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It's this. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3yqvrZjhD7c

Like the new uniform or don't, that's your personal choice. As for me, I think it is fine. Looks a whole lot more like Troopers than the uniform of, say, 2012. And everything else is worth it for those hats. They are fantastic. And, like every other corps does whenever it introduces a new uniform, I'm sure the Troop staff will be making the nips and tucks and tweaks necessary to make the look as effective as possible. But the idea that Jim Jones would be revulsed is silly. Several reasons. He was a lover of theater, of Broadway, and talked about it to the corps members. He knew well the necessities of showmanship and of giving the audience what it wants. He did not shy away from innovation; he embraced it. He would be the first to make sure the corps presented itself in a way that took full advantage of the current state of the activity. He was thoroughly modern. Anyone who visited the Jones house in Casper could see that right away; it was a testament to innovation. He helped blow up the old VFW/AL model. This was not a man who feared change. Before he ran a drum corps, he ran a business. He understood salesmanship. He understood marketing. He understood the value of connecting a Casper corps to Wyoming imagery. He created the corps during the heyday of the Western. He knew the Troopers image would play well across the state and across the country. He capitalized on that. Jones did not create the Casper Troopers to be a living museum piece to Caspar Collins and the 11th Ohio Cavalry. Like anyone else, he appreciated history, but he was not a sentimentalist or a nostalgist. He did not create the Troopers to give audiences warm fuzzies about the Old West. He created the Troopers to give young people an opportunity to pursue personal excellence through an activity that teaches, like no other, the lesson of reward through hard work. To achieve that mission, the Troopers have no choice but to organize their program in a way that takes full advantage of DCI's reward system as it currently exists, and Jim Jones would have been the first to understand that.

So a bit more from rehearsal yesterday... The corps has the opener on the field, the second tune (other than last 15 or so sets), and the ballad on the field So far the show is very "intense" with several dramatic moments and quite a bit of body movement, more of a "modern dance" or "lyrical" style than we've seen from them in the past The corps is quite loud and puts out some great quality of sound. They were busy working on things such as general dynamics during the ensemble and brass rehearsal I saw. So bigger picture things obviously this time of the year... There was no violin solo at rehearsal, I would imagine (she) is arriving soon. They have some violin solo playing out of the pit right now in the electronic underpinnings of the show - which if performed live, should sound great I do think the violin addition suits the program well. Should layer on the emotional nature of the music/staging appropriately The brass soloist was present at rehearsal. He is a ringer, as expected, with a terrific orchestra quality tone. He is currently being mic'd and amp'd (as are the french horns during their difficult feature on the stage) -- corps needs to work on settings for amplification and reverb, or lose the amplification idea altogether. These are currently very out of balance with the rest of the ensemble and come out of a speaker that also places them geographically (spatially) out of synch with the ensemble. So work to do there... The music/show is quite dark, sad, there's an underlying feeling of loss or death or betrayal - so in this way, the black cadet uniforms seem to make a lot of sense The guard is ahead of last year at this juncture. I personally prefer the guard work, staging and choreography. The weapons line seems extremely talented. The guard in general appeared younger than the past couple seasons, but with a lot of talent The guard is very featured throughout - so hopefully they build on this early potential, as the success of the emotional aspect of the program will depend heavily on them The weapon and silk work displayed so far (although incredibly dirty and rough as it was just learned) appears to be much more modern and "whole body" vs. utilizing just the upper body Brass ensemble itself puts out an amazing sound. I'd place them on par with last years line, but I personally prefer this year's arrangements and staging. The tendency is to play in little clusters at standstill during their hardest "featured" moments - ala BD, And like BD, they also have key moments of extreme musical challenge on the move. The drill is allowing them to put out incredible quality of sound and staging them appropriately. Pit seems improved from last year. Some very musical writing with a bit more electronic underpinnings at this stage than last season. A very movie-like underscore for the entire production. Several keyboard features during the portion of the show I saw yesterday. Battery is a monster once again. The snares and base line are on par with last year (possibly improved, but too early to say for sure) while the tenors seems a notch above last year as a set. If you remember, that was an area of turnover for the first half of last season - may have cost them the drum trophy in the end Battery has a wonderful feature right down front during the first 3rd of the program - something missing the past couple years IMO There are 3 "props" or stages - two on the field as raised platforms for the violin and trumpet soloists. Those were being "recreated" yesterday using stacked "10" boxes from 2015. I'm sure a more permanent stage is in the works. The guard uses these to store equipment and large scarfs/panels they dance with during the ballad. This allows them to switch equipment somewhere other than the sidelines. These field stages are well incorporated into the drill and serve to anchor several features of dance and/or musical features (plus the solos) The front "stage" is long and very low, runs about 5 yards in front of the front sidelines down the entire field from say 15 yard line to 15 yard line (it wasn't set up last night so a guess on my part). It is about 2 feet high and has ramps connecting it backwards to the field so members can just run up for features During the opener the the guard (on silk) utilize the front stage. The second tune sees the french horn solo and weapons feature (some nice rifle work) utilize the stage During the ballad (as it pushes forward during the build) several brass players (upper/mid) and a few featured dancers use the front stage before they "drift" back as the ballad subsides The Cadets are using 3 conductors - 1 each on the front 35's and one on the 50 back field My favorite portion so far is the ballad, very powerful emotionally Should be a good season for the Cadets, I'm personally quite exited by the design and hard working/talented members

