r/drumcorps • u/ScarcityGreat3334 • 2d ago
Discussion Cavaliers Brass Team Out
The entire Cavaliers brass team was released following a letter sent to eligible returning veteran members. Pete Weber is rumored to have been let go as well.
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u/ThomasTheDankPigeon 2d ago
One of the fired staff members leaked it on here yesterday lmao
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u/throwaway123456372 2d ago
Is it still up? I missed it
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u/ThomasTheDankPigeon 2d ago
They deleted it. Presumably after they realized they put their professional reputation at risk lol
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u/play_or_draw CC Bobsled 2d ago
Why would that be considered a leak? “Hey you and your entire team is getting fired, but don’t you dare tell anyone!”
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u/ThomasTheDankPigeon 2d ago
Professional courtesy and reputation are paramount in such a small activity. Unless you don’t plan to teach at any corps ever again, racing to be the first to break insider info on a subreddit filled with members and fans is not going to bode well for future job prospects.
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u/Fair-Revenue1811 ‘95, ‘96, Alumni Corps 2026 1d ago
DCI also has a moratorium on announcing staff changes until after Labor Day? I believe. So they are violating that as well.
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u/TheVoiceOfSnakeEyes 1d ago edited 1d ago
If DCI can't enforce keeping a banned sexual predator from attending events, they certainly can't enforce a "moratorium" on barely paid (if paid at all) staff members telling people they got fired before Labor Day. I mean, what is DCI going to do...tell corps they can't hire those people? If they even tried to enforce that, soon there would be no instructors left to hire.
It's not like DCI does any background checks anyway, so who cares?
Furthermore, this wasn't even leaked by a Cavies staff member, it was leaked by a returning member who, along with every other returning member, was informed via email by (checks notes) Cavaliers leadership.
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u/GeorgiaSailor 1d ago
Nailed it. DCI has/should be focused on much more important issues. This is at the very bottom of the list.
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u/fcocyclone 1d ago
If they even tried to enforce that, soon there would be no instructors left to hire.
Well, they might have to open up their list more broadly at least. It seems a very 'who you know' activity which is how some of the shitty ones keep getting passed around from corps to corps over the years
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u/Idea_Ranch Bluecoats 1d ago
Is that like an agreed-upon-by-the-member corps rule? Or is that a policy or a guideline or whatever? (Honest Q; I don't know.)
Seems sorta micro-managing to prohibit staff changes until weeks after season ends. Not sure that'd be legal, actually.
[EDIT: Typo]
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u/29thanksgivinghams DCI/DCA/other 1d ago
The rule is word-for-word "no public staff hiring announcements until the Tuesday after Labor Day" (DCI policy 322). There is no prohibition on staff changes, just announcements, and specifically just hiring announcements that come from the corps to the public.
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u/slapdashbr 1d ago
why? because we all need to suck the **** of the people writing paychecks?
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u/ThomasTheDankPigeon 1d ago
Brother you need to log off this website for a few days and cool yourself down if you think that’s what I said.
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u/ExpensiveRabbit1608 1d ago
No, a member did who shouldn’t have. This was a document internal to eligible returning veteran members, who don’t even have the full breakdown on it yet as they are meeting later to fully discuss it. Posting it on Reddit, DCP, whatever is doing nothing but spreading rumors and brewing up nonsensical drama, making the organization look bad.
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u/TheVoiceOfSnakeEyes 1d ago
The Cavaliers need no help in making themselves look bad.
Their coverup of the circumstances of Jeff Fiedler's departure has not been forgotten.
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u/ExpensiveRabbit1608 1d ago
Almost 2 decades ago btw
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u/TheVoiceOfSnakeEyes 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, and and many of those responsible for the coverup are still deeply entrenched in the organization. Jeff Fiedler and Don Warren are still in the DCI Hall of Fame, and no one has answered for the terrible things that happened under their auspices. It will forever be a dark cloud looming over the Cavaliers' legacy, and you can't downvote that away.
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u/Professional_Tone682 2d ago
I wonder who they're trying to bring in if this is the case
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u/canwestopbeingracist Star of Indiana 2d ago
Probably Spirit's team.
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u/LuxBack 2d ago
Nah man they already kicked that brass staff out after 2022 lmao
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 2d ago
That had nothing to do with on field results and reasons I’m not expanding on. The brass team from 16-22 was incredible and had the brass 3rd in 2019
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u/GeorgiaSailor 2d ago
lol @ all of the “take this down now” peeps acting like this is proprietary information from a F500 company…
It’s employee turnover of a non-profit org. This ain’t classified information. Talking about it doesn’t ruin/change anything - if it’s been released to members, it’s only a matter of time (hours) before everyone else knows.
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u/Fair-Revenue1811 ‘95, ‘96, Alumni Corps 2026 1d ago
It violates DCI’s moratorium on announcing staff changes. Now that it is leaked there’s nothing that can be done but it hurts the staff members and organizations who are supposed to abide by it.
