero

Event Director

| Brian Nunez

Formerly called

| Western States Marching Band Conference (WSMBC)

The Western Band Association (WBA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes high school music education in California, Arizona and Nevada. Specifically, the WBA organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Its championships event is considered to be one of the largest marching band championships in the United States.[1]

In addition to marching band events, WBA also organizes concert band festivals, symposia, and musical and leadership clinics. In 2008, over 12,000 students in 133 bands performed in WBA events in multiple competitions hosted throughout the state.[1]

## History

[edit]

The Western Band Association was started in 1979 by marching band directors from five Northern and Central California high schools: Mike Rubino (Live Oak High School), Ramiro Barrera (James Logan High School), Dan Smith (Independence High School), Gary Runsten (Modesto High School) and Mel Stratton (Clovis High School).

In 1984, Gary Gilroy (Moreau High School) coined the name "WSMBC" Western States Marching Band Conference, which would later be shortened to WBA by Ramiro Barrera (James Logan High School) in 2002. The first WSMBC Championship was held in conjunction with the 1984 Music Bowl Prelims at James Logan High School. In 1995, John Hannan (Mission Viejo High School) helped expand the organization's efforts to include Southern California bands as well.

In recent years,[when?] bands have also competed under the "WBA" banner from nearby states, including Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. The scoring system also grew to become a two-tiered criteria based curriculum designed for bands of various size memberships, assuring that the small band would have the same opportunity as the large band to achieve a high score measuring their unique orchestration and design options.

In 2006, the competition schedule has grown to offer consecutive contests in each of the three Regions (Northern, Central and Southern California) helping to alleviate the costs of travel for the bands.

In 2012, James Logan High School and Ayala High School tied for first place at the WBA Championships, with both scoring 93.40. However, the tie was broken based on Ayala's General Effect score. The tiebreaker settled Ayala as the WBA Champions.

## Marching band circuit

[edit]

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|

The WBA organizes a marching band circuit with competitions held throughout October and November leading up to the circuit championship competition.

### Historic classes

[edit]

Available classes:

1984–1999  | 2000–2003  | 2004–present

|
|

A-60  | 1A
A-90

3A  | 3A
4A  | 4A

### Class alignment

[edit]

Below is an incomplete table of class alignments based on number of performers. Classes were re-aligned in 2021, 2023, and 2024.[2]

Class  | 2004–2021  | 2021–2023  | 2023–2024  | 2024–present

|
|
|
|

1A | up to 60  | up to 45  | up to 50  | up to 60
2A | 61–80  | 45–65  | 51–70  | 61–80
3A | 81–100  | 65–85  | 71–90  | 81–110
4A | 101–140  | 86–115  | 91–125  | 111–141
5A | 141 or more  | 116 or more  | 126 or more  | 141 to more

### Championship format

[edit]

Class champions are determined at the conclusion of preliminary competition. After prelims, the bands then move on to one of two finals competitions: the A/AA/AAA Championship and the AAAA/AAAAA Championship. The top three bands from each division move on to their respective championship and the remaining field is filled by the next highest scoring bands.

The Finals field is composed of:

* The top 3 bands from each of Class A, AA, and AAA, then the next highest 6 bands from those 3 classifications combined (regardless of class and score) for a total of 15 bands in finals.
* The top three bands from each of Class AAAA and AAAAA, then the next highest 9 bands from those 2 classifications combined (regardless of class and score) for a total of 15 bands in finals.

## Adjudication

[edit]

Each individual judge is assigned to a specific caption (Individual and Ensemble Music, Individual and Ensemble Visual, General Effect, Auxiliary, and Percussion). General Effect and Music are each worth 30% of the total score, Visual is worth 20%, and Auxiliary and Percussion are each worth 10%.

Awards are released by division. The band with the highest award points for each caption per division is awarded a caption award, while the band with the most overall points in each division is awarded first place-prize. The band with most points in A/AA/AAA combined classes and AAAA/AAAAA combined classes are awarded a "sweepstakes award", with that band removed from the rankings of their class; the next band in placement in that class is moved to "first place" and so on (only for that class). Each competition will have two Sweepstakes winners, one each for A/AA/AAA and AAAA/AAAAA.