Seriously, these uniforms look fine, and by the end of the season, we'll all have moved on (save for a few DCPers who, I'm sure, will still be frothing at the mouth while no one's listening). Troop needs to embrace change to stay competitive. We can hope for tradition all we want, but that's not going to attract kids in their early 20s to Wyoming to march with an old school, non-Finalist corps. I give serious points to Troopers for their delicate balance between paying homage to the past and still trying to move forward. It's a balance that they are still trying to hone and will continue to hone, so let's let them just do their thing. This activity moves at lightning speed; no one can rely on purely tradition to keep up, and let's just call a spade a spade: Troopers were not ever going to crack back into Finals with designs like the 2014 - 2015 shows. They now have new uniforms, a current show design, and a meatier music book, and I think they're poised much better than they have been in recent years to be truly competitive for a Finals spot, all while still paying homage to and respecting their past. Yea, the uniforms are a little disjointed from an individual view. Already from the short clips of the parade, they look cohesive and unique as a unit, and I think they're going to be very effective on the field, creating just as much of a memorable look as the Troopers previously had. Maybe they'll be adjusted a little bit throughout the season or for next year, but they're really just fine. The uniforms seem to absolutely keep a sense of the memorable western/cowboys corps that makes them so unique, while striking a balance of modernity. YOU try to achieve that balance of weird demands! Good for you, Troop. Keep moving forward and attracting young talent, and ignore the naysayers. I look forward to this fresh new approach to the season from them.

So missing Finals in 2015 by 0.075 = they were "not ever going to crack back into Finals"? Not to mention getting the 10th best GE I and 12th best GE II scores?

Maybe he was just timparary.

I'll make my first prediction. Blue Stars definitely stay in finals.

If I could write an exclamation point that big I would. Haha. But seriously, I've seen stuff from them around this time every year and this is by far the best the brass has sounded, compared to something I saw in 2013 in late May this isn't even the same corps. I'd guess that's going back to Yamaha, and I'm thinking they don't want to be as quiet this year...... Percussion is really really really hot. Guard is attempting insane stuff as always. Drill from what I could see was incredibly exciting. I'm not going to spill anything about the show, but as a corps. Hot ####. Can't wait to see the whole thing.

Just because you have the quality to make crap sound acceptable doesn't mean you should select crap in the first place. Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss, Sibelius, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Bax, Janacek, Hindemith, etc., etc. ... but no. They go with the guy posting on Facebook a selfie while grabbing his junk in his underwear.

