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Retention rates don't matter as much at the top corps as does recruiting the best "one and done" talent. I mean, great for them if they can hang on to as many of their 18 year olds as possible, that bodes well for a longer-term rebuilding effort, but bumping past three solid corps ahead of them in one year isn't likely, when those other three corps will be closer to the nucleus of the most talented 20 year olds auditioning this fall. More to the point, if whoever signed off on Stripper Jesus in the 2017 show is still in charge of making artistic decisions, the struggle to regain top status will be even harder.

Yet you keep reading and replying............

They came in late but looks like the usual apologists have arrived

thought you were leaving it?

okay I'm in with this logic. "You know what you're getting yourself into. You don't have to work for him." Right. Good. So, we have all been warned. Do not take a job at YEA or US Bands. As the naturally accelerated attrition occurs at those organizations, resist the temptation to fill an open position. GH is a wizard. He can do this by himself. Carry on!

I couldn't agree more GD. I used to be a fan of Lot Hype, but I won't patronize them anymore, not after the Facebook Live broadcast they dedicated to this last night. And the fact that this is a discussion here doesn't surprise me in the least. Hop isn't perfect, but none of us is. The fact that someone "leaked" (more like gladly posted and sent to a million friends) this letter is not shocking, and its only intent was to try and bury Hopkins. But the man has been at his post for close to 40 years, has changed thousands of lives, dedicated his life to non-profit work, is a workaholic, and has challenged the status quo. Are his people skills questionable, possibly, but no one said you have to work for him. Here's some advice from someone that's been around the block a few times... grow up. The world doesn't give a rat's ### about what you feel is fair or if someone hurt your feelings. If you've been around this activity long enough, you know what you're getting into when you got o work for Hop. Rather than trying to destroy a man and the organization he and his team have built, try doing something more constructive.

I'm shocked... shocked.. to find that gaming is going on in here ( DCP )

this thread is RIDICULOUS

Play it again, Fran.

"Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects!!!"

you can't have one without the other.....and one person made it that way.

You want a cookie?

What a bunch of wash women some of you are lol... Whining for years about GH.. "He did this to this one and then he did this to that one". Holy Beejesus already find something else to do!! This thread should be closed and start fresh talking about what maybe the cadets can do to better their results from last year. This GH garbage has to stop. If they go under I will be very upset but I won't die or stop breathing because of it. Try to be positive for the members sake. Cadets are what they are right now and all you #####ing won't change a Frigging thing. I realize some of you are drooling and hoping the Cadets go under so you can whine about their demise on some other thread. Grow up.. Get a life and don't ruin this place for everyone. How would you whiners feel if total strangers posted stuff about you trying or hoping you lose your job and your company of 40 years goes under??? Enough already.There.. I feel much better now.

Bridgemania! I have a dozen sets of unopened, colorful thunder sticks leftover from their over-the-top Allentown performance.

Heard this line last season too. LOL! It’s a 7th place corps retention or not. IMO they’re no longer drinking from the same pool of talent. Might get some cuts from other corps like Boston, unless tuition is too high. Maybe they will surprise us, but I’m not betting they move into that 4 or 5 group at all.

I discussed this on a recent thread. In 1983, Mel Stratton discussed this at the WCU Director's clinic. With Competition band, there was the "Traditional Era" (post WW2 to @ 1970-1975) Cascavant-style stuff, Ohio State, etc. Then the "Presentational Era" from 1970-1975-to about 1982) Early Corps style shows based on Drum Corps of the era. Opener, production, Concert, Drum Break, Flag Pre, Closer, Lots of company fronts, music loud, come at the stands, music soft, turn aorund. 1982ish on, the "Eclectic Era" where many different artistic ideas and concepts were borrowed and combined. I said there I'd like to see what Mel thinks what the situation is "Post Eclectic" and how he would define it.

