Special Thank You to one of my Colleagues and Mentors for his Contributions to these comments and his lasting impact as an educator to me: 

- The Late Richard Lorenzen

PHILOSOPHY OF THE WESTERN BAND ASSOCIATION JUDGING SYSTEM
http://www.westernbands.org/

This system is a means to encourage and reward creativity, artistry and excellence in design and performance while providing a vehicle that will educate beginners in such a way that they will grow to understand and evolve to the greatest level of their potential. It is our intent that this system will encourage and reward creativity, and acknowledge the tasteful and aesthetic appeal of good design through quality composition.

The system acknowledges the joint efforts of designers, instructors, and performers through understanding that excellence and artistry are displayed through the design and that those same designs are recognized and credited through the artistry of performance This system utilizes a method of subjective evaluation that rewards the achievement of positive qualities and offers continued encouragement to strive for greater achievement. This is a positive system rewarding successful efforts atevery level, and is designed to encourage units to develop, maintain and project their own styles. Therefore, we emphasize creativity, originality, taste, and excellence.
 

The use of a criteria reference guide will tell all units the essence of the qualities they must achieve in order to receive their projected “number-grade” goal. Numbers assigned by a judge reflect the successful achievement of certain criteria and no longer equate such ideas as poor, fair, good, etc. The system is educational and will reward performers and designers based on accomplishments.

THE WBA SCORING SYSTEM
 

♦ All participants and all program styles start with an equal opportunity to succeed.
♦ Scores are assigned based on criteria required in each sub-caption.
♦ The criteria reference system requires that ranking and rating be done on a sub-caption basis so that each sub-caption number is a ranking and rating in and of itself. When the totals of the sub-captions indicate a tie in the overall sheet, the judge should re-evaluate his/her sub-caption numbers to see if the tie can be broken.
♦ A maximum score in any sub-caption is inappropriate in any contest prior to the last band to take the field in competition. It is particularly inappropriate when assigned early in any contest. It might occur in rare occasions when the judge’s number discipline forces a score to escalate in the progression of a contest, but it negates completely the concept of ranking when it is applied prematurely.
♦ It is important to restate that the five categories specify levels of achievement for each sub-caption. The numerical rating of each performance falls within the box that best describes the level of achievement MOST OF THE TIME. Only the top category with the highest numbers requires the performance to meet outstanding levels for EVERY ONE of the criteria listed
♦ All judges will judge the entire show from obvious start to obvious conclusion.

EXAMPLE CRITERIA OR "RUBRICS" OF THE WBA SCORING SYSTEM
 

PROGRAM EFFECT

Credit the effectiveness of the Musical Program,
the creativity and originality of the program concept,
and the imagination, depth and pacing of the musical design.
Consider musical appeal, creativity, development of musical ideas and use of time.
 

PROGRAM MUSIC EFFECT CRITERIA (CLASS 4A-5A)
 

40 - 44 The program is immature and lacks understanding of musical. design or composition. Concepts are uninteresting or underdeveloped. Appeal and audience intrigue do not occur. There is little or no attempt at continuity or flow of musical ideas. Design effect is minimal.

45 - 54 The program shows some understanding of musical design and composition. Some attempts at pacing are evident. Concepts occasionally show some imagination. Occasional periods of appeal and intrigue may generate some effect. Design levels, while often weak, can still communicate the idiom.
 

55 - 74 The program contains knowledge of proper fundamentals of musical design. Continuity and pacing is moderately successful, the musical program is contoured to create a good degree of effect; there are moments of unique design and audience intrigue. Program concepts, while not sophisticated, show an adequate level of creativity and are moderately appealing and effective. Mood is consistently established and there is moderate variety of musical ideas, producing good effect. The design of the musical program is good and produces moderate effect.
 

75 - 94 The program contains a high degree of musical design. Continuity and pacing is well developed, and guide the audience through an ongoing, effective and appealing presentation. The musical program is well contoured to create a strong degree of effect Design is consistent and strong, and audience intrigue is high. Concepts are well developed and creative, generating a strong level of appeal and effect. Mood is consistently sustained and there is a wide variety of musical ideas yielding consistently effective response. The design of the musical program is excellent and produces strong effect.
 

95 - 100 The program contains an unparalleled profusion of creative design standards combining elements of originality, creativity and variety. Continuity and pacing are superior, in a standard-setting, effective and appealing presentation. The musical program is superbly contoured to create a maximum degree of effect. Mood is fully maintained and there is a standard setting approach to musical ideas which produces optimum appeal and audience intrigue. The design of the musical program sets new artistic standards and produces full effect.
 

PERFORMANCE EFFECT
 

Reward the performers for their ability to bring the show to life
through all of those positive qualities of a technical and artistic nature
that are communicated through the performance.
Reward the emotion, expression, style and communication of the performance.

PERFORMANCE EFFECT CRITERIA (CLASS 4A-5A)
 

40 - 44 Improper and insufficient training and/or lack of maturity of the performers does not allow the unit to communicate through the music.
 

