Music plays a vital role in many organizations, and the same is true of the National FFA Organization. Each year, the National FFA Band and Chorus members claim some of the best seats at the National FFA Convention and Expo — right on the stage.
Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, the National FFA Band and Chorus features musically talented FFA members from across the nation, allowing them to show off their skills. Each year, members compete to be named the best of the best. This year, members can submit their applications and video auditions for the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo Band, Chorus, and Talent until July 17, 2023.
According to the Journal of Agricultural Education, the first official record of convention music was the Merion County FFA Band from Ohio in 1930. That year, the “Future Farmer March” was adopted as the National FFA Organization’s official march. The Texas FFA Band played at the 1932 convention. In 1933, the National FFA Convention featured music by the Fredericktown FFA Chapter from Ohio. In 1934, the Utah FFA Band played as the official band of the FFA’s convention.
But, music made its way into the organization two years prior when the FFA Creed’s author E.M. Tiffany, published “Song of the Future Farmers” in 1928. The song’s chorus goes, “Future Farmers of the land, forward striving to our destiny, proud to till the soil, honored by our toil we bear the call, we answer all, and march to victory.”
In 1931, the National FFA Convention began holding a song-writing contest. During the first year, 11 songs were entered and FFA purchased rights to four of the entered songs: “Hail the FFA,” “Sons of Soil,” “FFA National Song,” and “Future Farmers of America”.
Following former year’s success, in 1938, the FFA’s Committee on the Program of Work established the first call for the FFA to establish a National FFA Band. In 1940, delegates decided that state bands would be selected to perform in future years.
After World War II’s travel restrictions were lifted, the first official National FFA Band performed at the 1947 convention under Dr. Henry S Brunner, the agricultural department head at the time from Pennsylvania State College.
Unlike today’s contest, the original National FFA Band was called the “mail order band”. Members applied to the band by mail, and eventually, through audition recordings.
FFA continues to showcase talent from around the U.S. at the National FFA Convention. Whether attending sessions, or wandering the halls in Indianapolis, the talent of FFA members is both noteworthy and impossible to miss.
FFA talent shows have included a variety of acts of the years. Some have included soloists, instrumentalists, fiddle players, jugglers, dancers, harmonica players, beat boxers, bands, drumlines, baton twirlers, and more.
The National FFA Band & Chorus is a full-time, one week commitment. Members commit to arriving in Indianapolis for the first rehearsal on Saturday, Oct. 28 and staying through the conclusion of the final convention session the following Saturday, Nov. 4.
