TerriTroop

sorry, double post

Try PMing the mods. I sent one already and haven't heard back yet.

From the Troopers website: Troopers Bring Westman to Casper (October 26, 2007) Troopers Corps Director Fred Morris is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Dean Westman to the Troopers 2008 staff as the brass arranger. Dean has been an active instructor and arranger in the drum corps activity for 16 years. Westman served as Brass Caption Head for the nine-time Drum Corps International World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003 and 2004. He spent 7 years as a brass arranger and instructor for the six-time Drum Corps International World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. Dean taught on the brass staff for the seven-time Drum Corps International World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and was the Brass Caption Head during the Cavaliers 1995 DCI World Championship season. Dean is honored to begin working as the brass arranger for The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2008 season and looks forward to becoming part of an organization with such a rich history. For the up-to-the-minute staff listing and other Troopers new, please visit http://www.troopersdrumcorps.org. Troopers Add Gordon Henderson to Staff (October 25, 2007) Troopers Corps Director Fred Morris is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Gordon Henderson to the Troopers 2008 Educational staff. Gordon is a veteran music educator and adjudicator. He is the Associate Director of Bands and Department of Music Vice Chair at UCLA. Professor Henderson directs the 250-member Bruin Marching Band, and the Varsity Band. Henderson has served as Head Horn Instructor and/or Brass Arranger for three Drum Corps International Champions: the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1989 and 1999, and the 1992 Cavaliers. In 2003 and 2004, he was a member of the brass staff for the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and since 1990, he has been the Arranger for the Tenrikyo Aimachi Marching Band in Nagoya, Japan, the six-time All-Japan National Champions. For the up-to-the-minute staff listing and other Troopers new, please visit http://www.troopersdrumcorps.org.

From the Troopers website: Troopers Bring Westman to Casper (October 26, 2007) Troopers Corps Director Fred Morris is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Dean Westman to the Troopers 2008 staff as the brass arranger. Dean has been an active instructor and arranger in the drum corps activity for 16 years. Westman served as Brass Caption Head for the nine-time Drum Corps International World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003 and 2004. He spent 7 years as a brass arranger and instructor for the six-time Drum Corps International World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. Dean taught on the brass staff for the seven-time Drum Corps International World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and was the Brass Caption Head during the Cavaliers 1995 DCI World Championship season. Dean is honored to begin working as the brass arranger for The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2008 season and looks forward to becoming part of an organization with such a rich history. For the up-to-the-minute staff listing and other Troopers new, please visit http://www.troopersdrumcorps.org. Troopers Add Gordon Henderson to Staff (October 25, 2007) Troopers Corps Director Fred Morris is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Gordon Henderson to the Troopers 2008 Educational staff. Gordon is a veteran music educator and adjudicator. He is the Associate Director of Bands and Department of Music Vice Chair at UCLA. Professor Henderson directs the 250-member Bruin Marching Band, and the Varsity Band. Henderson has served as Head Horn Instructor and/or Brass Arranger for three Drum Corps International Champions: the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1989 and 1999, and the 1992 Cavaliers. In 2003 and 2004, he was a member of the brass staff for the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and since 1990, he has been the Arranger for the Tenrikyo Aimachi Marching Band in Nagoya, Japan, the six-time All-Japan National Champions. For the up-to-the-minute staff listing and other Troopers new, please visit http://www.troopersdrumcorps.org.

It's not unheard of on internet bulletin boards for people to create several alternative personalities to post or at least to vote in polls so they could vote more than once. Not sure if that's been stopped now with IP logging or not. Just putting the concept of board internet polls in its proper perspective. :P (edited to add that I don't assume that only yes votes would be duplicated.)

So, here's a new twist on the question: If you buy a ticket and choose to spend half the show "in the lot" and ignore the first few corps - thus depriving them of your presence, attention, and applause in the stands - is that rude? In my opinion, yes, but I also see the appeal of the lot. I also remember what it's like to get in the zone with people watching and it's a gas. So, I'm not going to complain much about people in the lot because everyone enjoys a corps show the way they want to. Truth is, every corps get applause, and it doesn't really matter what the fans in the stand think of people who don't clap. (and yes, I've not clapped - probably three times in 20 years, and those times were for shows from top 3 corps who got plenty of applause with or without mine. I always clap for lower tier corps ...while noticing the empty seats all around me.)

