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fullcount

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  1. We have DCI west out here?

    Most of the reason is because the schedule has shows on both coasts at the same time, so a corps can either have their spring training near their home base, and start shows there, or travel out to the west coast to start there. And when you're hosting shows, it would probably not be good to not be there.

    Another reason is the distribution of corps. In world class, there are 4 corps in california, 1 in arizona, 1 in washington, and 1 in colorado. That's 7 out of 22, so less than a third. It's easier for them to travel east than have everyone else go west, especially because the west coast corps seem to be the ones with the most secure financial footing

    Make that 8 out of 22 - Troopers are from Wyoming. This year Troopers members all had to meet in Indianapolis for their move-in all days. By July they also traveled back west to host their own show in Casper, and then went to the Denver show (even though it essentially was rained out) and then headed back east. I guess if Troopers can do an east to west and back east again tour, other corps could do something similar, even if it's just going as far as Denver or Salt Lake City.

  2. The Troopers DM slow and stern walk is really getting under the skin of some of the newer fans it appears. For close to 50 years, as far as I know nobody seemed to get angry and annoyed by this tradition. BUT.... times do change, and with this I suggest that the Troopers DM adopt a more fitting entrance for todays Drum Corps times to the post show field for the announcemrent of scores. Henceforth, it is my recommendation that he run pell mell as fast as he can out onto the field with his right hand planted firmly all the way on his cowboy hat to reach where the other DM's are. Once there in position with the other DM's, he should do a full 180 degree piroutte, then take his cowboy hat off, blow a kiss to the crowd, wave sprightly, and with a big smile. For contrast, he should position himself beside either the Jersey Surf DM's or the Velvet Knight DM's sitting in their beach chairs with beach umbrellas. This way they'll be much less angst and annoyance on the part of the newer fans with the traditional slow walk by the Troopers DM and the Troopers DM will fit in nicely with all the other DM's and the manner upon which they take the field for scores and the manner in which tjey position themselves along the sidelines for the scores. Running in Drum Corps is the rage these days. Slow march is not cool. So a run by the Troopers DM with aplomb into position would be a needed change that would fit in nicely with these modern times now, imo.

    Ahem...but the Troopers DO NOT wear cowboy hats!

  3. The Troopers DM "Death Walk" is my favorite part of the retreat! And this year's DM does it better than most I have seen.

    a few years ago DCI staff told the Trooper staff to tell the DM to speed it up going on for retreat. The response given was that it was up to the DM to decide he wanted to do. In other words - no one on the staff was going to agree to a break in tradition and the DM kept with the tradition. And really, with a sidearm and a saber - who is going to mess with the Troopers DM?

    • Like 1
  4. Many people have said that Troop needs to bring back the show elements that work, such as the sunburst. For years they were told be be innovative. So this year, they started out trying to do both. For anyone who saw the show before Minneapolis, Troop started the show with a 2-minute drum/pit number and during that number horn line and color guard did a modified sunburst, no one noticed it because they were watching the drum line and the judges hated it! (and the scores showed it) so Troop staff redesigned the show to please the judges and the scores started going up. But they lost the sunburst (tradition) and the opening drum number (innovation) hopefully by San Antonio they will have a new closer. As they do more cleaning there is optimism from all the kids in the corps. The sunburst should make a reappearance.

    The one thing no one seems to be saying (or noticing) is that those marching with Troop want to be there. If they didn't, they would go somewhere else. It's not like they are all with Troop because no one else would take them. Members in this year's Troop are passionate about the show, the music and being Troopers. As long as kids want to be a Trooper, the corps will live on, no matter where they place in competitions - and it has all this time. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

    • Like 3
  5. Lindsay Vest, a member of the Blue Knights, and chosen for the 2010 All-DCI Color Guard is part of the American Fork High School Band. My boys were at the Pocatello competition with another high school. We're grateful they arrived home safely, but our hearts go out to the AFHS students who have suffered a terrible loss. Everyone from every high school in Utah has been touched by this story.

  6. '08 Blue Knights - I, and those I was with, couldn't focus on the overall show because the guard uniforms (or lack there of) was so distracting, and not in a good way. Either they should have all had the same shirt, or at least told some of the girls that the short shirt didn't work for them. Too many of them were constantly tugging at their tops to keep it down. It was laughable, embarrassing and downright dreadful.

  7. Funny because the judges thought Trooper's guard was better than Phantoms a couple shows before finals week.

    And the guard work seemed just as difficult as anyone else. Its not like they sat around on chairs for an entire song just doing drop spins or anything...

    And there really were some amazing rifle work and tosses that were caught perfectly high impact moments. (only complaint most people had was that they didn't like the guard costumes)

  8. Not that I am criticizing the Troopers. Far from it as I was overjoyed to see them in finals again. However, who do so many corps shy away from their traditional roots? What's wrong with a little nostalgia in drum corps these days? Why can't the Troopers play a real western show including such classics as "Ghost Riders," "How the West Was Won" etc. What about Spirit doing some old SOA music and blowing the stands down? What would be wrong with that? I already know the answer. In order to "win one must play the game." Perhaps it's high time the rules of this so called game were changed! Bring back some of the music and nostalgia that made the activity so exciting and popular. The fans are craving for such a positive move! Judges, instructors, designers are you listening?

    How many times, (years) do you want the Troopers to play the same songs again? How many times have they already done "Ghost Riders"? The challenge and fun is to do new shows every year. There is a lot of "western" themed music out there and Troop has done a good job finding it and putting it in a western-styled theme show keeping with its tradition, as well as putting in their traditional sunburst. What you're asking is for Phantom to do Spartacus each year, SVC to always do their Russian dance number and BD now to always use the chairs. It's not so much as "playing the game" as it is keeping things interesting for the fans and challenging for the kids doing all the work. There really is nothing wrong with mixing it up and keeping things current. How much criticism would there be if they all played the same songs every year - a lot. It would be cheap. Things would be so clean, everyone would have to get 100 scores, and the kids would be bored. Who wants to march in a corps that goes out and does the same thing, year after year after year. If you go back and watch this year's Troopers show, there was a lot of "tradition" in it.

  9. I like others are glad to see Troopers back in the top 12. But I'm a little disappointed in how they did it. While the show was called Western Side Story and was "based" on WSS I found it more of a Blue Devils type show then a Troopers show. Lots of snippets and music I couldn't remember once I left the theatre.

    I've read people deride Blue Devils and others for this type of show but no one seems upset when the Troopers did it. Am I the only one to find this strange?

    There are parts of Troopers music performance that I still remember and have stuck in my head, and finals was more than a month ago. So, while this may be your point of view, it's not the only one. I think you must be one of the many that cheer against the Blue Devils because they have taken the top spot so often and you're reaching for anything you can to justify your position because whatever corps you wanted in the finals didn't get there. I don't think Troop are sell-outs because they may have joined the current wave of what drum corps is all about these days. They had plenty of the typical Troop formula and tradition that way overshadowed anything "new" that they threw into the mix. Add to that, they had an incredible group of musicians that surprised even the staff and design teams.

    So, maybe no one "noticed" what you did because it wasn't as clear cut and blatant as you want to make it out to be.

  10. Corey Moore - Troopers. He holds the audience captive with his presence when he is on the field, be it during the show, or during scores. He has carried on the tradition of the Trooper DM in classic fashion. He makes the "death walk" an art form. He is a class act! He is never out of character. He is totally into the performance from the time he walks on to the field through to the end of the show.

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