Tournament

About Tournament of Bands / Tournament Indoor Association (TOB/TIA)

Tournament is one of the largest competitive music and performance organizations in the country, founded in 1972 by the National Judges Association. With over 400 active schools and organizations across the mid-Atlantic region, Tournament offers year-round opportunities for students to compete in a wide range of disciplines.

Tournament's Mission:
Through positive reinforcement and an educational environment, Tournament provides a tradition of performance opportunities in the musical and visual arts, fostering excellence and growth in every participant.

TOURNAMENT Contests & Events

Tournament contests are held across nine states, offering competitive arenas for marching bands, indoor ensembles, parades, jazz contests, and other scholastic and community competitions. The competitive seasons are divided as follows:

• Tournament of Bands (TOB): Providing marching band competitions with hundreds of bands performing field shows from September to November.
• Tournament Indoor Association (TIA): Offering indoor competitions for dance, guard, winds, percussion, jazz bands, and twirlers, running from January to May.

Tournament’s Goals

1. Promote education for directors and students.
2. Promote student achievement through engaging and rewarding experiences.
3. Promote quality assessment and evaluation, ensuring fair and consistent feedback.
4. Promote the enrichment of schools and communities by creating opportunities for personal and communal growth.

Tournament’s Reach

As a non-profit educational organization, Tournament welcomes middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities. It hosts over 170 events annually, including:

• 85 marching band competitions in the fall
• 85 indoor events in the winter
• Two major championships at the end of each season

A Self-Governed Organization

Tournament is governed by an executive board, elected by its members, who help shape the organization’s rules, bylaws, score sheets, and judging philosophies. Through congresses and technical committees, members play an active role in decision-making and ensuring the continued growth and success of Tournament.

Tournament’s mission is to provide performance and competition opportunities for students, enriching their lives and communities through positive, community-oriented competition that emphasizes excellence, growth, and education.

Key Highlights:

• Year-Round Competitions in nine states.
• Marching Bands (TOB) and Indoor Ensembles (TIA).
• 400+ active member schools and organizations.
• Two major annual championships.
• Self-governed organization with active member participation.
• Committed to education, achievement, and community enrichment.
  
  

Regional Structure

The Tournament territory spans nine states and is divided into 11 geographic regions. Each region offers competitive ensembles the opportunity to perform locally during both the marching band and indoor seasons. While participants are welcome to compete across any region during the regular season, the regional championships serve as the culminating event for each area. Units that meet the competition requirements are eligible to attend and compete in their respective regional championships.

Following the regional competitions, participating bands and indoor units may choose to advance to the Atlantic Coast Championships.

Each region is overseen by a Region Coordinator who organizes and facilitates local contests, ensuring they adhere to the Tournament's rules and bylaws. The TOB Coordinator manages all aspects of marching band events, while the TIA Coordinator is responsible for the indoor programs.

Administration & Regional Coordinators

Business Manager Timothy Bean
NJA Treasurer Jeannie Rothsching
Tournament Director Justin Smith
NJA Education Director Brian Lincoln
NJA Judge Coordinator Kevin Wrightstone
NJA Dir of Mktng/Communications William Morrison
TIA Wildwood Coordinator Nicole Mastroeni
NJA Director Timothy Kondziela

Region 1 – South Jersey Dave Parkhurst
Region 2 – NE Pennsylvanie Rob Tocci
Region 3 – SE Pennsylvania Timothy Bean
Region 4 – Susquehanna Valley Ted DiCola, Bill Bernhard
Region 5 – MD/VA/WV Piedmont Ed Negal
Region 6 – Harrisburg Capital Joseph O’Melia, Sean Campopiano
Region 7 – Central Jersey Doug Ferraro
Region 8 – Western Pennsylvania Teresa Rosa
Region 9 – Delaware/E. Maryland Brian Cass
Region 10 – North Jersey Metro NYC TBA
Region 11 – Allegheny Mountain Richard Kane