45 - 54 Performers display some awareness of the skills involved in the communication of the music, and occasionally connect to the audience. However, concentration wavers and fluctuates because of technique problems. The performance is mostly lifeless and mechanical and lacks developed understanding and involvement.
 

56 - 74 Performers are aware of the skills involved in the communication of the music. Lapses in concentration or technique can cause widely varying results; sometimes there are good levels of expression and emotional communication, while other times the musical performance may lack involvement and seem a bit lifeless. Style is definitely developing and offers some effective communication moments.
 

75 - 94 Performers constantly display a strong awareness of, and sensitivity to the skills involved in the communication of the music. There is a high level of expressive and emotional communication throughout. Style is well developed. Musical training and maturity is good.
 

95 - 100 There is superlative understanding of the skills involved in the communication of the music. Expressive and emotional communication sets new standards through superb skills and the most brilliant display of intensities of emotion and artistry. Style is fully developed.
 

COORDINATION

Reward the inter-relationship of all musical elements to present various musical styles and moods.

Consider coordination of percussion to winds, and winds to winds. Reward the effective staging and presentation of musical voices, and the percussion & visual enhancement of the music.
 

COORDINATION CRITERIA (4A-5A)
 

40 - 44 There is an obvious lack of team involvement in program production. The overall product does not work together.
 

45 - 54 The design team shows some awareness of blending elements to produce effect, but results are highly inconsistent. Occasionally elements may blend in impact points or resolutions of ideas, but often success may be impaired by the absence of effort on the part of one or more sections. Coordination between musical sections is sporadic and yields varying results. Percussion and Auxiliary enhancement is occasionally successful in enhancing the program with effect.
 

55 - 74 The design team has a correct understanding of blending musical and visual elements to produce effect. Established concepts are used most of the time, and while not sophisticated, are still moderately effective. Impact points and resolutions of musical/visual ideas are mostly coordinated and correct. Visual staging presents musical events with moderate success. Coordination within and between musical sections is correct and yields good results. Percussion and auxiliary are moderately successful in the enhancement of the program with some good coordinated effect.
 

75 - 94 The design team displays a constant level of attention to detail in creating a harmonious blend of musical and visual effects. Established and successful coordination concepts mingle with some new ideas to present a thorough and pleasing blend. Impact points and resolutions of musical/visual ideas are strong and detailed Visual staging heightens the impact of musical events. Coordination within and between musical sections is well detailed and strong throughout. Percussion and Auxiliary continually enhance the program with successful coordinated effect.
 

95 - 100 The design team displays a fully detailed, imaginative and successful blend of musical and visual effects. Impact points, resolutions of musical/visual ideas and visual staging constantly elevates the effect of the program through the most detailed blend of all elements. Coordination within and between musical sections is superior. Percussion and Auxiliary sections are standard setting in enhancing the program, fully elevating the coordinated effect. Team efforts set new standards.

THE PERFORMERS

Bringing the show to life
 

When the designer has written the “Script” of the program, defined the repertoire and set the scene with decorative and colorful visual aids, it now becomes the function of the performers to bring the “show” to life. In this area we respond to the performers manifestation of:
 

♦ Communication - commitment to the musical/visual performance
♦ Identity, personality, character demonstrated through both music and visual display
♦ Musical and Visual Techniques
♦ Excellence
 

We look for and respond to the passionate and emotional investment of the performers -- the sensitive, vulnerable, excited, funny, aggressive performance qualities. These qualities transcend the pure technical excellence of any given responsibility, and layer the skill with “life”. These qualities invite the audience “in” to share the experience of the performance, make the performers accessible to the audience, and make the performance effective! In order to achieve this level of performance, the instructor must provide the performer with opportunities to demonstrate these skills, then the performers must communicate them to generate performance effectiveness.
 

This area involves much more than pure energy and enthusiasm. It rewards a learned skill that deserves to be recognized and credited. Without a doubt, effect that can be generated through pure excellence; we also acknowledge that a weak technical performance can be detrimental to effect. In THIS caption, however, pure excellence is only one ingredient and its importance may or may not be critical to effect. The need to understand these techniques, brings to issue the importance of the theory of derived achievement and the premise that both the “what and the how” exist simultaneously.

The judge must have a simultaneous awareness of WHAT is being asked of the performers and concurrently know HOW well it is being achieved. It is impossible to separate the two components. Our accountability to the score sheet is the only real delineation that exists between the WHAT and the HOW. Therefore, it is appropriate that each observation the judge makes relative to the design qualities should be accompanied by an observation of the degree of excellence with which it is achieved. This will give scoring significance to the commentary.
 

The blend of Repertoire, Performance and Coordination is the means to create effect.
 

The Repertoire exists only when it is performed, and it is enhanced with a wonderful performance. For the performers, the opportunity to demonstrate a broad array of skills is made possible by the Repertoire. The coordination of all components into a synergistic whole provides the glue which combines the many pieces within the program.