John Meehan’s brass performance, instructing and arranging skills have played a major role in keeping Concord Blue Devils at the peak of drum corps activity. He has won 13 DCI world championship titles, including one performing as solo soprano in 1986 and 12 more as instructor. Blue Devil horn lines have won 14 DCI Jim Ott High Brass Awards with his participation: twice as performer and 12 times as instructor. Blue Devils were World Music Contest champions in 2005.
He is considered the pre-eminent music arranger in marching arts activity, composing and designing for all levels and age groups including drum and bugle corps, marching bands, professional groups, Winter Guard International (WGI) groups. Groups around the world have performed his compositions, resulting in personal acclaim and praise directed at drum corps activity. His composing and arranging high school band clients have won many state marching band titles and Bands of America (BOA) regional titles, ldthen moved on to the finals at Bands of America Grant National Championships.
He is the lead designer for the System Blue and King marching brass instrument series. He is involved with development and production for the Sample Logic and System Blue sound libraries.
While serving as Blue Devils brass caption head and arranger, he has also been brass arranger for Kidsgrove Scouts of England, Pacific Crest, Yokohama Scouts of Japan, Velvet Knights, Skyriders and Santa Clara Vanguard. In 1993, he was trial music judge with Drum Corps Midwest.
All his performing years were in the Blue Devils organization, beginning with the C corps in 1980, moving to the B corps in 1983, then up to the A corps from 1986 to 1989.