News Archives | Evan VanDoren Music https://www.evanvandoren.com/category/news/ Music Composer for Marching Bands & Concert Ensembles Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:05:49 +0000 en hourly 1 https://www.evanvandoren.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-Untitled-design-1-32x32.png News Archives | Evan VanDoren Music https://www.evanvandoren.com/category/news/ 32 32 Marching Band Contest Results: October 24, 2026 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/marching-band-contest-results-october-24-2026/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:05:47 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10980 Nine of my bands earned spots at the UIL State Marching Contest on Saturday. Argyle won 5A Area B and Mineola won 3A Area C, both taking 1st in prelims and finals. Harlingen South, C.C. Winn and Orange Grove each finished 2nd at Area, and Long Creek, Reedy, Hondo and Weiss also advance. Outside Texas, […]

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]]> Nine of my bands earned spots at the UIL State Marching Contest on Saturday. Argyle won 5A Area B and Mineola won 3A Area C, both taking 1st in prelims and finals. Harlingen South, C.C. Winn and Orange Grove each finished 2nd at Area, and Long Creek, Reedy, Hondo and Weiss also advance. Outside Texas, Garrard County moved on to the Kentucky state semifinals, Easley made the South Carolina 5A State Finals, and Floyd Central and Goshen advanced to Indiana State Finals. At Bands of America, Gatesville won Class A in Waco. Here are the marching band contest results for every band I could confirm.

UIL Area: headed to State

Getting to State in Texas means a Division I at Region and then a top finish in an Area final, and these nine bands did both. Argyle and Mineola won prelims and finals at their Areas. C.C. Winn won Area H prelims and finished 2nd in finals, and Long Creek moved up from 4th in prelims to 3rd. The 5A bands march State in early November, and the 3A bands march Nov 4.

State advancement in Kentucky, South Carolina and Indiana

  • Garrard County HS (KY)
    KMEA 3A East Regional Quarterfinal: 3rd of 10, 80.350
    Captions: GE Music
    Advances to the KMEA 3A State Semifinals
    Show: Fractured
  • Easley HS (SC)
    SCBDA 5A State Championships prelims: 7th of 20, 81.075
    Made the 5A State Finals (finals placement not posted yet)
    Show: Elysian Fields
  • Floyd Central HS (IN)
    ISSMA Open Class B Semi-State: advanced to State Finals
    Placement and score not posted yet
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Goshen HS (IN)
    ISSMA Open Class B Semi-State: advanced to State Finals
    Placement and score not posted yet
    Show: The Shape of Things to Come

Garrard County finished 3rd of 10 at its quarterfinal and took the GE Music award, and the top six move on. Easley was 7th of 20 in 5A prelims and marched the night finals. Floyd Central and Goshen are both among the ten Class B bands headed to ISSMA State Finals on Nov 7.

Bands of America Waco, Memphis, St. Louis and California

  • Gatesville HS
    Waco Regional, Class A: 1st (Class A champion), 65.800
    Captions: Class A Music, Visual, General Effect
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Aledo HS
    Waco Regional, Class AAA: 3rd
    Finals: 12th of 12, 83.050
    Prelims: 12th of 30, 82.925
    Show: The Other Side of Here
  • Collierville HS (TN)
    Memphis Regional finals: 6th of 12, 80.250
    Prelims: 6th of 27, 80.250
    Class AAAA: 3rd
    Show: On Air
  • Wylie HS
    Waco Regional finals: 8th of 12, 86.200
    Prelims: 9th of 30, 85.200
    Class AAAA: 7th
    Show: Luna
  • Corona del Sol HS (AZ)
    California Regional finals: 8th of 12, 77.350
    Prelims: 10th of 22, 76.050
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Wakeland HS
    Waco Regional, Class AAA: 4th
    Prelims: 13th of 30, 81.375
    Show: Sacred Spaces
  • Huntsville HS (AL)
    Memphis Regional, Class AAA: 4th
    Prelims: 15th of 27, 70.400
    Show: Mirror Mirror
  • Conway HS (AR)
    Memphis Regional, Class AAAA: 5th
    Prelims: 20th of 27, 68.400
    Show: Requiem
  • Waxahachie HS
    Waco Regional prelims: 16th of 30, 80.000
    Class AAAA: 12th
    Show: Get To The Point
  • Collinsville HS (IL)
    St. Louis Super Regional prelims: 33rd of 69, 71.950
    Class AAA: 15th
    Show: Requiem
  • Downers Grove South HS (IL)
    St. Louis Super Regional prelims: 38th of 69, 68.750
    Class AAAA: 11th
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Triad HS (IL)
    St. Louis Super Regional prelims: 54th of 69, 63.450
    Class AA: 18th
    Show: Midnight City: Where the Streets Have No Name

Gatesville was the only Class A band at Waco, won the class and swept the Class A caption awards. Aledo took 3rd in Class AAA and Collierville took 3rd in Class AAAA, and both marched finals. Wylie also made the 12-band Waco finals, Corona del Sol made finals in California, and Wakeland missed Waco finals by one spot.

Around the country

  • Bearden HS (TN)
    Trojan Marching Invitational, Class 4A: 1st, 91.000 (highest score of the day)
    Captions: 1st in every Class 4A caption
    Show: Fractured
  • Sulphur HS (LA)
    Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship, Class AAAA: 1st, 87.375 (highest score of the day)
    Captions: Class AAAA General Effect, Music, Visual, Percussion
    Show: Common Threads
  • Arcadia HS (CA)
    SCSBOA Mt. Carmel Field Tournament, Class 6A: 1st, 84.800 (top score of the show)
    Show: Fractured
  • Highland HS (AZ)
    ABODA Dobson Invitational, Division I: 1st, 83.775 (top score of the show)
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Eldorado HS (NM)
    NAU Band Day, Division I: 1st of 5, 79.350
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Cascade HS (TN)
    Forrest Rocket Tournament of Bands, Large Division: Grand Champion
    Class E: 1st
    Captions: Highest Music, Highest Visual (Large Division)
    Show: New Frontier
  • Shawnee Mission South HS (KS)
    UCM Festival of Champions, Class AAAA: 2nd in prelims, 83.883
    Finals: 8th of 10, 83.783
    Show: The Liminal Space
  • Jordan HS (NC)
    Capital City Band Expo finals: 6th overall
    Class: 2nd
    Captions: 1st Percussion; 2nd Music Performance and General Effect
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Boulder Creek HS (AZ)
    NAU Band Day, Division I: 3rd of 5, 75.563
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Del Norte HS (CA)
    SCSBOA Mt. Carmel Field Tournament, Class 5AA: 3rd of 5, 73.300
    Show: On Air
  • Grand Junction HS (CO)
    CBA 5A State Quarterfinals: 9th of 14, 72.250
    Show: Hieroglyphics

Bearden, Sulphur, Arcadia and Highland each posted the top score of the day at their contests. Cascade posted on its own account that it was Large Division Grand Champion at the Forrest Rocket Tournament of Bands, with the highest music and visual scores in the division.

Late results

  • Madison Central HS (KY)
    Estill County Tournament of Champions (Oct 17) finals: 1st of 10, 87.000
    Prelims: 1st in Class AAAAA, 86.850
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Easley HS (SC)
    Lake Hartwell Marching Festival (Oct 17): Grand Champion
    Class AAA: 1st
    Captions: Class AAA Percussion, Color Guard, Drum Major
    Show: Elysian Fields

These two came in after last week’s post. Madison Central won finals at Estill County, and Easley posted that it was Grand Champion at the Lake Hartwell Marching Festival.

More from UIL Area

What’s next

Next Saturday is 6A and 4A Area in Texas and Bands of America heads to Middle Tennessee, while the State qualifiers above get ready for their state contests. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results as they come in.

If your season just wrapped, here’s how I’d run your season debrief.

Already thinking about next fall? Browse the 2026 show catalog, see my full list of marching band shows, or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk, reach out here.

Planning next season?

Plan a show that fits the band you’ll actually have in October.

A 54-page fillable workbook for band directors, from the season debrief to a plan you can hand to any arranger. Start with the free sample.