I see both good and bad in these uniforms. First of all, I think they don't look quite as horrible as some people are bemoaning. Secondly, I think the color scheme is needed. One complaint we've heard a lot in the last few years is that the members don't pop off the field enough to have the drill and visuals be as effective. So it's a definite plus in that regard. On the other hand, I can definitely see how they could be improved. My big thing is either make those sashes look like actual belts or ditch 'em quick. Ever since 2008 we have joked about the "curse of the baldrics," as we've tried a few times to add in a belt-looking baldric that never stays on and never looks right. I'm honestly kind of surprised they decided to try them again. It's the same reason they decided to ditch the neck scarves. Overall, I honestly don't hate them. I don't LOVE them yet, but I still have yet to seem on a field and in context of the show.

Well I know now they are working quite a bit on coreography with Tommy Allen and Jennifer Hinshaw (a nice little package deal with Richard writing drill).

I absolutely adore their uniforms, easily one of my favorites. Such a little change every year, but makes a great adjustment for each show. I hope they keep theses for awhile, love them. Like what they added to the shakes either last year or 2014.

Normally I really like stuff that's new and different. I liked Madison's approach when they first brought out the short sleeves, and I really like what Crown, Devils, and Academy have done to break the traditional uniform mold. But this....this looks like something designed by committee. In trying to please everyone, they've pleased no one. It's an epic misfire.

Yes, somebody find Granny fast and take away her knitting needles as a health precaution.

These are reportedly the new costume uniforms for the The Little Blue Devils Class D start up Corps. ( BD's 4th Corps) At Winter Camp tryouts, the 1st qualifyer to earn a spot in this 2016 Corps was to be able to stand up to march. The second fellow here on the right made the cut too......... as an alternate.

Good news! They look a little better moving as an ensemble! Yay! https://www.dropbox.com/s/sw2mdogpv9esvro/Troopers%202016%20Indy%20Parade.mov?dl=0 Also, @DCIQueens on twitter said "Don't knock the @CasperTroopers new Uni until you see it on the field! Not all parts are in place yet and #ModernTroopers may just #WowYou!"

Someone who messaged me called the look 'Prince Charming & the Village People'. 'nuff said.

Have seen them rehearse. Cool show ? Yes. Obscure music ? Not really. Cool book ? Yes. Top 4? Likely-but depends on what the others bring. And, I have no idea what the title is but it goes to show you that you can enjoy something where the meaning is not apparent. They do have a sop with some killer chops though!!!!

I really hope Granny Smith has taken all her meds & been forewarned.

My attempt at a constructive critique. Remove the hip belt and make it into a sash from shoulder to hip to draw the eye up and elongate the body. Replace the denim shirts with a lightweight spandex material in black or navy like the pants for continuity. The rest is fine and seems the norm of many corps. I like the hats and the touch of yellow/gold and remember that Troopers are always classy in my eyes. Really enjoyed the bright and brilliant horn line in past years. Have a great summer!

Right now, Cadets are thinking "Hey, Troop....thanks for taking the focus off OUR uniform issue!"

Perhaps my eyes have been deceiving me, but the corps has been far outperforming their shows the past couple years (and the judging sheets at finals every year agree with me). Their issue has been design, not performance, so I have 100% confidence that this corps will be able to perform whatever product they're giving at the highest level possible. Edit: wording

I wouldn't feel terrible for them, they'll be off enjoying everything a season of drum corps will offer. Surely they aren't so shallow as to be bothered by the trivial musings of some who might not be fond of a specific design choice.

nm

I mean, saying that doesn't improve the uniform.

Careful careful. One mans crap is another's buffett . I think the "crap " as you put it is very subjective

SCV 2007?

Saw some more. I'm not going to say anything about specifics..........but I'll sum it up into this: !

Not to call you out, but I find it very hard to believe that among all the different corps styles, you couldn't find at least one rep of a corps that you liked. Did you actually take some time to listen to source music or did you take glances at the source music, not recognize many pieces, and decide they probably aren't very interesting? edit: spelling

It's been a good while since I have posted. During the off season I'm very busy with honing my bridge skills and playing in tournaments around town at the various homes. Also, I've found myself playing a lot of slots lately. My plan entering this drum corps season was to reveal the kinder, gentler me. Y'all may not believe this but I'm actually a sweet woman, but this year has been a real test for me. For example, this dadgummed election cycle has me all twisted. I mean! Seriously, I could go to my local WalMart and randomly pick better candidates than what we're left with. Heck, I'd even vote for Mr. Hopkins over these buffoons if he were running. But, I digress. With my ulcers flaring up, I decided to turn on this internet and read some drum corps news to brighten my day. Ha! Instead I came across this thread about the Troopers' new uniforms and I quickly realized this is one big elaborate ploy to lure me into being cranky again. My adult children are always telling me that I don't have a filter and I need to just keep my opinions to myself. I admit...at my age...that is very difficult. I think it's late enough in the day to get a stiff gin and tonic.

