2018 Bluecoats Hall of Fame Inductees

The Board of Directors of Bluecoats, a youth performing arts organization based in Canton, Ohio, is pleased to announce the inductees into the group’s Hall of Fame for 2018.  Selected by unanimous vote were John Lowe, Brad Palmer and Jay Wise. John Lowe is from Richardson, Texas.  He received a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Tech University and his Masters of Music in Conducting from West Texas State University.  Mr. Lowe spent most of his career as a band director in the Richardson Independent School District.  His involvement with the Bluecoats began as a parent volunteer on the food truck in 2005 when his son, Corey, was a member of the corps.

Since retiring as a band director in 2010 John has devoted most of his summer to being the food service manager during the five weeks of spring training and as transportation manager for the summer tour.  He serves as the lead driver planning routes, working with the different state regulations, and handles the schedules of the various drivers needed to get the Bluecoats down the road.  In a nomination support letter Tina Guy stated “John is a father figure, friend and mentor to many at Bluecoats.  He is always willing to do whatever needs to be done and always with a smile on his face.”

Brad Palmer has been a percussion instructor with the Bluecoats since 2003 working primarily with the section known as “the front ensemble.”  This includes the mallet instruments, keyboards, timpani, drum set, auxiliary percussion and electronic effects.  Bluecoats Hall of Fame members and music arrangers/composers Tom Rarick and Doug Thrower credit Mr. Palmer with taking the Bluecoats front ensemble to the top of the drum corps activity.

Brad is a co-founder of DoubleStop Percussion, a Birmingham, Alabama based company that provides percussion instruction for all levels of experience in over twenty schools across the southeast.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master of Arts from Middle Tennessee State University.

Jay Wise is from Stark County, Ohio.  He began his drum corps journey in 1986 as a member of the Bluecoats hornline.  After aging-out he became an instructor with the corps and was eventually named assistant director until departing in 1997.

Over the past 6 years Jay has been very involved with the Bluecoats alumni. He helped form Rhythm In Blue, a group of alumni musicians that perform annually at several community and civic events in the Canton/Stark County area.  Jay has spearheaded the alumni social media activity and assists with the annual Bluecoats History Night during spring training.  He is already at work on the alumni corps involvement in the Bluecoats 50th anniversary in 2022.

Bluecoats Executive Director David Glasgow praised all three of the inductees. “Each of these gentlemen continue to make great contributions to our program. For over 15 years they have helped our members, alumni and staff reach new heights that now includes a DCI World Championship.  They are most deserving of this honor.”

Submitted by Randall Lamb, Bluecoats Board of Directors/Public Relations 740-501-5207   regalmusic@roadrunner.com