Texas Border Business
Talented and dedicated high school marching bands from throughout Texas will gather in the Rio Grande Valley to compete in one of the nation’s most prominent championships, Music for All’s Bands of America South Texas Regional Championship, presented by Yamaha. The Bands of America Championship will feature 27 high school marching bands in the preliminary competition, evaluated by a panel of nationally-recognized music educators and marching band experts. The Top 10 bands will advance to the evening finals competition, which will ultimately name the Regional Champion.
The South Texas Regional is one of 22 Bands of America regional marching band championships across the country that offer positively life-changing experiences for students, teachers, and fans and spectators. The season ends with the Bands of America Grand National Championships, presented by Yamaha, in Indianapolis, Ind., in November. A nonprofit 501(c)3 educational organization, Music for All has been creating, providing, and expanding positively life-changing experiences through Music for All with more than 30 annual events for scholastic bands, orchestras, and choirs, nationwide.
The Championship in McAllen is hosted by the McAllen ISD Bands and Boosters.
In addition to this event, six other Bands of America Championships will be taking place in Texas this fall. Events include the Bands of America West Texas Regional Championship in Midland, the Bands of America Austin Regional Championship, the Bands of America Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Championship, the Bands of America Houston Regional Championship, the Bands of America Waco Regional Championship, and the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional Championship.
Music for All is about building leaders and celebrating teachers. The Bands of America Championship in McAllen is a celebration of music education at its finest, showcasing the excellence, teamwork, and student leadership of the region’s outstanding marching bands. These young performers and their achievements advocate for the importance of music education in schools locally and nationwide. Research has shown attendance and graduation rates to be higher for students who participate in their school music programs. The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT’s than students with no participation. Music and arts involvement teaches youth many skills necessary to succeed in life, including problem solving and decision making, building self-confidence and self-discipline, the ability to imagine what might be and to accept responsibility for it, teamwork, the development of informed perception, and articulating a vision.
Bands of America Championships are entertaining, family-friendly events featuring live music, choreography, and competition. Students, parents, teachers, and everyone who loves live music and the marching arts is welcome.
Veterans Memorial Stadium (2001 N Bicentennial Blvd McAllen, TX 78501), September 21, 2019. The preliminary competition begins at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m. Gates will open for the finals at 6:45 p.m. with performances beginning at 7:45 p.m. All times are tentative pending the final schedule of performing bands. Current times will be listed at marching.musicforall.org. Individual tickets start at $13, with non-performing student group tickets starting at $10. Children 10 years-old or younger are admitted free for general admission seating. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.musicforall.org/southtexasregional.
About Music for All
Since 1975, Music for All has been a destination and set the standard for scholastic music ensemble performance and music education advocacy. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, Music for All’s mission is to create, provide, and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all. Music for All’s vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child in America has access and opportunity for active music making in his or her scholastic environment. Music for All’s advocacy efforts inspire and develop models and strategies for successful music programs, through programs like its Advocacy in Action Awards, the I-65 Corridor Project, and support of Indianapolis Public Schools, the Central Indiana Track Show Association, and Indiana State Fair Band Day, and programs like United Sound and Be Part of the Music. Music for All’s programs include more than 45 annual events, including the Bands of America Grand National Championships and Regional Championships for marching bands; the Music for All Summer Symposium camp for students and teachers; the Music for All National Festival for bands, orchestras, choirs, percussion and chamber ensembles; Affiliate Regional Music Festivals held across America; and national student honor ensembles including the Bands of America Honor Band that will march for the fifth time in the Rose Parade® in 2021.
Sponsor Information
Music for All efforts are supported through sponsorships, including current partnerships with National Presenting Sponsor: Yamaha Corporation of America; Official Uniform Sponsor: Fred J. Miller, Inc.; Official Student Travel Partner: Music Travel Consultants; Official Spirit Wear Sponsor: PepWear; Official Performance Equipment Sponsor: Wenger Corporation; Corporate Sponsors: Ball State University, Visit Indy and the City of Indianapolis, and Strategic Advocacy Partner: NAMM; Associate Sponsors: BAND the mobile app, DANSR, Director’s Showcase International, FloMarching, REMO, ScholarshipAuditions.com, Woodwind & Brasswind. Music for All is also supported by the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis; Ball Brothers Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; George and Frances Ball Foundation; Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc.; CMA Foundation; Central Indiana Community Foundation, Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation, Inc.; and Arthur Jordan Foundation.