Pioneer's 2018 Brass Arranger: Rob Stein https://pioneer-corps.org/news/794-meet-pioneer-s-2018-brass-arranger-rob-stein.html

Haven't seen too many Surf shows to really say which ones are my absolute favorites and least favorites, so I'll just give the ones that I've liked and disliked since 2012. Likes: 2012 - They pulled off their tribute to the Bridgemen in style. 2013 - Another really fun show from them; solidified their identity as a "fun corps." 2017 - Brought back the "fun" identity in a more competitive show; I think it would have made Semifinals any other year. Dislikes: 2014 - Dirty and boring; plus, they were one of three corps that season to use Appalachian Spring and it drove me nuts. 2015 - Had the potential to be fun, but ended up being way too dirty. 2016 - Too serious for a Surf show, and I've seen the water theme done better.

actually I'd say with the rumored retention rates and the staff additions they will likely move back up into the top 5 or 4 group, depending on the other corps

Gino Cipriani will be on this same show/forum...SUNDAY OCTOBER 22nd....it is not even CLEAR to me how to actually listen to these shows...whether you need to be a member and where you actually go to watch or listen...It's also VERY difficult to share Facebook link off of Facebook... I am sure attendance would be MUCH improved if this information was spelled out in better detail. Cool though to see this initiative was started by a former Crossmen and Crown drum major...

And yet, somehow, you've been nice to me. Seriously... I agree, I'm totally fine with someone who simply feels that modern-day drum corps is not their cup of tea... but who also doesn't take it to the level of insulting those currently involved with the product. It's the code words/phrases... "It's not real drum corps today"... "All that prancing and dancing like a Broadway show"... stuff like that. Or the outright insults, like "Today's corps members don't have the heart we did" and so forth. One of my favorites, which I heard from a grizzled drum corps vet at an alumni show after-party once... "Today's horn lines, they can't hold a candle to the way we played." You're right.... today's horn lines simply cannot match that edgy tin-can sound of many of the lines from way back in the day. LOL.

Can any board not see what Hopkins is doing? His MO has always been to build an organization that is likely to collapse without him as a poison pill for any change of leadership. It blows my mind that any average businessperson would allow such leadership and management malpractice.

If all you expected to get was a video made by a guy in the stands with a single camcorder, that would make sense, but DCI's modern videos represent hundreds of man-hours of expert work and they're not going to provide the end product for free.

I don’t know...seems like a continuing theme to me from what I heard from former employees.

FOURTEEN OF YOU DM'D ME ASKING FOR THE LETTER. I'm not sure how legal it is to pass on when I'm not even sure if it's legal that I got it. There is some stuff in there that alleges things that may or may not be true and I don't want to get in trouble for passing along false accusations. THAT SAID... here are some excerpts of what I would consider the non-controversial stuff. Lots of content and personal information snipped out. I should add that I have NO IDEA IF THIS LETTER IS REAL OR NOT, but I think it is based on some conversations that I've had:

He's having a hard time staffing shows now and cut pay for admin etc the week before the first shows

Is no one going to bring up that the Director of USBands resigned on Friday... in the middle of band season... via the most scathing, bridge-burning letter that I think I've ever seen? If half of the stuff alleged is true... GH is a very bad person. No one?

I've seen situations where members of the very large Allentown show committee buy up a lot of prime seating early, but when their friends and family don't want the seats that year the committee members have been known to sell them, often by the camper parked at the head of the street outside the stadium and leading down to HamFam. Not every year but most.

It's so funny how people are ALWAYS complaining about his posts, complaining about Cadets, yet you're FOLLOWING him as well as Cadets on Facebook and then coming here to complain about it. Don't like it? DON'T FOLLOW HIM and stop whining on this thread about Cadets. Life will go on with you. Now that THAT'S out of the way, I don't know what will happen with Cadets in the future but I'll always wish them luck. I may not be as big of a cheerleader as I was in the past, but I always have the best hopes for them.

