Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association
Introduction The '''Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association''' ('''PIMBA''') is a nonprofit organization that provides competitive adjudications for high school marching bands in southwestern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996 (replacing the now-defunct PFCJ marching band circuit), PIMBA coordinates with local high schools to host band competitions throughout the fall, culminating in the PIMBA Championships.
Background PIMBA events provide both healthy competition and constructive feedback for performing bands. Directors pay membership dues in order for their ensemble to be classified as a member of the circuit. Classifications are broken down by the number of performing students in an ensemble. The current classifications are as follows:* Class A: 1–54 members* Class AA: 55– 74 members* Class AAA: 75–99 members* Class AAAA: 100+ membersDirectors may also choose to have their ensemble perform in judged exhibition or Festival Class. These bands will not be placed but will still receive judges' commentary and an individual score. From 1997 to 2012, PIMBA also featured a National Class– qualifications for this class included placing in the top five at BOA Regional competitions for two consecutive years or by special request of the director. The final competition to take place for each season is the PIMBA Championships. At the championships, bands receive final scoring in their respective classes with the top scoring band from each class being crowned a PIMBA Class Champion. The championships has historically been held at the following locations:* Elizabeth Forward High School– 3 times (2003, 2005, 2007) * Gateway High School– 7 times (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)* Moon Area High School– 3 times (2016, 2018, and 2023)* North Allegheny Senior High School– 1 time (1996) * Norwin High School– 5 times (2000, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2022)* Penn-Trafford High School– 6 times (1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2014)* South Park High School– 1 time (1998)Scoring is based upon the same system used by Bands of America, featuring a Musical Performance category (worth 20 points), a Visual Performance category (worth 20 points), and a General Effect category (worth 60 points). Unlike BOA, the raw total from these three categories is divided by two and raised by 50 to establish an ensemble's final score.
PIMBA Championship Results: 1996-2023 Throughout PIMBA's history, there have been 26 Championship competitions. Several historical caveats should be noted:* '''1996:''' AAAA was referred to as Open Class* '''1997-2012:''' National Class was introduced and lasted for 15 seasons* '''1999:''' No Class AAA, AAAA, or National Class Champions (Field Washout)* '''2019:''' No Class AAA or AAAA Champions (Weather Cancellation)*'''2020:''' No PIMBA Festivals or Championships (COVID-19)Below is a historical catalogue of each class champion band, including their respective scores and show titles if known. Next to the name of the champion in parentheses is the # of times that band has been crowned a class champion. Additional Note: the current scoring system for PIMBA was introduced in the '''''2004 season''''' with revisions also being made for the '''''2013''''' and '''''2018 seasons''''', respectively.