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But you see there are probably a thousand people on this Forum who can hum tunes from past Troopers shows with a tear in their eye. Are you capable of understanding the bigger picture?

I don't get nostalgic about drum corps. In the rare cases when corps have gone back to the well and tried to relive a glory moment from their distant past, I find myself wishing they hadn't, since all it usually does is point out how impossible it is to recreate a given moment in time.

I was taking a year off marching in '79, and saw Troopers' prelims show. It was a great performance and one of the most unanticipated surprises in the history of DCI. And I would never want to see them reprise Ghost Riders again, since nothing they're gonna do is going to bring that moment back. Hell, they couldn't even get that moment back the next night. Once a moment happens, it's gone, and the quest should be for looking for new great moments, not just playing greatest hits shows. Greatest hit shows are for pop bands from the 70s and 80s on the friggin county fair circuit.

Maybe some folks are into that. For me, pass.

19 year olds who are looking to get a drum corps experience today don't want to play anyone's old show from the 60s or 70s or 80s or 90s or 2000s. Those eras came and went, and there are other corps out there who were successful back then but are still playing the game in a contemporary fashion quite successfully. Troopers are being smart in trying to play the modern game by the modern rules; the "old fashioned" element they need now is old school attention to detail.

Edited by mobrien
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The underlying dynamic in this thread, which is surprise and disappointment that the Troopers are not more competitive this season (filed under "needs more sunburst"), actually points to the enormous success of the corps since its reorganization. Back when I marched in the early 2000s there wasn't much question of the Troopers' competitiveness because, put simply, they weren't. Now the assumption is that they should be competitive, and that's pretty cool.

Creating, conserving, and adapting a corps' identity is about more than putting on a scarf or charting a drill move. Think of other old and venerated corps that have climbed out of the ranks of the also-rans with a more contemporary look and program while still preserving their traditions: Blue Stars, Boston, and Spirit, to take more recent examples. No, they don't look like they did in the 1970s. But most of us would agree that they are still clearly the same corps. And if you talked to the members, staff, and board, I'm sure you'd still find that they have the same values as those that came before them. That's even more crucial than a look or sound.

The other thing about identity is that it is a dynamic and ongoing process. What the Troopers have (by all appearances) gotten right recently is their financing, staffing, and overall quality of experience provided to the members. That's what will ultimately keep bringing old members back and new recruits in the door, more than the repertoire or superman suit or placement. Finding a clear, appealing, and competitively successful identity on the field may take some more time, and yes, perhaps this year they missed the mark. But it looks like the corps is healthy and will be around for a bit, so be patient while they figure out what works for them.

Great post. Spot on.

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The Cadets just put a Christmas show on the field and it is exciting, well developed (for the most part), and the crowds seem to enjoy it. It's also competitive. If they can do that, then Troopers can find a way to arrange music that fits their identity and make it feel fresh and new and competitive. And I don't buy the argument about uniforms. A new uniform can be designed that models the old one without compromising recruiting and what judges think.

What would happen if the Cadets put on a Christmas show every single year for the next 20 years? It works now because its fresh and something new for them.

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I wasn't going to jump in again, but I can't help myself, but I'll keep it brief.

- There's too much debate over what the Troopers should or shouldn't be. Hats or no hats, western theme or not. I've got news for you, if your program makes resonable sense, is reasonably entertaining and you march/play/spin/drum better than anyone else you're going to be succesful competitively. If I'm not mistaken in 1979, the supposed holy ghost year, they played that great western theme Aquarius. Seriously, we have a dada show vying for the title, but they march/play/spin/drum better than anyone else at this point.

- Unfortuantely, many are in love with their concept of what the Troop should be / have been, and less in touch with the reality of today.

- If you're going to take the "we're about life skills and teaching you to entertain" route, that's the kind of recruit you will get. The recruit who wants to kick some ### will go to the organization where the goal is to medal. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, it's just a fact. I've observed it personally. The kid who desires competitive success will not likely be auditioning someplace that struggles to finish in the top half of the activity. Having said that, having marched when Mr. Jones was there, I could never imagine in a million years after a 17th place finish him saying "You know what, we're really focused on teaching you life skills and just being really entertaining". Nope, we'd be at attention at the local armory having the fear of god placed in us if we didn't get better. As adults we compete every day, no reason why an 18 year old can't learn that.

- The location means nothing. Especially when they manage camps the way they do, so moving from Casper will have no impact except increased risk.

