Let's talk about 2021
As Bluecoats looks toward 2021, we’re launching a suite of programs that both prepare the corps for a 2021 season and bring educational programming to interested participants along the way.
Over the last several months, we’ve been busy at Bluecoats. We’ve built an online school that brings our educational programming online and makes it more accessible than ever; we’ve established a Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council that is crafting our strategy for advancing an anti-racist culture within our organization; and we’ve worked diligently with our colleagues within DCI to prepare for what certainly will be a whole new world for drum corps in 2021 and beyond.
While these things may all seem somewhat unrelated, together they establish a foundation for how Bluecoats is growing as an organization and working to emerge from ongoing challenges as a better, stronger, and more impactful organization.
Of course, the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps is a centerpiece of this organization, so we’re announcing today how we’re approaching our preparations for the upcoming 2021 season. The most pressing question this time of year is auditions.
Each fall, the Bluecoats Audition Experience Camps provide both an educational and evaluative experience as well as an audition for the corps. This year, we’re focused on providing a world-class education and experience to participants first while preparing for a 2021 season second.
To that end, we’re making sure that the programs we offer in 2021 serve two purposes:
1st - to provide the Bluecoats Experience - and deliver a world-class educational, evaluative, and social experience
2nd - to create a process for setting the roster of our 2021 ensemble
So, we have built a suite of programs and events within Bluecoats School of the Arts and the Bluecoats that accomplish these goals:
Symposium I & Symposium II - two-day flagship learning events at Bluecoats School of the Arts that feature world-renowned artists and educators including Jacob Collier, Jens Lindemann, and more. These events are about education, experience, and social interaction and help make the Bluecoats Experience the life-changing performing arts education experience we’re proud of.
Evaluative Feedback Videos - like an in-person private audition, these video submissions will use the long-established rubric, scoring, and feedback system we use when setting the drum corps each year. Each submission will receive feedback notes and a score from a Bluecoats instructor. These videos serve two purposes - first, to gain valuable feedback from the world-renowned instructional team at Bluecoats, and second, to serve as the first step in the audition process for Bloo21.
Callback Audition Video Submissions - these invite-only callback videos will serve as the official final round for Bloo21, and we’ll only open this round once we’re prepared to confirm what 2021 has in store for the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps.
On-demand learning, downloads, private lessons & other live learning events - in addition to our flagship Symposium learning events, Bluecoats School of the Arts offers a suite of on-demand coursework, educational downloads, a new private lesson platform (coming soon), and other one-of-a-kind live learning events. Our focus this fall, winter & spring is on re-imagining how Bluecoats can provide a world-class educational experience to more students than ever. That means that you can expect these programs to continue to grow the Bluecoats Experience.
“One important goal of our 2021 programming plan is to ensure that participants eager to join the corps can feel confident that they’re getting out of the experience what they put into it,” said Genevieve Geisler, CFO/COO of Bluecoats. “We know that there is a lot of uncertainty about what’s in store for 2021, so our plan is about providing a worthwhile experience and access to education at each step of the process, while simultaneously preparing for the 2021 season.”
For students interested in joining the corps in 2021, another big question is about open spots. In an ordinary season the drum corps re-auditions all positions, meaning that both veterans of the corps and new candidates all audition the same way. In 2021, that will still be the case, however, veteran members wishing to return have been told that they can expect to make the corps provided they’ve maintained the same level of excellence we expect at Bluecoats.
Bluecoats has not issued contracts or extended contracts to anyone for 2021, and Bluecoats has not kept any program fee money from the 2020 season. We’re starting fresh in 2021, and looking forward to the incredible influx of talent from around the world that try their hand at making the corps. Unlike other years though - this year events like Symposium I & Symposium II and the feedback audition videos are open to anyone - even those not seeking a position in the corps.
The bluecoats.com/join website
We know that this new suite of programs and the 2021 evaluative and audition process are new, and that you may have questions. In order to make it clear and to answer the questions that our participants have, we’ve launched a new page on our website at bluecoats.com/join. This site outlines the three step process that students wishing to audition for the corps will need to take. Generally, this three-step process is as follows:
Participate in either Symposium I or Symposium II as a prerequisite for auditioning. (You can also attend both events, and there’s a great bundle deal that saves you 50%!)
Submit a Feedback Video which comes with custom feedback and a score on the same rubric Bluecoats has used for pre-season evaluation for many years.
Submit an invitation-only Callback Audition Video (date to be determined, after 2021 season details are further confirmed.)
At Bluecoats we remain committed to our mission: to provide programs for youth in music and performance training. While 2021 brings many questions, we’re confident that new programs like Bluecoats School of the Arts and our approach to the 2021 feedback videos ensure that we’re putting education and experience first, and bringing our programming to students whether or not they’re in the drum corps.