+Champion by Year and Classification   Class A  Class AA  Class AAA  Class AAAA  National Class '''1996'''  '''''North Catholic(1)'''''  '''''Mars Area(1)'''''''The Beatles''''87.10''  '''''East Allegheny(1)'''''  '''''Kiski Area(1)'''''''The Music of Gershwin'' '''1997'''  '''''Serra Catholic(1)'''''  '''''Beaver Area(1)'''''''Damn Yankees''  '''''Gateway(1)'''''''Slavonic Dances''  '''''West Allegheny(1)'''''  '''''Norwin(1)'''''''Hollywood Classics'' '''1998'''  '''''No Participants in Class'''''  '''''Mars Area(2)'''''''The Music of Buddy Rich''''87.70''  '''''Gateway(2)'''''''Emotions of the Soul''''92.45''  '''''McKeesport(1)'''''''Earth, Wind, and Fire'' ''89.40'' '''''Norwin(2)'''''''Kozhevnikov's "Symphony #3"''''96.60'' '''1999'''  '''''South Park(1)'''''  '''''Mars Area(3)'''''''Swingin' into the Next Millennium''  '''''Cancelled: No Champion''''' '''2000'''  '''''South Park(2)'''''  '''''Mars Area(4)'''''''Lucy's Back with an Attitude''''86.00''  '''''West Allegheny(2)'''''''Jesus Christ Superstar''  '''''Gateway(3)'''''''The Odyssey''  '''''Norwin(3)'''''''Reflections of Earth'' '''2001'''  '''''Beaver Area(2)'''''''Les Misérables''''81.75''  '''''Southmoreland(1)'''''''The Jackson Five''''87.90''  '''''Deer Lakes(1)'''''''Fiddler on the Roof''''89.80''  '''''Trinity(1)'''''''92.85''  '''''Norwin(4)'''''''Knights of Honour''''94.95'' '''2002'''  '''''Beaver Area(3)'''''''82.70''  '''''Elizabeth Forward(1)'''''''Pianoforte''''81.60''  '''''Mars Area(5)'''''''City of Angels''''91.15''  '''''Trinity(2)'''''''88.65''  '''''Kiski Area(2)'''''''Route 66: Enjoy the Ride'' ''96.15'' '''2003'''  '''''Cochranton(1)'''''''82.35''  '''''East Allegheny(2)'''''''The Music of Gershwin''''81.20''  '''''Mars Area(6)'''''''Going Slightly Insane''''91.00''  '''''Trinity(3)'''''''The Music of Chase'' ''88.35''  '''''Kiski Area(3)'''''''Head, Hands, and Feet''''95.80'' '''2004'''  '''''Quaker Valley(1)'''''''Cirque du Soleil''''84.83''  '''''Blackhawk(1)'''''''90.03''  '''''Gateway(4)'''''''Locomotion''''92.50''  '''''Trinity(4)'''''''Once Upon A Time''''90.03''  '''''Norwin(5)'''''''Fiesta! ''''96.48'' '''2005'''  '''''Beaver Area(4)'''''''83.30''  '''''Fox Chapel(1)'''''''89.13''  '''''Gateway(5)'''''''Reflections''''91.68''  '''''Trinity(5)'''''''Wicked''''89.95''  '''''Norwin(6)'''''''Grooves in Motion''''94.35'' '''2006'''  '''''Deer Lakes(2)'''''''Cirque du Soleil''''83.53''  '''''Fox Chapel(2)'''''''Paint Me a Picture''''86.65''  '''''West Allegheny(3)'''''''Black, White, and Red All Over''''88.23''  '''''Trinity(6)'''''''89.43''  '''''Kiski Area(4)'''''''Viva Las Vegas''''94.63'' '''2007'''  '''''Beaver Area(5)'''''''82.88''  '''''Blackhawk(2)'''''''Sesame Street''''89.10''  '''''Gateway(6)'''''''From the New World''''90.98''  '''''Trinity(7)'''''''90.58''  '''''Kiski Area(5)'''''''The Rhythm of Life''''94.45'' '''2008'''  '''''Fox Chapel(3)'''''''Out of the Box''''85.65''  '''''Mars Area(7)'''''''Songs of the Beatles''''87.80''  '''''Trinity(8)'''''''Cloudburst''''90.30''  '''''Gateway(7)'''''''Canon''''92.20''  '''''Kiski Area(6)'''''''Click''''95.45'' '''2009'''  '''''Cochranton(2)'''''''Clockworks''''86.40''  '''''Mars Area(8)'''''''Blood, Sweat, and Tears''''86.45''  '''''Trinity(9)'''''''Frequency''''85.33''  '''''Gateway(8)'''''''Winter Sketches''''88.83''  '''''Kiski