The Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps is world champion again.
The Canton-based corps won the 2024 Drum Corps International World Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, completing its first undefeated season, with its rendition of “Change is Everything” securing first place.
The group, which has trained for the past few years at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, achieved a record score of 98.75 and received its eighth medal in nine seasons.
“…The corps was incredible and proved itself to be champions,” Bluecoats CEO Mike Scott said in a prepared statement. “We are incredibly proud of that. But win or lose, I am especially proud of this corps and our organization for setting out to challenge ourselves artistically and also to achieve great things and strive for very high values. This championship is a crowning moment to celebrate all that we have accomplished.”
The Bluecoats, a nonprofit arts education group founded in 1972, last won the championship in 2016. The organization noted that the Indianapolis event was the finale of a series of 17 competitive shows and 21 performances on their 8,000-mile national tour.
Last week, the Bluecoats performed their “Innovation in Brass” show before an audience of over 11,000 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Earlier this year, the Bluecoats also unveiled a new home – a joint project with EN-RICH-MENT Fine Arts Academy – in downtown Canton.
The corps will hold audition events in Dallas, Atlanta, Canton and Southern California in November and December 2025.
