Troopers—Legends Never Die

[Granny Smith]

I was browsing some of the different forums around drum corps. land and found this on the Trooper's site. Worth listening to.

Click Here.

[bluecoats88]

that was cool

[MarkC]

That was really cool!!!!

March Troopers 2007!!!!!!!!

[Granny Smith]

I couldn't help but think how cool it would be if the Troopers came out next year in all black with some traditional ties to their past (especially the black b****es).

I'm not sure what they should do to move into the modern era of drum corps, but after watching the alumni show (live), I began to long for some of the founding corps to return to some of their roots. The Troopers will fall flat on their faces if they don't "modernize" however, I would hate to see them become anything less than the Long Blue Line.

I once heard Alton Brown (that great philosopher on Food TV) say, "You can't betray your DNA." He was referring to how this one restaurant started out serving home-made biscuits (my favorite) and as their popularity increased and business picked up they wanted more so they began serving frozen biscuits. Of course business fell off.

I wonder how the Troopers can maintain their DNA and still be competitive. Any ideas?

[Liam]

I wonder how the Troopers can maintain their DNA and still be competitive. Any ideas?

Well, you've hit upon the balance difficulty that many corps face. There have been numerous threads along these lines for Pioneer. Heck, even Phantom was criticized by some die-hard last year because their show wasn't "classical enough", whatever that means. :)

As you say, it's difficult to imagine Troop as anything but the LBL, but if they don't modernize then they'll be criticized for that also. IMO, and this holds for Pioneer, in order to change the image from a lower-tier corps, you've got to .... well ... change your image. New uniforms. They should be tailored to pay homage to the past, but the uniforms must be modernized. The musical choices are easy (or easier, I should say :) ). Modern, competitive arrangements can be made from just about any source material, and there are also plenty of more modern tunes that would still fit the corps DNA. Case in point for Pioneer -- U2. But playing a U2 show in those same uniforms just isn't going to cut it. I know this is a money issue, but if these corps are serious about moving up the ladder, IMO, the look needs to be updated first and then folks will accept the modern arrangements and drill.

Looking forward to seeing the Troopers back on the field regardless ....

(on a side note, Granny, please read my response to you in the other thread. Misunderstanding. All good. :) )

[Granny Smith]

I suppose one of the keys for the Troopers is to be very aggressive in their recruiting so they can field a full corps. 20 years since they last competed in finals (shame).

(on a side note, Granny, please read my response to you in the other thread. Misunderstanding. All good. :) )

Liam, I didn't take your first post in the wrong way at all. Since I'm new and y'all don't know me yet, please don't worry about offending me—that's half the fun of forums.

[Liam]

I suppose one of the keys for the Troopers is to be very aggressive in their recruiting so they can field a full corps. 20 years since they last competed in finals (shame).

Yeah, no question about this. And I think all the sentiments and good will from their return will help them get a boost in this area, moreso than if they hadn't taken the year to regroup. The key is to not squander that initial boost, because there's no telling how long it will last. I'm not saying they need to be Top 12 in 2 years or anything like that, but I think an updated image, both visually and musically (while still adhering to their Trooper DNA), and better shows each year (even if placements don't increase) should show folks that they are serious and the good will shall continue.

Difficult balance, no doubt. Best of luck to them.

[Pinwiz]

I suppose one of the keys for the Troopers is to be very aggressive in their recruiting so they can field a full corps. 20 years since they last competed in finals (shame).

Let's be fair, we were .3 out of Finals at Quarters in 1995 after going on one slot earlier than we could have been. Things could have been very different.

Troopers are more than capable of being competetive in DCI. Blue Stars proved that with a "Trooper" show, and Troopers have always historically been a Visual corps instead of a Music one. There's nothing precluding Troop from going out onto the field with some sick drill and guard work coupled with "Troopers music".

It's just going to take time and hard work, but things turn around quickly in DCI.

I Trust In Fred.

[bawker]

I couldn't help but think how cool it would be if the Troopers came out next year in all black with some traditional ties to their past (especially the black b****es).

