The Troopers, the American Legion, and a Rebuttal

[N.E. Brigand]

and we all know Phantom cannot have a show without at least one death.

Another case where fans have complained about a corps getting trapped by its (relatively recent) past.

[BRASSO]

Right. But that doesn't mean you don't try.

I agree. The Troopers, like a handful of Corps that remain from the 70's DCI years, could have folded like many of the dozens of others that did these last few decades. But to their credit, despite the systemic system of DCI Corps hopping, they have not thrown in the towel, and still fundraise sufficiently enough to still attempt to try and please their legion of fans, while still attempting to move up in placement into Top 12 status. Their current DCI pecking order has them most years in the hunt for a titlist spot, Nobody talks much about Pacific Crest, Mandarins. These fine Corps have seemingly settled in nicely the last dozen to 2 dozen years now to their predictable status as a top 12 non qualifiers, and a place to have the upper tier corps use them as an uncompensated feeder system training grounds for themselves each and every year. At one time Academy looked like a rising star new Corps. But they seemed to have settled in now as a perennial annual feeder system Corps for the others above as well. I'm not sure the Crossmen and the Troopers are stepping stone Corps. If that is how they are viewed these days now however by marchers and potential marchers, then their chances of moving up into the top tier of DCI is pretty much slim to none now as well, no matter what they play for music.... lets be honest. But if their shows are entertaining, few fans across the country care about where they place, frankly anyway.

Edited August 21, 2014 by BRASSO

[TerriTroop]

Wow, I missed out on the beginnings of this thread as I have been in the throes of school meetings and preparations. So, I've spent a good 40 minutes plowing through a lot of great stuff. First, I'm feeling rather honored to be part of the Troopers - not that I wasn't proud before, as the alumni committee president. But the level of discourse in this thread is remarkable, really. Thank you to all participants.

There is so much to this thread, and I'm not sure I can address it all without becoming a huge bore. In any case, here goes:

1. Hats: Cowboy hats, to be exact. They have a distinct image associated with them, and if Troopers were to go too far afield it would be difficult to pull off. It's just hard. For some reason I think drum corps fans can see helmets and shakos and Aussies (and plumes galore) and still not associate any particular style with them. But cowboy hats. Well, that's harder. So, there's that to contend with.

2. Uniforms: I like the new direction of the uniforms. Keep that going, IMO. Some say "Bring back the scarves!" Other says "Bring back the buckles and the longer jackets!" And that's cool. I say "do whatever it takes to sell your show and make your mark." That's what Jim Jones did. He did something very different - and it resonated with drum corps fans and performers because of the era it was born in. Which brings me to #3.

3. Era: Culture is an organic being with its own natural evolution. The origins of the Troopers happened at a time when Westerns were a HUGE film hit. TV shows followed suit and stayed relatively appreciated all the way through the entire Little House on the Prairie years. For the most part, that golden era is well played out - and the "hokiness" of those shows is definitely noticeable when viewing them with a more modern context. This is what plays into the "Troopers are stale" mentality. It's ok. I thought that, too - before I was urged to join in May of 1985. That brings me to membership, see #4.

4. Members of Troopers: This is actually pretty exciting to me. Troopers aged out 30 members this past season, many of whom were 3, 4, 5, and 6-year vets. That says something about how Troopers functions as a family and an entity. (Not that Troopers are any better than others at it - just that it bodes well for the future.) From what I've gathered over the last 2 years, our interest and audition rates are fairly high for a corps in our current competitive tier. Yet, as in every corps in this range, people do leave to go elsewhere. This is not new. It was happening in the early 80's and I don't see it changing any time soon. I certainly assume the thought to move on to a "secure" top 12 corps is out there among eligible Troopers. It's the nature of the beast in late August and early September. So that leads me to my next two points: programming and competitive edge.

5. Programming: here is where it gets tricky. I would LOVE to see Troopers try another steampunk show and really just rock it to death. I would love even more for them to bust out of the Americana/Western theme for a show and really do some crazy stuff. But the reality is that a great design very far outside of the traditional "Troopers" ethos will simply fall flat unless the performance talent is retained and improved over time. Yep, there's that tricky thing again: retention. Design goals for competitive success are big business now in DCI. You all know that. With the Van Doren/Smith/Rennick team in place musically, that could work extremely well for Troopers. I seriously don't have much technical knowledge about visual design. I just know that I think it needed a bit more oomph this year. However, it also needed more CLEAN. This leads me to my last point: competitive edge.

