🎵 Who: Baker School, Choctawhatchee High School, Crestview High School, Fort Walton Beach High School, Niceville High School, Superintendent Marcus Chambers
📌 What: Straight Superior ratings at the 2025 FBA Marching Music Performance Assessment
📅 When: Saturday, October 11, 2025
📍 Where: Riggs Stadium, Fort Walton Beach High School, Okaloosa County, Florida
❓ Why: Recognition of high-level performance in marching, musical execution, and overall presentation showcases the dedication of students and music educators
OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. – The Okaloosa County School District announced that all five of its high school marching bands earned Straight Superior ratings at the 2025 Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Marching Music Performance Assessment. The event took place Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Riggs Stadium on the campus of Fort Walton Beach High School.
Bands from Baker School, Choctawhatchee High School, Crestview High School, Fort Walton Beach High School, and Niceville High School each received the highest rating in all judged categories, including marching execution, musical performance, general effect, and auxiliary performance.
District 1 of the Florida Bandmasters Association covers Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. Among these, Okaloosa County was the only district in which every high school earned Straight Superior ratings, marking a distinction for the county’s high school music programs.
The FBA Marching Music Performance Assessment serves as the musical equivalent of the Florida School Music Association (FSA). It evaluates marching bands on multiple aspects of performance with adjudicators trained and approved by the FBA Adjudications Committee to ensure consistent, high-level statewide evaluations. This includes assessing marching precision, musical accuracy, overall show effect, and the performance of auxiliary groups such as color guards and drumlines.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers praised the achievement, noting the dedication of both students and educators. “Okaloosa County continues to shine in every arena – academics, athletics, and the arts,” Chambers said. “These results reflect the extraordinary talent, passion, and leadership of our music educators and students. We are proud of their commitment to excellence and the joy they bring to our schools and community through music.”
The achievement highlights years of preparation, including summer and fall rehearsals, sectional practices, and coordination with band directors and staff. Students and staff worked collaboratively to refine choreography, musical arrangements, and field formations to meet FBA’s rigorous standards.
The assessment is part of an annual series of events that provides opportunities for bands to benchmark their performance against state-level standards. Straight Superior ratings are considered the highest recognition a band can receive at this assessment.
For those interested in statewide results, the complete list can be viewed on the MPA Online Report at flmusiced.org. Video highlights from the performances are also available on YouTube, showcasing the bands’ presentations and execution during the assessment.
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St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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