Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association
	Class AA champions, Southmoreland High School, preparing to perform in the 2021 PIMBA Championships.
Abbreviation	PIMBA
Founded	1996
Location	Greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States;
Website	www.pimba.org

Last updated July 28, 2024

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) is a nonprofit organization that provides competitive adjudications for high school marching bands in southwestern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996 (replacing the now-defunct PFCJ marching band circuit), PIMBA coordinates with local high schools to host band competitions throughout the fall, culminating in the PIMBA Championships.

Background

PIMBA events provide both healthy competition and constructive feedback for performing bands. Directors pay membership dues in order for their ensemble to be classified as a member of the circuit. Classifications are broken down by the number of performing students in an ensemble. The current classifications are as follows:^[1]

Class A: 1–54 members
Class AA: 55– 74 members
Class AAA: 75–99 members
Class AAAA: 100+ members

Directors may also choose to have their ensemble perform in judged exhibition or Festival Class. These bands will not be placed but will still receive judges' commentary and an individual score. From 1997 to 2012, PIMBA also featured a National Class– qualifications for this class included placing in the top five at BOA Regional competitions for two consecutive years or by special request of the director. The final competition to take place for each season is the PIMBA Championships. At the championships, bands receive final scoring in their respective classes with the top scoring band from each class being crowned a PIMBA Class Champion. The championships has historically been held at the following locations:

Connellsville Area Senior High School's Mighty Falcon Marching Band performing at a competition in 2022. ConnellsvilleMarchingband.jpg — Connellsville Area Senior High School's Mighty Falcon Marching Band performing at a competition in 2022.

Elizabeth Forward High School– 3 times (2003, 2005, 2007)
Gateway High School– 7 times (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Moon Area High School– 3 times (2016, 2018, and 2023)
North Allegheny Senior High School– 1 time (1996)
Norwin High School– 5 times (2000, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2022)
Penn-Trafford High School– 6 times (1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2014)
South Park High School– 1 time (1998)^[2]

Scoring is based upon the same system used by Bands of America, featuring a Musical Performance category (worth 20 points), a Visual Performance category (worth 20 points), and a General Effect category (worth 60 points). Unlike BOA, the raw total from these three categories is divided by two and raised by 50 to establish an ensemble's final score.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

PIMBA Championship Results: 1996-2023

Throughout PIMBA's history, there have been 26 Championship competitions. Several historical caveats should be noted:

1996: AAAA was referred to as Open Class
1997-2012: National Class was introduced and lasted for 15 seasons
1999: No Class AAA, AAAA, or National Class Champions (Field Washout)
2019: No Class AAA or AAAA Champions (Weather Cancellation)
2020: No PIMBA Festivals or Championships (COVID-19)

Below is a historical catalogue of each class champion band, including their respective scores and show titles if known. Next to the name of the champion in parentheses is the # of times that band has been crowned a class champion. Additional Note: the current scoring system for PIMBA was introduced in the 2004 season with revisions also being made for the 2013 and 2018 seasons, respectively.

