Could this be the year?

[Appleknocker]

Each person is entitled to their own life choices. Just seems a bit disingenuous to me when you fervently and vocally "want" the Troopers to make finals, but then you'll leave them to go march with one of the "elite" corps.

I'm sure you have your reasons. But it's that age old discussion about people using lower placing corps as a stepping stone and then everyone cries foul because there is little change in the top five.

Granny,

It is good to see you back on the forums. I was getting worried about you,...thought that you might have been moved to assisted living.

Hope everything is well,

A

[acolli17]

Each person is entitled to their own life choices. Just seems a bit disingenuous to me when you fervently and vocally "want" the Troopers to make finals, but then you'll leave them to go march with one of the "elite" corps.

I'm sure you have your reasons. But it's that age old discussion about people using lower placing corps as a stepping stone and then everyone cries foul because there is little change in the top five.

I guess I really don't know what you want me to say. Do I feel guilty about leaving them? Yes. Does part of me want to go back? Yes. I basically feel like #### about the whole situation.

But then I realize it's ultimately better that I didn't go back. I had the synth spot at Cadets vs. a marimba spot at Troopers. No matter which corps I had committed to, I would have still gotten in a snowboarding accident in February and dropped out in April. I think it'd be harder for Troopers to find another marimba player than Cadets find another synth player. Feel free to disagree with me, but I think that finding one person for a sub-section of one person is easier than finding a person to fit a sub-section of four people, hope they fit both technically and emotionally, and get along with the other members of the section.

In a very twisted way I ended up benefitting the Troopers more than the Cadets because they had to find a new member in November rather than April.

Who knows? I am getting tired of trying to get back in to the Cadets. I tried to get healthy in time to keep the synth spot, I tried to get the percussion spot they offered back when they started all days, and I tried to get the back field conducting spot they offered at the beginning of July/end of June. Yet here I am sitting in my basement writing on DCP.

My other reasons were people I knew - I knew one of the marimba players at Cadets, he's a close friend, and the pit instructor was my pit instructor in the winter line I marched, and he's a grad student at the college I go to. Location - It's easier to travel to Philly every month than Denver - Much cheaper. When I started with Troop I had 3 years left, maybe I was trying to march with an anniversary corps every year. Anybody have an anniversary next year?

And I think it would have been much worse if I had gone somewhere that was Troop's competition, then wanted Troopers to make finals. I don't really think (for the time being) that Troopers and Cadets have a rivalry, or in close competition with each other. The only thing worse than doing what I did (starting with one corps, then going somewhere else?) is never recognizing that the first corps was the corps I started with. Would you rather I threw away all affiliation with the Troopers, "hated" them, pretended I never marched with them?

Maybe I won't volunteer for them (Troopers) this summer...

EDIT-

I wouldn't have HLD tattooed on my shoulder blade if I didn't think something of the Troopers, and thank them for helping me improve my quality of life. You could argue "where's the dedication if you left them" but I think there's dedication as long as I take the lessons I learned from the Troopers on both drum corps and life and carry them with me until I'm no longer part of this great world. HLD is something I can now try to apply to the rest of my life, and I thank Troopers for that. Hopefully that helps, even though I can't see directly how it would.

Edited July 16, 2009 by acolli17

[acolli17]

Bump

I want granny's reaction.

[acolli17]

Bump

One more try, then I give up. Sorry if I'm being obnoxious to other people.

[Appleknocker]

Bump

I want granny's reaction.

I'm trying to get through to Granny to respond to you,....she must be down to the cafeteria for lunch, or taking her afternoon nap.

You don't have to apologize for being obnoxious.

[acolli17]

I'm trying to get through to Granny to respond to you,....she must be down to the cafeteria for lunch, or taking her afternoon nap.

You don't have to apologize for being obnoxious.

Ok cool, thanks.

[IllianaLancerContra]

Each person is entitled to their own life choices. Just seems a bit disingenuous to me when you fervently and vocally "want" the Troopers to make finals, but then you'll leave them to go march with one of the "elite" corps.

I'm sure you have your reasons. But it's that age old discussion about people using lower placing corps as a stepping stone and then everyone cries foul because there is little change in the top five.

Very true. But now that corps are no longer 'local', the members have little/no peer pressure to stay. Back when I marched we had members that would go try out for Cavies, Madison, Phantom, but no one would ever jump to another corps we were competitive with.