See the planning guideGet the free sample

FAQ

How do bands get from UIL Region to State? A band has to earn a Division I rating at its UIL Region contest to march at Area. Area runs prelims and finals, and the top finishers in finals advance to the UIL State Marching Contest for their conference.

Why do some bands have a class placement and an overall placement? At Bands of America and many invitationals, bands are grouped by school size in prelims. Each class has its own placements and caption awards, and the top scores overall, regardless of class, make finals.

Can an adaptable show win at this level? Yes. Several of the bands on this page play adaptable shows or a mix of selections from my catalog, adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: October 24, 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> UIL Region Marching Contest Results 2026 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/uil-region-marching-contest-results-2026/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:34:49 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10857 63 of the 67 bands I write for that have marched UIL Region so far came home with a Division I, and every one of those 63 moves on to Area. That covers 25 different regions, from El Paso and Amarillo down to the Rio Grande Valley, between October 8 and October 21. Here are […]

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]]> 63 of the 67 bands I write for that have marched UIL Region so far came home with a Division I, and every one of those 63 moves on to Area. That covers 25 different regions, from El Paso and Amarillo down to the Rio Grande Valley, between October 8 and October 21. Here are the UIL region marching contest results for every one of my bands I could confirm, grouped by conference.

UIL Region is the one contest nearly every Texas band marches, and it’s rated rather than ranked. Three judges each give a rating, and a band needs a final Division I to keep its season going at Area. That makes Region a good honest check on where a show stands in mid-October, and it takes the whole program to get there: directors, staff, boosters and the students putting in the reps.

Five more of my bands march Region tonight or this weekend: Waxahachie, MacArthur (Irving) and Life School of Waxahachie in Region 20, North Forney in Region 3, and Langham Creek in Region 27 on October 24. I’ll add them here as results post.

6A UIL region results

20 of 21 6A bands earned a 1. Seventeen of those were unanimous 1-1-1 ratings, and the El Paso, Valley, Houston, San Antonio and DFW regions are all represented.

5A UIL region results

26 of 28 5A bands earned a 1, with DFW and San Antonio regions carrying the most of my bands. 5A Area contests are Saturday, October 24.

4A UIL region results

14 of 15 4A bands earned a 1. Region 14 alone sent three of my 4A bands to Area (AC Jones, Alice and Robstown), and Farmersville and Van Alstyne finished early with 1s at Region 25 on October 14.

3A UIL region results

All three of my 3A bands earned unanimous 1s.

What’s next

UIL Area contests start Saturday. 3A and 5A Area are October 24, with 4A and 6A following on October 31. State is at the Alamodome in San Antonio, November 2 to 4 for 1A, 3A and 5A and November 9 to 11 for 2A, 4A and 6A. If your band is headed to Area, here are 10 ways to make your show stand out at UIL Area.

Already thinking about next fall? Browse my marching band shows, see the new shows for 2026, or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk, reach out here.

FAQ

What does a Division I mean at UIL Region? Three judges each give the band a rating from 1 to 5, and the final rating is the one at least two of them agree on. A final Division I is the top rating, and it’s what sends a varsity band on to the UIL Area contest.

When are UIL Area and State in 2026? 3A and 5A Area contests are October 24 and 4A and 6A Area contests are October 31. The State Marching Band Contest is at the Alamodome in San Antonio, November 2 to 4 (1A, 3A, 5A) and November 9 to 11 (2A, 4A, 6A).

Can an adaptable show earn a 1 at Region? Yes. Most of the bands on this page play an adaptable show or a mix of selections from my catalog, adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post UIL Region Marching Contest Results 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Marching Band Contest Results: October 17, 2026 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/marching-band-contest-results-october-17-2026/ Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:56:09 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10776 Cascade was grand champion at the Mid-South Marching Invitational on Saturday, Lake Central won the ISSMA Scholastic Class A state title, and Floyd Central took 2nd in Class AA at the Bands of America Indianapolis Super Regional. Mountain Ridge and Highland both won Division I at ABODA shows in Arizona, and Clear Lake finished 3rd […]

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]]> Cascade was grand champion at the Mid-South Marching Invitational on Saturday, Lake Central won the ISSMA Scholastic Class A state title, and Floyd Central took 2nd in Class AA at the Bands of America Indianapolis Super Regional. Mountain Ridge and Highland both won Division I at ABODA shows in Arizona, and Clear Lake finished 3rd at the Gulf Coast Classic. Here are the marching band contest results for every band I could confirm.

A lot of my bands also marched UIL region contests in Texas last week, and many of them came home with 1s. I’ll cover all of those in a separate post once every region has finished.

Bands of America Indianapolis and East Tennessee

  • Floyd Central HS (IN)
    Indianapolis Super Regional: 2nd in Class AA
    Prelims: 17th of 91, 79.675
    Captions: Class AA Outstanding General Effect (shared)
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Goshen HS (IN)
    Indianapolis Super Regional: 5th in Class AAA
    Prelims: 23rd of 91, 77.925
    Show: The Shape of Things to Come
  • River Bluff HS (SC)
    East Tennessee Regional: 11th in finals, 74.700
    Prelims: 10th, 77.100 (7th in Class AAA)
    Show: Paradox

Indianapolis had 91 bands in prelims, which makes Floyd Central’s 2nd in Class AA and a share of the AA General Effect award a strong weekend. River Bluff made the 12-band finals in Johnson City.

Texas invitationals

The Gulf Coast Classic ranks bands by caption placements, and Clear Lake moved up a spot from prelims to finals, which tells me the run got better as the day went on.

Around the country

  • Cascade HS (TN)
    Mid-South Marching Invitational: Grand Champion
    Class AAAA: 1st
    Captions: Music, Visual, Percussion, Color Guard (Class AAAA)
    Show: New Frontier
  • Lake Central HS (IN)
    ISSMA Scholastic Class A State Finals: 1st, State Champions
    Show: A Picture’s Worth
  • Mountain Ridge HS (AZ)
    ABODA Mountain Ridge Invitational: 1st in Division I, 87.456
    Captions: Music, Visual, General Effect, Auxiliary
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Highland HS (AZ)
    ABODA Williams Field Invitational: 1st in Division I, 81.288
    Captions: Music, General Effect
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Blythewood HS (SC)
    Olde English Festival of Bands: 1st in Class AAAA in prelims, 89.050
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Chapin HS (SC)
    Olde English Festival of Bands: 1st in Class AA in prelims, 82.750
    Show: Aurora
  • Grand Junction HS (CO)
    CBA Western Regional (Oct 15): 1st in 5A, 71.300
    Show: Hieroglyphics
  • Corona del Sol HS (AZ)
    ABODA Mountain Ridge Invitational: 2nd in Division I, 85.150
    Captions: Percussion
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Del Norte HS (CA)
    SCSBOA Poway Field Tournament: 2nd in 5AA, 71.00
    Show: On Air
  • Middleton HS (WI)
    WSMA State Marching Championships: 2nd in Class AAAA, 85.938
    4th overall of 35
    Show: Light & Shadow
  • Rio Rancho HS (NM)
    Zia Marching Band Fiesta: 3rd in finals, 85.133
    Prelims: 1st in Deep Dusk class, 84.599
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Sandra Day O’Connor HS (AZ)
    ABODA Mountain Ridge Invitational: 3rd in Division I, 85.081
    Show: A Picture’s Worth
  • Boulder Creek HS (AZ)
    ABODA Mountain Ridge Invitational: 4th in Division I, 75.688
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Collinsville HS (IL)
    Illinois State Marching Band Championships: 4th in Class 4A, 69.250
    Show: Requiem
  • Elk Grove HS (IL)
    Illinois State Marching Band Championships: 6th in Class 4A, 67.250
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Eldorado HS (NM)
    Zia Marching Band Fiesta: 6th in finals, 79.133
    Prelims: 5th in Deep Dusk class, 79.272
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Ankeny HS (IA)
    IHSMA State Marching Festival: Division I, Class 4A
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Waukee Northwest HS (IA)
    IHSMA State Marching Festival: Division I, Class 4A
    Show: The Cutting Edge
  • Heritage HS (AR)
    ASBOA Region VI Marching Assessment (Oct 13): Division I from all three judges, Class 7A
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog

Cascade’s own post listed four Class AAAA captions plus the grand championship, which is about as complete a day as a band can have. Lake Central’s director emailed me Saturday night to say they won state, and IN Bands has them on top of Scholastic Class A. Mountain Ridge swept four captions at its own invitational, and Corona del Sol picked up High Percussion in the same field.