Champion by Year and Classification^[7]
	Class A	Class AA	Class AAA	Class AAAA	National Class
1996	North Catholic ⁽¹⁾	Mars Area ⁽¹⁾ The Beatles 87.10	East Allegheny ⁽¹⁾	Kiski Area ⁽¹⁾ The Music of Gershwin
1997	Serra Catholic ⁽¹⁾	Beaver Area ⁽¹⁾ Damn Yankees	Gateway⁽¹⁾ Slavonic Dances	West Allegheny ⁽¹⁾	Norwin⁽¹⁾ Hollywood Classics
1998^[8]	No Participants in Class	Mars Area⁽²⁾ The Music of Buddy Rich 87.70	Gateway⁽²⁾ Emotions of the Soul 92.45	McKeesport ⁽¹⁾ Earth, Wind, and Fire 89.40	Norwin⁽²⁾ Kozhevnikov's "Symphony #3" 96.60
1999	South Park⁽¹⁾	Mars Area⁽³⁾ Swingin' into the Next Millennium	Cancelled: No Champion
2000	South Park⁽²⁾	Mars Area⁽⁴⁾ Lucy's Back with an Attitude 86.00	West Allegheny⁽²⁾ Jesus Christ Superstar	Gateway⁽³⁾ The Odyssey	Norwin⁽³⁾ Reflections of Earth
2001^[9]	Beaver Area⁽²⁾ Les Misérables 81.75	Southmoreland ⁽¹⁾ The Jackson Five 87.90	Deer Lakes ⁽¹⁾ Fiddler on the Roof 89.80	Trinity ⁽¹⁾ 92.85	Norwin⁽⁴⁾ Knights of Honour 94.95
2002^[10]	Beaver Area⁽³⁾ 82.70	Elizabeth Forward⁽¹⁾ Pianoforte 81.60	Mars Area⁽⁵⁾ City of Angels 91.15	Trinity⁽²⁾ 88.65	Kiski Area⁽²⁾ Route 66: Enjoy the Ride 96.15
2003^[11]	Cochranton ⁽¹⁾ 82.35	East Allegheny⁽²⁾ The Music of Gershwin 81.20	Mars Area⁽⁶⁾ Going Slightly Insane 91.00	Trinity⁽³⁾ The Music of Chase 88.35	Kiski Area⁽³⁾ Head, Hands, and Feet 95.80
2004^[12]	Quaker Valley ⁽¹⁾ Cirque du Soleil 84.83	Blackhawk ⁽¹⁾ 90.03	Gateway⁽⁴⁾ Locomotion 92.50	Trinity⁽⁴⁾ Once Upon A Time 90.03	Norwin⁽⁵⁾ Fiesta! 96.48
2005^[13]	Beaver Area⁽⁴⁾ 83.30	Fox Chapel ⁽¹⁾ 89.13	Gateway⁽⁵⁾ Reflections 91.68	Trinity⁽⁵⁾ Wicked 89.95	Norwin⁽⁶⁾ Grooves in Motion 94.35
2006^[14]	Deer Lakes⁽²⁾ Cirque du Soleil 83.53	Fox Chapel⁽²⁾ Paint Me a Picture 86.65	West Allegheny⁽³⁾ Black, White, and Red All Over 88.23	Trinity⁽⁶⁾ 89.43	Kiski Area⁽⁴⁾ Viva Las Vegas 94.63
2007^[15]	Beaver Area⁽⁵⁾ 82.88	Blackhawk⁽²⁾ Sesame Street 89.10	Gateway⁽⁶⁾ From the New World 90.98	Trinity⁽⁷⁾ 90.58	Kiski Area⁽⁵⁾ The Rhythm of Life 94.45
2008^[16]	Fox Chapel⁽³⁾ Out of the Box 85.65	Mars Area⁽⁷⁾ Songs of the Beatles 87.80	Trinity⁽⁸⁾ Cloudburst 90.30	Gateway⁽⁷⁾ Canon 92.20	Kiski Area⁽⁶⁾ Click 95.45
2009^[17]	Cochranton⁽²⁾ Clockworks 86.40	Mars Area⁽⁸⁾ Blood, Sweat, and Tears 86.45	Trinity⁽⁹⁾ Frequency 85.33	Gateway⁽⁸⁾ Winter Sketches 88.83	Kiski Area⁽⁷⁾ Pursuit 94.55
2010^[18]	Fox Chapel⁽⁴⁾ Rebound 84.83	Blackhawk⁽³⁾ This is Halloween 86.48	Mars Area⁽⁹⁾ The Music of Kansas 86.15	Moon Area⁽¹⁾ Renaissance 88.80	Kiski Area⁽⁸⁾ Imaginarium 93.35
2011^[19]	Deer Lakes⁽³⁾ Rivers 79.53	Blackhawk⁽⁴⁾ The Wicked Wiz of Oz 86.35	Trinity⁽¹⁰⁾ Kaleidoscope 85.63	Moon Area⁽²⁾ To the Top 89.58	Norwin⁽⁷⁾ Salvation 93.30
2012^[20]	East Allegheny⁽³⁾ Only the Good Die Young 77.78	McGuffey ⁽¹⁾ New Orleans Sketches 80.18	West Allegheny⁽⁴⁾ Brazil 83.43	Gateway⁽⁹⁾ Beyond the Forest's Edge 87.68	Norwin⁽⁸⁾ The Road to You 93.20
2013^[21]	Blackhawk⁽⁵⁾ Les Misérables 83.73	Mars Area⁽¹⁰⁾ A Night in the City 86.73	Gateway⁽¹⁰⁾ It Just Ain't Right 90.00	Norwin⁽⁹⁾ The Rise of the Knight 93.60
2014^[22]	Blackhawk⁽⁶⁾ Mirage 80.85	Mars Area⁽¹¹⁾ Phantom of the Opera 86.00	Gateway⁽¹¹⁾ Flashback 88.78	Norwin⁽¹⁰⁾ When Worlds Collide 92.80
2015^[23]	Blackhawk⁽⁷⁾ Through the Window 78.23	Deer Lakes⁽⁴⁾ The Hero in Us All 80.73	Gateway⁽¹²⁾ Egyptian Impressions 86.88	Kiski Area⁽⁹⁾ Origins 90.98
2016^[24]	Leechburg ⁽¹⁾ The Drake Equation 77.75	Deer Lakes⁽⁵⁾ MI-6: The 007 Archives 80.48	Gateway⁽¹³⁾ Puppet Master 84.75	Norwin⁽¹¹⁾ Con4mity 89.78
2017	Leechburg⁽²⁾ Connected 80.13	Southmoreland⁽²⁾ I am... 83.83	Mars Area⁽¹²⁾ Beethoven: Artistry in Motion 85.40	Norwin⁽¹²⁾ RunAway 92.35
2018	Blackhawk⁽⁸⁾ A Darkness Beckons 76.325	Deer Lakes⁽⁶⁾ Stories from the West Side 80.710	Gateway⁽¹⁴⁾ Enigma 86.710	Kiski Area⁽¹⁰⁾ Out of the Blue 92.790
2019	Leechburg⁽³⁾ 77.15	Fox Chapel Area⁽⁵⁾ Conquest 81.075	Cancelled: No Champion
2021	Southmoreland⁽³⁾ Through the Dark 81.400	Mars Area⁽¹³⁾ Missing U 87.15	Moon Area⁽³⁾ On the Edge 89.25	Kiski Area⁽¹¹⁾ Beneath the Shifting Sands 93.05
2022	Southmoreland⁽⁴⁾ Pieces of One 85.675	Mars Area⁽¹⁴⁾ A World up in Flames 89.675	Moon Area⁽⁴⁾ Look at the Stars 91.575	Kiski Area⁽¹²⁾ Corners of My Mind 94.90
2023	Southmoreland⁽⁵⁾ Rise and Shine 85.58	Mars Area⁽¹⁵⁾ Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave 86.55	Mt. Lebanon⁽¹⁾ Blackbird Set Free 90.68	Kiski Area⁽¹³⁾ Hidden Within 95.73

