OFFICIAL INFORMATION PACKET
Virginia Beach Competitive Arts Festival 2027 · Viable Arts Alliance · NACPA
Who We Are
The organizations behind VB-CAF 2027 and the legal form of each.
| Entity | Legal Form | Role | Fiscal Posture |
|---|---|---|---|
| J M McMillan Enterprises, Inc. | Benefit Corporation (Parent) | Holds platform technology, operating infrastructure, and commercial contracts. Benefit Corporation status legally binds the entity to a public-benefit purpose alongside financial return. | Commercial operating entity |
| Sound Achievement Foundation (SAF) | 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Public Charity | Charitable arm. Receives donations, administers Future Legends scholarships, and backs the Triad of Student Agency curriculum. All student-facing philanthropic funds flow through SAF. | Tax-deductible contributions; annual Form 990 filing |
| National Alliance and Coalition for Performing Arts (NACPA) | 501(c)(3) Governing Body | Sanctioning authority for collegiate competitive arts. Issues charters, publishes adjudication standards, maintains divisional structure, and governs Safe Arts policy. | Institutional dues basis; governance independent of festival operations |
| Viable Arts Alliance (VAA) | Operating Division | Public platform, ensemble services, and festival operations delivery. | Service revenue |
Institutional Standing
Federal and state vendor registrations, verifiable at the source.
Our organization is a registered vendor at the federal, state, and local levels, and our charitable arm is a vetted Benevity Causes organization. Each is a matter of public record and may be verified directly at the source named.
| Vetting Authority | Registry | Identifier | Registered Holder | Verify At |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Federal Government | SAM.gov — System for Award Management | UEI VT2XH74A9AS4 | J M McMillan Enterprises, Inc. | sam.gov entity search |
| Commonwealth of Virginia | eVA — Virginia eProcurement Portal | Active registered supplier | J M McMillan Enterprises, Inc. | eVA public Vendor’s List |
| City of Virginia Beach | Municipal vendor file | Registered vendor | J M McMillan Enterprises, Inc. | City of Virginia Beach Purchasing |
| Benevity Causes | Vetted charitable organization — corporate giving network | Cause ID 840-462223835 | Sound Achievement Foundation (SAF) | Benevity Causes Portal |
Federal, state, and municipal procurement apply independent standards, and Benevity validates charities before corporate partners may give to them. Clearing all four allows us to invoice an institutional business office and receive corporate matching gifts without exception handling.
VB-CAF 2027 — Two Festival Days
March 26–27, 2027 · Virginia Beach Convention Center and oceanfront.
A full-day clinic for every participating ensemble and individual performer. Clinician-led master classes by discipline, Triad of Student Agency sessions, and an APOLLO SPI performance profile for every scholar.
The day opens with a combined mass-band performance at the Convention Center, moves to an outdoor oceanfront showcase open to the public, and closes indoors with adjudicated championship scoring.
Your Invited Schools
Qualifying ensembles, arts groups, and individual competitors from your division, in every category.
Every arts student is invited to VB-CAF 2027, whether or not they compete. Invitation materials go by mail and email to schools of music and art across Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and North Carolina.
For competition, one school can have entrants in several categories. For example, Norfolk Public Schools is represented by the Norview High School Marching Pilots in marching band, and other Norfolk arts groups compete in their own categories. High school listings are invitations only: no seeding or ranking is assigned until a school confirms its program with its division and registers. APOLLO GNN is Viable Arts' internal feedback tool and is not affiliated with any accredited state adjudication. Individual competitors need an APOLLO GNN SPI measurement, which helps confirm their bracket positions.
Qualifying ensembles invited to VB-CAF 2027:
| School | Ensemble | Division | League | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norview High School | Norview Marching Pilots | Norfolk Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Kings Fork High School | Kings Fork Marching Bulldogs | Suffolk Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Phoebus High School | Phoebus Marching Phantoms | Hampton City Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| I.C. Norcom High School | I.C. Norcom Marching Greyhounds | Portsmouth Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Grassfield High School | Grassfield Marching Grizzlies | Chesapeake Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Rocky Mount High School | Rocky Mount Marching Gryphons | Nash County Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Phelps Architecture, Construction & Engineering High School | Phelps Marching Panthers | DC Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Granby High School | Granby Marching Comets | Norfolk Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Duke Ellington School of the Arts | Duke Ellington Marching Band | DC Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Western Branch High School | Western Branch Marching Bruins | Chesapeake Public Schools | Marching Band League | Charter |
| Grassfield High School | Grassfield High School Orchestra | Chesapeake Public Schools | Orchestra League | Invited |
| Hickory High School | Hickory High School Orchestra | Chesapeake Public Schools | Orchestra League | Invited |
| Tabb High School | Tabb High School Orchestra | York County School Division | Orchestra League | Invited |
| Jamestown High School | Jamestown High School Orchestra | Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools | Orchestra League | Invited |
| Governor's School for the Arts | Governor's School for the Arts Vocal Music | Regional (Norfolk) | Choral League | Invited |
| Western Branch High School | Western Branch High School Choir | Chesapeake Public Schools | Choral League | Invited |
| Kecoughtan High School | Kecoughtan High School Choir | Hampton City Schools | Choral League | Invited |
| Maury High School | Maury High School Choir | Norfolk Public Schools | Choral League | Invited |
| Nansemond River High School | Nansemond River High School Choir | Suffolk Public Schools | Choral League | Invited |
| Grafton High School | Grafton High School Choir | York County School Division | Choral League | Invited |
| Governor's School for the Arts | Governor's School for the Arts Dance | Regional (Norfolk) | Dance League | Invited |
| Booker T. Washington High School | Booker T. Washington High School Dance | Norfolk Public Schools | Dance League | Invited |
| Bethel High School | Bethel High School Dance | Hampton City Schools | Dance League | Invited |
| Oscar Smith High School | Oscar Smith High School Dance | Chesapeake Public Schools | Dance League | Invited |
| Governor's School for the Arts | Governor's School for the Arts Musical Theatre | Regional (Norfolk) | Theatre League | Invited |
| Great Bridge High School | Great Bridge High School Theatre | Chesapeake Public Schools | Theatre League | Invited |
| Hampton High School | Hampton High School Theatre | Hampton City Schools | Theatre League | Invited |
| Lafayette High School | Lafayette High School Theatre | Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools | Theatre League | Invited |
| Lakeland High School | Lakeland High School Theatre | Suffolk Public Schools | Theatre League | Invited |
Gaming: open to every student
Most schools do not have a gaming department, but students can still compete as gamers at VB-CAF 2027. At the intensive they will also learn from gaming instructors. Please share this with any interested students.
