Chops Inc.

Chops, Inc. is selling our old equipment truck. Flat-front Volvo, 26' box, some damage to the front end. Sold as-in. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5200401953.html

Us? On the field but not going to the DCA Championships? That was so last year. ;-)

Hey, Spandy, you can remove us from the "pending evaluation" list.

We predict that we will not make finals this year.

It's not a bummer at all! This year we made the huge step back onto the field after 5 years of doing parades, and we can hardly wait for the next big step in 2015.

While DCA is gearing up for their biggest weekend of the summer, we've already concluded our summer season and successful return to the field. It was great to be back, and we're looking forward to bigger and better things next summer! To close out the season, we'd like to share with you the one returning corps of 2014 that you won't be seeing in Rochester. Here is the final 2014 performance for Chops, Inc. Drum & Bugle Corps, in exhibition at the Drum Corps Expo in St. Peter, MN. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/NwF7mJVLBRc

Chops, Inc. is hiring a Recruiting Coordinator for our drum & bugle corps. We are an established 501©3 organization based in the Twin Cities with nearly 25 years of performance and entertainment. This year we have returned to the field with a full show for the first time since 2008, and next year we are planning to have a full competitive season concluding with performing at the Drum Corps Associates World Championship in Rochester, NY. We are looking for a motivated drum corps enthusiast to coordinate the recruiting and retention of marching members. We offer a dedicated administrative team and instructional staff to assist. This year we have tripled our membership from the previous year, and we need an effective, proven salesperson to continue this momentum. This is a part-time position with a base pay plus incentives. A full job description can be found here: http://www.chopsinc.com/files/documents/job-descriptions/Chops-Job-Description-Recruiting-Coordinator.pdf Please send a resume and cover letter to: Scott Kolman-Keen Corps Director scott@chopsinc.com

Correct. These will be our only DCA appearances for 2014, and we're excited to be there!

Thursday, January 9th, 2014… Chops, Inc. begins our return to the field! Come and join us at Harding High School in St. Paul, MN for a night of drum corps, drum corps, and more drum corps! Come and meet the staff, try out our new Mapex drums or Majestic keyboards, pick up a horn or flag, and see all the excitement as we take our first step toward competing! RSVP here: http://www.chopsinc.com/rsvp/

For our 2014 return to the field, Chops, Inc. Drum & Bugle Corps is taking our motto and building a show around it. May we present our show: BE YOURSELF We are a community, a social environment where we demonstrate how everyone can be different and still work together, understand conflict resolution, get along and have peace and harmony. Using the music of Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, we present the Chops Inc. 2014 repertoire. (Movements are played in reverse of traditional performance order – it’s okay to take a different path) Part 1: The Individual – “Hall of the Mountain King” Part 2: Working Together– “Anitra’s Dance” Part 3: A Conflict Materializes – “Death of Ase” Part 4: The Resolution – “Morning” We are extremely excited to be returning to the field. Please join us for our Open House on Thursday, January 9, 2014 at Harding High School in St. Paul to be a part of the summer season with Chops.

On Sunday, November 10, Chops, Inc. member Gene Phares honored the veterans at the joint American Legion and VFW dinner in Hopkins, MN. The annual banquet, this year hosted by the American Legion Post 320, ended with a presentation of the flag and a rendition of "Taps" performed by Mr. Phares. Chops has the honor of being sponsored by the Hopkins American Legion, beginning with the 2013 season. With their generosity, Chops, Inc. has a regular rehearsal space and financial support. Drum and bugle corps has a long history with the American Legion, and it is with great pride that Chops is able to have an official relationship with Post 320.

We're not ready to announce it yet, but we can say that we are EXCITED to be on this list for 2014!

Anyone figure this out? We're curious, too! What other corps would have been in Hawaiian shirts in the mid-2000s? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

AND WE LOVE YOU!

Chops, Inc. Returns to the Field in 2014! Chops, Inc. Drum and Bugle Corps is excited to announce our return to DCA competition in 2014! Our Open House and first rehearsal is 6 PM on Thursday, January 9, 2014 at Harding High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Interested prospective members should visit www.chopsinc.com/join. This is a unique opportunity to meet our instructional staff, get acquainted with Chops technique and expectations, and begin a new tradition of excellence with the 2005 DCA Class A Champions and perennial fan favorites! The Chops, Inc. Board of Directors has invested significant time, energy, and resources into a successful 2014 field competition season. This includes hiring new staff, purchasing new instruments, and working hard to guarantee the financial stability of the corps for many years. 2014 Chops Inc. Design Team The 2014 Program Coordinator is Sean Cunningham. Sean is the Director of Orange County Independent Percussion, a Winter Guard International Percussion Independent Open Class program and the reigning 2013 Silver Medalists. In addition, Sean has worked with The Velvet Knights and Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps. Also joining Sean on the Chops, Inc. design team are Vince Stewart (Brass and Visual) and Peter Crawford (Percussion). Vince has served as the Program Coordinator for Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps for the last several years and has managed to develop the crowd-favorite Impulse shows we all know and love, while maintaining a competitive edge in the DCI community. Peter Graduated from Cal State Bakersfield with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance and Composition, is the owner of Crawford Music Productions and has been writing and arranging for Sean on several projects. "We plan to develop the 2014 program to be competitive in the DCA community with just the right amount of demand and serve the Chops, Inc. style - quality entertainment with a touch of humor. We will serve the marching members by designing a show they will love to learn and perform, and - most importantly - give the DCA fans a highly entertaining show!" - Sean Cunningham The Southern California-based design team is seeking local staff (Brass, Percussion, Guard, Visual) and support personnel from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. If interested, please send resume and cover letter to sean@chopsinc.com Chops, Inc., founded in 1991, is an all-age music & performance organization based in Minneapolis, MN.