The five winningest class champion bands include Mars Area High School (15 times; AA/AAA), Gateway High School (14 times; AAA/AAAA), Kiski Area High School (13 times; AAAA/National), Norwin Senior High School (12 times; AAAA/National), and Trinity High School (10 times; AAA/AAAA). Kiski Area is the most winningest overall champion (regardless of class) with 13 titles.

Related Research Articles

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), founder Larry McCormick's goal was to provide educational opportunities for music students nationwide. McCormick organized the first annual Summer Workshop and Festival in 1976. Renamed Bands of America in 1984, the organization became an independent, tax-exempt entity in 1988. In 2006, Bands of America merged with the Music for All Foundation, a music education advocacy organization, becoming the flagship program of the combined organization. Bands of America has received numerous awards from IFEA.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, musical, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest organization of its type in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Dublin High School</span> Public high school in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, United States

Upper Dublin High School (UDHS) is a four-year public high school located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. It is the sole high school in the Upper Dublin School District.

North Allegheny Senior High School (NASH) is a suburban high school in the North Allegheny School District and is located in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The current building was built in 1974. In 2013, enrollment was 1,277 pupils in grades 11th and 12th, with 3% of pupils from a low income home. In 2013, North Allegheny Senior High School employed 98 teachers. The feeder school is North Allegheny Intermediate High School which provides grades 9th and 10th.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., also known by its acronymn PIAA, is one of the governing bodies of high school and middle school athletics for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League</span>

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Sandy Creek High School (SCHS) is a public high school in Tyrone, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Fayette County School System.

