Western Band Association
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.
In addition to marching band events, WBA also organizes concert band festivals and symposia, musical and leadership clinics.
Marching band circuit
The WBA organizes a marching band circuit with competitions held throughout October and November leading up to the circuit championship competition. The circuit currently has five divisions:
- Class A: Bands with up to 60 members
- Class AA: Bands with up to 80 members
- Class AAA: Bands with up to 100 members
- Class AAAA: Bands with up to 140 members
- Class AAAAA: Bands with any number of members
- Prior to 2004, there were only four divisions. The original Class AA was expanded to two classes, now AA and AAA. AAA and AAAA became the current AAAA and AAAAA classes. Prior to this (before 2000), WBA had A-60, A-90, AA, and AAA as the classifications.
During the season, the highest placing band in A, AA, AAA (combined) and then AAAA and AAAAA (combined) is awarded the "Sweepstakes" award, and whatever class that band is in, they are removed from that class, and the next band in placement is moved to "first place" and so on (only for that class). Each competition will have a A, AA, and AAA Sweepstakes winner, and a AAAA/AAAAA sweepstakes winner.
Class champions at the WBA Championships are determined at the conclusion of preliminary competition at championships. After prelims, the bands then move on to one of two finals competitions: the A/AA/AAA Championship and the AAAA/AAAAA Championship. The top 3 bands from each division move on to their respective championship and the remaining field will be filled by the next highest scoring bands.
Finals is determined by:
Top 3 bands from Class A, AA, and AAA, then the next highest 6 bands from those 3 classifications combined (regardless of class and score) for a total of 15 bands in finals.
Top 3 bands from AAAA, and AAAA, then the next highest 9 bands from those 2 classifications combined (regardless of class and score) for a total of 15 bands in finals.
Class Champions
| Year | Class A | Class AA | Class AAA | Class AAAA | Class AAAAA |
| 2000 | Riverbank H.S. | Trabuco Hills H.S. | Buchanan H.S. | James Logan H.S. | - - |
| 2001 | Buena H.S. | Live Oak H.S. | Buchanan H.S. | James Logan H.S. | - - |
| 2002 | Gilroy H.S. | Bullard H.S. | Buchanan H.S. | James Logan H.S. | - - |
| 2003 | Newbury Park H.S. | Valley Christian H.S. | El Toro H.S. | Clovis West H.S. | - - |
| 2004 | Modesto H.S. | Live Oak H.S. | Valley View H.S. | Cerritos H.S. | James Logan H.S. |
| 2005 | Newbury Park H.S. | Live Oak H.S. | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Trabuco Hills H.S. | James Logan H.S. |
| 2006 | Newbury Park H.S. | Independence H.S. | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Nogales H.S. | James Logan H.S. |
| 2007 | Live Oak H.S. | Independence H.S. | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Fountain Valley H.S. | James Logan H.S. |
Class A/AA/AAA (Class A/AA) Sweepstakes Champions
| Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Host City |
| 2000 | Trabuco Hills H.S. | Clayton Valley H.S. | Valley Christian H.S. | Stockton, CA |
| 2001 | Live Oak H.S. | Aliso Niguel H.S. | Bullard H.S. | Fresno, CA |
| 2002 | Live Oak H.S. | Bullard H.S. | Aliso Niguel H.S. | Chula Vista, CA |
| 2003 | Valley Christian H.S. | Bullard H.S. | Aliso Niguel H.S. | Clovis, CA |
| 2004 | Valley Christian H.S. | Valley View H.S. | Independence H.S. | Modesto, CA |
| 2005 | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Aliso Niguel H.S. | Valley Chrisitan H.S. | Lakewood, CA |
| 2006 | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Valley Chrisitan H.S. | Clovis H.S. | Clovis, CA |
| 2007 | Fred C. Beyer H.S. | Chino Hills H.S. | Aliso Niguel H.S. | Woodland Hills, CA |
Class AAAA/AAAAA (Class AAA/AAAA) Sweepstakes Champions
| Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Host City |
| 2000 | James Logan H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Clovis West H.S. | Stockton, CA |
| 2001 | James Logan H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Clovis West H.S. | Fresno, CA |
| 2002 | James Logan H.S. | Ayala H.S. | Clovis West H.S. | Chula Vista, CA |
| 2003 | Mission Viejo H.S. | Clovis West H.S. | Ayala H.S. | Clovis, CA |
| 2004 | James Logan H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Upland H.S. | Pleasant Hill, CA |
| 2005 | James Logan H.S. | Upland H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Long Beach, CA |
| 2006 | James Logan H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Ayala H.S. | Clovis, CA |
| 2007 | James Logan H.S. | Upland H.S. | Mission Viejo H.S. | Monterey Park, CA |