The 2012 Ohio Brass Arts Festival will introduce two competitions, a Youth Solo Competition and the OBAF Cup, awarded to the band for best performance of a slow melody. Both competitions will have open adjudication by the three men out-of-the-box, Mark Parulekar, Mark Sholl and head adjudicator, Paul Droste.

The band competition will see groups rated on a scale of 20-pts in the areas of pitch/ correct notes, rhythmic accuracy and clarity, tempi, dynamic range, ensemble precision, tuning/ intonation, sound quality, balance, quality of soloists, and artistic expression/ musicality, based on a rubric piloted by Steven Mead at the British Open a few years ago.

“I am really delighted to hear this news. I sense a growing tide of awareness about how traditional adjudication methods can be improved and step-by-step things are changing, both in Scotland, other contests abroad in Europe and even some signs of steady improvement in the UK.” Mead says.

Mead adds, “It's a shame that our ABBA doesn't take any lead at all but more reacts to competitions that are decided to change the system for themselves. In the absence of any true leadership from our adjudicators’ movement it is up to the individual contest managers to think progressively and for the benefit of all their competing musicians. I am really thrilled that the OBAF Cup will incorporate elements of my criteria-based adjudication proposals, really delighted.”

For now, the goal of the competition is more to promote improved musicianship in the competing brass bands, the brass band equivalent of a football “friendly.” Because of this goal, the festival aims to be as innovative, open-minded and transparent as possible as they develop their system. Next year OBAF plans to use feedback from this year’s contest to improve the process, and add more caption prizes.

The competing bands are (in performance order):
Dublin Silver Band
Chapel Brass
Brass Band of Columbus
Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company
Brass Band of the Western Reserve
Central Ohio Brass Band