TerriTroop

No question for me: SCV. Saw them for the first time while I was on tour as a rookie with the Houston Nighthawks in 1983. I can't even begin to describe how this experience influenced me, then and now.

Ok, you got me with this one. I got goose bumps just reading that. It's been more than 20 years and I still get the shivers thinking about it. Zingali z-pull, 1983 Cadets. Troopers sunburst, any year it's been really clean (except the silent one, don't remember which year. Just felt wrong to me.) The 1992 Holsinger show by Cadets with the flying guard members. Also, the guard move followed by the most amazing and beautiful low brass chord I think I've ever heard on the field. (memory is shot, could even be the same move?) Whatever year it was that Cavies did their first "wave" formations. Blew me away, and I knew something new had finally hit the field. SCV show with Shostakovich.... gah, can't remember. Old age! But the move was a block that hustled like crazy with a line passing through the middle. That makes no sense, I'm sure, but it sticks in my memory. That's all I can think of in the 5 minutes I've got for reading and posting right now.

After the way the activity and fans supported the Troop over the last year, and after they way other corps welcomed our displaced members, I think it's safe to assume that we would do the very same for Cap Reg members or any others who are displaced from a previously active corps. It's that kind of loyalty and kindness and support that is even more important than single-corps loyalty, IMO. Hope that makes sense. I need more coffee.....

You might look into Austinites (like myself) being willing to pick folks up at Austin-Bergstrom and taking you to SA. SA's only about 90 minutes from the airport here. I don't know my plans that weekend yet, but if I'm in town I'll contact Crossmen and offer free shuttling services.

I'm highly partial to 1986 Troopers opener - reverse company front starting at the sideline and moving backward. Not sure it was that clean, but it gave me chills when I first heard and saw it during rehearsals that year. Many have mentioned how clean the Troop M&M was. It's time for that to come back! GO TROOP!

NOOOO! Don't give those crazy designers any ideas! :) As for Cage's most famous piece, "4:33" anyone who has experienced it has actually heard it. The "music" is the ambient noise of an audience, the venue, etc. Cage actually wrote some really good music that has notes and stuff. :P Anyway, I've got a Bachelor and Master of Music, both in Music Theory with a minor in Music History. I love weird, wacked out music. I also love drum corps, but I don't like it when it gets too "intellectual." (i.e. doesn't reach out to the crowd more.) Then again, one of my absolute favorite shows of all time is Cadets 1991 show, "ABC" (Adams, Bernstein, Copland). In some minds that show might have been a bit intellectual, but I loved it. For me it was the perfect mix of both worlds. Sorry to be so off topic. Dirty or not, Madison's 2002 show was very entertaining, and the rest is all history.

I have to say that the support I am reading here is overwhelming. I'm totally bowled over. I love the idea of a massive show of support for the Troop at shows this summer. I marched with a tiny corps called the Nighthawks before becoming a Trooper. Nighthawks folded in 1984, 3 weeks from finals week. One of our pit members had composed his own marimba solo for I&E competition, and he was determined to make it to Finals to compete. The Troopers took him in with open arms. He learned their book, and he got to compete at I&E. (He did very well, but I don't remember what place he got.) The next year (1985) he called me during Memorial Day camp at some ungodly hour (2am or so). He said "we need another pit player - you really have to come up here and be a part of this." I'll never be able to thank Steve McDonald enough for that phone call. The 2007 season can't come fast enough for me. Honor, Loyalty, Dedication. LONG BLUE LINE!