Path for Ensemble & Class Directors
For the music and arts teachers who lead ensembles and classes.
This path is for the individual music and arts ensemble directors and classroom teachers who run the programs day to day. If your division has chartered, your program is already covered and there is nothing to purchase. If it has not, you may register your ensemble or class directly.
- Full participation in both festival days — clinic day and championship day
- WOODSHED+ for your roster: tempo-graded practice, per-note review, and director assignments
- The Triad curriculum, ready to run inside your rehearsal or class period
- An APOLLO SPI profile per scholar and a written report card for your ensemble, regardless of placement
- Documentation suitable for your principal, travel-approval, and booster files
The District Charter
For division fine arts supervisors — one instrument covering every member school.
Rather than approach directors school by school, the Viable Arts Alliance offers each division a single district-level charter — one instrument that covers every member school at once, underwritten by the VB-CAF 27 District Festival Grant.
- WOODSHED+ practice and assessment access for every performer on every roster in the division
- The Triad of Student Agency — Performance Mindset, The Artist’s Code, Community Contract — adopted division-wide
- APOLLO SPI performance measurement: objective, signal-based, audience opinion excluded
- Director certification pathway for division staff at no additional seat cost
- VB-CAF 2027 festival participation for every chartered school across both festival days
WOODSHED+ & The Triad of Student Agency
Year-round practice, self-assessment, and student agency curriculum included with every registration.
WOODSHED+ — Practice and Self-Assessment
- Self-measured practice: students play into any phone, tablet or laptop and APOLLO GNN measures pitch, rhythm and tone on every note.
- Tempo-graded levels: a run only counts toward advancement at full written tempo, so progress reflects real readiness.
- Per-note review after every run, showing what was held, early, late or missed.
- Director assignments: directors upload their own music and assign parts, then follow each student's progress.
- Remote rehearsal: click-synced ensemble rehearsal so sections can prepare together from home.
The Triad of Student Agency
The Sound Achievement Foundation's three-pillar curriculum inside the Future Legends Academy, run during rehearsal or class time.
| Pillar I · Psychology | Performance Mindset. Managing nerves, focus and confidence under pressure. |
| Pillar II · Philosophy | The Artist's Code. Discipline, integrity and personal standards as a performer. |
| Pillar III · Sociology | Community Contract. Responsibility to the ensemble, the school and the community. |
Both programs are included in director registration, with the $450 fee waived for 2027 Inaugural Charter Members. APOLLO GNN and SPI results are internal developmental tools for students and directors, not state-accredited adjudication standards.
Fees, Festival Grant & Founding Waiver
Every rate stated in full.
| Tier | Amount | Basis | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director Registration Fee | $450 — waived for 2027 | per director registration; waived for every Inaugural Charter Member in the 2027 season with a signed partnership agreement | WOODSHED+ and Triad of Student Agency access, adjudicated performance slot, GNN performance report card, and institutional participation documentation. |
| Music & Arts Intensive — Scholar Rate | $150 | per participating student | Intensive track enrollment, clinician instruction, performance participation, lifetime Future Legends standing, and Academy platform access. |
| NACPA Institutional Dues | $1 | per rostered Collegiate Competitive Performer, annually | Charter standing, divisional placement, sanctioning eligibility, and governance voice. Deliberately nominal — dues are a governance instrument, not a revenue line. |
No additional mandatory fees or surcharges apply beyond the rates listed.
Student Data & Privacy
FERPA-aligned commitments. Full terms in the Student Data Privacy Addendum.
- The institution remains the owner of its student records; we act only on its written direction.
- Student data is used solely to deliver the services described in this packet — never sold, never used for advertising.
- Only the minimum data needed is collected; minors participate under parent or guardian signature.
- Performance measurement is signal-based and excludes audience opinion; results are shared with the director of record.
- Records are returned or deleted on the institution’s written request at the end of the engagement.
Next Steps
From review to a registered roster.
- 1Confirm with your fine arts supervisor whether your division has chartered.
- 2Register your ensemble or class roster for VB-CAF 2027.https://viableartsllc.com/VBCAF27DirectorRegistration
- 3Adopt the Triad of Student Agency for your program.https://viableartsllc.com/TriadLicensing
- 4Build your ensemble in WOODSHED+.https://viableartsllc.com/EnsembleBuilder
- 5Questions? viablearts@viableartsllc.com · 757-969-9554.