Bloom-Carroll student will tour and compete with drum and bugle unit this summer

Jeff Barron, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
·1 min read

LANCASTER − A 17-year-old Bloom-Carroll High School student will tour with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corp. this summer.

Stephen Stange, 17 of Lancaster, wears his Bloom-Carroll Marching Bulldogs band uniform stands inside of Cheers Chalet on Mar. 18, 2024, in Lancaster, Ohio. Stephen is the conductor for the Bloom-Carroll Marching Bulldogs and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Core. He is raising six thousand dollars to tour with the Blue Star Drum and Bugle Core this summer around d the United States.

Stephen Stange was field commander for the Bloom Carroll Marching Band for two years and also plays euphonium in the Bloom Carroll Symphonic Band. After graduation, he will fly to Iowa to train with the unit for four weeks before touring the country and competing against other drum squads for eight weeks.

The finals will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The trip will cost Stange $6,000.

"Yeah, we auditioned to pay $6,000," Stange said. "You have to be a certain type of crazy to want to do drum corps. I'm paying $6,000 to sleep on a gym floor and a tour bus for my whole summer."

He works as a wedding server and owns his own auto detailing service and has raised $4,000 of the money.

Stephen Stange, 17 of Lancaster, wears his Bloom-Carroll Marching Bulldogs band uniform stands inside of Cheers Chalet on Mar. 18, 2024, in Lancaster, Ohio. Stephen is the conductor for the Bloom-Carroll Marching Bulldogs and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Core. He is raising six thousand dollars to tour with the Blue Star Drum and Bugle Core this summer around d the United States.

Those wanting to help Stange raise the rest of the money can do so by donating at https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/Njc0MTg=/94835.

Once the summer is over Stange wants to pursue a biology degree at Ohio University and maybe attend medical school someday. He said he will not audition for the OU marching band, but he does plan on auditioning for the school's orchestra.

Along with his high school music activities, Stange is a student at Fairfield County Strings and Keyboards.

jbarron@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Bloom-Carroll student to tour and compete with drum and bugle unit