Marching Brackets, Round 1: Copland Region

This round of voting is now closed.

Welcome to the Copland Region of the 2016 HornRank Marching Brackets! You can read about how we seeded shows or vote in the Shostakovich Region, the Reich Region, and the Barber Region. The first round closes on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at 11:59 P.M.

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William Mason performs their 2013 show "Til Death Do We Part" during the
2013 Grand National Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

1 seed: Avon 2008, MassIVe, 97.75, Won Grand Nationals
8 seed: William Mason 2013, Til Death Do We Part, 92.90, 6th at Grand Nationals

The bracket kicks off with Avon’s first Grand Nationals victory of the three-peat in 2008 grabbing a 1 seed. Featuring music from Aaron Copland, Avon’s “MassIVe” began an incredible run of incomparable demand and performance standards that established their marching band program as the best in the nation in the late 2000’s. William Mason 2013 won’t turn many heads with its placement or score, but it is one of the most memorable shows of recent years because of how original it was. This is one of the only shows in recent memory that was meant to be just plain entertaining and funny, and William Mason did just that. Not many shows will make you genuinely laugh out loud, and for that alone, this show deserves a spot in the bracket.


4 seed: Marcus 2010, Illuminaries, 93.70, Won San Antonio
5 seed: Carmel 2013, Totem, 95.45, 2nd at Grand Nationals
Marcus’s 2010 show, “Illuminaries”, won UIL State and San Antonio Super Regional championships in 2010, while 2013 featured a second place finish at Grand Nationals for Carmel with “Totem”. Both groups featured wonderful color guard performance, well-versed brass and woodwinds, and stellar individual demand and performance.


3 seed: Marcus 2012, Gilded Melodies, 96.10, Won San Antonio
6 seed: Hebron 2015, 360, 96.25, 3rd at Grand Nationals
The battle of two of Texas’s most notable shows makes for an awesome first round matchup. Marcus’s “Gilded Melodies” won a state championship along with a nearly three point victory at the always competitive San Antonio Super Regional. They also posted the highest score on the BOA circuit in 2012 despite not attending Grand Nationals. Marcus’s 2012 group is regarded in most circles as one of the best BOA horn lines of the last decade. On the other hand, Hebron’s “360” won the hearts of fans across the country in their first trip to Grand Nationals, posting the highest score in BOA history in semifinals while finishing 3rd in finals and taking the music caption. Will Noah Khan's incredible sax solo carry Hebron to advance?


2 seed: Broken Arrow 2011, Destiny Leaves You No Choice, 95.95, Won Grand Nationals
7 seed: Mason 2015, Somewhere, 95.35, 4th at Grand Nationals
Broken Arrow’s 2nd Grand Nationals Championship made a major impact in the activity in terms of design and performance. The high demand both musically and visually in “Destiny Leaves You No Choice” left judges stunned in their finals performance. William Mason’s highest placement in school history had fans deeply entertained throughout as their West Side Story-themed “Somewhere” displayed the vast improvement Mason has seen since their first Grand National Finals appearance in 2011.


Make sure to also vote in the first round of the Shostakovich Region, the Reich Region, and the Barber Region.