Sean McElroy returns to the Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble as Visual Designer for the 2025 season.
Sean McElroy grew up in southwest Denver, Colorado in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, a time where the state was a dominant force in the progression of the marching percussion activity. Through his involvement with Bear Creek High School, Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble, Sean was exposed to a multiple of percussion greats such as Ralph Hardimon, Mike Nevin, Dave Marvin and other incredible educators. Being exposed to such a strong and healthy percussion community in CO, he cultivated a deep passion for percussion and visual arts by pursuing a busy teaching career as soon as his time as performer in the activity was concluded.
“We are elated to have Sean McElroy joining the design team as our Visual Designer for the 2025 program, bringing a wealth of knowledge & expertise to our staff,” notes BKPE Director Keenan Evans, “I am honored to have gone from marching his drill in my first year with the ensemble to now be working with him as part of our design team again!”
In 2004, following his age out season of drum corps with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, Sean was invited to teach the bass drum section of the Cadets for the 2004 season. Sean would remain the bass tech with the Cadets through the summer of 2010. In 2011, Sean joined the battery staff at Phantom Regiment, serving as the bass tech for 2 seasons. In 2013, Sean joined the percussion staff at Carolina Crown. In total, Sean has 17 consecutive seasons of experience teaching DCI percussion.
After many years of teaching and designing for high schools and independent groups around the Denver area, Sean became the visual designer for the Blue Knight’s Percussion Ensemble. Sean served in this role along with show coordinator for the seasons of 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013. The ensemble was awarded 3rd place at the WGI National Championship in 2007 and won the Fan Favorite award in 2011 with the memorable show entitled ‘Physical Graffiti’.
In 2008, Sean moved to Canton, Michigan to become the percussion director at the highly acclaimed Plymouth Canton High School. He would work there for 6 years during which the percussion would make an appearance in WGI World Class Finals in 2009 and Open Class Finals in 2013. In 2014, Sean moved to Fort Mill, SC where he was the percussion director at Nation Ford High School from 2014 to 2016.
From 2017 to 2022, Sean served as a visual designer for George Mason University Indoor Drum Line. Â Sean is now the Staff Coordinator at Carolina Crown, along with being a freelance drill designer for numerous marching ensembles throughout the United States. Â He is also an active judge for indoor drum line and marching band circuits. Sean currently splits his time between his hometown of Colorado Springs and North Carolina, and spends his free time traveling, riding his bike, and snowboarding.
