The Mountainmen Drum and Bugle Corps

The corps standard logo, adopted in S116.

The corps logo modified to fit their Season 118 Production. "The Sun Shall Rise"

### Website

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkcRRn3LLH2jp7GkYP1ezmw

The Mountainmen Drum and Bugle Corps are a drumcorps based out of Flagstaff, Arizona. The corps was founded on September 7, 2022 by director sopranomachine. They have been active since FMA Season 107. Currently, they are a Division I corps, having competed in almost every season since their founding.

### Founding and Early History

There had already been a history of drumcorps in Flagstaff. Formerly, there was Dauntless (S84-S99); a corps that slowly had made itself a Division I corps only to fold as soon as they did. Eight seasons had passed since Dauntless had left, and sopranomachine figured it was time to bring drumcorps back to Flagstaff. Thus, The Mountainmen were founded. The goal was to create a drumcorps known for an attitude as rugged and aggressive as the San Fransicso Mountains their hometown is nestled at the foot of.

S107 was an explosive season. The corps managed to earn themselves a silver medal at finals. It was off to a strong start, placing 2nd and taking the percussion caption. As the season progressed, Mountainmen began to climb in score quickly, becoming a corps that would regularly take most if not all captions. The fact that their lowest placement was 3rd all season spoke to how strong this group could become.

S108 was their second overall season, and first in Division II, The Mountainmen made waves. Within the LGDC circuit they dominated, often sweeping contests and taking most if not all captions. Things were different once The Mountainmen stepped into the FMA circuit. Out there, their scores weren't strong enough to medal, but maintaining an average 5th place finish outside of LGDC circuit contests. As the mid/late season approached, it became clear that a medalist position would not be possible. The distance between them and 3rd place was over 2 points, a jump that could not be done overnight. However, it became clear by that same time that they would get to see another finals performance, even in a new division. They finished 5th, taking the music caption. They hosted a show this season too.

### Finding their Place

This is a period of time in which sopranomachine decided to take the corps in a new direction. They had made a footing in the FMA world, and now he wanted to have the corps find who they were. This was the time to establish their niche in the FMA community.

S109 was an interesting season to say the least. The Mountainmen experienced something they never had before; tough competition. In seasons prior, it was easy for them to secure high scores and captions left and right. This season they had to fight for weeks just to secure a finalist position. This was also the first time they had developed a rival. Fellow young corps The Seawolves, S108's DIII Champion, came up to play in DII. The entire season they would trade wins with The Mountainmen, ultimately leading to them shutting 5th place out at FMA Championships.

S110 was a season where The Mountainmen expected to do well. They were off to a good start, maintaining a good rhythm while occasionally trading wins with Lonestar Regiment and The Seawolves. The latter of which had now become a sort of rival to the Flagstaff corps. As the season progressed, the corps often broke their streaks of good rehearsals, causing huge dips in scores. If they didn't have a show on a particular day, they could go from 4th to 9th. This was due to the sheer competitiveness of Division II this season. There were tons of corps fresh out of Division II looking for blood. The Mountainmen, a 3rd time veteran of the division, saw what it was like to be on the other end of that tenacity they had back in Season 108. The momentum eventually slowed while Lonestar and The Seawolves kept on pushing past them. By the end of Week 4, the Mountainmen knew they would be sitting in 3rd place by Finals. They took the music caption.

S111 brought a new playing field for the corps. Secretly, director sopranomachine had been crossing his fingers at the start of the season, hoping they would remain in Division II. “If we can stay in Division II one more season, we’ll take home a gold medal”. Much to his initial disappointment, the corps wound up in Division I. At that time, morale was low among staff and corps. The seasons of success they had enjoyed had been seemingly put to a stop. How were they, a young corps that barely found a foothold in Division II going to compete against the titans of Division I? As it turns out, the Flagstaff corps had it in them to make big moves within the division. As time went on, they started climbing in rank, going from the mid twenties to the mid teens. By the start of week four, The Mountainmen knew they were going to be seeing semifinals. What added to morale was the fact that it was the corps’ fifth anniversary. The atmosphere surrounding their spring training and home show was electric; the community and alumni were present along all stages of the season to support them in any way they could. At the end of it all, the corps placed 15th, finally beating out their rivals The Seawolves. Within their league, they did relatively well, culminating in their first league championship. This was also the corps’ first time traveling outside the country, taking part in the FMA World Tour Circuit.

Season 116 was pseudo-fresh start for the corps. At this time, the oldest of veterans were only 2nd-years,having marched before the hiatus. A majority of the rank was made up of new members, which spelled bad news for the now Division I corps. However, talent was high, as many young musicians were eager to join the corps for their first season back and tenth anniversary. By the time the corps reached spring training, it was evident this was a corps full of new members with a lot of promise.

Talented as they were, they were still new to the drumcorps activity. The corps struggled to get out of the twenties for a majority of the season, landing in 17th at the end of prelims. When the dust had settled, it was clear that there was a lot of work to do if the corps was to regain prominence in the activity. In the LGDC circuit, they consistently were at the bottom of the ranks, leading to a 4th place finish at league championships.

### Traditions

Corps Motto: N.P.S., this is an acronym seen in the corps logo and used by the corps members themselves. The meaning of the acronym is kept a secret, however.

Corps Song: "Misty Mountains Cold" by Glenn Yarbrough and Rankin & Bass. This was arranged for the corps by one of the members in Season 110.

Battlecry: Before the corps takes the field, they will amass in a huddle and place their arms around eachother. On the count of three, the entire corps will yell "TO THE PEAK". Alumni at shows will yell with them from the stands.

Corps necklace: A stone in the shape of the logo with the year engraved onto it are given to members for each year they march with the corps. They are also given a shako link with a colored wooden bead, the color of the bead matches the show theme for that particular year. (example, in S110, the show's colors were grey and orange. The wooden beads given to members that season were grey with orange stripes.)

Home Show: The Mountainmen host a drumcorps show on the last day of Week 3 of each season, "Drumcorps on the Peak". It is hosted at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University. There is also a small festival hosted to celebrate the return of the Mountainmen to their home for a show. At the end of the contest, the corps holds an encorps performance where alumni are invited to perform with them. This is also their largest and most successful form of fundraising.