Totally agree. There was a time where I really liked him although I didn't know him personally or professionally. I just liked the Cadets and because he was the Director I transferred that to him as well. BUT after the last 5 or 6 years of the Cadets heading in the wrong direction competitively, seeing his posts on FB and hearing stories about how difficult he is to work with (1 person I know well so he is trustworthy), I have lost total respect for him and it's time for him to step down before he runs the organization into the ground. He has lost touch with how to be competitive in today's drum corps world and he can't keep good staff. That is a big problem. No other corps' Directors post on FB in such an unprofessional way. A lot of times you're looking up his nose! LOL Any way, I really don't care what happens to the Cadets any more. I feel like they are going to go through a rough patch until someone else takes the reins. Sorry, Cadets. I am stepping off the band wagon after many years of loving how innovative and strong you were. I'm glad George took them there but something has happened along the way and I don't believe it's reversible while he's in charge.

I laughed out loud here at work when you asked if folks remember Hop's blog, it isn't updated very often so I may be the only one who still reads it! Just three days ago he posted: "$500 K more a year and I get to breath for the first time in 30 years"... https://yeaguy.wordpress.com/ Hey, you gotta give the guy credit, at least it sounds like he has a plan! This being said, I don't know that I would have published goal #4 in the "What's in it for me" section, but that is just me.

Finally, after well over a year, someone agrees. :) I can't wait for his new single, Mystery of Love, to come out. It's been featured in a trailer for an upcoming indie flick and I just can't get enough. Since my previous post mentioned Tori Amos, I wanted to post a video on here. She recently performed a cover of Bjork's Hyperballad, which I always thought would make a phenomenal ballad in a drum corps show. This version is just so subdued and pretty. Some others, including Robyn (I'll also post it below), have also covered the song and their arrangements show how the song, which is more heavily electronic and at times slightly frantic due to the percussion, can eventually be translated to an orchestral or wind ensemble setting.

Bengal Lancers: I recall the corps from Trumbull, winning the World Open Class "B" Championship in the early 1970's. I also believe they folded right after they won the title. The Joe Genero taught St Aeden's Emerald Cadets had a good run in the early 1970's, and the parish corps from St Raphael's was resurected in 1970 or 1971 as "Golden Buccaneers" and competed until 1975 or so then was merged with St Aeden's Emerald Cadets of New Haven for a season, known as the "Emerald Buccaneers". Elphaba

My Brother and I were members of the 59 championship corps. We finally beat St. Kevin's Emerald Chips (or was it Gems?), who won E. MA several times. By 62, as the only active marching member of our family, I was with the Warriors. Would have gone to the Saders in October of 62, but my Dad became President of the Braintree D&BC organization. Dam it!

Its not DCI... but its a funny story ( or macabre, depending upon one's perspective ) regarding a " small Corps ". Back in the 80's, there was a real " small corps " from Massachusets that had 3 marchers total in their Corps. They were from Braintree Ma and were called the" Braintree Braves ". The " Corps" was a Mom and Dad who took their 3 children in their SUV to competitions in Class C Division Esmass. Circuit, throughout Eastern Ma. ( maybe 4- 6 shows total on ave, in the summer ). We're really not sure to this day, if Mom and Dad were using the kids to get a tax write off on their new SUV or what the deal was. But it was all so totally bizarre to us. Anyway, 1 girl carried a flag... 1 brother carried a snare drum.......1 other brother carried a soprano bugle. None of the marchers were over 10 years old. We'd say to ourselves.. " every marcher in this show is a soloist in their section... and for the entire show performance too ! ". One day in competition, the boy with the bugle turned and bumped into his sister with the flag, and he fell down unhurt, then got up . and then he walked off the field... right in the middle of the show too... bam!...' just walked straight off. His parents motioned the other 2 to come off the field then too. ( of course they had too, as their " small Corps" suddenly had no " brass line " anymore). That was the last we ever saw of this Corps, marchers, and their " equipment - food kitchen- traveling van".. Weirdest " Small Corps" with the strangest" Corps Director(s)- Instructional staff " we'd ever witnessed.