There’s only one
BLUECOATS EXPERIENCE
200,000+
SCREAMING FANS
8,000+
MILES TRAVELED
23
PEFORMANCES
1
BLUECOATS EXPERIENCE
Pre-Season
November — Mid-May
Young adults from around the world come to an Audition Experience Camp in November or December, or submit a Virtual Audition. In December we host a a weekend musician-only Callback Camp. Throughout the rest of the season, the corps rehearses together in January, March (brass), and April, and stays together online through video assignments, and virtual events.
Spring Training
Mid-May — Late-June
An intense six-week experience that brings 165 performers and more than 100 staff and volunteers to create the 2023 Bluecoats show. Some of the best designers, instructors, and administrators make this experience possible, along with our partners at Indiana Wesleyan University, who make the entire campus available to us. We take Mondays off to rest and recharge.
National Tour
Late-June — Mid-August
The Bluecoats will perform more than 20 times at events, parades, and field competitions across the US. This exciting national tour culminates at the three-day Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. On days without performances, the corps rehearses instensly. About one day a week the corps takes time off to rest, do laundry, and have some fun!
WANT IN?
THE STUFF THAT COUNTS
A FOCUS ON HEALTH, WELLNESS & SAFETY
We take the safety of our participants seriously. Bluecoats puts a focus on proper training, preparation, and treatment for our performing athletes. We’ve developed programs, partnerships, and policies to ensure that our community is, first-and-foremost, healthy.
A ROBUST NUTRITION PROGRAM
Each and every summer at Bluecoats we serve more than 90,000 meals prepared by a professional food service team. Our menu is crafted to provide each performer the nutrition and caloric intake that they need to succeed in drum corps.
SOME TIME TO BREATHE
Drum corps is tough. At Bluecoats we take free days when the time is right. Our in-person housing experience will include air-conditioned dormitories. And, if a year off has reminded us anything about the Bluecoats Experience, it’s that time spent with life-long friends is a central part of what makes drum corps great.
A FAMILY - PAST, pRESENT & FUTURE
At Bluecoats, people come first. Our alumni know that, our performers know that, and our staff knows that. Whether it’s our popular Adopt-a-Member program where alumni “adopt” current corps members, or the hometown celebration that takes place each year at the Akron show, you’ll know one thing as a Bluecoat — this is a family.
A WORLD-CLASS STAFF THAT CARES
Whether they’re a band director from Texas, a Tony award-winning choreographer, or a professor of percussion, our staff has one thing in common - they live to make the Bluecoats Experience special. We take great pride in the instructors, creators, and administrators that call the Bluecoats home.
OPERATIONS YOU CAN COUNT ON
Our operations team has lots of experience operating world-class drum corps and every person on the team is dedicated to providing a safe, smooth, and fun Bluecoats Experience every year. At Bluecoats you can expect a well-run ship.
POLICIES TO KEEP YOU SAFE
We take our commitments to responsible practices, participant safety, transparency, and community leadership seriously. Our policies dictate how Bluecoats operates and cover things like anti-racism, hazing, sexual harassment, and whistleblower reports.
Embracing Individuality
At Bluecoats, we know that each of the young adults who join our programs is unique. That individuality is a part of what makes the Bluecoats and each of its performers so special. We embrace that individuality, on and off the field.
