What is expected for Auditions in 2024?

Brass: Submit from the provided exercises and a short musical selection to showcase your skills
Winds: While we are primarily auditioning brass, if you are exclusively a woodwind player and interested, contact the brass staff at the button below.
Percussion: Submit provided exercises and provided part of the 2023 show music
Color Guard: Submit provided routine on flag and movement, can also submit rifle work if desired.
Visual: There are no submissions necessary for visual movement.

General questions about auditioning? Reach out to us!

What positions are available? Which are not?

Brass: We accept auditions for Trumpet, Mellophone (audition on French Horn if desired), Baritone/Trombone, Tuba (audition on concert tuba if desired)
Winds: If you are a woodwind player, contact us about your desire to audition on winds. Inclusion of woodwinds is dependent upon talent and show design.
Percussion:
- Audition on: Snare, Tenor, Marimba, Vibraphone and Drum Set
- Do not audition on: Bass Drum, Synthesizer and Tympani will be decided based on audition instruments above. We are not accepting auditions on these instruments.
Drum Major: Rhythm IN BLUE operates similar to an indoor drum line and performs without a conductor on a podium. At present we are not accepting auditions for drum major. Should a need arise, we would select a conductor from within the selected ensemble.

I also have skills in a role you have beyond my principal interest, are you interested in that?

If you spin flag and also play brass, or can play trumpet and also drum, we’d love to see those skills too! We would love the opportunity to showcase performers in a variety of roles! So if you have skills in more than one of our audition areas, audition with all of those!

I have outstanding performance skills that do not match the above audition instruments. Would you like to utilize my skills?

We are absolutely interested in your special skills and a chance to showcase them if it fits with our program for 2024. If you also are able to play brass, drums or do color guard, audition principally for those roles and submit your outstanding additional performance skill along with your audition.
If you do not have skills on the roles we audition for, contact us about auditioning.

Is Rhythm IN BLUE a good stepping-stone to making Bluecoats World Class corps?

That depends on your skill set. If you have not marched in a drum corps previously, Rhythm IN BLUE will not have the type of rigor necessary to make a championship caliber drum corps. Rhythm IN BLUE would be an excellent first step into the marching arts, followed by a competitive drum corps experience that could then lead to Bluecoats.
If you have experienced competitive drum corps at the All-Age, Open Class or World Class level, then the Rhythm IN BLUE experience could help prepare you for the organizational ideals of Bluecoats. It can also give you the opportunity to work over the summer to better afford World Class tour expenses while getting chances to interact with Bluecoats drum corps and perform in front of drum corps crowds.