What’s next

Bands of America heads to Waco, Memphis, St. Louis and California this weekend, and the UIL Area contests start in Texas on Saturday. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results as they come in.

Already thinking about next fall? Browse the 2026 show catalog, see my full list of marching band shows, or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk, reach out here.

FAQ

How do Bands of America class awards work? In prelims, bands are grouped into Class A, AA, AAA or AAAA by school size. Each class gets its own placements and its own Outstanding Music, Visual and General Effect awards, so a band can place in its class without making the finals.

What does Grand Champion mean at an invitational? It’s the band with the top overall score of the day, across every class. Class placements and caption awards are given out separately, so one band can win both, as Cascade did on Saturday.

Can an adaptable show win at this level? Yes. Several of the bands on this page play adaptable shows or a mix of selections from my catalog, adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: October 17, 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Marching Band Contest Results: October 10, 2026 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/marching-band-contest-results-october-10-2026/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:09:33 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10736 Saturday was a big day for the bands playing my shows. Three Bands of America regionals ran in Texas on October 10, and Argyle came out of Prosper with the Class AAA title plus the AAA Music and General Effect awards. Long Creek won Class AA at BOA Central Texas, Davenport was grand champion at […]

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]]> Saturday was a big day for the bands playing my shows. Three Bands of America regionals ran in Texas on October 10, and Argyle came out of Prosper with the Class AAA title plus the AAA Music and General Effect awards. Long Creek won Class AA at BOA Central Texas, Davenport was grand champion at the Comal Classic, and Finneytown, Arcadia and Corona del Sol all won their classes out of state. Here are the marching band contest results for every band I could confirm.

BOA North Texas Regional (Prosper)

Five of my custom bands were in the same 28-band field, and three of them made finals. Hebron won the day with 88.60.

  • Argyle HS
    Prelims: 1st in Class AAA, 80.500 (5th overall)
    Finals: 5th, 83.525
    Captions: AAA Outstanding Music, AAA Outstanding General Effect
    Show: Theia’s Light
  • Wylie HS
    Finals: 6th, 82.925
    Prelims: 6th, 79.450 (5th in Class AAAA)
    Show: Luna
  • Aledo HS
    Prelims: 3rd in Class AAA, 77.300 (10th overall)
    Finals: 9th, 78.900
    Show: The Other Side of Here
  • Reedy HS
    Prelims: 4th in Class AAA, 75.550 (13th overall)
    Captions: AAA Outstanding Visual
    Show: Drawn Together
  • Wakeland HS
    Prelims: 7th in Class AAA, 72.650 (19th overall)
    Show: Sacred Spaces

Argyle sweeping Music and General Effect in a class this deep says the music and the visual package are telling the same story. Reedy missed finals by one spot, and still walked away with the AAA Visual award. Five of my custom shows in one field made for a long, good day in Prosper.

BOA Central Texas Regional (San Marcos)

Class AA at San Marcos was a clean sweep for my bands: 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Long Creek got a second run in the stadium Saturday night, and that experience matters for a smaller band heading into UIL.

BOA West Texas Regional (Midland)

All three West Texas bands now have a full BOA judging panel’s tapes to work from, which is about the best feedback you can get before region.

Texas invitationals

Most local contests didn’t post official recaps, so several of these come from TxBands threads or the bands’ own posts.

Davenport’s caption list jumped out at me. Winning Music, Marching, Percussion and Color Guard at one contest means nobody on that field was carrying anyone else. Lewisville won prelims and finals at Golden Triangle with Music, Visual and Color Guard, and North Forney and Mineola both came home from Royse City with hardware.

Around the country

  • Finneytown HS (OH)
    MSBA Mason Invitational: 1st in class
    Captions: Music, Visual, General Effect, Guard, Percussion
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Arcadia HS (CA)
    SCSBOA Valencia Field Tournament: 1st in 6A, 79.100
    High score of the day
    Show: Fractured
  • Corona del Sol HS (AZ)
    ABODA Corona del Sol Invitational: 1st in Division I, 81.388
    High score of the day
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Goshen HS (IN)
    ISSMA Open Class B Regional: Gold
    Captions: Music and Effect Distinctions
    Show: The Shape of Things to Come
  • Floyd Central HS (IN)
    ISSMA Open Class B Regional: Gold
    Captions: Music and Effect Distinctions
    Show: Mix of Selections from Evan’s Catalog
  • Ankeny HS (IA)
    Valleyfest Showdown: 4th in Class A
    Captions: Best Drum Majors
    Show: Short Circuit

Two different bands are playing Short Circuit this fall, in Arizona and Iowa, and both had a good Saturday. Corona del Sol hosted their own contest and still put up the top score.

What’s next

UIL region contests take over Texas this week, and a lot of these bands are on the field again by Saturday. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results as they come in. If your band is heading into region or area, here are my ideas for standing out at UIL Area.

Already thinking about next fall? Browse the 2026 show catalog, see my full list of marching band shows, or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk, reach out here.

FAQ

How do Bands of America class awards work? In prelims, bands are grouped into Class A, AA, AAA or AAAA by school size. Each class gets its own placements and its own Outstanding Music, Visual and General Effect awards, so a band can win its class without making the 12-band finals.

What is a class champion exhibition? At a BOA regional, a class champion that doesn’t make finals is invited to perform again during the finals session as an exhibition. Long Creek did that in San Marcos on Saturday.

Can an adaptable show win at this level? Yes. Long Creek won Class AA at BOA Central Texas with a mix of selections from my catalog, adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: October 10, 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Marching Band Contest Results: Midweek Update, October 8, 2026 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/marching-band-contest-results-october-8-2026/ Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10746 This is a midweek round of marching band contest results for the bands performing my shows this fall. UIL region season has started, and Clear Lake was one of the first of my bands through it, with straight 1s on Thursday night. Two more bands sent me first-place finishes from last Saturday that hadn’t been […]

The post Marching Band Contest Results: Midweek Update, October 8, 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> This is a midweek round of marching band contest results for the bands performing my shows this fall. UIL region season has started, and Clear Lake was one of the first of my bands through it, with straight 1s on Thursday night. Two more bands sent me first-place finishes from last Saturday that hadn’t been posted when I wrote the October 3 recap.

UIL Region 17: Clear Lake earns a Division I

Region 17 ran its high school marching contest on Thursday, October 8. Clear Lake got a 1 from all three judges, which sends them to UIL Area.

  • Clear Lake HS
    Class 6A: Division I
    Judges: 1, 1, 1
    Advances to Area
    Show: Of Faun and Fable

A unanimous 1 at region in early October is exactly where you want to be. Region is the checkpoint, and Area is where the real cleaning shows up. Clear Lake also placed 3rd in Class AAA at the BOA Iowa Colony Regional last weekend, so this band has been on the field a lot. If you’re prepping for that next round, here’s my list of ways to make your show stand out at UIL Area.

More first-place finishes from October 3

These came in after my October 3 recap went up.

Decatur swept every caption in their class, which tells you the whole band is pulling in one direction, from the winds and percussion to the guard. Hondo has placed in the top two at both contests their director told me about this fall. Both bands are running a mix of selections from my catalog of adaptable marching band shows, adjusted to fit their instrumentation.

What’s next

This weekend is a big one: three Bands of America regionals in Texas, the USBands Conn-Selmer Classic: Texas and a long list of Texas invitationals, with more UIL region contests the following week. I’ll post marching band contest results for my bands as they come in.

If you’re already thinking about next fall, browse the 2026 show catalog or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk it through, reach out here and we can set up a call.

FAQ

What does a Division I mean at a UIL region marching contest? Each of three judges gives the band a rating from I to V, and the final rating is the majority. A Division I (Superior) at region qualifies the band for its UIL Area contest.