It's a lot of fun trying to pigeon-hole fan behavior as rude or not rude, isn't it? It happens a lot here on the Planet. But it's the off season so there's not much else to do, right? Anyway, I've not clapped for a few shows; however, I always clap for the lower tier corps, period. That's my personal way of showing support for the folks who chose to march somewhere for a reason other than ring-chasing. (not saying ring-chasing is bad, just saying it's a different kind of corps and I choose to support them this way as well as with my $$ at the souvie booth) I've seen plenty of people at concert hall performances not clap as well. I agree with the poster that said you always clap for elementary school performances because it's not about what DC is about.

No. I didn't bother reading the zillion pages of rehashed arguments over the same stuff. For me, drum corps shows are about entertainment, not placement. All of my favorite corps didn't come close to #1. I vote with my souvie bucks and I honestly don't think this topic merits this much discussion. But ya'll knock yourselves out. It's like watching a snake eat its own tail.

If judging would enable corps to stand still for 1-3 minutes without penalty, I'd be all for some rockin' concert features. I don't think it needs to be in every single corps' show though. Heck, since the battery spends a lot more time not playing now without penalty, why not this?

Oh, BTW I totally messed up on Ottoes' first name. Troopers Exec Dir. is MIKE Ottoes, not Jim. Most of us just call him Ottoes, so the first name escapes old farts like me.

You are EVIL! GRRR! Someone call Fred and Jim and tell them to give up the info already!

Now now, let's not give the wrong impression! The humidity is low, so it only feels like 92. :P Actually, I remember it being a lot less hot in Casper, overall. And the nights... beeeee-yootiful!

Just some thoughts: People don't apply to just one college - or at least they shouldn't. Kids who won't consider marching somewhere other than their first corps of choice are unnecessarily limiting themselves. That's their prerogative, and their loss. Personally, that attitude annoys me, but it falls under "things I can't control." My history was pretty simple: joined the local corps after a friend told me about it. I had never seen or heard a drum corps show in my life, so it was all new and exciting to me. Nighthawks was small, but the work ethic and musical endeavor was a zillion times more exciting than my high school marching band. I was hooked. Sadly, we folded midway through 1984, and I didn't plan to march anywhere else. I couldn't afford the travel expenses. Luckily a friend of mine who had gone to Troopers for the remainder of the '84 season called me 2 days before my graduation in '85 and pursuaded me to give Casper a shot. I had not been a big Trooper fan, but I trusted that this friend would not lead me astray. It was the second happy accident of my corps experience. Did I want to march with a top 5 corps? Sure! I loved SCV after my rookie year with Nighthawks in '83 and thought about trying out once I got to college age. But, in the end I discovered that I really wanted to stay with the Troopers. I wish more people would give the "lower" tier corps a chance because they may decide they would rather stay and help build a program to success rather than join one that will succeed with or without you. Competition is a lot more fun when you come from behind to surprise everyone.

I can't answer any of those questions, but maybe I'll do some detective work and see what I can find out. And I'm waiting on pins and needles for an announcement that needs to come really, really soon or my head's going to explode. I don't know any details. All I know is that it's supposedly good news. (pesky BoD friend won't give me the inside scoop! Smart guy, he is. :P )

Well, as a couple of us have said it had to do with Scott Atchison and his extremely focused attention on communication and retention. I have to say that rehearsing in Casper, especially when I returned after my rookie year, was kind of magical. Then again, I was always a big fan of western films so I love the expansive country around Casper blended with mountains and that small community feel. Also, the weather can't be beat, along with the sunsets. Ahhh.... I miss the sunset breaks we used to take at evening ensemble rehearsals.

As a Trooper alum, I'm thrilled about how 2007 turned out. I am by no means speaking in any official capacity. This is my take on the situation: 1. Finances: I don't know diddley there. I do know that I personally contributed more $$ to the corps than I had in previous years via simple fund raising techniques. (I mean REALLY simple - a jar in my house for collecting loose change got the corps $85 more bucks from me last year) I imagine there were a lot of donations from like-minded folk. Also, I have the impression that the BoD got the right constellation of people moving on straightening things out, pronto. Additionally, doing so while not trying to field a corps was a great help. Taking 2006 off saved the Troop from going to the great corps hall in the sky, IMO. 2. Recruitment: STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF. They obviously had a great appeal to potential members. This has a lot to do with #3 below... 3. Performance: Again, staff and vision. While I have nothing but love for previous directors that followed Jim Jones, it was Fred Morris of this year that finally brought the REALLY BIG picture back to the Troop. And I'll have to add that having the exec director Jim Ottoes didn't hurt either. He's got a great head on his shoulders. On top of that, there were a lot of behind-the-scenes operational helpers that made themselves fully available to Jim and Fred (per conversations I had with Jim) I do hope that the entire drum corps community will rally around Southwind like they rallied around the Troop. I think the support the corps received from around the entire nation had a lot to do with the success of 2007. As a former staffer, I definitely agree with your evaluation of recent design and execution problems. Heck, the year I taught was pretty much a train wreck in both of those areas, truth be told. Not many folks will step up to admit that, but I think it has to be said if a corps is going to move away from slow death by poor design. Anyway, I really hope Southwind comes back strong. They are a breath of fresh air on the field and I will miss them greatly this season. I've got my Southwind jar next to my Trooper jar. We'll see how much spare change I can wrestle out of my pockets this year!

