Bluecoats Take Home Silver!

Written By Mike Scott

With its 2025 production The Observer Effect, the Canton, OH corps won its tenth medal at the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, IN. The competition marked the end of an 8,000 mile national tour featuring intense competition with the Boston Crusaders, who won their first-ever World Championship tonight.

During a year featuring such incredible drum corps, we extend our congratulations to DCI’s newest Champions, the Boston Crusaders! We also express our heartfelt gratitude to bronze medalists, the Santa Clara Vanguard, and all of the other incredible competitors in this year’s field.

The competition was the culmination of a twelve-week season and an 8,000 mile national tour. Just last week the Bluecoats organization celebrated the Canton corps’ homecoming when it hosted one of the final events of the DCI Summer Tour. In Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Innovations in Brass, presented by Employers Health posted a record-breaking crowd of 11,917, and the corps earned its final regular-season win.

“It has been such an amazing summer with the corps,” said CEO Mike Scott. “Our back-and-forth contests with the Boston Crusaders and these other incredible drum corps, our time spent at home hosting life-enriching events like The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp and our affiliate’s EN-RICH-MENT Summer Camp, as well as time on the road performing for hundreds of thousands of amazing fans, all culminate in a season to remember.”

On Sunday, the corps performers and families will join the staff and the board of directors in a private banquet to celebrate the season.

The corps will host 2026 audition events in November, December & January in Dallas, Atlanta, Canton, and Southern California. Information has been announced at bluecoats.com/join.

Mike Scott
Mike Scott is a clinician, consultant, and the CEO of Rhythm X, Inc., a non-profit music education company in Dayton, Ohio. Mike earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 2012. There he studied percussion and conducting and completed the Farmer School of Business Summer Institute. Before beginning his career as an administrator and teacher, Mike was an active performer in the marching arts. In 2011 Mike was the conductor of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps of Canton, Ohio and was a performer in Rhythm X’s percussion ensemble from 2011-2012. Mike was also a member of the Miami University Marching Band for four years, serving as the drum major during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In 2013 Mike began work at Rhythm X, Inc. as the Operations Director, managing the business development and logistics of the organization. He was also the Director of Instrumental Music at St. Ursula Academy in Toledo, Ohio. There he taught band, orchestra, and general music in grades 6-12. Prior to the 2015 competitive season, Mike became the first full-time employee at Rhythm X, Inc. as the company’s CEO. There he works with the organization’s President Tim Fairbanks to develop the future strategy of the company. During the summer months, Mike travels the country with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps as the group’s Tour Administrator. He has also served as the tour manager of The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mike proudly endorses Innovative Percussion, Etymotic Research, and Fred J. Miller Inc.
http://mikewscott.com
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