The Latest
2021 Diversity & Socioeconomic Impact Report
In July 2020, we promised to create an annual report on the demographic and socioeconomic impact of Bluecoats programs, the diversity of our team, and the progress of our initiatives to advance inclusion and equity within our organization.
This is our second year of building this report—you can view last year’s inaugural report here. Reflecting on these data annually allows us a concrete and ongoing opportunity to reflect on our programming and the ways in which we’d like to see it grow in our pursuit to build a more inclusive and equitable culture. As we take steps to advance this culture, sharing this demographic data helps us to create a culture of transparency and, we hope, this report increases people’s understanding of the reasons the steps we are taking are so necessary.
Andrew Lynge Joins Bluecoats Team, Ryan Kilgore Returns
Dr. Andrew Lynge joins the team as Front Ensemble Consultant. Dr. Matthew Ryan Kilgore’s long-time influence in percussion caption re-affirmed in additional role as Percussion Caption Advisor.
Brass Educational Team Continues to Grow
Bluecoats welcomes Ben Harloff, Genevieve Clarkson, Max Crofton, and Alex Bender to team after previously welcoming Richard Alvarado and Alex Szabo.
The 2022 Bluecoats Brass Educational Team continues to grow under the continued leadership of Brass Caption Head Derek Gipson.
The Bluecoats 2022 Drum Majors
We’re excited to announce our drum majors for the 2022 Bluecoats! Victoria Lee and Finley Muela will lead the Bluecoats this season.
Hall of Recognition Nominations Now Open
The 2022 Bluecoats Hall of Recognition nomination form is now open! Each year we accept nominations of individuals associated with Bluecoats who have created the Bluecoats legacy. We’re proud to recognize our incredible members, instructors, volunteers, and administrators through these three annual awards.
Kevin Shah Joins Bluecoats Team As Music Design Consultant
Renowned composer, designer, educator, and design education advocate Kevin Shah is returning to Bluecoats as a Music Design Consultant. Kevin, who was the Bluecoats Sound Designer from 2010-2013, has since made a major impact in the marching design community through his work with Broken City, Arcadia High School, Vista Murrieta High School and the Blue Knights (2014-19), where he was most recently the Creative Director and a Composer/Arranger. Kevin is passionate about bringing artistic expression to life through composition and re-imagining the world in creative and meaningful ways.
Bluecoats Fellowship Program Aims to Create a Pathway to More Diverse and Inclusive Marching Arts
The Bluecoats Fellowship is a centerpiece initiative of the Bluecoats 50th Anniversary Celebration. As we look ahead to the next fifty years at Bluecoats, we’re centering our vision around four core pillars:
Investing in the Bluecoats Experience
Investing in Music Education
Investing in our Community
Investing in Accessibility & Equity
The goal of the Bluecoats Fellowship is to invest in accessibility & equity, creating a pathway towards a more diverse and inclusive world in the marching arts.
Inside Look: Team Japan
Every year, the Bluecoats family spans across the globe—including our performers from Japan! Hear from our 2021 Team Japan members about their time with the Bluecoats and what makes the experience so unforgettable.