Tom Rarick Promoted to Director of Percussion, Carter & Team Return, Welcoming Some New Faces in 2022

BluecoatsBloo22

Dec 13

Tom Rarick talking to audience at PASIC. — *Tom Rarick speaking during Bluecoats’ clinic performance at PASIC.*

Bluecoats welcomes Tom Rarick to his new role as Director of Percussion. Allen Justus promoted to Front Ensemble Coordinator & Roger Carter continues as Caption Head. Claire Kenney, Cassius Johnson, Zach Wilson, Jake Lyons, Ben Armeni join team.

Bluecoats is pleased to welcome Tom Rarick in the new role of Director of Percussion / Composer / Designer Tom has been on the Bluecoats team since 2001 and was most recently a percussionist with the United States Air Force Band for over two decades. In his new role, Tom joins our year-round team and will oversee all percussion programming and education at Bluecoats, in addition to his continued work as a composer and percussion designer for the corps.

“Tom is perhaps the most talented percussion designer in our idiom, and has been designing the entire percussion score from battery to front ensemble at Bluecoats for decades,” said Mike Scott, CEO. “We are very much looking forward to having more time with Tom ‘on the ground’ where his amazing talents can continue to shape the approach of our world-renowned percussion program.”

Alongside Tom, the Bluecoats percussion leadership team will return, including Percussion Caption Head Roger Carter, Battery Coordinators Ryan Anderson and Joe Hobbs, and newly-appointed Front Ensemble Coordinator Allen Justus. This season will mark Roger Carter’s 10th season as Percussion Caption Head. Roger has been a snare instructor at Broken City since its inception and works with percussion programs across Southern California. This season will also mark Allen Justus’ 14th season on the Bluecoats Front Ensemble Educational Team. Since 2001, Allen has taught high school music programs in Ohio, Florida, and Georgia.

The Bluecoats Front Ensemble Educational Team will grow this season, with returning Front Ensemble Instructor Marc Rivet being joined by Ben Armeni, Claire Kenney, and Jake Lyons.

Ben was in the front ensemble at Atlanta CV (2013), Troopers (2014), and Santa Clara Vanguard (2015-2017). Ben received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas in 2020, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Percussion Performance at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Claire is a Bluecoats alumna (2007, 2009) and holds a Bachelor in Music Education as well as a Masters in Percussion Performance. She is currently the Front Ensemble Coordinator at Atlanta Quest and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society & Georgia Music Educators Association, and an educational artist for Innovative Percussion.

Jake is a Bluecoats alumnus (2012—2013) and is a percussion instructor, performer, arranger, adjudicator, and administrator based in Tennessee. He previously served on the instructional staff for Spirit of Atlanta, Colts Drum & Bugle Corps, and Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps, as well as founding the Virtual Drum & Bugle Corps during the 2020 DCI season. Jake is a full-time fundraiser for some of the nation’s largest nonprofits where he leads philanthropic capital campaigns.

The Battery Educational Team will also grow as it welcomes Cassius Johnson and Zach Wilson as Battery Instructors. Zach and CJ are alumni of the drum corps, having aged out in 2021.