Burns, Bluecoats win gold at DCI World Championship
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MONROEVILLE -- Joshua Burns has spent most of his life chasing sound. Long before he ever stepped onto a national stage, he was a kid in Monroeville watching his dad and his grandfather, a longtime band director, pass a trumpet from one generation to the next.
Music was simply part of the family rhythm. His father, Sean, had played at the former West Snyder High School in Beaver Springs, his grandfather, Thomas, had led bands there for years, and Joshua grew up watching them perform, travel and teach.
"One of the reasons I play now is they passed them (trumpets) along to me," said 21-year-old Joshua, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Pittsburgh.
He remembers being in high school, seeing traveling bands rehearse and tour, staying with them for a day or two, and thinking it was the coolest thing he had ever seen.
At some point, he told himself that if he kept working, maybe he would be performing like that someday. "This past summer, it was my dream to get into one of those top groups," Joshua shared. "I attended audition camps, where they see how you move and how you play. Then they tell you if you made it."
That dream eventually carried him into the world of Drum Corps International, one of the most demanding and competitive youth performing circuits in the country. In 2022, 2023 and 2025, Joshua auditioned for the Bluecoats, sharpening his skills and learning what it meant to perform at an elite level and eventually making it this year. He tried out for a different top drum corps in 2024.
Drum corps is not for the faint of heart. Each season, world class groups hold audition camps where hundreds of musicians compete for a handful of spots.
For trumpet players, the numbers can be staggering. Joshua said more than 100 trumpeters auditioned for just 10 openings with the Bluecoats, one of Drum Corp International's premier ensembles.
It took him a few tries, a lot of practice, and a lot of patience.
But this past summer, at age 21, he finally earned a place with the Bluecoats, the group he had dreamed of joining. It was his last year of eligibility, and he made it count.
The 2026 season turned out to be one of the most remarkable in DCI history. The Bluecoats never lost a competition in which they performed, building momentum week after week as their show gained national attention. Judges score performances across multiple captions, including general effect, music and visual categories. By the time the corps reached the World Championship in Indiana on Aug. 8, they were performing at a level that felt almost untouchable.
That night, Joshua and the Bluecoats delivered a show that will be remembered for years. They earned a score of 99.1 out of 100, the third-highest mark ever recorded at a DCI World Championship. This year's event was held in Indianapolis, Ind. For Joshua, it was the culmination of years of work, sacrifice and belief. For his grandparents, Tom and Karen Burns of Beavertown, it was a moment of pride they will never forget.
Joshua said he is taking a break from performing for now. After five years in drum corps, he is happy with what he accomplished and is looking forward to teaching local marching bands and working with students of all ages. The trumpet will always be part of his life, but he is ready to share what he has learned.
"We are so very excited and proud that Joshua was able to experience such an amazing ending to what has been an unforgettable dream season," said Karen, who lives in Beavertown. "What a wonderful achievement and a memory he will carry with him for the rest of his life."
For Joshua, the 2026 season was more than a championship. It was the fulfillment of a dream passed down through generations, a memory he will carry long after the final note faded.