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I'm absolutely honored to bring this to you guys. Grid University is proud to present the original documentary: An American Rudimental Legacy: The West Point Hellcats Produced by Kevin Troyanos --- The Hellcats: The Hellcats, an ensemble comprised of buglers and rudimental drummers from the West Point Band, has played an influential role in over 220 years of musical tradition at The United States Military Academy. Their legend began early in the American Revolution, when units of George Washington’s Continental Army, including fifers and drummers, established the garrison of West Point in January of 1778. Following the Revolution, West Point remained an active federal garrison upon the formal establishment of the United States Military Academy in 1802. During this period, fifers and drummers assigned to artillery and engineer units at West Point perpetuated the pragmatic nature of field music. During the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the War Between the States, the drum was the primary source of battlefield communication. Throughout the day it signaled various orders, and its steady beat established the cadence for road marches and troop movements. The bugle served an increasingly important role starting in the 1800’s. Army commanders grew more dependent upon the bugle's bold, brilliant sound to present commands both in camp and over the din of battle. The Hellcats' mission today is to provide musical support to the U.S. Corps of Cadets. In addition to sounding Reveille and Retreat at the garrison flagpole, the Hellcats perform a myriad of ceremonial functions, including military reviews and parades. Each weekday they provide music as the cadets march into the mess hall. As the football season nears the annual Army vs. Navy game, special Hellcat arrangements of traditional West Point gridiron songs fan the Army fighting spirit. Hellcat buglers and drummers also have the honorable task of performing muffled drums and Taps for West Point funerals. Annually, a bugler plays Taps at the tombs of presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Franklin D. Roosevelt on the anniversaries of their births. Pride, intense esprit de corps, and a sense of historical continuity inspire the distinguished service of today's Hellcats. With their precise marching, embellished by the twirls of silver bugles and intricate rudimental drumming, the group delights thousands of spectators each year. In 1994, the Hellcats participated in the deactivation parade of the Allied Strike Force as it made its final departure from the city of Berlin. The Hellcats have also been featured at various military tattoos throughout the United States and Canada. In 2002, the group performed in Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra and for the Fourth of July with the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 2004, the ensemble traveled to Orlando, Florida to participate in festivities honoring Flag Day at Walt Disney World. Recently, the ensemble collaborated with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, performing at a Tattoo in celebration of their 50th Anniversary with an additional presentation at the Pentagon. Members of the Hellcats have also been showcased on The Today Show, Fox and Friends, 60 Minutes, Dateline NBC as well as on documentaries occurring on The History and Discovery Channels. Equipped with instruments designed and hand-made specifically for them, the Hellcats enable the West Point Band to maintain faithful renditions of traditional American military music while providing the Corps of Cadets with a piece of living history. Drum Section Members: SGM Eric Sheffler SSG William Calohan SSG William Cuthbert SSG Andrew Porter SSG Jeff Prosperie

discussions?

Absolutely. The thing that struck me most when I went up there to film this is that for a guy with a resume and background as impressive as his... he's an incredibly down to earth guy.

Hey DCP, I don't post over here too often, but I figured a lot of people over here would be interested in this. I just got back from spring break. It was nice to get away from school for a little while. While I was home I spent a day up at West Point and got the opportunity to hang out with the West Point Hellcats. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on a brand new documentary: "An American Rudimental Legacy: The West Point Hellcats". Make sure you check it out. This video contains some of the footage from that video (and more). In this video, Jeff Prosperie (Former Phantom Regiment Caption Head, DCI/WGI Judge at Championships, DCI/DCA/PAS Snare Champion) talks a little bit about his history in Drum Corps, and a few lessons he's learned along the way. I really hope you guys enjoy. -Kevin Troyanos

Hey DCP... I don't often post here, but I thought you guys would REALLY appreciate this. I went to the New York for the weekend to hang out with some of my Drum Corps buddies. One of them was Charles Book. Charles marched Boston 92, Star 93, Brigadiers, Bushwackers, and Hurricanes. He also performed with Brass Theatre and Blast 2: Shockwave. We all had some drinks and talked about drum corps.... he's got some great stories, and it's very cool to share a few with you. Make sure you check out the story about the Tornado at Star of Indiana 93. I hope you enjoy.

Word on the street is there are some experienced, talented drummers out on the Drum Corps Planet. Let's see what you guys can do... The Fall 2010 Grid University Global Talent Search See The Video: Apply to Grid University this fall! Application Process: 1. Learn it: Either by yourself, with a friend, or with a group of friends... learn an INSANE grid. 2. Record it: Introduce Yourself.... Say Why You're Applying to Grid U... Talk about Your Experience...Break down the Rhythm, and the Grid Pattern... and Record! 3. Post it: Post it up on youtube, and add it as a video response to the video above. Two winners will be chosen, and given their very own "Grid U: Spotlight" feature. These videos will be picked based on: 1. Rhythmic Accuracy 2. Height Differentiation 3. Quality of Sound 4. Complexity of the Grid 5. Tempo Control 6. Level of Consistency 7. Creativity and Quality of Recording Good luck... and get to work!!!

Hey DCP'ers, This is my first time posting on here... but probably not my last. I run the youtube channel over at Grid U. I was actually surprised to see someone post this over here... and not at all surprised to see some of the reactions to the original post, lol. (I read the one about the turtle in my University's library's silent study area... needless to say I got a few blank stares when I audibly chuckled after reading it) The "Book Report" aka "Sliv" has been a pretty popular among hybrid rudiments in recent years, so we thought it would be a cool idea to put together a little bit of the backstory of how it surfaced. It's always interesting (for me at least) to hear these kinds of stories, and most of the time... stories like this are only told on tour or amongst a small inner circle. Luckily, we had a great opportunity to collaborate with some pretty great drummers and educators on this project. To say that this is the "best video on marching percussion in the last 30 years" may be a little bit of a stretch... but I'm certainly flattered at the positive reception. For those of you who enjoyed it, thank you for the kind words, and hopefully you'll see more content like this down the road. -Kevin Troyanos Grid University