MMA's Interview With George Hopkins

[silvertrombone]

1.) I also find this post to be terribly irresponsible. Posting quotes without their full context is not cool at all. Shame on you whoever you are.

2.) I also think it would be drum corps' loss if Hopkins ever left the activity. He has done so much to advance the activity (not to mention his hand in providing us with some amazing Cadets shows over the years). It would be a shame to lose a creative mind like his.

1.) She's the Wicked Witch of the West...what did you expect? Dorothy and Toto??

2.) Here's a little bit of reality for all the anti-Hop's...

35 years of DCI...12 BD champions...9 Cadets Champions...8 (?) Cavaliers Champions...6 SCV Champions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but each of those groups won every single one of their DCI Championships under one man's direction with the exception of 99 SCV, yes?? That brings up 3 points:

1.) If Hoppy leaves, do you think Cadets will stick around? What keeps them from becoming the next Star/Blast and the figurehead of USSSBA??

2.) If Cadets remain in DCI, how far/how fast do you think they fall from the top 3??

3.) If Hoppy leaves, what impact will that have on the direction and drive of the DC activity?? IMO, after Star left, it took a few years for the activity to pick up the slack. Probably happens again with Hoppy's departure.

[Legalhack]

1.) She's the Wicked Witch of the West...what did you expect? Dorothy and Toto??

2.) Here's a little bit of reality for all the anti-Hop's...

35 years of DCI...12 BD champions...9 Cadets Champions...8 (?) Cavaliers Champions...6 SCV Champions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but each of those groups won every single one of their DCI Championships under one man's direction with the exception of 99 SCV, yes?? That brings up 3 points:

1.) If Hoppy leaves, do you think Cadets will stick around? What keeps them from becoming the next Star/Blast and the figurehead of USSSBA??

2.) If Cadets remain in DCI, how far/how fast do you think they fall from the top 3??

3.) If Hoppy leaves, what impact will that have on the direction and drive of the DC activity?? IMO, after Star left, it took a few years for the activity to pick up the slack. Probably happens again with Hoppy's departure.

I think BD has won under three directors.

[Supersop08]

So, do you have some plans you'd like to share with the class?

Nope I'm a good person! :P

[DrumCorpsFan27]

If you want to get legal, .........I can't get the little *&@% out.

Is "*&@%" a legal term?

[MikeD]

Btw: I have no idea how an emoticon got in the quote but I can't get the little *&@% out.

Because a B and then a ) ends up like this: B)

[silvertrombone]

I think BD has won under three directors.

Really?? Oopsy! So aside from my inaccuracy, the point remains. See also SCV following Gail Royer. Just curious, if Cadets stuck around with a "new" director, what would their placement look like? And IF they fell down to around 4-7 consistently, how far away would Hop really be? And for how long?

Thanks for the correction, btw.

[Supersop08]

Really?? Oopsy! So aside from my inaccuracy, the point remains. See also SCV following Gail Royer. Just curious, if Cadets stuck around with a "new" director, what would their placement look like? And IF they fell down to around 4-7 consistently, how far away would Hop really be? And for how long?

Thanks for the correction, btw.

I have a question. Does the Corps director even work with the kids? or do they just over see operations? Isn't the staff under the director that have the most effect on the Corps members because they are working with the kids all the time? I'm just wondering it's made me think. This is just a question because I don't know how it works at the Jr. Level.

Edited November 20, 2007 by Supersop08

[Legalhack]

Really?? Oopsy! So aside from my inaccuracy, the point remains. See also SCV following Gail Royer. Just curious, if Cadets stuck around with a "new" director, what would their placement look like? And IF they fell down to around 4-7 consistently, how far away would Hop really be? And for how long?

Thanks for the correction, btw.

You raise the valid question. Has George built a machine that will work without him or that depends on him? Given his reading list (he extolls "Built to Last" and "Good to Great"), he may be trying to build the former but, given is hands-on nature, the latter may be the result.

Edited November 21, 2007 by Legalhack

[mistofflies]

I have a question. Does the Corps director even work with the kids? or do they just over see operations? Isn't the staff under the director that have the most effect on the Corps members because they are working with the kids all the time? I'm just wondering it's made me think. This is just a question because I don't know how it works at the Jr. Level.

Well a corps director's participation as far as instruction goes varies from corps to corps. However, corps directors play a very critical role in interacting with the performers. They are often the "spiritual" leader of a group (Hopkins with Cadets and Fielder with Cavaliers both pop immediately to mind) and they are the motivators. While some corps directors may run an ensemble rehearsal and some may not, their influence is most strongly felt off the field in my opinion.

[silvertrombone]

I would agree with all of that. Very little experience with it personally. 92 Sky, I don't remember Mr. Proctor ever being involved and wasn't on tour for at least part of summer...I think...don't hold me to that. Bill Watson did most of the group talk, with one of the Brass Tech's (UNT grad...GREAT young instructor...don't remember his name) doing some of the brass talk. Rennick was percussion god for our strongest caption even then.

94 was kind of weird cuz we had, ironically, a Cadet product in Doug Rutherford. He was young, but it isn't uncommon to have someone his age in that type of position in this activity. Can be a good thing. Doug might have been a tremendous success in another corps without such a legacy and traditions as Regiment. I'm not sure that he was the best selection for the job based on that, but this is over a decade later, too. In today's DCI, I would say a place like Crossmen or Blue Stars would be ideal for Doug. Regiment is kind of like Cadets in my estimation...requires an inside guy OR just the right personality. I say 'or' b/c I neither know the current director, nor do I know anything about him. But Vanguard turns out good people and he was out there for a while. And like the Cowboys coach must relate just right to JJones, so must the Director with the Regiment Board.

OK, that was kind of a tangent, but Doug was a bit more vocal with us. From what I understand (going on long-ago memories and hearsay) he became a bit more involved on the stand in rehearsals in 95. He was on the stand a couple times in 94 and it was like, "WTF?" Just didn't feel normal with him not being involved much in camps and early season. Nothing in all-day's from what I remember. Some group talks, but no instruction.

I imagine some of his late 94 and 95 (again, hearsay) activity I equate to his 'upbringing' under Hop. No diss on Hop--it works for Cadets, obviously. And he turns out good people, too. But they have to either work in the Cadet system or come into some place where they can bring the group up like Hop and Co did at Garfield.

I hope you're right about 'building something to last.' I would find it really hard to step away. I mean, maybe there's a George Junior ready to just light up DCI like Hop did in 82/83 to today. But if I had put as much time into something as Hop has Cadets and it took a step down when I took a step back, I would have to, like, go skiing in Argentina or New Zealand to keep my mind off things and myself from getting involved, calling, offering help, asking what is going on, etc. That's me. Kind of like the idea of Steinbrenner 'really' going away and letting the boys run the Yankees. Could happen. Hard to do for a while.

I'd hate so see Hop go, though I don't like everything he likes. But has he been good for the activity? I'd say so.

And with where the activity is right now, and the promise that I see it holding at this stage, I'd hate to see the Big 3's directors--any of them!--go away for a while, b/c 94 and following felt kind of weird after Star went roaring up to the ledge, took a leap, and didn't come back. Took a while for the activity to really figure out where it was going next. I think that if Cadets took a step back, perhaps Crown will step up like Cavies did post-Star and within a couple years things are OK, but I'd hate to chance it.

Keep roaring for another 3-5 years! Lets see if we can turn the corner with Internet stuff and start growing interest in the activity. Start increasing number of corps and thus shows. Get more and more people excited about where things stand, and maximize the impending partnerships between DCI, WGI, PASIC, etc. Not so sure about BOA, but we'll see. Synergy, right?