6. Competitive Edge: if you think the top of this game has some tricks to their success, you'd be right. Before you read on, this is all coming from someone who is NOT a movement specialist. These are my "layperson's" observations about the movement and color portion of this activity:

First, It's not marching any more - it's full body choreography. Visual is the game right now - and while music often creates the visceral tug on the heart strings, movement and color and how it is used in tandem with music creates vast visual richness that pushes buttons on a whole new level. Every move at the top levels of drum corps are fully choreographed, and EVERY MEMBER is extremely well-versed and invested in that movement. "Work smarter, not harder" is real. You have to know how to project full body choreography in something as simple as 8 count warm ups, and you have to buy into its importance and master it at every moment - in rehearsals, in warm ups, in off-season training. This is where I think Troopers need the most improvement in order to gain competitive edge - which leads to retention, which leads to more experimental programming or pushing to new levels. As an example: Colts took a HUGE turn toward improved visual this year, and this nudged them constantly upward - along with their approach to material that was quite unique. As another example, I talked to a kid from BDB who said he has to take a ballet class in order to audition for the A corps. If you haven't figured this out yet from what I've already written: This is the era of full-body movement/choreography - and that isn't going away any time soon.

Well, I hope I haven't gone too far. I usually avoid discussing the specifics of Troopers from a design perspective, so I'm a bit out of my public comfort zone. I guess the last thing I would say to anyone looking at Troopers - or any corps, really - as a potential place to march is to talk to people who have been there for at least 2 years. Get a feel for the internal workings. You won't even know what your show concept is until January, at best. But don't close down the idea of being a Trooper based on style alone. I, for one, wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. I came from a jazz-based little corps with a lot of quirky spunk that folded in 1984, so the Troopers style was nearly a 180 for me. But I LOVED my shows, and I'm proud to say I was, and am, a Trooper.

(edited to add: I have no insider information to suggest that Troopers aren't already addressing any of the things I've mentioned. I'm posting from only a fan perspective. I support the corps in the realm of alumni work, and I have zero input or knowledge regarding their design agenda for 2015.)

Edited August 21, 2014 by TerriTroop

[Slingerland]

I won't quote the whole thing, but I don't see anything in the above to disagree with.

I'd only question whether any corps will really get the best work from a group of designers who are primarily focused on work with higher ranked corps. Rather than having the Rennicks writing the book (while Paul's summer is spent cleaning SCV). maybe the better course would be to ask Paul R for a recommendation of one of his students who's ready to take on a line of his or her own, giving Troopers 100% of his or her time and attention. Growing a staff is as difficult as growing a membership base, but it has a tendency to pay off when you let some 20-somethings who have something to say and something to prove go to town and re-invent whatever corps in their own image.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Slingerland

[Daave]

I certainly won't quote, but I don't see anything in the above to disagree with.

I'd only question whether any corps will really get the best work from a group of designers who are primarily focused on work with higher ranked corps. Rather than having the Rennicks writing the book (while Paul's summer is spent cleaning SCV). maybe the better course would be to ask Paul R for a recommendation of one of his students who's ready to take on a line of his or her own, giving Troopers 100% of his or her time and attention. Growing a staff is as difficult as growing a membership base, but it has a tendency to pay off when you let some 20-somethings who have something to say and something to prove go to town and re-invent whatever corps in their own image.

As I recall, that is the way they WERE going and then... (without bringing up an ugly old thread) just before the first camp last year that person went away.

[MelloMatt]

True, and I think over the last several years, they have actually incorporated a number of non-traditional pieces. I just think they may have undermined those efforts a bit with some of their other shows. And if I am fighting a reputation of over-reliance on a composer or theme, I would avoid that composer for a long while, even if it is an a-typical piece (eg. I don't believe any drum corps has ever performed an arrangement of Copland's Danzon Cubano, but I would still suggest Troopers avoid it playing it until they've gone at least 10 seasons without any Copland).

Copland is so ultra-saturated within DCI that it's even made its way into certain avatars of DCP posters!

Has any corps ever done Grohg Ballet or any number of his early pieces? I know SCV did a show in the 90's dedicated to his non traditional stuff, but it is barely touched. Lawrence Central HS did a pretty good show a couple years ago using Grohg and I could see that being used by a corps. Not to mention Quiet City which would be a wonderful ballad, Music for a Great City, etc. (though I can't imagine Connotations being used on the field.... )

[N.E. Brigand]

Has any corps ever done "Grohg Ballet" or any number of his early pieces? I know SCV did a show in the 90's dedicated to his non traditional stuff, but it is barely touched. Lawrence Central HS did a pretty good show a couple years ago using "Grohg" and I could see that being used by a corps. Not to mention "Quiet City" which would be a wonderful ballad, "Music for a Great City", etc. (though I can't imagine "Connotations" being used on the field.... )

Yes, SCV's 1998 show, Aaron Copland: The Modernist, included "Grohg".

[BRASSO]

Wow, I missed out on the beginnings of this thread as I have been in the throes of school meetings and preparations. So, I've spent a good 40 minutes plowing through a lot of great stuff. First, I'm feeling rather honored to be part of the Troopers - not that I wasn't proud before, as the alumni committee president. But the level of discourse in this thread is remarkable, really. Thank you to all participants.