Area(7)'''''''Pursuit''''94.55'' '''2010'''  '''''Fox Chapel(4)'''''''Rebound''''84.83''  '''''Blackhawk(3)'''''''This is Halloween''''86.48''  '''''Mars Area(9)'''''''The Music of Kansas''''86.15''  '''''Moon Area(1)'''''''Renaissance''''88.80''  '''''Kiski Area(8)'''''''Imaginarium''''93.35'' '''2011'''  '''''Deer Lakes(3)'''''''Rivers''''79.53''  '''''Blackhawk(4)'''''''The Wicked Wiz of Oz''''86.35''  '''''Trinity(10)'''''''Kaleidoscope''''85.63''  '''''Moon Area(2)'''''''To the Top''''89.58''  '''''Norwin(7)'''''''Salvation''''93.30'' '''2012'''  '''''East Allegheny(3)'''''''Only the Good Die Young''''77.78''  '''''McGuffey(1)'''''''New Orleans Sketches''''80.18''  '''''West Allegheny(4)'''''''Brazil''''83.43''  '''''Gateway(9)'''''''Beyond the Forest's Edge''''87.68''  '''''Norwin(8)'''''''The Road to You''''93.20'' '''2013'''  '''''Blackhawk(5)'''''''Les Misérables''''83.73''  '''''Mars Area(10)'''''''A Night in the City''''86.73''  '''''Gateway(10)'''''''It Just Ain't Right''''90.00''  '''''Norwin(9)'''''''The Rise of the Knight''''93.60'' '''2014'''  '''''Blackhawk(6)'''''''Mirage''''80.85''  '''''Mars Area(11)'''''''Phantom of the Opera''''86.00''  '''''Gateway(11)'''''''Flashback''''88.78''  '''''Norwin(10)'''''''When Worlds Collide''''92.80'' '''2015'''  '''''Blackhawk(7)'''''''Through the Window''''78.23''  '''''Deer Lakes(4)'''''''The Hero in Us All''''80.73''  '''''Gateway(12)'''''''Egyptian Impressions''''86.88''  '''''Kiski Area(9)'''''''Origins''''90.98'' '''2016'''  '''''Leechburg(1)'''''''The Drake Equation''''77.75''  '''''Deer Lakes(5)'''''''MI-6: The 007 Archives''''80.48''  '''''Gateway(13)'''''''Puppet Master''''84.75''  '''''Norwin(11)'''''''Con4mity''''89.78'' '''2017'''  '''''Leechburg(2)'''''''Connected''''80.13''  '''''Southmoreland(2)'''''''I am...''''83.83''  '''''Mars Area(12)'''''''Beethoven: Artistry in Motion''''85.40''  '''''Norwin(12)'''''''RunAway''''92.35'' '''2018'''  '''''Blackhawk(8)'''''''A Darkness Beckons''''76.325''  '''''Deer Lakes(6)'''''''Stories from the West Side''''80.710''  '''''Gateway(14)'''''''Enigma''''86.710''  '''''Kiski Area(10)'''''''Out of the Blue''''92.790'' '''2019'''  '''''Leechburg(3)'''''''77.15''  '''''Fox Chapel Area(5)'''''''Conquest''''81.075''  ''Cancelled: No Champion'' '''2021'''  '''''Southmoreland(3)'''''''Through the Dark''''81.400'' '''''Mars Area(13)'''''''Missing U''''87.15''  '''''Moon Area(3)'''''''On the Edge''''89.25''  '''''Kiski Area(11)'''''''Beneath the Shifting Sands''''93.05'''''2022''''''''Southmoreland(4)'''''''Pieces of One''''85.675'''''''Mars Area(14)'''''''A World up in Flames''''89.675'''''''Moon Area(4)'''''''Look at the Stars''''91.575'''''''Kiski Area(12)'''''''Corners of My Mind''''94.90'''''2023'''''Southmoreland(5)''''Rise and Shine''''85.58''''Mars Area(15)''''Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave''''86.55''''Mt. Lebanon(1)''''Blackbird Set Free''''90.68''''Kiski Area(13)''''Hidden Within''''95.73''The five winningest class champion bands include Mars Area High School (15 times; AA/AAA), Gateway High School (14 times; AAA/AAAA), Kiski Area High School (13 times; AAAA/National), Norwin Senior High School (12 times; AAAA/National), and Trinity High School (10 times; AAA/AAAA). Kiski Area is the most winningest overall champion (regardless of class) with 13 titles.
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