I'm proud to say I marched with a Blue Man! (he's a former tenor player from mid-80's Troopers)

My heart breaks for Southwind members and alums. I know how hard it is to hear this kind of news and hope for the best, but Sdub CAN come out of this stronger. Come back strong in 2009, Southwind!

I haven't read all 6 pages due to time, but I did read one of the most recent from the original poster. Here's my take on it: 1. I marched in the mid 80's and aged out in 88. I had to scrape and save and ask for sponsorships for the 5 years I marched. It was worth every penny. Why? See #2. 2. I learned just how much I had to offer other people, how to handle adversity, how to handle my own frustration and irritation, and most of all how to put myself in the perspective of being part of something bigger than myself. I really didn't know what my capabilities were, and that wasn't just for music. When it came to the "real" world I was much more an escapist than I could ever be in corps. 3. Adjusting to the "real" world for me was about learning how to not be annoyed by the lack of work ethic of others. It was very irritating to have people whine and complain about the smallest things, but I learned to keep my mouth shut and do what I had learned to do in corps - work hard and never be afraid to reach for my goals. (Yes, I could have learned this some other way, but I'm very lucky I had my drum corps experience to guide me in my future endeavors.) 4. Relationships: Ok, I'm going to step out on limb here and say your original post had a lot more to do with the daughter's boyfriend than about corps in particular. That's after I read the post on page 6 about that. I understand you may have issues with that, but here's the deal: if they can't weather drum corps, then they wouldn't have been able to weather much more complex issues and adversities down the road. So, if it falls apart then it's for the best. If it doesn't, then they've learned how to cope with things most people don't have to cope with so young, and that makes them stronger for the future - with or without each other. Drum corps has been an off-and-on part of my post age-out years. For a time I followed it closely, then grad school and marriage and parenting and my work became the new "all consuming" part of my life. Now I'm a bit closer to the activity than I've been in the last 10 years and I'm enjoying the view from 20 years after age-out. I know I am a stronger, more driven person thanks to drum corps, and I am thankful every day that I found a way to march those 5 seasons.

Mike Gough, former DM for the Troopers is now in the editing stages of a documentary due out in the coming year. Check it out! America's Core

GAH.... same for 13-22 DVD? Must... see... Troopers and Crossmen... NOW! ARGH!

Haha. No thanks. Fast ≠ interesting or complex. I listened to a little of each of the songs there and there's basically the same formula every time. Intro licks, rediculously fast licks (kind of like those annoying scalar mello licks from 90's drum corps that seemed to be EVERYWHERE for a while), singing, a little instrumental jam, repeat. Then again, it would be funny if someone like VK or Bridgemen gave it a shot because they'd do a smashing job of joking it up. Can you see guard doing air guitar? I sure can. :P

I'd say march this year and see what happens. If you feel like moving on after that, then do that. Yes, loyalty is a big part of the drum corps world, but people march more than one corps all the time. That said, I was sure I'd move on to try out for SCV at some point, but when the time came I just couldn't do it. My corps home was in Casper and I'm so glad I made the choice to age out with them.

Troopers, because it's the only APD from this year that I've bought so far. But next will be Crossmen.

I think people fully understand that breaking into the top 12 means getting better in order to do so. I doubt us "piners" out here think that improvement is not part of the equation. So, if I were to say I want Troopers to break into the top 12, what I'm really saying is this: 1. I want Troopers to have the financial and administrative means to retain the best possible design staff to write a top 12 caliber show, as well as the best possible teaching staff to work the kids through the daily grind. 2. I want Troopers to retain lots of vets as well as recruit enough seasoned and mature marching members who will have the physical and mental capability to pull off a top 12 caliber show. 3. I want the crowds to go nuts when they see this new caliber of Troopers hit the field. It's just easier to say "I want Troopers to break into finals." :)