Where can I find official UIL region marching results? UIL posts region marching ratings, judge by judge, on its results site at texasmusicforms.com, and each region’s website links there.

Can an adaptable show win its class? Yes. Decatur and Hondo both won their classes on October 3 with mixes of selections from my catalog, each adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: Midweek Update, October 8, 2026 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Two New Works Selected for the 2026-27 Bandworld Top 100 https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/bandworld-top-100-inspirare-vienna-philharmonic-fanfare/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:39:57 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10640 Two of my newest concert band pieces made the 2026-27 Bandworld Top 100. One is Inspirare, an original work. The other is my new setting of Richard Strauss’s Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare. RWS Music Company publishes both. Directors’ reading bands will sight-read them this November in Seattle and again next summer in Ashland, Oregon. What Is […]

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]]> Two of my newest concert band pieces made the 2026-27 Bandworld Top 100. One is Inspirare, an original work. The other is my new setting of Richard Strauss’s Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare. RWS Music Company publishes both. Directors’ reading bands will sight-read them this November in Seattle and again next summer in Ashland, Oregon.

What Is the Bandworld Top 100?

Every fall, one team runs Bandworld Magazine, the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC), and the American Band College (ABC). That team listens to all of the new concert band music in print for the coming school year. They also review a handful of important reissues. From that stack, they pick 100 compositions for live sight-reading sessions. That list becomes the Bandworld Top 100.

The first reading happens at WIBC, a convention for band directors and students that has met in Seattle each November since 1979. This year, the WIBC Directors’ Band reads the list on November 21 and 22. Next, the ABC Directors’ Band reads it again in June. ABC is a summer master’s degree program for band directors, and it has met in Ashland since 1989.

This marks the 34th year of a directors’ reading band at WIBC and the 39th at ABC. Directors from more than 40 states and 5 countries play in those sessions. As a result, the list travels far beyond the room, because those directors take their favorites home and share them with colleagues.

Bandworld also posts the Top 100 in its free online magazine, along with recordings and links to publishers. In addition, every score and recording sent to the project joins the ABC Center for Research in Concert Band Literature. That collection already holds more than 49,000 items. You can learn more about the clinic on the Western International Band Clinic website.

Inspirare (Grade 4)

Inspirare is an original concert work in the RWS Symphony Band series. It opens with brass fanfares and driving percussion, then moves through mixed meters and quick bursts of rhythmic color. The middle section hands the spotlight to the woodwinds for a warm, lyrical stretch. After that, the earlier themes return and build to a soaring finish.

The piece runs about six and a half minutes. At Grade 4, it fits a strong high school band or a university ensemble. It works as either a concert opener or the centerpiece of a program. Inspirare also earned a spot on this fall’s JW Pepper Editor’s Choice list.

Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare (Grade 5)

Richard Strauss wrote this fanfare in 1924 for the Vienna Philharmonic’s first ball, a benefit for the orchestra’s pension fund. The orchestra has played it at every ball since. Strauss scored the original for a large brass and timpani group: six trumpets, eight horns, six trombones, two tubas, and two sets of timpani.

My version updates that scoring for today’s ensembles. A full wind ensemble can play it, or the brass section can play it on its own. It lasts about two and a half minutes, so it makes a dignified opener for a concert, a graduation, or any ceremony.

Why the Bandworld Top 100 Helps Directors

Choosing literature takes hours, and most directors can’t hear every new release. A curated list narrows the search. Because working directors sight-read each piece, the Bandworld Top 100 also shows how a work sounds on a first read, alongside the polished demo recording.

Three other RWS titles made this year’s list too: Oh No Ringo! by Robert W. Smith, Pride Within by Mark Lortz, and Ben Hawkins’s setting of Gershwin’s Third Prelude.

Thank you to the Bandworld, WIBC, and ABC team for the work behind this list, and to everyone at RWS Music Company. To hear more of my concert band writing, browse my music page. You can also read more about my background or find more posts on the blog. If you have a question about either piece, or want to talk about a commission for your ensemble, get in touch here.

FAQ: The Bandworld Top 100

What is the Bandworld Top 100?
The Bandworld Top 100 is an annual list of 100 new concert band works. The team behind Bandworld Magazine, WIBC, and the American Band College picks it each fall. Directors’ reading bands sight-read the list at WIBC in Seattle each November and at ABC the following summer.

When will directors read these pieces?
The WIBC Directors’ Band reads the 2026-27 list on November 21 and 22 in Seattle. The ABC Directors’ Band reads it again next June.

What grade levels are Inspirare and Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare?
Inspirare is Grade 4 and runs about six and a half minutes. Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare is Grade 5 and runs about two and a half minutes.

Can a brass section play Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare alone?
Yes. I scored it so a full wind ensemble or a brass section on its own can perform it.

Where can I get these pieces?
RWS Music Company publishes both works. You can hear recordings and order scores and parts through the RWS Music website.

Who publishes the Bandworld Top 100?
Bandworld Magazine, the free online magazine from the nonprofit WIBC, Inc., posts the list along with recordings and links to publishers.

About the Author

Evan VanDoren is a composer, arranger, conductor, and former high school band director. Ensembles across the United States and beyond perform his music. In addition, he works with band programs to create music and marching band productions that highlight the strengths of their students and programs.

The post Two New Works Selected for the 2026-27 Bandworld Top 100 appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Marching Band Contest Results: October 3, 2026 Recap https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/10/marching-band-contest-results-october-3-2026/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:06:47 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10511 A stormy Saturday with a lot to celebrate Updated October 8, 2026: added Panther Creek, Hondo, Fossil Ridge, North Forney, Decatur, Cicero-North Syracuse, West Seneca, Brookland, Del Norte and Norman North, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones. These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, October 3, 2026, […]

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]]> A stormy Saturday with a lot to celebrate

Updated October 8, 2026: added Panther Creek, Hondo, Fossil Ridge, North Forney, Decatur, Cicero-North Syracuse, West Seneca, Brookland, Del Norte and Norman North, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones.

These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, October 3, 2026, for the bands performing my shows this fall. Storms rolled across Texas all day. Start times slid by hours, and HEB and McKinney cancelled finals outright. The bands still showed up and played like it was November.

Here are the headlines. Rouse and Cedar Park went 1-2 at the Vista Ridge Marching Festival, just 0.025 apart. Argyle won Class 5A at HEB and swept every 5A caption it could. Goshen and Ryle each placed in the top two of Class AAA at Bands of America regionals in Toledo and Louisville. Davenport won the USBands San Antonio Regional, and Hendersonville posted the top score of the day at Bandapalooza in Tennessee. Decatur won Class AA at Mill Creek in Georgia, and Panther Creek finished 2nd at Don Hanna.

I was a band director for nine years. I remember what it takes to get a full band through warmup, a weather delay and a performance with their focus intact. Every director and student below earned this one.

Vista Ridge Marching Festival: Rouse and Cedar Park go 1-2

The closest finish of the weekend happened in my own backyard. Twenty bands marched prelims at Gupton Stadium in Cedar Park, and two of my custom-show programs ended up at the top.

Cedar Park led after prelims by 0.675. Rouse came back that night and won finals by 0.025, which is about as close as a contest gets. Both shows are custom builds, written from the ground up for those two bands. I taught at Cedar Park for nine years, so watching them trade places with Rouse at the top of a 20-band field was a strange and happy night for me.

Weiss HS, performing a mix of selections from my catalog, also made finals and placed 6th (76.775). Official recaps: finals and prelims.

Cedar Park’s run at BOA Austin last fall is in last year’s recap, if you want to see how this season compares.

HEB and McKinney: weather-shortened, still strong

The Metroplex got the worst of the storms. HEB at Pennington Field started more than three hours late and ran prelims only. McKinney also skipped finals. Neither host had posted official recaps as of Sunday night, so these numbers come from posted prelims results.

