TX Suh-nare

That's one way to teach discipline!

At Troop, we'd turn on System of a Down and chug Monsters to hype us up.

I doubt it would be a good idea to judge the electronics separately. What about the corps that can create the effects w/o electronics? Part of the percussive brilliance of '06 Cavies was that all the machine sounds were acoustic in nature (most amplified, but none were digitally created). If you add a new caption for synths, than almost all corps will now need them to be competitive. Plus, it goes back to my arguement about woodwinds in DCI. Judges need pay checks. Pay checks = $$$. I think one reason the 2 perc. judges are now scratched is partly a cost-cutting measure. Which I'm all for. From the rumors about DCI's financial struggles, it'll be good to cut some extra fat, both in bodies on the field, and also...well, let's face it: anyone who's marched before has seen what some of those greenshirts are like.

Take this to heart: it can drastically improve a section's playing ability, which is the whole goal of this whole band/corps thing anyway. Never underestimate the power of section chemistry. A unified ensemble that not only practices together, but actually likes to, can make a decent ensemble good, a good one great, and a great one outstanding. Plan some time to get your boys and girls together to put away the instruments and just hang out. Find a restaurant (us in my 'ol HS line have done Buffalo Wild Wings multiple times, and even us that graduated still do) or any place to chill and be in a relaxed but fun environment. It's hard to believe at first, but it can pay off dividends in the way y'all play.

Well then, if all goes well, I hope that we'll have some good competition with Bones. Looking at the potential Finals race this year, this is gonna be another good year for the semis corps kicking and scratching into Saturday night!

Farewell, RCA Dome. It was fun marching on your turf while it lasted. Gosh, now I feel like I can be one of those old men that can say "You know, I remember marching in that there BOA contest in the OLD Colts' stadium!"

Who else is excited about seeing the Cadets go back to Bernstein? If they do this show right, this year could be HUGE for them!

On Saturday, December 13, the Troopers will host an all-day audition camp in Belton HS (north of Austin) for all sections from 9am-7pm. If you have any questions, message me to ask for my Facebook. I will be able to either answer your questions or direct you to the drum majors and section leaders that will be happy to help. I hope to see you out there. HLD

This is going to make the Texas runs much more interesting...I'm stoked!!!

Good arguments. You actually changed my opinion on 007. Thanks for that.

http://members.troopersdrumcorps.org/staff.htm

Sorry. We at Troop have Dean and Gordon, and we are NOT giving them up! haha

Why does that name sound familiar?

True stuff man. Especially from someone who's marching in a corps for all that history, it's more rewarding to help an organization come back or build up to a force than to join a corps that's already there.

Heading out to Troop again...and talking with the caption head, he's working on an audition packet right now, and hopes to post it in the next two weeks.

Killing people? That's why I love it!

One football game my sophomore year, the kat next to me fell in our second mvt (Grohg). Three sets later, my shoe pops off. four sets after that, little man next to me drops AGAIN!

I can see your arguement. When Tom Aungst left Hoppy and the Cadets, his reasons made me think he'd never return to drum corps, and now he's with Blue Stars, even if it is only a consultant position. Fiedler just might come out of retirement. We've seen people leave the biz and get "the itch" back.

Dude, that happens on tour a lot. I've run into Troopers that aged out in 1962! I've run into construction workers that marched in the 70s, Trooper alum all over DCI (working and building other corps). It's nuts.

As soon as y'all get the DVD, you'll understand. Phantom '08 So many changes, so many CORPSES!!! It's AMAZING!

One thing you have to realize too, this all is for corps style marching. What about military bands? They can compete on UIL standards, but not well under BOA. And BOA in summertime? What about high schoolers wanting to march drum corps? DCI needs BOA to create prospects, (next time you get a chance, look at how many people in member groups on Facebook come from BOA bands) and if BOA's and DCI's schedules collide (like WGI and DCI do in the spring), you'll lose a good amount of recruiting talent because Billy-Bob-Band-Director will think that corps is taking away from the students' first commitment, his band. Also, with schedule collisions, you won't have as many people who appreciate both. Especially in the drumming community, there is a rif between DCI lovers and WGI lovers. I swear my allegiance to my corps until my dying breath, and I can tell you there are a lot of WGI guys that are almost as fanatical about their indoor line as I am w/ my corps. Some DCI lines are known for their activeness in WGI (aka, the fact RCC is a BD training ground), but more often than not, it's the other way around. It's either DCI or WGI.

