Many of the events that the VBODA organizes schools from around Virginia to compete with each other, and to give outstanding individual student musicians a chance to work with renowned conductors around the United States.
All executive board members and district representatives are band or orchestra directors of schools throughout Virginia.
The State Marching Band Festival is held in five different school sites throughout the Commonwealth, which are the West, Central, East, Northeast, and Southeast.
Each band is classified by the grade of music they are playing, which ranges from I (easy) to VI (hard).
This event is held typically in the first half of March in the same format as the District Concert Band Festival, except with string only ensembles and other symphony orchestras from both the high and middle school level.
Any school that wins the Virginia Honor Band Award 20 times or more is given the "Hall of Fame" designation.
The auditions are typically held in late September for all players, and all auditions are administered by judges behind a partition to ensure anonymity as judges tend to be local high and middle school band and orchestra directors.
String players play two major scales, and a melodic minor three octaves in range.
The event is held around the first or second weekend of November each year, and the group is conducted by a guest conductor, usually from the college level.
The top players of each instrumental section are eligible to audition for the All Virginia Band and Orchestra.
The event is held around the first or second weekend of February each year, and the group is conducted by a guest conductor, usually from the college level.
The top players in each instrumental section are eligible to audition for the All Virginia Band and Orchestra.
All players are to play all major scales up to three octaves and all melodic minors up to and including 4 sharps and flats.
They are to audition on three instruments which they will play prepared pieces and sightreading on: timpani, snare, and mallets.
Auditioners go to six rooms during the audition in the following order where they play rudiments and scales (if applicable): Timpani prepared piece; Timpani sightreading; Snare prepared piece; Snare sightreading; Mallets prepared piece; Mallets sightreading If an auditioner makes All Virginia in more than one percussion category, she or he is placed in the group and category that she or he preferred to be in.