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Revolution Erupts


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This is nothing new to the organization, and this type of shady management has been with the corps since the beginning.

In 2001, the corps' first competitive season, the members were told at the beginning of the season that they would only be signing up for a half-tour that was to end at the San Antonio regional. Shortly after this show, Rodriguez announced that the corps tour would be extended so the corps could participate in Buffalo at Div. III finals. No extra tour fees were collected, and the corps left for it's second tour not long after. However, by the time the corps actually reached buffalo, it had run out of money and could no longer feed the corps. In order to get food, members of the corps had to be fed through local NY schools by a program setup to feed homeless and underprivileged local children. However, this didn't cover dinner and members had to go to local gas stations to buy food.

Several times during this season, the corps had to be fed by other larger corps.

In 2003, the year after the corps won Div III, corps members were dismissed from a camp in February because several staff members had refused to teach until they received payment for work already done.

NOT a true statement (2001). Yes, the original tour was extended, but only after the members, staff, AND parents agreed. Revolution NEVER went without food during that or the 2002 tour. We actually ended up feeding other corps; who ironically enough, were going through problems relative to the topic. I'm not defending or attacking issues that have transpired this week; however, let's not jump to judgment or start tearing apart an organization without hearing ALL facts. I agree the corps has been through some visible bumps in the past, but John and Mike have given their hearts to these kids and the program. I could not imagine them knowingly putting members in harms way. I'm sure an explanation will be provided and I am hopeful that DCI and other interested parties will discover the facts and act accordingly. It would be a shame to lose that program. It had a lot of potential.

Doug McCarroll

Revolution Director 2001-2002

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I'll be watching this thread. If true, this would be any parent's nightmare. I hope it's not true.

You might also want to edit the corps' Wikipedia page. It shows:

Directors

  • John Rodriguez 1999-2004
  • GM Kuzma 2005-2006
  • David Wesley Roberts 2007-2008
  • John Rodriguez 2009-Future

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I'll be watching this thread. If true, this would be any parent's nightmare. I hope it's not true.

You might also want to edit the corps' Wikipedia page. It shows:

Directors

  • John Rodriguez 1999-2004
  • GM Kuzma 2005-2006
  • David Wesley Roberts 2007-2008
  • John Rodriguez 2009-Future

Thanks....I hope it's not true. Curious on the Wikipedia. Anywho, I'm not here to defend my credentials, but I take that up with them once this is resolved.

Edited by BlueRevo
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Thanks....I hope it's not true. Curious on the Wikipedia. Anywho, I'm not here to defend my credentials, but I take that up with them once this is resolved.

No intention to challenge your credentials -- sorry if it sounded that way. I mentioned it because anybody can edit most Wikipedia articles and correct errors.

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No intention to challenge your credentials -- sorry if it sounded that way. I mentioned it because anybody can edit most Wikipedia articles and correct errors.

I fixed it. It's an understandable mistake, but my memories and continued friendships from that time is good enough for me. I wouldn't have had that opportunity if it wasn't for John. That's why I say it's hard to fathom knowing them for as long as I have.

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I hope Revo gets their act together. I was involved with the Crossmen all summer and have the utmost respect and admiration for the way the corps was adminsistered. I was a member of a corps that had our horns " stolen" one late summer night when back at our home base in Houston. We had just parked outr buses at midnight and when we came back in the amat 0900 all our brass and percussion was stolen. Suspicious circumstances indeed. How to spontneously steal a full percussion line and 30 or so odd brass instruments in the middle of the night? You would need a large cargo van ready in waiting. HMMMMMM Makes you wonder if there is more to the story. I guess the point to my long story was that crazy things happen when corps get short on cash, I am dissapointed in the Revo staff/mgmt if this is the case with the way the acted and treated the kids.

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After finishing 5th in last week's Open Class Finals, Revolution erupted. Just hours after the event, the corps chief administrators, Johnny Rodriguez and Mike Quigley, announced they would be resigning their day-to-day rolls with the corps. They pointed out, however, that they will retain control of the corps from behind the scenes. During that same meeting, they told the corps that their participation in the World Prelims was in jeopardy as the bus company was threatening to head back to Texas, for non-payment. Corps members were asked to each contribute an extra $100 to help pay the bus company. We've been part of the corps for years. Last minute financial solicitations, like this, are not uncommon at Revolution. I'm not sure how much "extra money" was collected, but an 11th hour deal was apparently reached and the buses rolled-on from Michigan City to Indianapolis.

In the wake of that news, on Thursday... the day of the World Class Prelims... news came that revolutions entire percussion staff, as well as several other staff members, has been fired. Anyone who has followed Revolution knows that it has historically been a corps built around it's driving percussion section. Now, all of the professionals who were responsible for that drum line, are gone... just like that. In protest of the terminations, all members of the battery refused to participate in Friday's parade. They (especially those who had been part of the drum line for years) wanted answers that they could not get. To save face, Revolution gathered a few of the corps front ensemble members, strapped drums to them and had them play in the parade.

As if all of this was not enough, on Friday morning a remaining staff member, who was put in charge, told me he was trying to get other corps (especially Crossmen, because they're from San Antonio too) to try and get the kids, who refused to participate in the parade, a ride home. When I asked why that would even be necessary, he told me that Rodriguez had left explicit instructions that those who did not participate in the parade would not be allowed on the buses and would have to find their own way back to Texas. When I asked where Rodriguez and Quigley were (I wanted to talk to them), he told me they had left back to Texas the night before.

