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BlueR36

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    Bluecoats 2013 Design Team

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    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.

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    Hot, Hot, Hotlanta

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    If crowds were booing after the corps performed, that would be classless. As far as I've ever seen, very few have ever booed a corps' actual performance.

    If crowds are booing after the judges' scores are announced, that's a perfectly acceptable reaction. You don't always have to agree with the judges (and many of us don't b/c the activity has changed so much into pleasing the judges and writing for the sheets rather than pleasing the audience and writing for the fans), and if you don't agree, you have a right to express your opinion.

    • Like 11

    "Thundering Chorus of Boos" in Atlanta

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    ... I alway's thought they were Booing the Judges Scores or Placments of the different groups. ( I know when I Booed (when I was a FAN). That is what I was Doing. ) Just alway's thought that the People were voiceing their Opinion of that (Scores or Placement). It never hurt my feelings when I heard it. I never thought is was Me or my Corps they were booing.

    During a show. I DO NOT think any Booing should take place at all though. I Always respected All Corps. Even ones I did not like for whatever reason. I would Applaud when Announced and when Finished. The people doing the show on the field Deserve that for their hard work. Whether I liked what they performed or not, I gave them Resepct.

    But, Judging. No. I feel no Obligation to agree with them. They are paid to do a job. They do it as they see fit. Fine. But, if I am going to applaud when I agree. Why am I not to show my DIS- agreement. They are Adults. It should be no big problem to them if I would Boo them.

    But to each their own way.

    THIS.

    I was in Atlanta. I booed when the scores were announced because I disagreed with the judging and the results. Again. There weren't any corps members on the field at the time (there wasn't anyone on the field since it was non-retreat, just scores on the scoreboard, which is another topic all together).

    I would never, EVER, boo a corps on the field. I might moan, groan and cringe a little if/when they use too much synth and electronics ... but I truly don't like a corps or their performance, I will respectfully decline to applaud.

    • Like 2

    Tour of Champions shows

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Just a question ... maybe I missed something ...

    I liked the 8-through-1 Saturday, then 1-through-8 Sunday start to these TOC shows, but if you look at the "performance order" on the DCI Schedule for all of the remaining shows this season that have these eight corps in them, it seems as if the performance order is exactly the same for all of them ...

    The Cadets - Allentown, PA

    Carolina Crown - Ft. Mill, SC

    Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL

    Santa Clara Vanguard - Santa Clara, CA

    Blue Devils - Concord, CA

    The Cavaliers - Rosemont, IL

    Bluecoats - Canton, OH

    Blue Stars - La Crosse, WI

    Is this truly the case? I thought the idea was the "change things up" from show to show and make them each unique and different? How is it different to have the exact same show order every show?

    If I am wrong about this, please -- correct me. Thank you.

    BLUECOATS

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BlueR36

    This winter-time topic is about the Bluecoats only ... if you want to start your own about another corps, go ahead.

    What are you favorites songs the Bluecoats have ever played??

    Here's a short list of mine ...

    First -- a nod to "Autumn Leaves" from 87 and 88 (first two years in Finals) and 98. It's the corps song, of course, but still one of the best tunes they've ever played.

    Others ...

    -- 1991 - "Palookaville." Great song. One of years I marched, so biased of course. Also played a short-lived song after drum solo that was a different version of this but can't remember name. We used it as a retreat song later in the year -- debuting it after a show without tell the staff ahead of time. That was fun!!!

    -- 1989 and 1995 -- "Sing Sing Sing." Either year, BOTH deserve to make this list.

    -- 2006 -- "My Heart and I". One of two moments since I aged out that I showed up at a practice and got real chills hearing something that I just KNEW was amazing -- first time heard 1995 during an ensemble at Hershey Park, and in Perry, Ohio, at a winter camp when hornline was outside playing "My Heart and I." Wow. Great song -- original is from an Italian TV show, sung by Sting. Look it up. Great song arranged beautifully by Doug Thrower for the Bluecoats ... of course, we can say that about a lot of songs over the last 10-15-ish years.

    What say you, Bluecoats fans?????

    • Like 1

    2010 Bluecoats Baritone Solo

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Your solo was really bad. In fact the worst I have heard all summer... scratch that... my life

    Both Jay Z and I hated your auto tune, and in a lot of ways I've never really even liked you as a person.

    Your facial hair is also really ugly, and your ego is disgusting.

    heheheh ... good to see the "family" atmosphere I remember from my years in the Bluecoats (and still experience in all my interactions with fellow alumni) is still going strong.

    :lle::thumbup:

    Blloooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Eating a LARGE slice of Humble Pie

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    "crown"? Do I detect a prophecy there, involving the MOST rapidly advancing Corps currently? Well, I hope my observation doesn't appear too cavalier.

    "Most rapidly advancing"?? You mean the corps that dropped two places from 2009 to 2010??

    :thumbup:

    Love CC this year. Talent was amazing and show was very good.

    But I think it's a toss-up as to which corps is more "rapidly advancing" now -- Bluecoats, CCrown ... with Blue Stars and Madison Scouts not too far behind ...

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