There is so much to this thread, and I'm not sure I can address it all without becoming a huge bore. In any case, here goes:

1. Hats: Cowboy hats, to be exact. They have a distinct image associated with them, and if Troopers were to go too far afield it would be difficult to pull off. It's just hard. For some reason I think drum corps fans can see helmets and shakos and Aussies (and plumes galore) and still not associate any particular style with them. But cowboy hats. Well, that's harder. So, there's that to contend with.

2. Uniforms: I like the new direction of the uniforms. Keep that going, IMO. Some say "Bring back the scarves!" Other says "Bring back the buckles and the longer jackets!" And that's cool. I say "do whatever it takes to sell your show and make your mark." That's what Jim Jones did. He did something very different - and it resonated with drum corps fans and performers because of the era it was born in. Which brings me to #3.

3. Era: Culture is an organic being with its own natural evolution. The origins of the Troopers happened at a time when Westerns were a HUGE film hit. TV shows followed suit and stayed relatively appreciated all the way through the entire Little House on the Prairie years. For the most part, that golden era is well played out - and the "hokiness" of those shows is definitely noticeable when viewing them with a more modern context. This is what plays into the "Troopers are stale" mentality. It's ok. I thought that, too - before I was urged to join in May of 1985. That brings me to membership, see #4.

4. Members of Troopers: This is actually pretty exciting to me. Troopers aged out 30 members this past season, many of whom were 3, 4, 5, and 6-year vets. That says something about how Troopers functions as a family and an entity. (Not that Troopers are any better than others at it - just that it bodes well for the future.) From what I've gathered over the last 2 years, our interest and audition rates are fairly high for a corps in our current competitive tier. Yet, as in every corps in this range, people do leave to go elsewhere. This is not new. It was happening in the early 80's and I don't see it changing any time soon. I certainly assume the thought to move on to a "secure" top 12 corps is out there among eligible Troopers. It's the nature of the beast in late August and early September. So that leads me to my next two points: programming and competitive edge.

5. Programming: here is where it gets tricky. I would LOVE to see Troopers try another steampunk show and really just rock it to death. I would love even more for them to bust out of the Americana/Western theme for a show and really do some crazy stuff. But the reality is that a great design very far outside of the traditional "Troopers" ethos will simply fall flat unless the performance talent is retained and improved over time. Yep, there's that tricky thing again: retention. Design goals for competitive success are big business now in DCI. You all know that. With the Van Doren/Smith/Rennick team in place musically, that could work extremely well for Troopers. I seriously don't have much technical knowledge about visual design. I just know that I think it needed a bit more oomph this year. However, it also needed more CLEAN. This leads me to my last point: competitive edge.

6. Competitive Edge: if you think the top of this game has some tricks to their success, you'd be right. Before you read on, this is all coming from someone who is NOT a movement specialist. These are my "layperson's" observations about the movement and color portion of this activity:

First, It's not marching any more - it's full body choreography. Visual is the game right now - and while music often creates the visceral tug on the heart strings, movement and color and how it is used in tandem with music creates vast visual richness that pushes buttons on a whole new level. Every move at the top levels of drum corps are fully choreographed, and EVERY MEMBER is extremely well-versed and invested in that movement. "Work smarter, not harder" is real. You have to know how to project full body choreography in something as simple as 8 count warm ups, and you have to buy into its importance and master it at every moment - in rehearsals, in warm ups, in off-season training. This is where I think Troopers need the most improvement in order to gain competitive edge - which leads to retention, which leads to more experimental programming or pushing to new levels. As an example: Colts took a HUGE turn toward improved visual this year, and this nudged them constantly upward - along with their approach to material that was quite unique. As another example, I talked to a kid from BDB who said he has to take a ballet class in order to audition for the A corps. If you haven't figured this out yet from what I've already written: This is the era of full-body movement/choreography - and that isn't going away any time soon.

Well, I hope I haven't gone too far. I usually avoid discussing the specifics of Troopers from a design perspective, so I'm a bit out of my public comfort zone. I guess the last thing I would say to anyone looking at Troopers - or any corps, really - as a potential place to march is to talk to people who have been there for at least 2 years. Get a feel for the internal workings. You won't even know what your show concept is until January, at best. But don't close down the idea of being a Trooper based on style alone. I, for one, wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. I came from a jazz-based little corps with a lot of quirky spunk that folded in 1984, so the Troopers style was nearly a 180 for me. But I LOVED my shows, and I'm proud to say I was, and am, a Trooper.

(edited to add: I have no insider information to suggest that Troopers aren't already addressing any of the things I've mentioned. I'm posting from only a fan perspective. I support the corps in the realm of alumni work, and I have zero input or knowledge regarding their design agenda for 2015.)

This was a great read, imo... thanks for sharing your insights as someone familiar with what is taking place there of late.

[2muchcoffeeman]

I have some of my own thoughts about Troopers programming, but A) that's a different topic and B) I don't want to wear out the welcome.

I've deposited my thoughts about 2015 Troopers here.