Hi there. Chances are, if you’re reading this you are interested in required music lists. Many of these are administered by state organizations, though several organizations maintain lists for their own events. Required music lists for bands began in the 1920s as the National Band Contest addressed the perceived need for standardization in instrumentation/repertoire of bands at the time.
Over the years, lists have evolved. Some lists, such as the one maintained by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA), include over twelve thousand works. In other states, such as Texas, works are periodically culled from the list.
Lists that do not cull pieces are fascinating documents; they chronicle music deemed worthy of study by that organization.
