Colts And Colt Cadets Finish Strong In 2019

August 12, 2019

The Colts and Colt Cadets concluded their 2019 seasons with performances in the Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis the weeked of August 8 - 10. The Colts made a strong charge at the end of the season, being featured on their seventh consecutive "Big, Loud, and Live" broadcast on Thursday, August 8. The Colts ended their season in 16th place with a score of 84.225. The performances on Thursday and Friday both received an incredible crowd reaction, with many commenting that Friday's performance was the strongest Colts they'd ever seen.

Colt Cadets finished their season with a score of 64.425 on Thursday morning in Indianapolis. Earlier in the week, Colt Cadets competed in Open Class Championships in Marion, Indiana. Entering the two day event in 14th, the Colt Cadets made a jump into 11th and performed in Finals for the first time since 2015. The corps performed on Tuesday night, remanining in 11th place with a score of 65.600, receiving their highest score since 2014.

Both corps wrapped up their competitive seasons and dismissed from Ball State University on Saturday, August 10. The end of season wrap up for both corps included speeches from all caption heads, both corps directors, playing of the corps song, and, for Colts, speeches from its 31 age outs. Read more about this season's age outs here.

The Colts media team was hard at work throughout the summer, documenting every move, note, rim shot, and catch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to check out the great pictures and videos!

This season for the Colts continued to build on successes from the previous year, which much of the design and instructional team, as well as membership, returning. The addition of Don Click, WGI Hall Of Fame member, as program coordinator and Robert W. Smith, DCI Hall Of Fame member, as brass arranger, brought a renewed focus on entertaining the audiences through the production on the field. The Colts were able to provide access to the activity to a higher number of students this year by continuing to hold auditions in St. Louis, San Antonio, and Gainesville, as well as in Dubuque. The corps production, When Hell Freezes Over, was a fan favorite throughout the summer, with audiences around the country amazed by the ever changing color pallet and strong music base for the show.

The Colt Cadets also enjoyed similar retention to the Colts on all levels, with many of their instructors and members returning for another year. Several new faces on the design team brought new perspectives and ideas to the group and allowed their program, ...Of A Feather, to soar to new levels of excellence. Many fans commented all season long that it was the strongest corps and production they've seen from the Colt Cadets. The corps continued with their new tour model adopted last year, spending more time "on the road" during the season.

The organization as a whole also had many successes throughout the season. A large focus this year was the 20/20 Vision Capital Campaign. Through the support of hundreds of incredible supporters, the Colts were able to travel this season with two new semi trailers on the road. The equipment trailer was a brand new, 2019 Kentucky trailer. The kitchen trailer was a new-to-us 2008 Kentucky trailer. Both trailers had a huge and positive impact on the day to day lives and efficiency of the members, staff, and volunteers. Thank you to all who donated and helped with construction — this project couldn't have happened without you!

This year, the Colts were also able to induct four individuals into the Hall Of Fame. This year's inductees were recognized at a ceremony during the intermission of Music On The March. Membership in the Hall Of Fame is the highest honor the organization can give, and recognizes those whose history of outstanding contributions to the Colts has played a significant and long-term role in our organization and in the marching arts. You can read about this year's Hall Of Fame inductees here. This year's class was also joined by the 2018 class, whose ceremony in last summer was unfortunately cancelled due to weather.

Of course, this season, and this activity, could not have happened without the help, dedication, passion, and love from our many parents and volunteers. A huge THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who helped throughout the season, whether cooking, driving, sewing uniforms, or anything else that helps both drum corps move down the road. The Colts and Colt Cadets appreciate you so much and cannot thank you enough. Similarly, a huge THANK YOU to all of the incredible donors, sponsors, and endorsers who continue to believe in and support the mission of the Colts Youth Organization.

The next few weeks will be a time to relax, reflect, and unpack from this season, but things are already moving into place for 2020. This season allowed the organization to connect with its alumni and history in new ways, while also setting the stage for the next year of excellence. You can help ensure the Colts legacy is able to continue into the future by making a tax-deductible donation or by signing up to become a Colts Monthly Giver.

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