  • Argyle HS
    1st in 5A, 3rd overall (80.85)
    HEB Marching Contest
    Show: Theia’s Light
  • Aledo HS
    3rd in 6A, 4th overall (79.40)
    HEB Marching Contest
    Show: The Other Side of Here
  • Wylie HS
    2nd overall
    McKinney Marching Invitational
    Show: Luna
  • Reedy HS
    6th overall
    McKinney Marching Invitational
    Show: Drawn Together

Argyle’s day stands out. Along with the 5A title, they took the 5A awards for music, visual, general effect and color guard. Aledo finished behind only Marcus and Southlake Carroll among the 6A bands, which is a tough pair to chase in October.

At McKinney, Wylie placed 2nd in a field of more than a dozen bands and won the color guard award. Reedy finished 6th. Both shows still have a month of cleaning ahead before UIL, and I like where they’re headed. If your band is gearing up for that stretch, my list of ways to make your show stand out at UIL Area is worth a read.

Houston area: Clear Lake and Atascocita

Clear Lake, performing Of Faun and Fable, placed 3rd in Class AAA at the Iowa Colony Regional at Alvin ISD’s Freedom Field, scoring 78.500 in prelims. They finished 14th overall and just missed the 12-band finals cut. That’s an early-season number in a deep field, with most of the season still ahead. Full scores are on HornRank.

Across town, Atascocita, performing mixed selections, placed 2nd overall at the Galena Park ISD Marching Band Festival and won the woodwind award. Woodwind awards don’t happen by accident. That’s a section doing its homework on tone and balance, and it’s a nice payoff for the director who keeps pushing it.

USBands San Antonio Regional: Davenport wins

Six of my bands marched the USBands San Antonio Regional, and all of them made the 13-band finals.

  • Davenport HS
    Finals: 1st, 83.3
    Prelims: 1st in Group IV, 82.4
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Orange Grove HS
    Finals: 5th, 76.4
    Prelims: 1st in Group II, 76.1
    Show: Mixed selections
  • MacArthur HS (San Antonio)
    Finals: 8th, 74.1
    Prelims: 3rd in Group III, 75.1
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Wimberley HS
    Finals: 10th, 70.5
    Prelims: 2nd in Group II, 70.8
    Show: Empire City
  • Southside HS
    Finals: 11th, 68.1
    Prelims: 3rd in Group II, 70.7
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Memorial HS (San Antonio)
    Finals: 13th, 63.1
    Prelims: 1st in Group I (only band in the group), 65.1
    Show: Mixed selections

Davenport won Group IV in prelims and then won the regional by 1.8 points over John M. Harlan. Orange Grove won Group II, with Wimberley and Southside right behind them in the same group. Six bands playing my shows at one contest is a lot of my music in one stadium, and I’m grateful to every one of those directors. Official scores are on the USBands event page.

More Texas results

Long Creek won Class 5A in prelims at Warrior Coliseum and took the 5A music and general effect awards before finishing 4th at night. Lamar placed 2nd in Group II at the USBands North Texas Regional, behind Eagle Mountain. Farmersville made the Melissa small-school finals and finished 4th. Up in Denton, Panther Creek placed 2nd at Don Hanna with an 84.750 and took the visual award, and Hondo won Class 3A at Seguin.

Bands of America regional results: Goshen and Ryle

Two of my bands outside Texas marched Bands of America regionals on Saturday, and both made finals.

Goshen won Class AAA and swept the class awards for music, visual and general effect. In finals they placed 2nd overall behind Jenison. Ryle took 2nd in Class AAA in a 30-band field and finished 4th in finals, ahead of Campbell County and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Goshen’s show is a new one I wrote for them this year. Ryle is running a mix of selections from my catalog of adaptable marching band shows, adjusted to fit their instrumentation and strengths. Results like these are why I build every show to flex. A director shouldn’t have to choose between a show that fits their band and one that can compete.

Arizona, Tennessee, Indiana and Massachusetts

Mountain Ridge won Division I at Desert Ridge one week after winning the BOA Arizona Regional. Hendersonville won its division at Bandapalooza and swept the band, percussion and color guard scores, with the highest sweepstakes total of any band there. Lake Central earned a Gold rating with all three distinctions.

Georgia, New York, South Carolina, California and Oklahoma

  • Decatur HS (GA)
    1st in Class AA with every AA caption, 85.700
    6th of 13 overall
    Georgia MBC, Mill Creek
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Cicero-North Syracuse HS (NY)
    82.100 in National Class
    NYSFBC field band show
    Show: Inner Compass
  • West Seneca HS (NY)
    76.100 in Large School 2
    NYSFBC field band show
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Brookland-Cayce HS (SC)
    3rd overall, Superior rating
    1st Field Commander, 2nd Percussion and 2nd Color Guard in 4A, plus an Outstanding Soloist award
    Show: Sonic Boom
  • Del Norte HS (CA)
    2nd in Class 5AA, 63.000
    SCSBOA Rancho Bernardo Field Tournament, San Diego
    Show: On Air
  • Norman North HS (OK)
    6th place
    Mustang Marching Invitational, Mustang
    Show: Mixed selections

Decatur won Class AA at Mill Creek and swept every AA caption, including music, visual, effect, color guard and percussion. Cicero-North Syracuse posted an 82.100 in National Class. Brookland came away from its first contest of the fall with a Superior rating and three 4A caption awards, and Norman North’s band called its 6th place at Mustang their best run of the season.

What’s next

The calendar only gets busier from here. More BOA regionals and UIL region contests land over the next three weekends, and I’ll post marching band contest results for my bands as they come in. Congratulations to every student, director and staff member who made October 3 worth writing about.

If you’re already thinking about next fall, browse the 2026 show catalog or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk it through, reach out here and we can set up a call.

FAQ

Where can I find official marching band contest results? Bands of America posts class awards and finals scores on each regional’s results page at marching.musicforall.org. Texas invitationals usually post recaps through CompetitionSuite, and many fans share scores on HornRank and TxBands.

Why didn’t some contests hold finals on October 3? Severe weather delayed several Texas contests by hours. HEB and McKinney ran prelims only and cancelled finals to keep students safe.

Do your adaptable shows hold up against custom shows at contests? Yes. Ryle placed 2nd in Class AAA at the BOA Kentucky Regional this weekend with a mix of selections from my catalog, and Atascocita placed 2nd at Galena Park the same way. Every show is adjusted to the band’s instrumentation and strengths before they start learning it, which is what lets it compete. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: October 3, 2026 Recap appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> Marching Band Contest Results: September 26, 2026 Recap https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/09/marching-band-contest-results-september-26-2026/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:34:03 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10516 A Saturday of class titles from Arizona to North Carolina Updated October 8, 2026: added Chapin, Blythewood, Rio Rancho, Grand Junction, Mansfield Legacy, Mansfield Summit and Hondo, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones. These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, September 26, 2026, for the bands performing […]

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]]> A Saturday of class titles from Arizona to North Carolina

Updated October 8, 2026: added Chapin, Blythewood, Rio Rancho, Grand Junction, Mansfield Legacy, Mansfield Summit and Hondo, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones.

These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, September 26, 2026, for the bands performing my shows this fall. Forty of them competed somewhere that I could track, from four Bands of America regionals and four USBands regionals to invitationals in Texas, Arizona, Indiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Here are the headlines. Clear Lake won the USBands Houston Regional with an 85.1, and Reedy won the Wylie Marching Invitational with a sweep of the finals captions. Mountain Ridge won the BOA Arizona Regional in Flagstaff and took the finals awards for music and general effect. Argyle won Class AAA at the BOA Dallas Mid-Cities Regional and swept the class captions. Jordan, Seaforth and Sanderson each won their class at the Panther Creek Invitational in Cary, North Carolina. Mineola came home from Texarkana as grand champion. Chapin won Class 4A at the Swamp Classic in South Carolina.

Late September is when a show is still half on the field and half in the director’s head. I spent nine years as a band director, and I know how much of this month is spent cleaning drill that’s still new. Results like these this early say a lot about the work these programs put in over the summer.

BOA Dallas Mid-Cities Regional: Argyle, Wakeland and Waxahachie

Three of my custom-show programs marched at Pennington Field in Bedford, in a prelims field of 23 bands.

