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Blue StarsINDIANAPOLIS — For many corps around the drum corps activity, the end of April marks the beginning of a crescendo.
Indoor marching seasons have come to a close. The build-up to a summer of drum corps, with all sections of the corps back together, is officially underway. The start of this exciting period of the year, for many corps, is often marked with a weekend-long, full-corps rehearsal camp.
For Blue Stars, an April 26-28 camp at the Indiana State Fairgrounds was extra sweet. Preparations, which have long been in the works, are now in full swing for a season celebrating the corps’ 60th anniversary.
And with an intriguing production and an alumni corps set to perform at the corps’ hometown DCI Tour event, July 7 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, there’s plenty to celebrate.
“This is our 60th anniversary, so it's been really exciting to move toward the season,” corps director Brad Harris said. “We have an alumni corps experience that's taking place in La Crosse, and I know that an awful lot of members are excited to get to know alums from over the 60-year history of the corps.”
Drum major Mattie Kleespies noted that the April reunion of Blue Stars’ 2024 membership was well worth the wait.
“Granted, a lot of our members do march with the same indoor ensemble,” she said. “But it's been fun to reconvene with everyone who has marched with us before or is new to the drum corps.”
Harris noted that much of the excitement for Blue Stars’ 60th-anniversary season can be tied to the corps’ 2024 production.
"Thematically, I think we're in a really good place,” he said. “And I think our fans and alumni are going to be really pleased with the show this year."
In the build-up to the corps’ April rehearsal camp, despite being apart, members of Blue Stars’ various sections had the opportunity to stay engaged by way of remote connection and virtual assignments.
“We've got almost our entire show in our hands,” Kleespies said. “All the sections are chugging along with their various assignments. Our brass has been doing a lot of video assignments, and our percussion has been working together and sharing their progress online.”
2023 marked Blue Stars’ ninth-consecutive competitive season earning a spot among the coveted Top 12 pool of DCI World Championship finalists. The corps finished in 11th place with a final score of 88.625.
While the corps’ 2023 placement was a slight step down on the overall leaderboard from previous seasons, Harris noted that, from his vantage point, the level of progress throughout his corps, and the drum corps activity as a whole, has been on an upward trajectory for several years. This season, he said, is no exception.
“Every single year, the talent level of every single drum corps seems like it’s only increasing,” he said. “I feel very, very good about where we are. I think we're feeling really strong about the season moving forward.”
According to Kleespies, much of Blue Stars’ membership for the 2024 season is comprised of returning veterans, which brings with it an added layer of confidence.
“One of our sections in particular actually has a majority of veterans; our mellophones are the strongest representatives,” she said. “But every caption has probably half veterans this year, at least, if not more.”
With their April rehearsal camp in the books, Blue Stars’ sights are now set on spring training. The corps will “move in” May 24 for four weeks of all-day rehearsals in Forest City, Iowa, before making their first 2024 DCI Tour appearance June 26 in Rockford, Michigan.
“I know there's a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of excitement going into this season,” Harris said. “Obviously it’s our 60th anniversary, but there’s also a lot of excitement about drum corps and the DCI Tour in general.”