[supersop]

I guess I really don't know what you want me to say. Do I feel guilty about leaving them? Yes. Does part of me want to go back? Yes. I basically feel like #### about the whole situation.

But then I realize it's ultimately better that I didn't go back. I had the synth spot at Cadets vs. a marimba spot at Troopers. No matter which corps I had committed to, I would have still gotten in a snowboarding accident in February and dropped out in April. I think it'd be harder for Troopers to find another marimba player than Cadets find another synth player. Feel free to disagree with me, but I think that finding one person for a sub-section of one person is easier than finding a person to fit a sub-section of four people, hope they fit both technically and emotionally, and get along with the other members of the section.

In a very twisted way I ended up benefitting the Troopers more than the Cadets because they had to find a new member in November rather than April.

Who knows? I am getting tired of trying to get back in to the Cadets. I tried to get healthy in time to keep the synth spot, I tried to get the percussion spot they offered back when they started all days, and I tried to get the back field conducting spot they offered at the beginning of July/end of June. Yet here I am sitting in my basement writing on DCP.

My other reasons were people I knew - I knew one of the marimba players at Cadets, he's a close friend, and the pit instructor was my pit instructor in the winter line I marched, and he's a grad student at the college I go to. Location - It's easier to travel to Philly every month than Denver - Much cheaper. When I started with Troop I had 3 years left, maybe I was trying to march with an anniversary corps every year. Anybody have an anniversary next year?

And I think it would have been much worse if I had gone somewhere that was Troop's competition, then wanted Troopers to make finals. I don't really think (for the time being) that Troopers and Cadets have a rivalry, or in close competition with each other. The only thing worse than doing what I did (starting with one corps, then going somewhere else?) is never recognizing that the first corps was the corps I started with. Would you rather I threw away all affiliation with the Troopers, "hated" them, pretended I never marched with them?

Maybe I won't volunteer for them (Troopers) this summer...

EDIT-

I wouldn't have HLD tattooed on my shoulder blade if I didn't think something of the Troopers, and thank them for helping me improve my quality of life. You could argue "where's the dedication if you left them" but I think there's dedication as long as I take the lessons I learned from the Troopers on both drum corps and life and carry them with me until I'm no longer part of this great world. HLD is something I can now try to apply to the rest of my life, and I thank Troopers for that. Hopefully that helps, even though I can't see directly how it would.

Dude, let me put you at ease a bit and maybe challenge you on your decision making process.

By leaving a corps that is on the rebuild and going to an "elite", you could possibly have some labels thrown at you.

1. Ring Chaser

2. Sell out .... etc etc etc.

I've been in your shoes. My reasoning for bouncing around was to seek out the experience and knowledge of great instructors. I was in a great corps in Saginaw Michigan for 3 years. I happened upon to the Scouts on a whim by taking the invitation to hit the February camp and see if I could make one of the two final spots in the lead sop line. My buddy simply said, "I'll drive, let's see what you've got." I got the spot, he got the other .. the rest was history. Nobody really felt ill will toward me. I'm sure I was missed, but I also had faith that the organizations recruiting, staff and design teams had things well in hand. I've kept strong ties to my first corps over the years and probably have my fondest memories of drum corps WITH THEM.

I didn't have the greatest experience at Scouts and remembered talking with a Garfield color guard member at the airport in 1986. She was a nice girl, probably 20 at the time and I was 15. I remembered her saying, "You can make it, but you have to come and try." Yes, Garfield was Godly to me at the time. I didn't believe I had what it would take at the time ... but that's where I found myself. I had the privilege of working with some great instructors like: Shaun Owen, Shorty Bartholemew, Butch Marshall, Kevin Scheussler, Jim Bachelor, Frank Williams, Scott Boerma and many more. This gave me a wide range of new knowledge and experience in brass technique, musicianship, expression and performance excellence.

Did I miss my "family" in Saginaw? ABSOLUTELY. Did I add to my family? You bet! Am I conflicted about my decisions to this day? Yes I am, because I wonder if I had stayed if Northern Aurora would still be around. They were butting heads with Crown when they first started and look where they are now.....