  • Argyle HS
    Class: 1st in AAA, with Music, Visual and GE
    Finals: Did not march finals
    Prelims: 3rd, 79.950
    Show: Theia’s Light
  • Wakeland HS
    Class: 2nd in AAA
    Finals: 12th, 75.450
    Prelims: 9th, 75.600
    Show: Sacred Spaces
  • Waxahachie HS
    Class: 8th in AAAA
    Finals: 11th, 76.000
    Prelims: 10th, 75.375
    Show: Get To The Point

Argyle won Class AAA and swept all three class captions, finishing 3rd overall in prelims. They qualified for finals but didn’t march it. According to the Cross Timbers Gazette, the band had another commitment in Melissa that day. Wakeland finished right behind them in AAA and made finals. Waxahachie made finals too and raised its score from 75.375 in prelims to 76.000 at night. Making a BOA final in September is a good sign for both of them.

BOA Arizona Regional: Mountain Ridge wins Flagstaff

Four of my bands marched at the Walkup Skydome, and all four made finals in a 13-band field.

  • Mountain Ridge HS
    Class: 1st in AAAA
    Finals: 1st, 77.650, with Outstanding Music (shared) and General Effect
    Prelims: 1st, 76.975
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Corona del Sol HS
    Class: 2nd in AAAA
    Finals: 3rd, 75.400
    Prelims: 2nd, 74.900
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Catalina Foothills HS
    Class: 2nd in AAA
    Finals: 5th, 74.950
    Prelims: 5th, 74.050
    Show: Listen
  • Sandra Day O’Connor HS
    Class: 6th in AAAA
    Finals: 7th, 73.200
    Prelims: 8th, 70.850
    Show: A Picture’s Worth

Mountain Ridge led after prelims and held on at night to win the regional. Sandra Day O’Connor had the biggest jump of the four, gaining 2.35 points from prelims to finals and moving up a spot. Mountain Ridge is running a mix of selections from my catalog of adaptable marching band shows, which is a nice answer to anyone who thinks an adaptable show can’t win a BOA regional.

More Bands of America: Central Ohio and North Houston

Rock Ridge made the trip from Virginia, placed 3rd in Class AA and made finals. Klein was in a deep North Houston field and didn’t advance. September scores are a snapshot, and there’s a lot of season left for them to build on.

North Carolina and Tennessee: three class titles at Panther Creek

  • Jordan HS (NC)
    1st in Class 3A, 85.030
    Panther Creek Invitational, Cary
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Seaforth HS (NC)
    1st in Class 4A, 83.780
    Panther Creek Invitational, Cary
    Show: Fractured
  • Sanderson HS (NC)
    1st in Class 2A, 80.730
    Panther Creek Invitational, Cary
    Show: Monarch(y)
  • Hendersonville HS (TN)
    2nd in Class B, 77.338
    Wolf Pack Classic, Gallatin
    Show: Midnight
  • Cascade HS (TN)
    2nd in Large Division AAA, 78.520
    Stones River Championship, Murfreesboro
    Show: New Frontier

Three of my bands won three different classes at the same contest. Jordan posted the top score of the three at 85.030. Seaforth and Rock Ridge are both marching Fractured this fall, in two different states, and it’s fun to watch the same show take on two different personalities. In Tennessee, Hendersonville finished 2nd in Class B at Liberty Creek, 0.837 behind Station Camp, and Cascade placed 2nd in its division at Siegel.

Arizona, Indiana and Oklahoma: Highland wins at home

Highland won its own invitational in Gilbert with the top score of the day and a sweep of the Division I captions, and Boulder Creek finished right behind them. Goshen won its class at Penn and took every caption award, a week before winning Class AAA at the BOA Northwest Ohio Regional. Norman North made finals in Yukon in a field led by Mustang and Westmoore.

USBands: Clear Lake wins Houston

Nine of my bands marched USBands regionals in Webster, Buda, Manor and Saginaw.

Clear Lake won Group V in prelims and then won finals by almost two points, ahead of C.E. King and West Fork. Their show, Of Faun and Fable, is a custom build around Debussy, Roussel and Ravel, and it posted the top score of any of my Texas bands that day. Weiss won Group IV in prelims and gained 3.5 points by finals. Stevens and Eaton both finished 5th in finals, and Eaton’s color guard took Best Color Guard at Saginaw. Midlothian Heritage just missed the Saginaw finals with a 76.4, higher than two bands that made it from other groups.

Texas invitationals

Most of these results come from fan posts, since the hosts hadn’t posted official recaps when I checked. Pearsall’s comes from the official Hill Country recap. I’ll update the rest if official numbers show up.

  • Reedy HS
    1st in 5A prelims with Outstanding Music and Visual, 1st in finals with every caption
    Wylie Marching Invitational
    Show: Drawn Together
  • Independence HS (Frisco)
    2nd in 5A prelims, 3rd in finals
    Wylie Marching Invitational
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Farmersville HS
    1st of 13
    Chris Lovejoy Marching Invitational, Whitesboro
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Del Valle HS
    1st in the contest’s 3A prelims division, did not make finals
    Cap City Marching Festival, Austin
    Show: Curlicue: Kinetic Whimsy
  • Pearsall HS
    7th of 8 in 4A
    Hill Country Marching Festival, Fredericksburg
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Mineola HS
    Grand champion, swept Class 3A, finals Best Percussion
    Pleasant Grove Marching Invitational, Texarkana
    Show: What Lies Beneath
  • Brewer HS
    2nd in 5A prelims, 3rd in finals
    Wildcat Marching Festival, Godley
    Show: Powerline
  • Benbrook HS
    Competed, not among the 10 finalists
    Wildcat Marching Festival, Godley
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Life HS Waxahachie
    Competed, not among the 10 finalists
    Wildcat Marching Festival, Godley
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Panther Creek HS
    7th in finals
    Melissa Marching Showcase
    Show: Hydrodynamics
  • North Forney HS
    10th in finals
    Melissa Marching Showcase
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Cigarroa HS
    1st
    MPB Classic, Carrizo Springs
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Jasper HS
    11th in finals
    Plano East Marching Invitational
    Show: Mixed selections

Reedy had a huge night at Wylie, winning 5A in prelims and then sweeping every finals caption, which fans in the thread called the first sweep at that contest. Independence finished 3rd in the same finals. Farmersville won at Whitesboro the same day it also performed at Mesquite. Mineola also had a big day, sweeping Class 3A in prelims and then winning the whole contest at night. Cigarroa also took a 1st at Carrizo Springs. If your band is looking ahead to the UIL stretch, my list of ways to make your show stand out at UIL Area is worth a read.

South Carolina and Colorado: Chapin wins 4A

  • Chapin HS (SC)
    1st in Class 4A, 80.050
    Swamp Classic, Lexington
    Show: Aurora
  • Blythewood HS (SC)
    3rd in Class 6A, 84.300
    Swamp Classic, Lexington
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Rio Rancho HS (NM)
    2nd in Open Class finals, 76.050
    Legacy Marching Festival, Thornton CO
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Grand Junction HS (CO)
    2nd in Class 5A and 3rd overall in finals, 67.700
    Colorado West Festival, Grand Junction
    Show: Hieroglyphics

Chapin won Class 4A at the Swamp Classic, hosted by River Bluff, a week after River Bluff won the Mustang Classic. Blythewood posted the higher score of my two bands there at 84.300, in a tough 6A class. Rio Rancho made the drive up from New Mexico and finished 2nd in Open Class, and Grand Junction placed 3rd overall at Colorado West.

More Texas: Mansfield and Hondo

  • Mansfield Legacy HS
    5th in finals, 4th in prelims
    Mansfield Preview of Champions
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Mansfield Summit HS
    11th of 14 in prelims
    Mansfield Preview of Champions
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Hondo HS
    2nd in Class 3A
    Southwest ISD Marching Classic, San Antonio
    Show: Mixed selections

Mansfield Legacy made finals at the Preview of Champions and finished 5th. Hondo took 2nd in Class 3A at Southwest ISD, then won 3A at Seguin a week later.