I'm not sure what they should do to move into the modern era of drum corps, but after watching the alumni show (live), I began to long for some of the founding corps to return to some of their roots. The Troopers will fall flat on their faces if they don't "modernize" however, I would hate to see them become anything less than the Long Blue Line.

I once heard Alton Brown (that great philosopher on Food TV) say, "You can't betray your DNA." He was referring to how this one restaurant started out serving home-made biscuits (my favorite) and as their popularity increased and business picked up they wanted more so they began serving frozen biscuits. Of course business fell off.

I wonder how the Troopers can maintain their DNA and still be competitive. Any ideas?

I think it can be done pretty easily, and in a short time.

One huge positive the corps has is its rich history and the gravitas that the "Trooper" name still holds. So far, the efforts in souvies and marketing are capitalizing on that, which is good to see.

1) If they do end up keeping Chuck Naffier around, then that's already a big help in my opinion. His arrangements (with Colts and X-Men expecially) are musical, flowing and always a great listen. As far as programming, there's a lot to choose from....with the Cadets somewhat abandoning the "American composer" genre that was their forte in the mid 80's, Troop could swoop in and do any number of things with John Adams, Charles Ives or others. (Maybe leave Copland alone for a while, though.) Can you imagine seeing the 2006 version of the 1986 Troop "hoe-down" done to some of Ives "Variations on America"? Good times. :)

2) I do think that the switch to Bb is inevitable. Yes, it doesn't sound as loud as G, but the Kings that Crown and Phantom play are pretty close. That gets over the barrier of being "behind" due to having to teach the kids how to play G horns. Add that to some hot charts, and that's half the equation right there.

3) Visual intergration is a big deal nowadays. That doesn't mean that Troop needs Mike Gaines to write a Cavaliers-lite drill for them...but I'm willing to bet that there are some untapped talents in the BOA/DCA world that would love to help Troop make a name for themselves. As Pinwiz said, Troop has historically been a visual corps, anyway.

4) Staff retention is going to be a big one. Magic had a killer staff in 2002 to get the kids to Finals, but lost a lot of them in 2003. Corps that are on the upswing, like Bluecoats or Crown, have kept the same basic staff structure for a few years now, only tinkering slightly with a few people here or there. If Troop can get a "semi-big name" (not at the expense of the corps budget, mind you) and keep them for a while to build around, I'm betting the payoff will come a lot quicker. I don't know exactly who they could nab, maybe some of the Blue Knights visual people since they're in proximity...BK obviously has been going places this past year. I may be wrong here, though, and they'll want to use fresher faces instead.

It's not as if Troop has been languishing at very bottom of the standings since 1986. There have been some close calls, most notably 1995...so things can definitely turn around in Casper...real quick. :)

[prodigal bari]

I think a big key to the return's success has been the reorganization itself. The corps, IMHO, has struggled to modernize its operations for over 2 decades; and the financial instability has been a cloud over the operations. It looks like this has been addressed; and even some great strides have been made to lay down the infrastructure for the Troop's return. I think these are the keys to success:

1. Get some type of local base again (does not have to be large; but enough to solidify fundraising).

2. Aggresive and positive outreach to the region for membership. Negate the isolation of Casper by regional camps; and find ways to make it a positive.

3. Proper transportation, support vehicles and crews, and financial operations to properly take care of the membership on the road in a first class manner. PBJ's and Bishop's Buffets do not cut it anymore.

4. Facilities...and the new Trooper Center is absolutely first class.

5. A top-flight staff (It does not mean all new...there are some that I hope can return) with the Trooper vision, but the ability to design and instruct to eventual Top-12 level. Looks like the leadership is on target, too! Then...treat them right and they will stay!

6. Bb's. You have to have them now since everyone else does; otherwise you start out hopelessly behind.

7.. Do not lose the tradition and past; but bring all areas of the corps up to contemporary standards.

Remember, the younger Jim Jones was cutting-edge; so it is not a bad thing for Troop to find that edge again!

Edited August 18, 2006 by prodigal bari