There are 20 World Class drum & bugle corps out on the field, and it can be hard to find one that's "right for you." After trying out at other places, I am happy to say that the Troopers is the right one for me. And it is for other vets. In 2008, the Troopers had a 65% vet retention rate in the horn line. That's one of the highest return rates in all of drum corps, even among the "top tier" corps. The corps reached semifinals for the first time in 13 years last summer, and we are only planning to go further. Not only competitively, but as a group. The family I have from Troop is unbelievable and is willing to do anything I need them to, even if they do live in Colorado or Idaho. I know there are several corps to choose from, but if you want a summer you can remember with a hard working, intense group of people, consider the Troopers. Log on to http://troopersdrumcorps.org/ for details. It'll be easy to find your way to register for camps. HLD

Spots still open in Troopers for guard people!!!!!

I have been a DCI fan for a very long time (and the only reason I'm not up in all days right now is because I still have to finish school up and graduate). What I love about the whole activity is how a group of people can explode a musical idea into euphoria and raw power. Woodwinds are (lets face it), naturally softer instruments than brass and percussion instruments. In order to create the same volume (or even close to a SIMILAR volume) as 66-72 horns and at least thirty drums and mallet instruments, it would require anywhere from (my guess) 80-100 woodwind players on the field. 80-100 woodwinds means you have to buy instruments for them ($$$$), buy replacement reeds for most of the instruments ($$$$), You'd have to either cram the horn players, drummers and guard chicks together on the same number of buses (health hazard in case of wrecks, and fired up drum corps kids spending too much time together, aka $$$$) or you'd have to buy at least one, more likely two extra buses ($$$$). Extra Buses means extra gas for all the buses ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$). You will have to hire a Woodwind Caption Head and WW techs ($$$$). More kids and staff will need to be fed, so the food volunteers will need to buy more food and spend more time preparing it ($$$$). Arrangers for the show, both music and drill, will probably demand more for the increased workload ($$$$), and housing sites will be limited due to the fact that so many people cannot fit into certain high school gyms, which means larger complexes will need to be rented ($$$$). I know that all of these woodwind players (or at least some) will have to pay tour fees as well, but anyone who's done drum corps knows that tour fees don't come close to paying off everything. That's why they make sponsorship deals, do parades, perform standstills in random places, sell merchandise, and all of these other side projects. It's tough for corps to make ends meet, which is why you have seen such a drastic reduction in the number of corps that operate today (As many as 117 corps performed at an American Legion Championship in the 1910s. Today...49 (22 in World Class, and 27 in Open Class) with one on a reduced schedule and another that can't afford to field a corps). Every drum corps is a non-profit organization, which means they have to spend every single penny they take in, or else they'll be considered a profit organization and taxed. Corps can't hold money away in accounts or the government will tax everything, which will cripple almost all of them since taxes on the amount of money that comes into these corps is astronomical. No corps can set aside money for tough years, so they go off of sponsorships and donations annually. By adding this extra burden onto them, many more corps could fold, leaving only about 20 or so drum corps altogether, and with the increased amount of talent out there, DCI will have to continue to raise the limit on corps size, etc. There you go.

THIS IS MY LAST CHANGE!!!!!! PERIOD! (I hope) 1) Cavaliers 2) (TIE) BD and Cadets 4) BLOOOOOOOO! 5) Phantom 6) SCV 7) Crown (haha, Cream Team. Never heard that before!) 8) Blue Knights 9) BAC 10) Blue Stars 11) Academy 12) Troopers (HA! I wish! But really) Glassmen