Landstown HS Bands

Present:

Virginia Beach Festival of Bands

Marching Band Competition

October 4, 2025

Event Information

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Band Registration/Check-In: The check-in tent will be located at the bus parking area. Upon check-in, you’ll receive all wristbands, maps, and student guides. Your students, parents, and staff will have bathrooms available immediately inside the building behind registration.

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Bus, Equipment, and Staff Parking: We will have two lots designated for parking during the event. Bus parking and equipment truck parking are in two different locations. Please note that front ensemble warm-up, stretching, or any other warm-up may not take place in these lots. If you have staff members driving themselves, they are to park in the spectator parking lot, located

on the backside of Landstown HS.

 

Competition Information:

• Warm-Up: We will have three warm-up areas designated for playing/full band warm-up. Additionally, we have designated a large “non-playing” warm-up area if you wish to do any stretching and/or visual warm-up. As the label implies, you are not permitted to play in these areas. The area is large and can accommodate multiple groups. If these locations are full,contact me and I’ll let you know what spaces can be used. Trailers will be available to move your front ensemble equipment from music warm-up to the stadium, but not to your warm-up location. Please note that if you are utilizing trailers to move, our trailers will arrive to load 10 minutes prior to your travel time. Please have your ensemble face away from the building toward Princess Anne Rd.

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• Movement of Pit Equipment and Props: As stated, we will offer bands the opportunity to utilize our trailers to pull equipment to the stadium during transit time and out of the stadium back to the equipment lot following the performance. We will be able to offer 2 trailers max per ensemble, given that they are available at the time of need. Please indicate on the ‘Logistics’ form what your needs are and we will attempt to accommodate. We ask that your parents and students that normally move equipment assist with getting equipment onto the trailer. This is for the purpose of making sure your equipment is loaded in a manner that will allow you to quickly unload at the stadium and that all equipment is properly taken care of according to your expectations. For props, we will allow them to be staged at the track, adjacent to the band field entrance gate. These may be taken down to the staging area at any time.

 

• Event Schedule: Band rotations are set up on 15 minute intervals. Each band will have 40 minutes at your full band warm-up location. Each band is allotted a 15 minute transit to the gate. If your ensemble needs more than that, please let your guide know so that they may assist with maintaining the schedule.Each band receives a 15-minute performance time.Following your performance, guides will escort you from the stadium to your buses.

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• Timing and Band Announcement: We will utilize the following for show timing and announcements.

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• Each participating band will have 15 minutes to enter, set-up, warm-up, perform, and exit the performance area.

• Bands will be given 4 minutes to set-up/ warm-up time.

• At three (3) minutes, thirty (30) seconds, the timing official will cue the introductory announcement. The announcement may be cued earlier if official is given direction by the

 

Drum Major / Director.

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1.    “Joining us from [School City & State], please welcome the [School] Marching Band!” (Announcer pauses for audience response.)

2.   “[School]’s musical selections include the following:” (Announcer reads their selections.)

3.   “VMBC and the Virginia Beach Festival of Bands is proud to present in competition performance, Drum Major(s) [Drum Major(s) name(s)] and the [School] “nickname”.

4. *If the Band’s Drum Majors are going to salute, it should occur as the announcer is reading/announcing the sentence in section “3” above.

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• Adjudication:

 Judges for the event include:

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Tim Bray (Ensemble Music)

Christopher Rutt (Ensemble Visual)

Kinsey Holland (Individual Music)

Jason Derting (Individual Visual)

Crystal Cox (GE Music)

Jerry Philp (GE Visual)

Katie Greene Fegley (Color Guard)

Tommy Doss (Percussion)

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• Scoring: Each band will receive an overall numerical score at the competition. The following percentages will be used to generate each band’s score (as stated in VMBC scoring guidelines):

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o Ensemble Music and Ensemble Visual = 20% Each

o General Effect Music and General Effect Visual = 20% Each

o Individual Music and Individual Visual = 10% Each

o Percussion and Guard will receive feedback and scores, but these scores are not factored into the total placement

 

• Judges’ Comments: We will utilize Competition Suite for comments and recaps.

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• Awards/Ceremony:

o We will do a drum major/leadership retreat following the exhibition performance by Landstown HS. We will make an announcement prior to the exhibition for representatives to report to the on-deck/gate area.

o In each class: Best Music, Best Visual, Best General Effect, Best Color Guard, and Best Percussion.. There will be an award for first, second, and third place band in each class.

o Overall: Best Music, Best Visual, Best General Effect, Best Color Guard, and Best Percussion. We will also name a Grand Champion. All overall awards are for the top scores in each caption, regardless of class.❖

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• Field Electricity: Power cords will be provided in the stadium during the show. However, it is highly recommended you use a generator as current from the stadium may vary.

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• Electronic Event Program: We will utilize an electronic program. Be on the lookout for the submission link.

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• Classification: Classification is determined by VMBC

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• Facility: There will be two sets of bathrooms available to participating units. These will be indicated by signs. One set is at unit registration. The second set is accessible from the warm-up areas and will be marked. If your students need a location to change into uniform, please use the restrooms located at registration. Please ensure that students are monitored throughout the event, both inside and outside.

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• Tickets, Concessions, and Meals: Admission cost for the event is: $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Children 5 and under are free. We will honor the VHSL cards and staff badges for administration (principals, AD, etc.). Tickets can be purchased with cash, credit card, and Venmo. Concessions will be available for purchase at the event (cash/credit accepted).

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Directors, instructional staff, and bus drivers are welcome to eat at our hospitality area.

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Staff Entrance Passes are only good for instructional staff. We ask that you do not use these for volunteers. They will have their own wristbands. We will give 1 volunteer per 10 students. If this does not cover any prop movers or pit crew, please let registration know and we will attempt to accommodate if possible.

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• Online Show Info: We encourage you and your band families to follow our Facebook page for the event. We will post the schedule, ticket info, weather updates, and more.

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•  Video: We will provide a videographer pass for one staff member or volunteer to record the show. Due to copyright law, we can not provide the recording for you. We will also make an announcement prior to the start of each class regarding copyrights and audience members recording your shows.

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• Staff Viewing Area: An area on the 50 yard line will be reserved for you and your staff to observe your show. Location will be on the top row of bleachers, just under the press box.

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• Band Re-Entry: All band members, chaperones, drivers, and staff will receive wristbands upon checking into the event. For entry into the stadium prior or following your performance, these wristbands will need to be worn. Band seating will be available on the front side, room permitting. Once these areas are full, band members should sit in the backfield bleachers.

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We are so glad that you have chosen to attend our event this year. We look forward to

providing your students, staff, chaperones, and drivers with a quality experience that will

help develop your show.