- Keep your DNA, change the culture to one of excellence as defined by competitive success and maintain front office integrity. Finally, recruit members who want to retain the heritage but won't stand for going on each night in the blazing sun and hoping they break 70 in mid July.

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I wasn't going to jump in again, but I can't help myself, but I'll keep it brief.

- There's too much debate over what the Troopers should or shouldn't be. Hats or no hats, western theme or not. I've got news for you, if your program makes resonable sense, is reasonably entertaining and you march/play/spin/drum better than anyone else you're going to be succesful competitively. If I'm not mistaken in 1979, the supposed holy ghost year, they played that great western theme Aquarius. Seriously, we have a dada show vying for the title, but they march/play/spin/drum better than anyone else at this point.

They played Aquarius in 69 and 70 too! :smile:

And of course we all remember the 27th Lancers playing those great British tunes "Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is"/"Beginnings" in 1971.

And who could forget the amazing 1969 Kilties winning VFW Nats playing all Scottish music..."Brotherhood of Man", "Strike Up the Band", "MacArthur Park" and "Chattanooga Choo-choo". :tongue:

Keep your DNA, change the culture to one of excellence as defined by competitive success and maintain front office integrity. Finally, recruit members who want to retain the heritage but won't stand for going on each night in the blazing sun and hoping they break 70 in mid July.

Blue Stars made is 'back' to being competitive...BAC has had great success...heck, the Cadets were nearly down and out...you make great points!

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- If you're going to take the "we're about life skills and teaching you to entertain" route, that's the kind of recruit you will get. The recruit who wants to kick some ### will go to the organization where the goal is to medal. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, it's just a fact. I've observed it personally. The kid who desires competitive success will not likely be auditioning someplace that struggles to finish in the top half of the activity. Having said that, having marched when Mr. Jones was there, I could never imagine in a million years after a 17th place finish him saying "You know what, we're really focused on teaching you life skills and just being really entertaining". Nope, we'd be at attention at the local armory having the fear of god placed in us if we didn't get better. As adults we compete every day, no reason why an 18 year old can't learn that.

The idea that embracing your identity and being competitive are mutually exclusive ideas is simply false.

This is the case I'm trying to make. We have been told that in order for the Troopers to be competitive they have to change their uniform and start playing music that is disconnected with their heritage. Thus far this approach has not worked out so well. They are not "kicking ###".

So I am writing to hopefully agitate and stir up the notion they should follow the way of the Scouts. Does that mean they will come out next year playing Battle Hymn and Ghostriders and vault into the top 12 with ease? Not necessarily, but they would certainly be a crowd favorite and I can't imagine them placing much lower. (Disclaimer: I am not arguing for schlockiness. Excellence in performance is still paramount and arranging with freshness is of utmost importance)

---------------

Now...just a brief word about Jim Jones....and this is off topic. If there ever was a man who was committed to teaching "life skills", it was Jim Jones. But again, teaching life skills is not mutually exclusive with excellence in performance. In fact, excellence in performance is a major life skill. In addition to demanding excellence on the field he demanded excellence off the field. I'd like to invite Trooper Alumni reading this to maybe share a story or two with us.

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I found the poster for next year's Trooper Show. Wording is good and everything.

tombstone.jpg

http://youtu.be/p_fXeya-_lA

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To address the camps question: this year all camps from November through March were in the outskirts of Houston at an excellent high school facility - much easier weather to contend with than anything near the snow zone, and very easy transportation. A solid core of alumni and parents were present to help with transportation, food and other logistical support. Auditionees and members were able to use the Troopers' equipment as the truck was there the whole time. This process worked very well and I suspect it may happen again.

As to the original thread itself: I am a die-hard Trooper fan, and you all know it. I am simply going to say thank you to all who have shown your support of the Troopers by participating so respectfully in this discussion. I will also add on a personal note that I was so excited about the theme of this show. But.... it needs to be sold more to the audience - perhaps by a solo guard member or some other mechanism. I like the music and it sticks in my head, but I've written several academic works on Copland and have an unusual familiarity with the various styles of Copland during his career. So, this music makes sense to me. It is not at all surprising to me, however, that it doesn't connect well with more people.

I didn't know that Troopers had some winter camps right here in Houston. I would love to get involved with that. Do you have any info on how I can do this next year or is it something I can find on their site. BTW ... which high school were they using?thumbup.gif

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