What’s next

October is here, and the schedule fills up fast with more BOA regionals and UIL region contests. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results for my bands as they come in. Congratulations to every student, director and staff member who made September 26 worth writing about.

If you’re already thinking about next fall, browse the 2026 show catalog or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk it through, reach out here and we can set up a call.

FAQ

Where can I find official marching band contest results? Bands of America posts class awards and finals scores on each regional’s results page at marching.musicforall.org. USBands posts official scores under the Scores tab on each event page at usbands.org. Many state circuits and invitationals post recaps through CompetitionSuite, and fans share scores on HornRank and TxBands.

Why didn’t Argyle march finals at BOA Dallas? BOA’s results don’t give a reason. The Cross Timbers Gazette reported that the band had another commitment in Melissa that day.

Can an adaptable show win a Bands of America regional? Yes. Mountain Ridge won the BOA Arizona Regional on September 26 with a mix of selections from my catalog. Every show is adjusted to the band’s instrumentation and strengths before they start learning it, which is what lets it compete. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

The post Marching Band Contest Results: September 26, 2026 Recap appeared first on Evan VanDoren Music.

]]> 19 New Marching Band Shows for 2027! https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/09/19-new-marching-band-shows-for-2027/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:23:30 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10271 I’m excited to release 19 new marching band shows joining my marching band catalog! These shows are available for inquiry immediately and may be reserved for performance in 2027! To learn more, visit evanvandoren.com/newmarchingbandshows! Out Of Print: A World Built From Stories Commissioned by Rouse HS | Leander, TX Every story starts somewhere, and this […]

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]]> I’m excited to release 19 new marching band shows joining my marching band catalog! These shows are available for inquiry immediately and may be reserved for performance in 2027! To learn more, visit evanvandoren.com/newmarchingbandshows!

Out Of Print - A World Built From Stories Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Out Of Print: A World Built From Stories

Commissioned by Rouse HS | Leander, TX

Every story starts somewhere, and this one starts on the page. Houses, trees, and gates rise from layered book pages as an entire storybook world builds itself across the field, moving through conflict and discovery toward one familiar ending. Happily ever after, built one page at a time.

The Heart Within Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

The Heart Within

Commissioned by Cedar Park HS | Cedar Park, TX

Underneath the noise, something keeps beating, refusing to fade. This is a journey into the dark — not to escape it, but to find what’s been waiting there all along, where ink spreads, pressure builds, and a single red line finally breaks through. Darkness clears. What remains is unmistakably human.

Dark Star, Bright Star Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Dark Star, Bright Star

Commissioned by Shijonawate Gakuen HS | Daito City, Osaka, Japan

Every star holds two forces in perfect balance — the quiet pull of gravity and the brilliant push of light, each depending on the other to exist at all. Neither one wins, because neither is meant to. What emerges is a kind of harmony found only in tension, dark and bright sustaining each other across the endless dark.

Drawn Together Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Drawn Together

Commissioned by Reedy HS | Frisco, TX

A blank page is never really empty — it’s full of everything that hasn’t happened yet. This show lives inside that space: pencil marks that wander, sketches that shift and self-correct, ideas caught mid-scribble before they become something real. Playful, unfinished, and alive with possibility, every line leads somewhere new.

Get To The Point Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Get To The Point

Commissioned by Waxahachie HS | Waxahachie, TX

Motion without direction is just noise. This show starts there — arrows pointing everywhere at once, energy with nowhere to land — and narrows, phrase by phrase, until everything condenses into one unmistakable point. Precision replaces chaos, and nothing arrives until it’s earned.

Luna Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Luna

Commissioned by Wylie HS | Wylie, TX

The moon doesn’t ask permission before it changes everything beneath it. Gravity bends, light shifts, and the world tilts under her quiet influence until the night reaches its most controlled, most radiant moment. And when her light finally fades, she doesn’t vanish — she leaves the world different than she found it.

Of Faun and Fable Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Of Faun and Fable

Commissioned by Clear Lake HS | Houston, TX

At the edge of a forgotten grove, curious and clever inhabitants offer more than they let on. Travelers wander in expecting a simple story, and find instead a place that shifts between playful, alluring, and quietly unkind depending on how closely you’re paying attention. Some places aren’t meant to be understood — only felt.

Sacred Spaces Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Sacred Spaces

Commissioned by Wakeland HS | Frisco, TX

Some places don’t announce themselves as important — they just are. This production explores what we choose to hold close, grand or humble, public or deeply personal, and asks what happens when those things start to feel fragile. What’s sacred doesn’t disappear. It changes with us.

The Other Side of Here Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

The Other Side of Here

Commissioned by Aledo HS | Aledo, TX

Right on the edge of something new, curiosity finally outweighs fear. This show follows that exact moment — stepping away from the familiar and toward something brighter, uncertain, and worth chasing. It’s not about having the answers. It’s about being brave enough to cross over.

Theia's Light Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Theia’s Light

Commissioned by Argyle HS | Argyle, TX

Before it’s seen, light gathers in the dark, waiting. This production traces that awakening from the first stir of brilliance to a full, radiant reveal, tracking how light exposes truth, beauty, and connection along the way. What starts as anticipation ends in something undeniable.

Chain Reaction Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Chain Reaction

It only takes one. A single spark ignites, and every phrase, every gesture that follows becomes cause for what comes next — nothing happens by accident, nothing stands still. Momentum spreads, pressure builds, reactions multiply, until the ensemble isn’t reacting anymore. It’s driving the system with total control.

Common Threads Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Common Threads

Commissioned by Sulphur HS | Sulphur, LA

Separate voices, separate strands — each carrying its own tone, its own weight, standing alone but never quite touching. This show follows what happens when they start to answer each other, when tension gives way to connection and distance becomes direction. What began as many threads becomes one fabric, strong enough to hold.

Frequency Shift Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Frequency Shift

Commissioned by Jefferson Forest HS | Forest, VA

Every system runs on a signal — steady, aligned, unbroken. This show begins there, clean and controlled, before small disruptions creep in and the frequency stops being singular. Color floods the static, distortion becomes identity, and by the end, precision and energy don’t fight each other. They coexist, stronger for having collided.

Hydrodynamics Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Hydrodynamics

Commissioned by Panther Creek HS | Frisco, TX

Signal sharpens into current, current pours into ripple, ripple blooms into full, resonant swell. Sharp lines dissolve into liquid shapes; stillness and motion trade places like light shifting across water. Sound catches every angle it moves through, bending, doubling, echoing back on itself. Every texture reflects the same current, seen from somewhere new.

Into the Deep Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Into the Deep

Commissioned by Port Isabel HS | Port Isabel, TX

Beneath the surface, where sunlight can no longer reach, something learns to make its own light. In the deep, connection isn’t given—it’s built, pulse by pulse, in the dark, until what glows between two things becomes its own kind of proof. The pressure that could crush also creates: shapes shift, forge, and hold their form against everything pressing in. What we build in the depths doesn’t need to be seen to be real.

Terminal Velocity Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Terminal Velocity

Commissioned by Langham Creek HS | Houston, TX

We begin on the edge, grounded and compressed, every muscle tense against the pull of the open air. Hesitation gives way to the leap—momentum cascading downward, faster, unstable, relentless, until the fall stops fighting itself and becomes something closer to flight. At the peak of velocity, descent transforms into lift, and what was falling breaks through into something soaring and unstoppable. We do not hit the ground. We fly.

The Shape of Things to Come Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

The Shape of Things to Come

Commissioned by Goshen HS | Goshen, IN

Somewhere between broken and whole, geometry starts to move. Rigid shapes drift apart at first—isolated, incomplete, fractured by distance—until small attempts at connection begin to take hold. Structures that once separated start to align, trading isolation for intention, until the pieces finally settle into something unified and unmistakable. What starts in fracture ends in hope, built one brave step at a time.

Viewfinder Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

Viewfinder

Commissioned by Mineola HS | Mineola, TX

Every generation gets its own frame, its own frozen moment worth holding onto. This show moves through time the way a photograph does — capturing an era, then letting it fade into the next, each decade distinct but part of the same unfolding story. What’s past never really leaves. It just waits to be seen again.

