Iowa Jazz
Championships

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
 

This spring, the 2025–26 Iowa Jazz Championships Board of Directors voted to implement a new selection system for determining the participating bands, beginning with the 2026–27 school year. Please note the following:
 

Summary of Changes

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•       15 bands from each classification will be invited to attend (no change).

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•       The first-place band in each classification from each of the 6 districts will receive an automatic invitation (change from: the first- and second-place bands received automatic invitations).

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•       There will be 9 “wild card” bands from each classification (change from: 3 wild card bands from each classification).

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•       All bands who participate in at least one jazz festival located in Iowa will be eligible for a wild card invitation (change from: bands had to meet one of the established criteria to be considered).

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•       The board of directors will select the wild card bands based on careful evaluation of all festival results (no change, other than all bands now being eligible for consideration—the board always selected the wild card bands).
 

Rationale for the Change

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We understand this seems like a significant change from the longstanding selection process, and the board did not make the decision without careful consideration. The primary reasons for the change were:

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•       The new process allows the board to consider all bands, not just those who met one of the wild card selection criteria.

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•       This change preserves the importance of the district festivals (district festivals are still the only festivals that determine automatic qualifying bands), while slightly reducing the outsized influence any one festival might have for a band. For example: if a band’s drum set player is ill for the district festival, the band still has other opportunities.

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•       The new process allows the board more flexibility to identify the top bands in the entire state and offer them invitations.

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•       The old process often did not yield enough participating bands, especially in Class 1A. When this happened, the board used some version of the approach described above; this change codifies that approach and makes it transparent.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. How will the board determine the wild card invitations, exactly?

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A. This has never been an exact science, and there will still be human judgment in the new process. The most straightforward answer is: the board will select the bands who have a pattern of placing ahead of other bands (including the automatic qualifying bands) and do not place behind too many bands. If a band tends to be near the top at the competitions it attends, it will have a strong case for consideration. The board will also carefully evaluate head-to-head competition among the bands being considered—something that was historically more difficult under the wild card criteria.

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Q. How many competitions should my band attend in order to have a chance at being selected?

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A. Much like the old system, there is no magic number for this answer. Some bands will be selected after attending only one festival, and other bands might attend five festivals and not receive an invitation. Attending more festivals means more chances to earn a high placement—but it also means more opportunities for a lower placement. We encourage schools to view festival participation primarily as an educational experience, and to select a schedule that works for your school and budget. In general, the bands who have been offered wild card invitations typically attend their district festival and 1–3 independent festivals. We expect this to remain similar in the new system.

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Q. Will program reputation or director reputation be used to determine the wild card selections?

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A. No. Program reputation and director reputation have not been used to make selections, and they will not be used in the new process. The board will only assess the contest results.

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Q. Does the timing of the festival make any difference in the selection process (December or January versus February or March)?

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A. No. The timing of the festivals has not been used to make selections, and it will not be used in the new process.

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Q. I am still confused about how I can help my band get selected. Can you please provide some more clarification?

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A. Certainly! The most common source of confusion seems to be around “winning” or “getting X place” at a contest. In reality, what matters most is which other schools you place ahead of. For example, finishing 1st place at the “Basie Festival” may not strengthen a wild card case much if there were no other bands in your classification present. On the other hand, finishing 7th place at the “Coltrane Festival” could be impressive; if there were 15 to 20 other bands in your classification and the 6 bands who placed ahead of you have strong records elsewhere, that 7th-place finish reflects well on your program. In short: the board looks for bands that consistently place ahead of others—especially bands with strong records at other festivals—and that do not frequently place behind bands who ultimately will not be in consideration for an invitation.

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Q. This seems very drastic; how much do you expect to change with the new selection process?

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A. When we applied the new system to previous years’ results, the selected bands looked far more similar than different. In most cases, the same bands were chosen. When a difference did occur, it typically involved a scenario like this: Band A received an automatic invitation based on a second-place finish at their district festival, which had three total bands in their classification. They attended no other festivals. Band B finished third at their district festival, which had ten bands, and also attended two independent festivals, placing near the top at both. When evaluating the complete results, the board could see that Band B had placed ahead of bands from at least 10 other schools throughout the season, while Band A had placed ahead of one other band. The new process gives the board the flexibility to recognize Band B’s stronger overall record in situations like this—something the old criteria did not always allow.

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Q. I am unhappy about this change—what can I do?

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A. First, please know that the 2025–26 IJC board carefully deliberated this decision. No selection system will ever be perfect, and the board believes this new approach is the most equitable option available—one that better reflects the full picture of what bands accomplish across the season. We encourage you to share your feedback with us, especially after we have had the opportunity to try the new system for one year.

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Tuesday, April 6, 2027

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