## Past champions

[edit]

Below is an incomplete list of past class champions and sweepstakes winners:

### Class champions

[edit]

Year  | 1A  | 2A  | 3A  | 4A  | 5A

|
|
|
|
|

2000
(17th) | Riverbank  | Trabuco Hills | Buchanan | James Logan |
2001
(18th) | Buena | Live Oak | Buchanan  | James Logan
2002
(19th) | Gilroy  | Live Oak | Buchanan  | James Logan
2003
(20th) | Newbury Park | Valley Christian | El Toro | Clovis West
2004
(21st) | Modesto  | Live Oak  | Valley View | Cerritos | James Logan
2005
(22nd) | Newbury Park  | Live Oak  | Fred C. Beyer | Trabuco Hills  | James Logan
2006
(23rd) | Newbury Park  | Independence | Fred C. Beyer  | Nogales  | James Logan
2007
(24th) | Live Oak  | Independence  | Fred C. Beyer  | Fountain Valley | James Logan
2008
(25th) | Live Oak  | Madera South  | Fred C. Beyer  | El Diamante  | James Logan
2009
(26th) | Live Oak  | Valley Christian  | Los Alamitos  | Trabuco Hills  | James Logan
2010
(27th) | Live Oak  | Clovis North  | Los Alamitos  | El Diamante  | James Logan
2011
(28th) | Peninsula  | Clovis North  | Basha  | Granite Bay  | Ayala
(tie)
James Logan
2012
(29th) | Damien | Live Oak  | Trabuco Hills  | El Diamante  | Ayala
2013
(30th) | Damien  | Cerritos  | Nogales  | El Diamante  | Upland
2014
(31st) | Live Oak  | Cerritos  | Trabuco Hills  | Nogales  | Ayala
2015
(32nd) | The King's Academy  | Cerritos  | Clovis East  | Granite Bay  | Ayala
2016
(33rd) | The King's Academy  | Fred C. Beyer  | Cerritos  | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2017
(34th) | Independence  | Kingsburg  | Trabuco Hills  | Granite Bay  | James Logan
2018
(35th) | Championships cancelled
2019
(36th) | The King's Academy  | Oak Grove  | Mission Viejo  | Clovis North  | Chino Hills
2020
(37th) | Season cancelled
2021
(38th) | Regional championships only
2022
(39th) | The King's Academy  | El Toro  | Trabuco Hills  | Gahr  | Chino Hills
2023
(40th) | The King's Academy  | North  | Trabuco Hills  | Upland  | Chino Hills
2024
(41th) | Mission Viejo  | Fremont  | Trabuco Hills  | Clovis North  | James Logan

### Sweepstakes winners

[edit]

#### Combined 1A–3A Grand Champions

[edit]

Previously known as the Class A/AA Championship.

Year  | 3rd Place  | 2nd Place  | 1st Place

|
|
|

2000
(17th) | Valley Christian | Clayton Valley | Trabuco Hills
2001
(18th) | Bullard | Aliso Niguel | Live Oak
2002
(19th) | Aliso Niguel  | Bullard  | Live Oak
2003
(20th) | Aliso Niguel  | Bullard  | Valley Christian
2004
(21st) | Independence | Valley View | Valley Christian
2005
(22nd) | Valley Christian  | Aliso Niguel  | Fred C. Beyer
2006
(23rd) | Clovis | Valley Christian  | Fred C. Beyer
2007
(24th) | Aliso Niguel  | Chino Hills | Fred C. Beyer
2008
(25th) | Fred C. Beyer  | Clovis East | Aliso Niguel
2009
(26th) | Clovis East  | Fred C. Beyer  | Los Alamitos
2010
(27th) | Clovis North | Valley Christian  | Los Alamitos
2011
(28th) | Valley Christian  | Rancho Cucamonga | Basha
2012
(29th) | Los Alamitos  | Rancho Cucamonga  | Trabuco Hills
2013
(30th) | Los Alamitos  | Nogales | Clovis North
2014
(31st) | Chaffey  | Cerritos  | Trabuco Hills
2015
(32nd) | Live Oak | Clovis East  | Cerritos
2016
(33rd) | Los Alamitos  | Cerritos  | Trabuco Hills
2017
(34th) | Cerritos  | Fountain Valley  | Trabuco Hills
2018
(35th) | Championships cancelled
2019
(36th) | Los Alamitos  | Rowland  | Mission Viejo
2020
(37th) | Season cancelled
2021
(38th) | Regional championships only
2022
(39th) | The King's Academy  | Fountain Valley  | Trabuco Hills
2023
(40th) | Branham  | The King's Academy  | Trabuco Hills
2024
(41st) | Trabuco Hills  | Granite Bay  | The King's Academy