What was it like when Bridgemen changed their uniforms in 1976? With some it was the end of the world, far too radical. It's hard to say which bothered people more, the uniforms or what would have been considered an irreverent nod to drum corps traditions. It wasn't the innovation. This would have been the time of Blue Devils and "Channel One," and 27th's nonstop guard. I was only 13 at the time, but I can remember all kinds of comments positive and negative at the time. Now Bridgemen is a beloved old school corps. With the younger crowd, Bridgemen had a fan base similar to that of Crown or Bluecoats but traditionalists had issues.

Also the corps will be using props again this year. And there is a big push to work smarter rather than harder this year, some positive and determined vibes.

What I have heard is a unison Bb and it was just as good as you would expect. So even I have no clue.

I heard that this guy is interested in drum corps, though he might be too old.

"There are two kinds of spurs, my friend. Those that come in by the door, those that come in by the window."

Don't know what all the fuss is about. I love the new Troopers uniforms. Modernizing this corps was long overdue. Nostalgia is great, but it doesn't always equate to the needs of today's shows or performer preferences. It's time to crack the top 12 again. Hope to see you on Saturday night!

Fair enough. Still, keeping the show quiet is the choice the staff has made, and even if I wish it had been proclaimed to the four winds, it is still their choice to keep it quiet and the members respect that choice, so who am I to question it? I was at the ensemble rehearsal again tonight, and was blown away ... Let me rephrase that ... I was BLOWN AWAY! They have made so much more progress in the past two days than I would have thought possible. Yes, everything I saw was Memorial Day clean, but then again, it is Memorial Day, and after a gazillion years of seeing drum corps at the end of May, I know what to expect by Memorial Day. (Full disclosure: my wife considers me a glass half empty kind of guy, but I think of myself as a realist, not a honk ... then again, I bet most honks consider themselves realists too, but I digress.) Relative to last year, they are on track. And even though I watched the rehearsal, I still have no clue what the overarching concept is. But please remember, I have only seen the opening minutes of the program, and only heard the ballad in the warmup. I am very intrigued, more than a little excited, and I can't wait to see how it all fits.

Okay but other than us crazy DCPers, does anyone REALLY care whether the Bluecoats announce now or on June 23rd? No. We live in the distortion field of DCP and it's important to realize that we're only a very proportion of the fans who follow DCI

