Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble

Blue Knights
Percussion Ensemble

Blue Knights logo
Location	Denver, Colorado
Division	Percussion Independent World
Founded	1993
Director	Amanda Montemayor
Championship titles	1994, 1999, 2000, 2003

The Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble is a Percussion Independent World competitive percussion ensemble drumline. Based in Denver, Colorado, the Blue Knights are a member of Winter Guard International.^[1]

History

The Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble was established in 1993.^[2] They first competed in the 1994 WGI season where they won their first world championship. They also won world championships in 1999, 2000, and 2003.^[3] The Blue Knights are also the longest continually running WGI Percussion Ensemble.

In 2011, the Blue Knights won the WGI Fan Favorite award for their show "Physical Graffiti".^[4]

The Blue Knights also operated an open class ensemble that made appearances at WGI Percussion Independent Open finals in 2005 and 2006.^[5][6]

Sponsorship

The Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble is sponsored by Ascend Performing Arts, a 501 (c)(3) musical organization that has a Board of Directors, corps director, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. The organization also sponsors the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Stampede Drumline and Broncos Brass, the official brass/drumline of the Denver Broncos.^[7]

2015 Staff

Amanda Montemayor – Ensemble Director ‡
Rod Kosterman – Educational Program Director/Program Director/Front Ensemble Arranger/Staff Coordinator
Juan Carlos Caceres - Visual Design/Visual Coordinator
Ryan Springler – Visual Design / Visual Consultant ‡
Keenan Evans - Visual Design / Visual Consultant ‡
Ralph Hardimon – Program Consultant
Mike Jackson - Percussion Arranger ‡
Colin Spear – Front Ensemble Arranger/Instructor ‡
Danny Sibley -Front Ensemble Instructor ‡
Tim Lundberg – Snare Tech
Zac Barnard – Snare Tech ‡
Zack Argotsinger – Tenor Tech ‡
Kelly Mills - Bass Tech ‡
Ivan Fees - Cymbal Tech ‡

‡ Denotes Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble Alumni
^[8]

Show History

Gold background indicates WGI Championship; Light grey background indicates WGI Fan Favorite.^[9]

Year	Show Title	Score	Placement
1994	A Knight Groove	93.000	1st
1995	The Nexus	85.900	2nd
1996	Spheres of Influence	90.400	3rd
1997	Landscapes of a Wondering Mind	96.150	2nd
1998	Circular Momentum	95.000	2nd
1999	Airborne: A Brief History of Flight	97.100	1st
2000	The Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water	95.950	1st
2001	In The Lot	95.600	2nd
2002	Line, Shape, Texture & Color	95.050	2nd
2003	The Zodiac	96.250	1st
2004	The Speed of Sound	92.600	4th
2005	In The Mind Of Madness	94.350	4th
2006	Dwellers of the Infernal Abyss	93.500	5th
2007	H2O	94.150	3rd
2008	iDrum	91.750	6th
2009	The Metaphorest	89.588	9th
2010	Reactions	86.888	10th
2011	Physical Graffiti	92.025	6th
2012	BK Crew	84.475	12th
2013	Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night	88.463	12th
2014	bit x bit	88.413	Quarterfinals
2015	The World's A Stage	82.475	SemiFinals

References

1. "Blue Knights". http://www.wgi.org/unit-details/497-Independent-Marching-World-ensemble-Blue-Knights.html. External link in |website= (help);
2. "History". http://ascendperformingarts.org/programs/bkpe/bkpe-history/. External link in |website= (help);
3. "Independent World Percussion Champions". http://www.wgi.org/contents/Independent-World-Percussion-Champions.html. External link in |website= (help);
4. "Blue Knights are 'Fans' Favorite,' Vanguard wins at WGI Percussion World Championships". http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=46eb6b15-c75e-42b6-811d-820d44c9c7b8. External link in |website= (help);
5. "2005 Percussion Scores". https://wgi.org/contents/2005-Percussion-Scores.html. External link in |website= (help);
6. "2006 Percussion Scores". https://wgi.org/contents/2006-Percussion-Scores.html. External link in |website= (help);
7. "Programs". http://ascendperformingarts.org/programs/. External link in |website= (help);
8. "Staff". http://ascendperformingarts.org/programs/bkpe/staff/. External link in |website= (help);
9. "Historical Scores". http://ascendperformingarts.org/programs/bkpe/scores/. External link in |website= (help);