This past Saturday marked the final event in a string of four Audition Experience Camps operated by the Bluecoats in Texas, Ohio, Georgia, and California. Nearly 1,000 students from North America, Asia, and Europe collectively traveled hundreds of thousands of miles in the hopes of earning a spot in the 2020 Bluecoats.

“Every year it really is humbling, seeing them pour out of the airport with their drumsticks or horns in tow,” said Mike Scott, CEO of Bluecoats. “We’re honored time and again by the sheer number of high school and college students who want to be a part of the corps. Hundreds of these students are just hoping to spend a weekend with us and get a glimpse of the ‘Bluecoats Experience.’”

MARCHING HEALTH WILL PROVIDE HEALTH & WELLNESS INTERNS, DEVELOP PRE-SEASON WORKOUT REGIMEN, AND CONSULT BLUECOATS’ HEALTH & WELLNESS TEAM.

Following a successful first year of partnership, we’re excited to announce that Marching Health will return to our roster of partners for the 2020 season. Participant health & wellness remains at the core of Bluecoats’ focus in 2020 and this partnership helps to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our community. 

"The progress for member health and wellness that Bluecoats and Marching Health were able to make last season impacted not just the members of this drum corps, but the entire marching arts community,” said physical therapist and founder of Marching Health, Dr. Elliot Cleveland. “The collaborations between our advisors, their instructional staff, and their health and wellness team provided the members with the best chance to physically execute the demands of their show at the highest level. We are excited to continue this partnership with the Bluecoats organization."

This weekend we finished our second Audition Experience Camp, right where we were founded, in Canton, OH. If you couldn’t make it this weekend, but still want to audition for the 2020 Bluecoats, don’t worry; we still have two Audition Experiences left in Georgia and California and it’s not too late to register to start your Bluecoats Experience! We also have video auditions open now until December 18th for brass and percussion and January 3rd for color guard.

Today is Giving Tuesday, and we’re launching our 2019 Annual Campaign. We hope that while you’re spending time enjoying the holiday season and finding ways to give back, you’ll think of Bluecoats and consider making a donation to support our mission of providing music and performance programs for youth. We seek to provide youth with an opportunity to develop leadership, personal, character, and social skills by emphasizing the challenge, excitement, and self-discipline presented through travel, competition, and the pursuit of excellence.

BLUECOATS WELCOME JONI PEREZ, KEVIN FENSKE, KRIS HAMMOND, AND BENJAMIN PIERCE TO 2020 BRASS EDUCATIONAL STAFF. BRASS LEADERSHIP TEAM WILL RETURN, HEADED BY DEREK GIPSON.

Today Bluecoats is excited to introduce the brass educational staff for the 2020 season. Joining the team is Joni Perez, Head Band Director at The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, TX. She’s been Head Band Director there since 2010 and recently brought the band to a silver medal at the 2019 BOA Grand Nationals. Perez brings plenty of drum corps educational experience along with her to this role, having been on the brass staff at Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. We’re now thrilled to have her join our 2020 Brass Educational Staff as a brass instructor.