I collected repertoires for my monthly article, this may fill in some that are missing, not all, but some: Alliance: "Rise and Rise Again" Atlanta CV: "Rhythmos - Life in Motion" performing "Artistry in Rhythm" by Stan Kenton, "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla, "Gabriel's Oboe" by Ennio Morricone, "Finding and Believing" by Pat Metheny, and "joyRIDE" by Michael Markowski. Buccaneers: "ConZENtric - Mind, Body, Soul" performing "Equus" by Eric Whitacre, "Impressions of Japan" by James Barnes, and "Gabriel's Oboe" by Ennio Morricone. Bushwackers: "Piano Forte" performing "Piano Man" - Billy Jorel, "Angry Young Man" - Billy Joel, "Claire De Moon" A combo of Moonlight Sonata/Claire Delune - Mozart/Debussy, "Chopstix", and "Piano Concerto #1" - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Caballeros: "Red, White, and Black" performing Ernesto Lecuonaâs classic composition âMalaguenaâ, Adeleâs âMillion Years Agoâ, and a modern and dark original piece composed by Andrew Yozviak. Cadets 2: "First Circle" performing "First Circle", "Third Wind", "Heat of the Day" by Pat Metheny, and "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell. Chops: "Beacon" performing "Clair de Lune" by Debussy, "Quintile" by Stan Kenton, and "Fix You" by Martin, Buckland, Berryman, and Champion. Erie Thunderbirds: "Reverie" performing "Jardin Chinois", "Distorted", "Réveil", "Urban", and "Incantation" by Benoit Jutras. Fusion Core: "UP" performing "Ignition" by Todd Stalter, "Down" from Music Arranger Chris Bernota, Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide", "Asphalt Cocktail" by John Mackey, and "Windsprints" by Richard Saucedo and Hal Leonard. Hurricanes: "Freedom" performin "Amazing Grace", "Freedom" by Michael W. Smith, "Now We Are Free" by Andrea Bocelli, from Gladiator (Hanz Zimmer/Lisa Gerrard), and "Freedom Triology" by Paul Halley & Theresa Thomason. Kidsgrove Scouts: "Symmetricity" performing "Symphony No. 5 in C Minor" by Ludwig van Beethoven, "Trilogy" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, "Reflections of Rhythm" by T. Smith & J. Moore (Including excerpts from "The Heat of the Day" by Pat Metheny), and "Liturgical Dances" by David Holsinger. Kilties: "Gael Storm" performing "The Gael" by Dougie MacLean, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers, "Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen, and "The Skye Boat Song" from the TV series "Outlander". Minnesota Brass: "Now Boarding" performing David Holsinger's "To Tame the Perilous Skies", Julie Giroux's "Speed of Heat", Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cannas "Come Fly with Me", Michael Giacchino's "Married Life" (from the movie "Up"), and Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Girl from Ipanema". Skyliners: "Corner of the SKY" performing "Corner of the Sky" by the Jackson 5, "Skywriter", "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra, "Out of the Blue", "Goodbye Blue Skies" from Pink Floyd, "Lean On" by Major Lazer and "Storm", part of Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", followed by Natalie Cole's "Orange Colored Sky", closer is a reprises of "Corner of the Sky". Sunrisers: "House of Cards" performing the Alan Parsons Project "May Be a Price to Pay", Charles Young's "Tempered Steel", "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" by Jule Styne, Moulin Rouge's "Sparkling Diamonds", Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts", David Holsinger's "In the Spring, When Kings Go Off to War". White Sabers: "Unrequited""performing "Moonlight Sonata" by Ludwig van Beethoven, "Romeo and Juliet" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, "Dance of the Knights" from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev, "March to the Scaffold" from Symphony Fantastique by Hector Berlioz, "First Movement" from Symphony No. 4 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, "Allegretto" from Symphony No. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven, "My Immortal" by Evanescence, and a reprise of "Romeo and Juliet" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Here are the production titles and music for some of the Alumni Corps: Bridgemen Alumni: performing "Pagliacci, "Land of Make Believe, "My Favorite Things" (from The Sound of Music), "William Tell Overture", and "In the Stone". Mon Valley Express: "Invincible" performing an original composition by Jay Dawson Steel City Alumni: "35" performing "Here's That Rainy Day", "How High the Moon", "Blue Bossa", "Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor", and "National Emblem Swing".

So after studying it in detail versus my first 10 second glance in the parade. I do think aesthetically there are some problems with it. For sure. Looks like 3 different uniforms pieced together. The cream torso, navy legs, and denimesque sleeves look like they're from three different uniforms. The bottom of the top looks like an untucked shirt the way it curves up and down around the legs/crotch/ect. The sleeves look really out of place. And the torso looks like it's trying to be an old school uniform with the gold fringe and...stuff. When I caught a glance, I thought it looked nice. Sitting and looking at it, yeah, some issues. I'm not going to go so far as to say these kids should be embarrassed to wear the thing, honestly I think that's a ridiculous thing to say. I'll give it another chance when I see them live, if it looks really good from up top, I'll be okay with it. But it's not so bad that it's going to distract me from the show. Honestly, I'll probably forget about it completely once they start playing. So in short, I definitely liked their previous iteration a ton better. But, it's a uniform, and if that's the most of their problems, there are some good things going on. Can't wait to see the show, that has not changed at all. Kinda reminds you about why we actually have a 3 day weekend......think it will be an emotional heavy hitter!