#### Combined 4A–5A Grand Champions

[edit]

Previously known as the AAA/AAAA Championship.

Year  | 3rd Place  | 2nd Place  | 1st Place

|
|
|

2000
(17th) | Clovis West | Mission Viejo | James Logan
2001
(18th) | Clovis West  | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2002
(19th) | Clovis West  | Ayala | James Logan
2003
(20th) | Ayala  | Clovis West  | Mission Viejo
2004
(21st) | Upland | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2005
(22nd) | Mission Viejo  | Upland  | James Logan
2006
(23rd) | Ayala  | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2007
(24th) | Mission Viejo  | Upland  | James Logan
2008
(25th) | Ayala  | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2009
(26th) | Mission Viejo  | Ayala  | James Logan
2010
(27th) | Homestead | Mission Viejo  | James Logan
2011
(28th) | Upland  | Ayala
(tie)
James Logan
2012
(29th) | El Diamante  | James Logan  | Ayala
2013
(30th) | Mission Viejo  | James Logan  | Upland
2014
(31st) | Mission Viejo  | Ayala  | James Logan
2015
(32nd) | Upland  | James Logan  | Ayala
2016
(33rd) | Amador Valley  | Homestead  | James Logan
2017
(34th) | Homestead  | Ayala  | James Logan
2018
(35th) | Championships cancelled
2019
(36th) | Upland  | James Logan  | Chino Hills
2020
(37th) | Season cancelled
2021
(38th) | Regional championships only
2022
(39th) | James Logan  | Vista Murrieta  | Chino Hills
2023
(40th) | Clovis East | James Logan  | Chino Hills
2024
(41st) | Ayala  | Chino Hills  | James Logan

### 2021 Regional Championships

[edit]

The 2021 season concluded with a series of Regional Championships.

#### James Logan Invitational

[edit]

Class  | 3rd Place  | 2nd Place  | 1st Place

|
|
|

1A | Mountain House | Independence  | King's Academy
2A | San Benito | Oak Grove | Santa Teresa
3A | Monta Vista | Branham | Leigh
4A | Lynbrook | Milpitas | Granite Bay
5A | Amador Valley | Homestead  | James Logan

#### Kingsburg Viking Classic

[edit]

Class  | 3rd Place  | 2nd Place  | 1st Place

|
|
|

1A | Exeter Union  | Templeton  | Selma
2A | Hanford  | Sunnyside | Madera South
3A | No champion  | No champion  | Clovis West
4A | Golden West  | Kingsburg  | Clovis
5A | Lemoore  | Clovis East  | Clovis North

#### Trabuco Hills Tournament

[edit]

Class  | 3rd Place  | 2nd Place  | 1st Place

|
|
|

1A | Laguna Hills  | Torrance  | Don Antonio Lugo
2A | Palisades Charter  | Mission Viejo  | Rowland
3A | Murrieta Valley  | El Toro  | Mira Costa
4A | La Canada  | Trabuco Hills  | Upland
5A | Ayala  | Vista Murrieta  | Chino Hills

## See also

[edit]

* Bands of America
* Northwest Association for Performing Arts
* Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association
* Tournament of Bands

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Grantham, Jon (March 26, 2009). "WBA President's report 03/26". Western Band Association. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
2. ^ "2021 Classification". Western Band Association. Western Band Association. Retrieved October 18, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website