Bluecoats, Mount Union sign multi-year deal to train and educate

Canton Repository
Updated ·3 min read
The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps performs inside Kehres Stadium at Mount Union Saturday night, July 1 2023.
The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps performs inside Kehres Stadium at Mount Union Saturday night, July 1 2023.

ALLIANCE − The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps isn't going anywhere for a long time.

The Bluecoats and the University of Mount Union announced Thursday that the 2016 world champions will keep their training site in the Carnation City. The two entities have signed a five-year extension.

The agreement keeps the Bluecoats Spring Training, the Blue Way Summer Arts Camp, Bluecoats Opening Night Community Celebration and the Bluecoats Fellowship Residency local. New in 2024, the group will host Band Director Days, which will allow area band directors to get a "peek behind the curtain."

Andrew Himelstein of West Chester, O., and other Bluecoats members for the brass and battery unit practice their cadence inside the Peterson Field House on May 26, 2023, at the University of Mount Union in Alliance.
Andrew Himelstein of West Chester, O., and other Bluecoats members for the brass and battery unit practice their cadence inside the Peterson Field House on May 26, 2023, at the University of Mount Union in Alliance.

The deal follows a trial run in 2023 when the Canton-based team moved its camp from Indiana Wesleyan University to Mount Union in Alliance. The change of venue was successful, officials said, allowing the programs to expand and draw nearly 3,000 people to the first Opening Night event.

Returned home in 2023: The Bluecoats returning to Stark County to train in Alliance for 2023 season

Rick Baxter, president of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce, said last year's encampment brought hundreds of people into the Alliance area, many of whom shopped and ate locally. So he was excited about the news of the five-year agreement.

"It'll be a nice little boost for our economy for the next five years," he said.

Bluecoats Chief Executive Officer Mike Scott and Mount Union President Gregory L. King released statements on the new agreement.

“This multi-year relationship allows us to do so much more than bring spring training back to Stark County. It’s going to allow the organization to make much deeper investments in our local community, and expand the community programs that our local community loves,” Scott said.

King championed the deal.

“Our inaugural experience with this nationally known, top-notch organization was outstanding, and the Mount Union and Alliance communities made their support of this partnership known by showing up for event after event," King said.

Jarrod Huntley, a visual instructor for The Bluecoats, goes over cadence information with the brass and battery unit inside Peterson Field House on May 26, 2023, at the University of Mount Union in Alliance.
Jarrod Huntley, a visual instructor for The Bluecoats, goes over cadence information with the brass and battery unit inside Peterson Field House on May 26, 2023, at the University of Mount Union in Alliance.

Here's a look at the different programs being offered in 2024 from the Bluecoats and Mount Union under this partnership:

  • Band Director Days − Band directors will get a chance to watch rehearsals, meet the staff, learn more about the Bluecoats approach and meet other band directors. More details to be released.

  • The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp − Annual two-day summer camp for high school and college students to learn from the Bluecoats instruction team and spend two days living alongside the Bluecoats while they train for the season.

  • Bluecoats Opening Night Community Celebration − Annual worldwide debut of the Bluecoats' production for each season. The event also showcases local music and arts programming like Bluecoats' Rhythm In Blue, the EN-RICH-MENT Drumline and Cincinnati Tradition.

  • Bluecoats Fellowship − Honors program for a select few "up-and-coming designers in the marching arts who come from traditionally under-represented communities." Nearly 100 applications have been submitted for the 2024 program.

“Not only has Mount Union helped to make our world champion drum corps better, it has enabled us to invest and expand upon The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp, the Bluecoats Fellowship, and the Bluecoats Summer Music Series," Scott said.

Added King: "We look forward to the opportunity to continue to put our campus and its facilities to good use over the summer months while also making a positive economic impact on our community. We hope to welcome even more visitors to Mount Union in 2024 and beyond to experience the class act that is Bluecoats.”

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Bluecoats, Mount Union sign five-year extension