North American Brass Band Association
The North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) is among the organizations whose goal is to promote brass banding in North America. Brass banding is already quite popular in the United Kingdom, where the traditional British brass band style is from.
Although "NABBA" technically refers to the organization, many members of bands use "NABBA" to specifically refer to the annual competition held in during the spring.
Publication
The Brass Band Bridge is the official publication of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA). The first issue was in 1980, and since then it has been roughly a quarterly publication.
First issue: "the Brass Band BRIDGE" (PDF). April 1980. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
Archives of quarterly publications: "Brass Band Bridge Archives". http://www.nabba.org/about/bridgeArchives.html. External link in |website= (help);
Associated Publications
Annual Competition
Each year in late winter or early spring, a competition is held for brass bands across North America to compete. Four sections, or difficulty levels, exist for adults: 3rd Section, 2nd Section, 1st Section, and Championship Section. A Youth Section also exists and is restricted to performers ages 17 and younger who are enrolled in a primary or secondary school.
Despite the association's name, occasionally a visiting band from overseas will compete, such as the Stavanger Brass Band, from Stavanger, Norway, who in fact won the Championship Section in 2003 and 2014.
Host Cities and Section Winners
Solo Competition
As part of the annual competition, 11 different categories of solo contests are also held:
- Adult High Brass Slow Melody – Any Age (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
- Adult High Brass Technical Work – Any Age (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
- Adult Low Brass Slow Melody – Any Age (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
- Adult Low Brass Technical Work – Any Age (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
- Adult High Brass Slow Melody ‐ Senior (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
- Adult High Brass Technical Work – Senior (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
- Adult Low Brass Slow Melody – Senior (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
- Adult Low Brass Technical Work – Senior (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
- Youth Brass Solo – must be 17 years of age or younger or enrolled in a primary or secondary school.
- Adult Percussion Solo
- Youth Percussion Solo – must be 17 years of age or younger or enrolled in a primary or secondary school.
Although each section is individually scored and winners are announced accordingly, the overall Best Soloist each year typically wins a brand new instrument donated by its manufacturer.
Member Bands
- Stavanger Brass Band - Stavanger, Norway. http://www.stavanger-brassband.com/
- Fountain City Brass Band - Kansas City, Missouri. http://www.fcbb.net/
- Brass Band of the Potomac - Washington, D.C. http://www.brassofthepotomac.com/
- Atlantic Brass Band - Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey http://www.atlanticbrassband.org/
- James Madison University Brass Band - Harrisonburg, Virginia http://www.jmubrassband.org/
- Brass Band of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida http://www.brassbandofcentralflorida.org/
- Princeton Brass Band - http://www.princetonbrassband.org/
- Chicago Brass Band - Chicago, Illinois http://www.chicagobrassband.org/
- Five Lakes Silver Band - Royal Oak, Michigan http://www.fivelakessilverband.com/
- Oakland University Brass Band - Rochester, Michigan
- Central Ohio Brass Band - Columbus, Ohio http://www.centralohiobrass.org/
- Illinois Brass Band - Libertyville, Illinois http://illinoisbrassband.org/
- Madison Brass Band - Madison, Wisconsin http://mbbweb.net/
- Motor City Brass Band - Southfield, Michigan http://www.mcbb.org/
- Rockville Brass Band - Kensington, Maryland http://www.rockvillebrassband.org/
- Chesapeake Silver Cornet Brass Band - Hockessin, Delaware http://www.chesapeakebrassband.org/
- Weston Silver Band - Toronto, Ontario http://westonsilverband.ca/
- Capital City Brass Band - Lansing, Michigan http://www.capitalcitybrassband.com/
- Bend in the River Brass Band (BRBB) - Newburgh, Indiana http://www.riverbrass.com/
- Dublin Silver Band - Columbus, Ohio http://dublinbands.com/bands/silver-band/
- Fountain City Youth Brass Academy - Kansas City, Missouri http://www.fcbb.net/FCYBA/home.html
- Milwaukee Festival Brass - Milwaukee, Wisconsin http://www.mfbrass.org/
- Crossroads Brass Band - Franklin, Indiana http://www.crossroadsbrassband.org/
- Old Crown Brass Band - Fort Wayne, Indiana http://www.oldcrownbrassband.org/
- Smoky Mountain Brass Band - Asheville, North Carolina http://smbrass.com/
Associated Festivals and Competitions
- Great American Brass Band Festival, Danville, Kentucky, June. http://www.gabbf.org/
- US Open Brass Band Championships, St. Charles, Illinois, November. http://www.usopenbrass.org/
- Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, June. http://gettysburgbrassbandfestival.com/
- Ohio Brass Arts Festival, Columbus, Ohio, June. http://centralohiobrass.org/obaf.htm