From the Rehearsal Field to the Press Box: 2026 Marching Band Adjudication Begins
Another part of marching season begins this weekend as I start my 2026 adjudication schedule at the Stagg Marching Band Jamboree.
Marching band season has already been underway for quite some time for me.
The summer and early fall have been filled with band camps, clinics, rehearsals, percussion instruction, drill writing, show design, and working with students and directors as their productions move from ideas on paper to performances on the field.
This weekend, another part of the season begins: adjudication.
On Saturday, September 12, I’ll travel to Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois, to adjudicate the 46th Annual Stagg Marching Band Jamboree. It will be the first of several marching band competitions I’m scheduled to adjudicate during the 2026 season.
Teaching From a Different Perspective
One of the things I enjoy about adjudication is that it allows me to approach music education from a different perspective.
During rehearsals and clinics, I have the opportunity to work directly with students and staffs over an extended period of time. As an adjudicator, the window is much shorter. You may only have a few minutes to watch a performance, identify what is happening, and provide commentary that can actually help the program move forward.
For me, that educational component is extremely important.
A score tells a band where its performance falls within a particular system on a particular day. Good commentary should give students and directors something they can use when they return to rehearsal.
My goal is always to recognize what performers are doing successfully while identifying areas where greater clarity, consistency, musicality, or communication can take the performance to the next level.
A Season With Many Different Roles
Marching band has been part of my life for many years, and one of the things I appreciate most about the activity is the opportunity to experience it from so many different perspectives.
Throughout a season, I may find myself teaching a drumline rehearsal, working at a band camp, writing drill, helping develop a visual program, providing a clinic, evaluating a performance, or sitting in the press box with a microphone providing adjudication commentary.
Each role informs the others.
Teaching keeps me connected to the realities directors and students face in rehearsal. Writing and designing help me understand the decisions behind what I see on the field. Adjudicating exposes me to different programs, approaches, and ideas that continue to challenge me as an educator.
Ultimately, all of those roles come back to the same goal: helping students grow through music.
Looking Forward to the 2026 Competition Season
I’m excited to begin the adjudication portion of this year’s marching season at Stagg and to continue traveling to competitions throughout the fall.
There is an incredible amount of work behind every performance that reaches the field. Students, directors, designers, instructors, parents, volunteers, and school communities invest countless hours into these programs.
It’s a privilege to have a small role in that process.
Best of luck to everyone beginning or continuing their competitive season this weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing what you bring to the field.
Christopher Keniley is a music educator, marching band adjudicator, clinician, designer, and owner of Chris K Music and CK Marching Services in Mattoon, Illinois. CK Marching Services provides marching band adjudication, clinics, drill writing, show design, visual instruction, and consulting for programs throughout Illinois and the Midwest.