The Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association (MACBDA) was a governing body and summer
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
competition circuit based in the
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...
.
The circuit's competitive season traditionally began in June, and previously included field, parade, and concert band competitions hosted throughout the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
. Beginning in 2008, almost all competitive events were hosted in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, and were limited to field band competitions with occasional parade band presentations.
The most recent circuit championship was at
Perkins Stadium
Perkins Stadium is a stadium in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater "Warhawks". Opened in 1970 as Warhawks Stadium, the facility originally held 11,000 peo ...
, in
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater is a city located in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. As of the 2 ...
on July 14, 2019. The association had twenty-five member bands in 2008, but only five remained active . Competitions were not held in 2020–21 due to the Covid pandemic. As of the 2022 season, the association has not scheduled any competitions.
About
MACBDA was founded in 1972 by a group of high school band directors who wished to develop a summer competition circuit, similar to competitive junior drum corps. A summer season was preferable, as average autumn temperatures in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
are often considered too cold for marching bands to perform successfully.
The circuit hosted member bands from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. Prior to 1991, bands competed in three activities; concert band, parade, and field band. , only five field bands remained active members of the circuit.
Governance
The circuit was governed by a two executive officers, a President and Vice President. It is unclear how the circuit was organized, whether it be as a
public benefit
In philosophy, economics, and political science, the common good (also commonwealth, general welfare, or public benefit) is either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, or alternatively, what is achieved by c ...
nonprofit corporation
A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a nonprofit corporation may ...
or as an unincorporated entity, or in which state the circuit was registered. MACBDA was not an IRS
501(c)
A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the Law of the United States#Federal law, federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)) and is one of over 29 types of nonprofit organizations exe ...
tax exempt organization.
Archive and past scores
No official archive of MACBDA's proceedings exists and very few caption recaps or scores have been preserved from past competitions. The official website only listed score summaries for the current year’s competitions, and no recaps.
Some score summaries can be recovered via the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
, or via
fansite
A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fan page is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee about a celebrity, thing, or particular cultural phenomenon.
Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, bi ...
s such as .
Membership
Competing bands were often attached to high school band programs, and supported by band booster clubs. Other bands were supported by
nonprofit organizations
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
and accepted performers from multiple schools or communities. All band members were required to be enrolled in high school, and were eligible to compete the summer following graduation. However, bands that pre-dated the founding of the circuit could accept members up to age 21.
Members as of 2021
Former members
Competitive season
Classification
Bands were split between A and Open classes, based on the number of performing members. A third class, AA, was previously available according to results archived on Marching.com.
AAA Class was removed and replaced with Open Class between 2006 and 2007.
Field band adjudication
MACBDA utilized a single-tier adjudication handbook for field band competitions. There were no adjustments or recommendations for scoring large and small bands. The annual
Youth in Music Band Championships
The Youth in Music Band Championships is an annual high school marching band competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is one of the largest marching band events in the Upper Midwest, attracting two dozen competitors and thousands of spectators ev ...
utilized the MACBDA scoring format.
Captions and rubric
Scoring was based on two broad categories: Performance, and Effect. The categories were further divided into four reference criteria or captions, with each given a maximum value of 200 points, or up to 20 points when factored. Percussion and Auxiliary, or
color guard
In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the militar ...
, captions were also available, each given a maximum value of 100 points, or ten points when factored. The final score was tabulated by adding all captions, less any penalties.
One adjudicator was assigned to each caption, and one each to percussion and auxiliary. An additional adjudicator was responsible for timing and penalties. In addition to a tabulator, each competition required eight personnel.
MACBDA did not have captions for drum majors, twirling teams and majorettes, or dance teams. Performance excellence by a drum major was recognized by the Effect or Performance adjudicators where appropriate. Twirlers and dance teams would fall under the responsibility of the Auxiliary adjudicator. Almost all participating bands performed with a color guard team.
Placements and awards
Placements and total scores were announced for each class following the last band's performance. Caption awards were also announced for "High Music Execution", "High Visual Execution", "High Music General Effect", "High Visual General Effect", "High Percussion" and "High Auxiliary'. The awards recognized the highest placing band in each caption, regardless of class.
A Drum Major excellence award was also announced, but did not affect the overall score for any of the competing bands.
Parade band adjudication
Parade band adjudication fell under three captions: Marching, Effect, and Music. The two captions with the largest impact on a band's final score are Effect and Music, valued at up to 40 points each. Effect emphasizes overall ensemble performance, while music execution favors quality of tone and musical intonation.
Parade competitions could have up to nine judges, three per caption. Scores are averaged within captions, and then summed.
Past champions
It is unclear when MACBDA championships were first hosted or which event was sanctioned as a championship prior to 1979. The following is an incomplete and unverified list of championship results:
See also
*
Bands of America
Bands of America (BOA) is a music education advocacy organization and promoter of high school marching band competitions in the United States, such as the annual Grand National Championships. Established in 1975 as Marching Bands of America (MBA), ...
*
Northwest Association for Performing Arts
The Northwest Association for Performing Arts (NWAPA) is a governing body and competitive circuit of high school marching bands, color guards, and percussion ensembles based in Portland, Oregon. The association was founded in 1997 as the Northwes ...
*
Western Band Association
The Western Band Association (WBA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes high school music education in California, Arizona and Nevada. Specifically, the WBA organizes many marching band competitions for high school students. Its championships ...
*
Youth in Music
The Youth in Music Band Championships is an annual high school marching band competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is one of the largest marching band events in the Upper Midwest, attracting two dozen competitors and thousands of spectators ev ...