Bluecoats 2013 Design Team

[BlueR36]

http://www.bluecoats.com/news_detail.asp?news_id=347

Discuss ....

[BlueR36]

Vanderkolff, Moore Join Westman-Led Design Team

(Canton, Ohio) - 9/7/2012

The Bluecoats are proud to announce the addition of Jonathan Vanderkolff and Jim Moore to the corps’ design team. Vanderkolff will serve as the corps’ Visual Designer and Jim Moore as a Guard Designer and Choreographer. Program Coordinator Dean Westman will lead the 2013 Bluecoats’ outstanding group of designers, while Michael Gray will move into the role of Artistic Consultant.

Jonathan Vanderkolff has enjoyed a long and successful career in the performing arts, including serving as Stage Director and an original member of the creative team for the Tony Award-winning production Blast! In addition to Blast!, for which he won an Emmy Award for choreography, Jonathan was a primary designer for Brass Theater, Shockwave, CyberJam, and M.I.X. He has also been a designer for Emerald Marquis Winter Guard, Northview Winter Guard, Ventures Drum & Bugle Corps, and the 1993 Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps. Most recently, he designed the drill for the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, and served as Color Guard Coordinator for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. He continues to serve as the Program Coordinator, Designer and Composer of the two-time WGI World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard. As Visual Designer, Jonathan will design the Bluecoats’ drill, as well as collaborate with the corps’ design team in the development of the 2013 program.

Jim Moore also won an Emmy Award and was nominated for a Tony Award as a choreographer, designer, and performer for Blast!. In addition, Jim was involved in the creation of Shockwave, CyberJam, and M.I.X. and has danced professionally for almost 20 years, beginning with his career as a principal dancer with the Georgia Ballet Company. Jim has also served as a choreographer for many successful winter guards and drum corps, including Pride of Cincinnati, Emerald Marquis, Santa Clara Vanguard, The Cadets, Carolina Crown, and Aimachi from Nagoya, Japan. Most recently he served as the primary choreographer for the Madison Scouts, and he continues to work with the Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard. With the Bluecoats, Jim will serve on the design team and partner with returning Caption Head Andy Mroczek to handle design & choreography duties for the corps’ Color Guard.

After having served as a Music Consultant in 2011 and the Music Coordinator in 2012, Dean Westman will serve as Program Coordinator in 2013. Entering his 23rd year in the activity, Dean is a former Brass Caption Head for the Cavaliers and the Cadets, Brass Arranger for the Santa Clara Vanguard, and Program Coordinator and Arranger for the Troopers. Dean is currently the Performing Arts Department Chair & Director of Orchestras at Avon High School, and serves as a Program Coordinator and Designer for the three-time Bands of America Grand National Champion Avon High School Marching Black and Gold. As the Bluecoats’ Program Coordinator, Dean will lead the corps’ 2013 Design Team in the development of its competitive program.

Continuing to lend his outstanding creativity and inspirational skills to the Bluecoats organization, former Program Coordinator Michael Gray will remain with the corps as Artistic Consultant in 2013. Michael is excited about his new role as well as turning over the reigns of the Bluecoats’ program to Dean Westman. “As my career as a professional artist continues to demand more of my time, now is the right time to pass the baton to Dean. He is an incredible designer, leader, and person, and I look forward to assisting him in his new position. In addition, I am thrilled to remain with the corps in a very meaningful role with the design team where I can continue to share my passion for the activity with the Bluecoats family."

Andy Mroczek has served as color guard designer and caption head since 2010, and will again lead the caption in 2013. Andy has almost 20 years of experience as both a performer and an instructor with the Madison Scouts, Blue Devils, Seattle Cascades, James Logan High School, Northern Lights, and Santa Clara Vanguard summer and winter color guard programs. In addition to working with the Bluecoats, Andy is currently the Guard Director at Cedar Park High School near Austin, Texas.

Returning for his 13th season with the corps is Percussion Arranger Tom Rarick. Tom received a Bachelor of Arts in percussion performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and currently serves as a percussionist with the United States Air Force Band, a position he has held since 1997. In 2011, Tom was elected to the Bluecoats Hall of Fame.

Assisting Tom with the design and compositional duties for the percussion ensemble, and returning for his fourth year with the Bluecoats, is Electronics Designer Kevin Shah. Residing in Southern California, Kevin serves as the wind and front ensemble arranger for several marching programs including Arcadia High School and Upland High School. He is also an active designer for many winter percussion ensembles including the 2011 WGI Percussion Scholastic World Gold Medalist Arcadia High School, the 2012 Percussion Independent Open Gold Medalist George Mason University, and Rhythm X. Kevin is a Yamaha Performing Artist and holds a bachelor's degree in music from UCLA and a Masters in Percussion from the Julliard School of Music.

Returning for his 22nd season with the Bluecoats is Brass Arranger Doug Thrower. Doug has been a brass instructor since 1992, arranged for the Bluecoats since 1997, and was inducted into the Bluecoats Hall of Fame in 2009. He has also instructed and arranged for many bands and drum corps including Dutch Boy, the Kiwanis Kavaliers, and the 1986 Class A World Champion Canadian Knights. Doug studied with Don Johnson at Humber College in Toronto and studied jazz performance at McGill University in Montreal.

Planning for the 2013 program is already in high gear, and the first face-to-face design meeting will take place in just a couple of weeks. Stay tuned to Bluecoats.com for updates.

[bluecoats88]

I hope this all works out, but pulling in visual designers from a corps who they didn't get above 9th place and who placed below Bloo each year doesn't scream 'this is a step up' to me.

Edited September 7, 2012 by bluecoats88

[ashyUechi]

I hope this all works out, but pulling in visual designers from a corps who they didn't get above 9th place and who placed below Bloo each year doesn't scream 'this is a step up' to me.

The Bluecoats members are very talented and would do well with experienced designers in the visual arena. The Bluecoats may offer a better chemistry for these designers and allow for them to be more successful. Big step up. Great news for the Bluecoats.

[KAW]

The Bluecoats members are very talented and would do well with experienced designers in the visual arena. The Bluecoats may offer a better chemistry for these designers and allow for them to be more successful. Big step up. Great news for the Bluecoats.

I think this is the correct way to think about this. These designers with this type of background will fit much better with Bloos style than they did with Madison. Let's hope they can pull brass and percussion across the line.

[elmhurstmusiced]

I honestly think this is a good thing for both the Bluecoats and Madison.

I don't think all of Madison's visual issues were with performance, I believe it was design, so I am honestly happy to see those 2 moving on.

That being said, they are very talented adn maybe this change will be a good step for them.

I wouldn't call this a loss for Madison though, as I am confident they are in good hands as well.

[oldbandguy]

Just happened to come across this older thread tonight.

6 years later...yeah, I think we can all agree this all worked out OK for Bloo.  A gold, a silver, two bronze and maybe the most creative and entertaining shows during this time period. 

Yeah, it's worked out OK.

And some great additions to the team as well!

And in a couple of weeks they will get together to begin work on the 2019 Session.  :-)