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School is a public high school in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, US. It is part of the Colonial School District.

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 event is considered to be the second-largest single marching contest in the country.

Moon Area High School is a public high school located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Part of the Moon Area School District, the school serves students from grades 9 - 12.

Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School is a secondary school located on 500 South Broad Street in the borough of Mechanicsburg, west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Mechanicsburg Area School District.

Bethlehem Catholic High School, more commonly referred to as Becahi or just Beca, is a parochial high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school is within the Diocese of Allentown and is located at 2133 Madison Avenue in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Whitfield High School</span> High school in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, United States

Northwest Whitfield High School or Northwest High School (NHS) is a public high school located in unincorporated Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It has a Tunnel Hill postal address and is adjacent to, but not within, the city limits of Varnell. It is a part of the Whitfield County School District. The school colors are royal blue and burnt orange, and the mascot is the Bruin. The school is in Class AAAA of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).

Greater Johnstown High School is a public high school in the eastern United States, which is located in between the neighborhoods of Moxham, 8th Ward, and Hornerstown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is the only high school operated by the Greater Johnstown School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwin High School</span> Public school in North Huntingdon, PA, United States

Norwin High School is a public high school located in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, with a current enrollment of about 1,600 students in grades 9–12. It enrolls students from North Huntingdon Township, Irwin, and North Irwin. It is part of the Norwin School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunkhannock Area High School</span> Public school in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, United States

Tunkhannock Area High School lies in the valley of the Endless Mountains. The school in Tunkhannock in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the sole high school operated by the Tunkhannock Area School District. Enrollment was 890 for the 2022–23 school year.

Penn-Trafford High School is a public high school located in Harrison City, Pennsylvania in Westmoreland County, and is the secondary school serving the Penn-Trafford School District. It is the result of several mergers of smaller school districts and entities. It is the successor of Penn Joint High School and Trafford High School. The school colors are green and gold. The different government entities that are incorporated into this school district are, in size order, Penn Township, Trafford Borough, Manor Borough (part), and Penn Borough. The school district is mainly in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania with a small part of Trafford Borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Albert Gallatin High School is a public high school, serving 1,052 students (2018–2019) in the eight south-western municipalities of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The present-day AGHS is located in Georges Township five miles south of Uniontown proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biglerville High School</span> Public school in Adams County

Biglerville High School is a small public high school located in the borough of Biglerville, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Upper Adams School District. The high school serves the boroughs of Biglerville, Bendersville, and Arendtsville. It also serves the residents of Tyrone Township, Butler Township, and Menallen Township. As of the 2020–2021 school year, enrollment was 540.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamokin Area High School</span> Public school in Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States

Shamokin Area High School is a small, rural/suburban, public high school operated by Shamokin Area School District. It is the sole high school operated by the district. The building is labeled Shamokin Area Middle–High School.

References

↑ "About PIMBA". PIMBA. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
↑ "Schedules / Results". PIMBA. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
↑ "MARCHING.COM: Marching Band, High School Marching Bands, Competitions, Scores, Uniforms, Fundraisers". www.marching.com.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "The Marching Band Event Registry Score Report: www.marching.com". www.marching.com.
↑ "MARCHING.COM - High School Marching Band Score Reports". www.marching.com.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
↑ "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
↑ http://pimba.org/pimba/site/main/scores2.asp?y=2016%5B%5D

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "About PIMBA". PIMBA. Retrieved 2020-07-20.

[2] "Schedules / Results". PIMBA. Retrieved 2020-07-20.

[3] "MARCHING.COM: Marching Band, High School Marching Bands, Competitions, Scores, Uniforms, Fundraisers". www.marching.com.

[4] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[5] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[6] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[7] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[8] "The Marching Band Event Registry Score Report: www.marching.com". www.marching.com.

[9] "MARCHING.COM - High School Marching Band Score Reports". www.marching.com.

[10] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[11] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[12] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[13] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[14] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[15] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[16] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[17] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[18] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[19] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[20] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-11-25.

[21] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.

[22] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.

[23] "PIMBA: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association". Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-08-06.

[24] ttp://pimba.org/pimba/site/main/scores2.asp?y=2016%5B%5D

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association

Contents

Background

PIMBA Championship Results: 1996-2023

Related Research Articles

References