Bluecoats is excited to announce it has accepted an invitation from Drum Corps International (DCI) for the 2022 Bluecoats Alumni Corps to perform at the Drum Corps International World Championships Semifinals in celebration of both the DCI and Bluecoats 50th Anniversary! The organization will spend 2022 celebrating many events with its alumni and broader community. The DCI Semifinals Performance will serve as a grand capstone to a season of celebrations.
Mike Scott, Bluecoats Chief Executive Officer, is excited to see plans begin, “2022 will be an incredible year for Bluecoats. The alumni corps is just one part of an ambitious 50th birthday celebration for this organization.” Drum Corps International Executive Director, Dan Acheson, equally anticipates a Bluecoats 50th Anniversary Alumni Corps, “We are looking forward to a great celebration and I just can’t wait to hear Autumn Leaves again.“
To orchestrate this exciting ensemble, Bluecoats has announced the formation of an alumni corps steering committee to embark upon creating a world class, high energy performing unit showcasing the talents of decades of Bluecoats. It will be no small feat to put an alumni corps spanning five decades on the field. Recent history has seen a number of massive alumni corps entertain the DCI Championship week crowds, the most recent being the Santa Clara Vanguard Alumni Corps in 2017.
“The bar has been set very high by those alumni units before us,” said David Glasgow, Bluecoats Executive Advisor and former Executive Director. “We enthusiastically accept the challenge to present a show that not only will honor DCI’s 50th Anniversary, but showcase how the Bluecoats have been a key part of that legacy too.”
Ted Swaldo, director from the 1980s and early 1990s has been named as the Chairman of the committee. “Organizing and executing a project of this size and scope will require detailed planning,” said Swaldo. The committee spans much of the corps’ history, and as Swaldo shares, “they bring a lot of varied and outstanding abilities. I’m excited to be a part of this!”
The committee consists of two other former directors joining Swaldo in Bill Hamilton and David Glasgow. Mike Scott, the current corps director and Bluecoats CEO will serve on the committee ex officio. Also contributing will be former program coordinator Larry Hershman, who brings experience in producing drum corps All Star corps from the 1990s. Rounding out the committee are Jay Wise, Jenn Johnson Renaud and Lane Armey, all three of whom bring excellence in administrative and instructional experience within the Bluecoats and beyond.
Details of the project will be announced in the coming months. Follow the progress of this decidedly ‘BLOO’, endeavor at https://bluecoats.com/50th-anniversary/