Honor Bands
Students in band at BHS are eligibal for five high school honor band programs, all listed below. All-State and WIBC are audition only, while UMT and PLU are by director recomendation. The NAfME All-Nation Ensembles are also by audition, but students need to first make All-State to be eligibal for All-National auditions.
Honor Bands are NOT BHS affiliated. BHS assumes no financial, supervision, or transportation responsibilities for honor bands.
Honor Bands by Audition
All-State / All-NW
All-State and All-Northwest are the most hard corps honor band opportunities available to students at BHS. Each student accepted to the program is assigned to a state or NW regional honor ensemble, and works with a single conductor for an entire weekend, often performing in major venues.
Students who make an All-State or All-NW ensemble their 9th, 10th, or 11th grade are eligible to audition for All-Nationals.
- WMEA All-State / NAfME All-NW [Winds & Percussion]- WMEA All-State / NAfME All-NW [Jazz]- NAfME All-Nationals [All Areas]
WIBC
The Western International Band Clinic is the biggest honor band in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, they take about 600 students from the greater northwest, including some students from as far away as Australia!
The 600 students are assigned to four different bands, who all share a rotating set of 5-6 professional conductors. WIBC is the way to go, if you're looking for a great experience that will leave you inspired and excited about music!
- WIBC Audition Music
Honor Bands by Recommendation
UMT
The University of Montana hosts about 225 high school honor band students for a three day festival each fall. Students earn admission through director recommendations, and are placed into one of three bands prior to arrival.
- UMT Honor Band Information
PLU
Pacific Lutheran University runs a two day honor band program that includes about 250 great high school band students from the PNW.
Acceptance is by director recommendation, and once on campus, students audition for placement between two bands.
- PLU Honor Band Information
All-Nation Concert Band - by Audition
The National Association for Music Education>> DISCONTINUED SINCE 2020 <<
The National Association for Music Education holds a National Conference in the fall, and the All-Nation Concert Band, Orchestra, and Chorus are some amazing opportunities available to students who first make All-State or All-NW. Those select students are invited to reaudition, by video submissions, in the spring for the national ensembles which take place the following fall. Audition results are disseminated in early summer. Current 9th through 11th grade students who participate in All-State or All-NW are eligibal to participate in All-Nation during their sophomore through senior years.