What Lies Beneath Evan VanDoren Music Marching Band Shows

What Lies Beneath

Commissioned by Mineola HS | Mineola, TX

It starts on solid ground—confident, ordered, sure of itself—but even here, something pulls us to keep going deeper. The work begins in earnest, resistance building with every push against weight and fatigue, determination hardening into something closer to obsession. Depth brings weight, and what started as ambition becomes pressure we can barely carry, until it finally breaks loose—raw, volatile, impossible to take back. Once uncovered, some things can’t be buried again.

Planning next season?

Plan a show that fits the band you’ll actually have in October.

A 54-page fillable workbook for band directors, from the season debrief to a plan you can hand to any arranger. Start with the free sample.

See the planning guideGet the free sample

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]]> Marching Band Contest Results: September 19, 2026 Recap https://www.evanvandoren.com/2026/09/marching-band-contest-results-september-19-2026/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:37:23 +0000 https://www.evanvandoren.com/?p=10518 BOA McAllen, a big day in Kentucky and wins up north Updated October 8, 2026: added River Bluff and Middleton, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones. These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the bands performing my shows this fall. Most of my […]

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]]> BOA McAllen, a big day in Kentucky and wins up north

Updated October 8, 2026: added River Bluff and Middleton, and moved the results into lists so they read better on phones.

These are the marching band contest results from Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the bands performing my shows this fall. Most of my Texas bands were still a week or two away from their first contest, so South Texas carried the state. Out of state, the season was already rolling.

Here are the headlines. Harlingen South won Class AAA at the Bands of America South Texas Regional in McAllen and took the finals visual award. Ryle won the Lafayette Invitational in Lexington, Goshen won its class at Concord with every caption it could take, and Pipestone won the Class A sweepstakes at Waseca. River Bluff won the Mustang Classic in South Carolina, and Middleton swept BandFest in Wisconsin the next day.

I spent nine years as a band director, and I remember how much of September is guesswork. You don’t really know where a show stands until it’s in front of judges. These bands got their answers, and most of them should like what they heard.

Bands of America South Texas Regional: Harlingen South leads the way

Eight of my bands marched at Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, in a 24-band prelims field.

  • Harlingen South HS
    Class: 1st in AAA, with Visual and GE
    Finals: 2nd, 79.800, Outstanding Visual
    Prelims: 2nd, 78.800
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Los Fresnos HS
    Class: 2nd in AAAA
    Finals: 5th, 75.600
    Prelims: 6th, 72.150
    Show: Short Circuit
  • Sharyland HS
    Class: 2nd in AA, with GE
    Finals: 10th, 71.550
    Prelims: 11th, 70.550
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Rio Grande City HS
    Class: 4th in AA
    Finals: Did not advance
    Prelims: 14th, 64.150
    Show: Chain Reaction
  • Gladys Porter HS
    Class: 5th in AA
    Finals: Did not advance
    Prelims: 16th, 62.600
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Grulla HS
    Class: 1st in A, with Music, Visual and GE
    Finals: Did not advance
    Prelims: 17th, 61.550
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Economedes HS
    Class: 12th in AAA
    Finals: Did not advance
    Prelims: 21st, 56.100
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Port Isabel HS
    Class: 2nd in A
    Finals: Did not advance
    Prelims: 23rd, 53.150
    Show: Into the Deep

Harlingen South won Class AAA, took the class visual and general effect awards, and then won Outstanding Visual in finals on the way to 2nd overall. Los Fresnos added 3.45 points between prelims and finals, the biggest jump of my three finalists. Sharyland made finals and won the AA general effect award. Grulla swept all three Class A captions. For a Class A band at a BOA regional, that’s a great September result.

Five of these programs are running a mix of selections from my catalog of adaptable marching band shows, each one adjusted to the band in front of it. Harlingen South’s finals visual award came from a show built the same way.

Kentucky and Ohio: Ryle wins Lafayette

  • Ryle HS (KY)
    1st in Class AAAAA prelims (76.350), 1st in finals (77.000)
    Lafayette Invitational, Lexington
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Madison Central HS (KY)
    3rd in Class AAAAA prelims (75.250), 3rd in finals (75.400)
    Lafayette Invitational, Lexington
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Garrard County HS (KY)
    2nd of 13 overall and 2nd in Class AAA, 78.250
    Boyle County Rebel Showdown, Danville
    Show: Fractured
  • Dixie Heights HS (KY)
    2nd in Class AAAA, 66.000
    Taylor Band Premiere, Cleves OH
    Show: Mixed selections
  • Stebbins HS (OH)
    5th of 11 in Session 1, 61.500
    Lakota West Invitational, West Chester OH
    Show: Light & Shadow
  • Finneytown HS (OH)
    7th of 11 in Session 1, 59.200
    Lakota West Invitational, West Chester OH
    Show: Mixed selections

Ryle and Madison Central went 1st and 3rd in the Lafayette finals, and Ryle led from prelims on. Two weeks later Ryle placed 2nd in Class AAA at the BOA Kentucky Regional, so this was an early sign of a strong fall. Garrard County finished 2nd of 13 at Boyle County, behind only Campbell County. Dixie Heights placed 2nd in Class AAAA at Taylor, 1.5 points behind Oak Hills.

Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia and Minnesota

  • Goshen HS (IN)
    1st in Open Class B, Best Music, Best Visual, Best General Effect, People’s Choice
    Concord Invitational, Elkhart
    Show: The Shape of Things to Come
  • Hendersonville HS (TN)
    2nd in Class A, 75.725
    Station Camp Marching Invitational, Gallatin
    Show: Midnight
  • Rock Ridge HS (VA)
    1st in Group 5, 87.575
    VMBC Freedom Showcase, South Riding
    Show: Fractured
  • Pipestone Area HS (MN)
    1st in Class A field (73.65) with the Class A Sweepstakes, 1st in Class A parade with the hornline award
    Waseca Marching Classic, Waseca
    Show: Choose Joy

Goshen won its class at Concord and took every caption award on the table, plus the crowd’s vote. Two weeks later they won Class AAA at the BOA Northwest Ohio Regional. Rock Ridge was the only band in Group 5 at the Freedom Showcase, but its 87.575 was the second-highest score of the day. Pipestone swept Class A at Waseca in both parade and field, and Hendersonville finished less than a point behind Mt. Juliet in Class A at Station Camp.

Garrard County and Rock Ridge are both marching Fractured this fall, in two different states. If your band is getting ready for its own fall stretch, my list of ways to make your show stand out at UIL Area is worth a read.

South Carolina and Wisconsin: River Bluff and Middleton win

  • River Bluff HS (SC)
    1st overall of 16, 77.950
    1st in Class B 4A, Excellent rating
    Mustang Classic, Graniteville
    Show: Paradox
  • Middleton HS (WI)
    1st place, with every caption award
    Waukesha North BandFest, Waukesha (Sunday, September 20)
    Show: Light & Shadow

River Bluff topped a 16-band field at Midland Valley and came home with an Excellent rating. Middleton marched the next day at Carroll University and swept the caption awards. They’re one of three bands marching Light & Shadow this fall, along with Stebbins in Ohio and Klein in Texas.

What’s next

The full Texas contest season starts the next weekend, along with four more BOA regionals. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results for my bands as they come in. Congratulations to every student, director and staff member who made September 19 worth writing about.

If you’re already thinking about next fall, browse the 2026 show catalog or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk it through, reach out here and we can set up a call.

FAQ

Where can I find official marching band contest results? Bands of America posts class awards and finals scores on each regional’s results page at marching.musicforall.org. Many state circuits post recaps through CompetitionSuite or their own sites, such as kyband.com in Kentucky and InBands in Indiana. Fans also share scores on HornRank and TxBands.

Why do some bands have class results but no finals? At a Bands of America regional, every band is ranked within its class in prelims, but only the top 12 overall march finals. A band can win its class and still miss the finals cut, which is what happened for Grulla in McAllen.

Can an adaptable show win at a Bands of America regional? Yes. Harlingen South won Class AAA and the finals visual award at the BOA South Texas Regional with a mix of selections from my catalog. Every show is adjusted to the band’s instrumentation and strengths before they start learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

Sources

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