Even Cadets in black still look like Cadets. Jim Jones is whirling dervishly in his grave. This is beyond bad...like worse than early-mid 80s Glassmen bad.

The Bb soprano bell was made with the K20 mandrel from Kanstul, but the company is very difficult to work with. Every time I order a batch, the prices/quality changes, and the time frame is too slow. I decided to cast the mandrel overseas with the factory I'm working with, with that I can offer additional options. Kanstul can only do yellow brass and copper. Now I can offer yellow brass, gold brass, copper and bronze. Gold brass is the key, it produces a heavier/denser sound with a greater punch! The K90 is a different story. Kanstul has the mandrel for the outer wrap, but their tooling for the inner branches is quite different from the original K90. So the Bb contrabass project is taking a lot of time to do. At the factory I'm using a K90 and the Kanstul 5/4 Grande as our reference point. The cost of this project so far have drained me significantly, so my sister company from Europe and Japan are pitching in to help. Since I have no plan to go International, they will have the distribution rights outside of US starting 2018. Projected completion date will be end of this year. I wanted it ready for the 2017 DCI season...

There's a difference between designing it, and executing it at a high quality level. Seeing 210bpm on a part doesn't make me think they'll all of a sudden be better than they have been the past few years, but that's just me.

Suggestion: Put the Drum Major in the costume the Corps proper wears & the Corps proper in the Uniform the the Drum Major is wearing. In further news, an earthquake measuring 8.4 on the Richter Scale has been reported, centered in Highland Cemetery in Casper WY. US Geological Survey personnel report the earthquake was caused by a roughly cylindrical object, located six-feet underground, rotating at approximately 11,111,111 revolutions per minute.

I recieved info that made this post no longer necessary

Looking forward to CADETS the most because they're doing stuff very different for them and the captions look to be killer so very excited! Looking forward to CROWN as I tend to like their shows every season. Last year it took me longer to enjoy but by the end 👍. BK- one of my top listers last year. Very excited to see what they do. Bluecoats I'm curious about. Liked TILT, Kenetic Noise interesting but a bit sterile for me so on the fence until I see them. BD always a lesson in how to make any show a winner.

I'm looking forward to seeing my little brothers perform their 2016 production of "Judas!" Cadets this year's and Bluecoats!

The assistant band director of Ayala HS Jim Rogers was the Baritone soloist (93/94 BD), and Soprano soloist (96BD). They want that Soprano sound and the kids are being conditioned to play on the large bore - Not to mention they'll have 20 plus trumpet players, which will make a huge impact in the Lucas Oil Field during BoA finals. It will give drum corps an idea regarding the performance capability of my horn! The horn is very easy to play. Several Raiders's kids have contacted me via FB praising the horn. I expect a full report from the next weekend!!! My marketing strategy is actually not drum corps but large high schools and universities, as many of those directors used to March G bugles. It will be a reversed drum corps approach... While DCI is sounding more like marching band, I like to see high school band becoming like old drum corps.

I bet that is the first time anyone outside of a mid-teen-age girl ever said that!

You aren't wasting their time. Go. Even if you don't make the cut you will get invaluable instruction on what you need to work on to improve enough to make it next time. The first time I went to Crossmen camp in the fall/winter of 1982/3 it was pretty obvious to me right off the bat that I didn't have a shot to make the tenor line. I went to the first 2 or 3 camps anyway because: 1) I got to march in the Gimbles Thanksgiving Parade in Philly as a Crossmen where we played a couple holiday tunes and the ending of Russian Christmas from the '82 show; 2) I got to be around and part of one of the Corps I had worshiped for several years watching them on PBS every year and seeing them in person in Montreal; 3) I got great instruction from the staff and one of the vets in the tenor line. The vet in particular took time to show me what I needed to work on to make it in the future. I spent the next 2 years working on everything I had been shown while marching in PAL. After the '84 season I thought I was ready and auditioned again for '85 and made the line. If I hadn't gone to those camps in late '82 -- and then stayed for awhile after it was obvious I had no prayer -- I probably never would have improved in the areas I needed to to make the line in '85.