January, 2008

BOA Grand National Championships
92 bands from across the country gathered in Indianapolis, November 14-17, 2007, for the Bands of America Grand National Championships, presented by Yamaha, in the RCA Dome and Indiana Convention Center.

The L.D. Bell High School marching band from Hurst, Texas, under the direction of Jeremy Earnhart, was named the 2007 Bands of America Grand National Champion at in the championship finals, held on November 17. Twelve bands performed in finals, having advanced from the 33-band semi-finals. 85 bands competed in the preliminaries. The event kicked off with the Indianapolis Public Schools Marching Band Tournament, in which the Broad Ripple High School Marching Band took first place.

Class Awards were announced following the semis: Class A Champion, Adair County High School, Columbia, Kent.; Class AA Champion Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Ill. and Class AAA Champion L.D. Bell High School, Hurst, Texas. The top 12 highest scores from advanced to the evening finals.

Finals Placement Results
1st Place L.D. Bell H.S., Hurst, TX
2nd Place Avon H.S., Avon, IN
3rd Place Carmel H.S., Carmel, IN
4th Place The Woodlands H.S., The Woodlands, TX
5th Place Marian Catholic H.S., Chicago Heights, IL
6th Place Broken Arrow H.S., Broken Arrow, OK
7th Place Plymouth-Canton Ed. Park, Canton, MI
8th Place Stephen F. Austin H.S., Sugar Land, TX
9th Place Richland H.S., North Richland Hills, TX
10th Place Lawrence Central H.S., Indianapolis, IN
11th Place Center Grove H.S., Greenwood, IN
12th Place Harrison H.S., Kennesaw, GA

The Al Castronovo Esprit de Corps Award went to Marian Catholic High School.

The first marching event in the RCA (then-Hoosier) Dome was the 1984 Bands of America Grand National Championships. The 2007 Grand National Championships was the final marching event held in the RCA Dome before moving to Lucas Oil Stadium for next year’s Championships to take place November 12-15, 2008. Nearly 300,000 student performers have participated in Grand Nationals, which has been held in the RCA Dome all but two years since 1984.

Grand National festivities extended beyond the confines of the RCA Dome, with numerous special events including receptions, a student leadership workshop with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, a tour of the under-construction Lucas Oil Stadium for band directors, and premieres at the IMAX Theater in Indianapolis of two music-focused documentaries, From the 50 Yardline, and Chops. Inside the stadium, Music for All presented a judging clinic for band directors and the “Last Trip Through the Airlock,” an event for alumni of BOA Grand National Championships celebrating the RCA Dome’s place in marching band history and referring to the “airlock” that participating bands must pass through to enter the stadium.

Applications for the 2008 Bands of America Grand National, Regional and Super Regional Championships are available online at www.musicforall.org.

During the festivities at the Grand National Championships, Music for All presented four college scholarships through the Revelli Fund, which provides scholarships for students who wish to pursue a degree in music education. Since it was founded, The Revelli Fund has awarded nearly $50,000 in scholarships to support students pursuing collegiate study in music. The fund, established in honor of Dr. William D. Revelli, is focused on perpetuating opportunities for music education.

The $2,000 Mark Jolesch Scholarship was awarded to Crystal Chiddix, Grain Valley, Missouri and a clarinetist at Blue Springs High School. Jordyn Bidwell, a clarinetist from Father Ryan High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, received the $1,000 Yamaha Corporation of America Scholarship.

The $1,000 National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors Scholarship is funded by NAUMD members Demoulin Brothers, Stanbury Uniform, Fechheimer, Sol Frank, Fruhauf Uniform, Milliken & Co, Raiford Uniform Fabrics, Hamburger Woolen and Bayly Headwear. Andrew Selle from Norton High School, Norton, Ohio, received the NAUMD Scholarship.

Christina Paskert from Avon High School, Avon, Ohio, was awarded the $1,000 Fred J. Miller Family Scholarship.

The $1,000 Dr. Tom McLeRoy Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Music for All’s Chairman Emeritus, and was presented to Marion R. Clifton of Western Brown High School, Mt. Orab, Ohio.

For more information, please visit www.musicforall.org.