Point is, make the decision for yourself and live with it. If you're there for the experience, the knowledge and feel you will grow from the experience, then don't feel bad. If you're chasing a ring .... you shouldn't go. Winning feels great, but if that's the only reason you're going to Cadets ...... you won't have a good time. It would be hollow and unrewarding in the end ... and everyone in the corps will know why you're there. If your dream is to be a Cadet, then follow it. If your dream is to win ... stay where you are. Either way, make a decision and live with it .... that's life.

[Pinwiz]

I stayed at Troop until I aged out, but I was lucky to age out in 1996 and didn't have to make the decision about going back in 1997. I likely would have marched somewhere else that summer if I had another year.

Where to march the following year is your decision and only yours. You are not beholden to anyone else and do not have to satisfy them. Anyone who tries to guilt trip you into returning to Casper next year isn't helping their cause.

I'm not going to lie, I'd rather your talents are at Troopers next summer. I want the corps to continue to build, but to try and talk you into staying is foolish. There's already that little voice in your head suggesting the option, and crazy fans/alumni trying to make you feel guilty will only silence it.

You'll make the best choice for you. Ignore everyone else.

[acolli17]

Dude, let me put you at ease a bit and maybe challenge you on your decision making process.

By leaving a corps that is on the rebuild and going to an "elite", you could possibly have some labels thrown at you.

1. Ring Chaser

2. Sell out .... etc etc etc.

I've been in your shoes. My reasoning for bouncing around was to seek out the experience and knowledge of great instructors. I was in a great corps in Saginaw Michigan for 3 years. I happened upon to the Scouts on a whim by taking the invitation to hit the February camp and see if I could make one of the two final spots in the lead sop line. My buddy simply said, "I'll drive, let's see what you've got." I got the spot, he got the other .. the rest was history. Nobody really felt ill will toward me. I'm sure I was missed, but I also had faith that the organizations recruiting, staff and design teams had things well in hand. I've kept strong ties to my first corps over the years and probably have my fondest memories of drum corps WITH THEM.

I didn't have the greatest experience at Scouts and remembered talking with a Garfield color guard member at the airport in 1986. She was a nice girl, probably 20 at the time and I was 15. I remembered her saying, "You can make it, but you have to come and try." Yes, Garfield was Godly to me at the time. I didn't believe I had what it would take at the time ... but that's where I found myself. I had the privilege of working with some great instructors like: Shaun Owen, Shorty Bartholemew, Butch Marshall, Kevin Scheussler, Jim Bachelor, Frank Williams, Scott Boerma and many more. This gave me a wide range of new knowledge and experience in brass technique, musicianship, expression and performance excellence.

Did I miss my "family" in Saginaw? ABSOLUTELY. Did I add to my family? You bet! Am I conflicted about my decisions to this day? Yes I am, because I wonder if I had stayed if Northern Aurora would still be around. They were butting heads with Crown when they first started and look where they are now.....

Point is, make the decision for yourself and live with it. If you're there for the experience, the knowledge and feel you will grow from the experience, then don't feel bad. If you're chasing a ring .... you shouldn't go. Winning feels great, but if that's the only reason you're going to Cadets ...... you won't have a good time. It would be hollow and unrewarding in the end ... and everyone in the corps will know why you're there. If your dream is to be a Cadet, then follow it. If your dream is to win ... stay where you are. Either way, make a decision and live with it .... that's life.

Thanks for the advice. I won't deny that a ring was a little of the attraction. But I'd say it was less than 10% of it. I was going for the experience, definitely.

I found it interesting how many references you made that I'm familiar with. Are you from Michigan? You were referring to the Sagineers right (forgive me if I spelled it wrong)? And they're the group that eventually formed North Coast Academy? I know a guy from the Northern Aurora Snare line, and Scott Boerma was the reason I went to the college I'm at (little did I know that he'd leave the same year I joined).

I'm not sure if this is shallow or not. But one of the big reasons I went there is that I simply wanted to be able to put the uniform on and call myself a Holy Name Cadet.

That's a pretty cocky thing to say, seeing as how for some reason you're presuming that their audition process doesn't apply to you...you're just...in.

lol

Yeah, Iain told me I really just have to show up. I already tried out this past year and made it. But I had to call Iain and Rudy in April and tell them I won't be able to come on tour.

Edited July 16, 2009 by acolli17