Make no mistake about it, John and Mike, this post is designed to both expose what happened and to call you out. I hope you will see it as an opportunity to explain your actions which, on the surface, seem neither rational or acceptable.

Dan Delgado

4-year Revolution Parent

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After reading the first post, I will admit that I had to go check to make sure of the year.

The people you mention (Rodriiguez and Quigley) have been running Revo into the ground for so long... The corps has survived solely on the determination and the talented backs of the young musician athletes and assorted caption heads who these clowns have run off year after year... Then, somehow, these kids rally against the awful mismanagement and keep going.

DCI does know about them. In my time as a parent there, I had Dan Acheson's phone number and email and kept myself in his ear. The problem was they saw each event as a single 'solvable' problem and wouldn't look at the problem as a whole that reoccurred annually.

Whether it's about the survival of d-3/open class drum corps as being necessary on its own (it is), or it's about these open class corps being necessary because they continue to supply musician athletes to the larger world class corps after they're ready to 'move up' (they are), it is well past time that DCI looks into the fiscal and financial fitness and history of corps like this.before letting them continue to compete.

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Clarification:

Yes the corps had problems with the bus company on a small remaining balance of over charges and the bus company was making threats to terminate early. Under the recommendation of staff I did allow them to solicit funds from members to help those that were unable to pay their tuition to finish contract and many stepped up and did salvage the season to go beyond Open Class Finals. Every year the corps struggles because we can never fully collect a tuition that is already low for the amount of touring we do but we always manage to make things work this year was just more difficult.

As I told the kids that night the last time this happened back in 2006 it was a much difference situation and I forced those in charge to resign and even though this was different I would still follow suit and remove myself from the day to day in order to find someone who could be more tough and hard lined when it comes to collections and other issues. Just for info the balance was @9000 and there was 11000 in tuition still outstanding. Once again thanks to all that stepped up to contribute to those families unable to pay their bill so we could pay the bus company. Also for the record I never let that balance affect the food lines and due to a great response at the beginning of the summer to our canned food drive and the work of our food staff, the corps never went without a good meal all summer.

After world quarters, that night I left $50 for food staff to do a Milk run in the morning and took a student to their flight arrangements and made plans to stay in Indy that night rather than drive back (1hr) in the dark in my car (the corps was housed out in Trafalger). There was some miscommunication and some thought I had left and only left $50 which was not true. Those that knew the plans were not aware of the some staff judgements and were asleep and unable to correct these assumptions until the morning.

Friday came and since we have no cook truck and we are not allowed to cook in the lot and with our housing assignment 1hr away, we made sure to leave more food rations at the bus said our goodbyes as the plan for our departure on Friday afternoon was part of the plan since Day 1 and left a 4 year senior staff member who had asked to step up to a Admin position the instructions and direct contact with me for their ride back to San Antonio and instructions on using souvie funds to continue to feed the corps heading home but most meals as it has been in the past on Free time would be on their own and food would be at busses for those that need it. I fired no one. A discussion I had with another staff member was mis-interpreted and he communicated to the staff that I had fired them. I have never been with the corps on the ride back in every year since my return in 2007 as I am not a paid position and have a full time job that has me due back first thing Monday AM. Vacation time only takes me so far and this year I have school orientation and a very important Dr. visit which after my battle with colon cancer the past two years I do not miss.

Saturday morning I get a call saying that the percussion staff had left cause they were fired and the battery decided it would not do the parade. I did tell Bryan that the parade is a required performance and anyone not willfully participating would have to find their own way back since the average age of the battery was 20 I was not going to let that defiance ruin the trip back because if they did not follow directions here I did not want Bryan to have to deal with their behavior on the ride back and give the younger members reason to ignore the rules. As stated the pit members who had no loyalty to caption just their tech decided to step up and complete the parade.

We have had problems with this bus company since day one and it did not surprise me that they left to their hotel early and locked the busses. This has been an issue all summer from running over tubas and luggage to locking busses, smoking on school grounds and going into forbidden areas at housing sites. Bryan tried to contact them to get back over to busses to re-open but they had turned their phones off. We sent and email to the owner and got the driver to open the busses but at that they had heard the rumor that all staff was fired and worried that the trip back would be unsupervised even thought they knew bryan and other staff were still there.

That evening the bus company decided to finish the tour in Arlington and told the kids this as they were loading up the busses because a 3650 over charge balance was still due. After several calls to the owner and our lawyers a settlement was reached and the busses are due in San Antonio this morning. So even while I am not on tour I have been working to resolve the issues. We have had a great long tour and it is sad that it ended this way.

The busses are traveling back with the Genesis busses just in case the bus company tries to do anything else (Bryan made these arrangements with Chris Magonigal) and I was just informed that 1 bus has a radiator problem and they are packing all remaining members into the other bus to finish off the ride.

I just love how no good is ever exposed on this forum when in regards to Revolution but when something goes wrong, it explodes. I walk away from this knowing the truth and that is my comfort. On to the next chapter in my life. Enjoy your rantings I will take part no further.

John R.

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See...didn't I tell you? It does no good to the corps or to the people around it to air the dirty laundry in a public forum. What you may have done is kill a corps when we don't have many more left in OC. Rumors like this can linger a round a corps and never go away, slanderous words can hurt...what many of you have done did hurt.

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