Information: The NABBA Instant Band is a pick up band that seeks to expand participation in the NABBA Championships to those who do not have a competing home band. The Instant Band will rehearse several times during the weekend of the competition and compete in the open section for comments only. The Instant Band will be conducted by Jess Sneeringer. Members of the Instant Band will receive their music ahead of time via email and are encouraged to practice their part and familiarize themselves with the pieces. We will have limited rehearsal time.  You must print this music yourself and bring it with you to the Championships. We will not have extra copies available. Please contact jpayne@nabba.org with any questions.

Eligibility: The band is open to all members of NABBA who are not competing with another band at the Championships. You must be 18 years of age or older at the time of the Championships to participate in the Instant Band. NABBA welcomes brass and percussion musicians of all skill levels and backgrounds to join the Instant Band. 

Registration: Registration for the Instant Band will open on January 15th on the NABBA website. Registration will close on March 1st. To register, you must be a NABBA member through the time of the 2026 Championships. Registration for the Instant Band is $55 per member. Cost of registration covers rehearsal venue expenses, music purchase expenses, and personnel expenses. 

Schedule: The final rehearsal schedule for the Instant Band will be published after registration is closed and the band is finalized to allocate properly sized rehearsal venues. Please expect to arrive in Fort Wayne on Thursday, April 9rd no later than 5pm. The first rehearsal for the band will be that evening. There will be two rehearsals on Friday, April 10th, one in the morning and one in the evening. The morning rehearsal will likely be at a local high school. Transportation between the contest venue and this rehearsal venue is not able to be provided. There will be a morning rehearsal on Saturday, April 11th. The band will compete in the open section on Saturday. Members of the band will be allowed to come in and out of rehearsals as needed to accommodate any solo and ensemble competition performances they may have. Other than solo and ensemble obligations, it is imperative that every musician in the band attends the full duration of every rehearsal to ensure the band’s success. 

How to join the Instant Band:

Join NABBA as an Individual Member above.

Register for the 2026 Instant Band by filling out this Form

Log in to your NABBA Account and add the Instant Band to the cart, then pay.  Use this link…