Troopers Name 2007 Visual Designer

Troopers Executive Director Mike Ottoes and Corps Director Fred Morris are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mitch Rogers as the Troopers Visual Designer for the 2007 season.

Mitch began his career as a high school marching band trombonist and continued at the University of Illinois, where he performed in concert and marching bands. Mitch performed with The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps in the early 1980s.

After graduating from UI with a bachelor of science in computer engineering, he began instructing the Cavaliers and various Illinois and Texas high school bands in his spare time. In 1991, Mitch became the visual caption head of the Cavaliers and assisted the corps to two consecutive DCI visual caption awards and the 1992 DCI World Championship. In 1994 he wrote the Cavaliers’ drill. In 2002, Mitch continued his drum corps experience as the program coordinator for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Mitch has been with the Bluecoats (Canton, OH) for the past four seasons.

Mitch now works full-time as a drill designer, marching instructor and show design clinician. Mitch is the drill designer for the uniquely powerful Stephen F. Austin High School Band and Angels Dance Team from Sugar land, Texas. From 1992 to 2003, Mitch was the drill designer for the trend-setting Plymouth-Canton (Michigan) Educational Park Marching Band, a perennial BOA Grand National finalist and Michigan state champion. In 1999, Plymouth-Canton was the BOA Grand Champion. He also instructed the 1992 BOA Grand National Champion Spring H.S. Marching Band from Spring, Texas. As an instructor and designer, Mitch has been associated with high school bands throughout the United States including Westfield H.S. (Spring, TX,) Langham Creek H.S. (Cypress TX,) Reeths-Puffer H.S. (Muskegon MI,) and many others.