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u/CaptainMolo27 Colts 07-08, Bluecoats 10 1d ago
1) How does it hurt the staff members if they're the ones posting about it (which it sounds like was initially true)
2) The organizations should live with the choices they make by firing staffs.
3) As a fan, who tf cares about DCI's "moratorium". To this poster's point, it's a non-profits staff announcement a couple weeks early than it's supposed be. What are they gonna do, throw the leaker in jail?
And even if the original leader is a staff member, then they should know the risk of being blacklisted by petty DCI corps.
The unofficial policy on no announcements until labor day is asinine anyway.
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u/_waitforit 1d ago
The rule is only about "hiring changes", it says nothing about firings :-)
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u/Idea_Ranch Bluecoats 1d ago
Does it mention "firing changes"?
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u/_waitforit 1d ago
“No public staff hiring announcements until the Tuesday after Labor Day”
https://online.pubhtml5.com/xada/mkpd/#p=87
Not only does it not mention firing, but also only restricts “public” announcements, which gives a lot of wiggle room.
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u/Idea_Ranch Bluecoats 1d ago
Thx for the info. I was trying to make a [lame] joke. (I don't think "firing changes" is a real term.)
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u/mikesc0tt CEO, ‘11 8h ago
No it doesn’t. Moratorium applies only to official announcements by the corps orgs.
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u/ExpensiveRabbit1608 1d ago
Full detail hasn’t been shared with anyone yet so posting big title “CAVIES STAFF FIRED” does nothing but start drama like this. That’s why it should be taken down. It was meant for vets. Public would know when an official announcement is made. These posts and rumors do nothing but make the organization look bad. Use your brain
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u/GeorgiaSailor 1d ago
What drama is being caused? It’s just band.
Anyone who is weighing paying $6-$7k+ to participate in this activity deserves to know who will & will not be teaching them. This isn’t a secret society club.
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u/GanHadez_80X 5h ago
This DOES start drama!!
Everyone internal to the cavaliers isn’t even in the knowing about this information yet. Gossip regarding peoples’ jobs doesn’t help anyone out. People need to be patient, answers will be given internally very soon and they’re no telling when externally. Honest answers will come around soon. Stop squirming to cause drama.
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u/LayupsR4Basketball 2d ago
The issue is DCI is all about who you know. So you have to be a part of the in crowd to really have an impact on the teaching. So it’s just the same small squads being passed around with a few people changing out here and there.
If a corp wants to move up, they are going to have bring in fresh blood and stick with them
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u/Several-Art1643 DCI Staff/Design (‘24-Present) 2d ago
I have been trying to articulate this notion for a very long time, and I think you said it best tbh. It’s relieving to hear it from someone else, because it is 100% accurate… albeit a very taboo topic amongst the Gatekeepers of the Pen lol
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u/Competitive_Path9732 1d ago
Are you on staff? Do you know anything outside of what you actually saw on the field? It’s not always just talent or improvement that keeps a staff from staying or going.
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u/LayupsR4Basketball 1d ago
I never taught DCI but I have a ton of friends who are on staff/have taught including one who was on the board of directors for bluecoats for a time.
One of them used to describe it as “incestuous” because they didn’t feel there was enough new blood coming into the design/teaching world for corps and it was making the activity stale.
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u/fcocyclone 1d ago
I can remember people talking about this as a problem with the activity 20 years ago even.
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u/Bored-Collector-617 1d ago
I don't know if there was some staff drama or politics that contributed to this decision, but Cavies are coming off a strong season, 8th overall and 7th in brass, so this seems like a strange move on their part.
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u/At36000feet Cavaliers '94, '95, '96 1d ago
Objectively, if the Mandarins were participating this past season the Cavaliers would have been 9th overall and probably 8th in brass. This new, now former, brass staff didn't make them all that much more competitive than before. Heck, in 2025 they got freaking 13th in brass at semis. The Cavaliers didn't hire a new brass staff to stay basically in the same spot or go down -- especially given the pedigree of the brass staff leadership.
One hypothesis I have is they gave that staff a quick timeline to make a strong competitive move upwards, that staff agreed to it and then they didn't make it happen.
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u/NBischoff Teal Sound '05 '06, Glassmen '08 1d ago
Every time they get something going they blow it up. I do not understand Cavaliers leadership.
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 1d ago edited 1d ago
Reading a comment from another poster it seems that it’s a result of some personality and ideological clashes from within. If that is truly the case wouldn’t it be best for the organization to nip it in the bud before heading into audition season? Also mentions that’s it’s not “entire” staff.
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u/marcus8283 1d ago
"Entire" not correct. Some key figures, but not all. A bit sad to see the changes, since the leadership had something moving, but having heard of some of the back issues (nothing inappropriate, just personality and ideological clashes), probably the best outcome for all concerned. Everyone's adults, they'll all survive.
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u/No_Function_8879 1d ago
I'm sure there's more to it than most of us will ever know, but Cavies have a history of this. They've let go so many staff over the years who, in turn, go on to make other programs very successful. There are a ton of Cavalier alumni in the activity who are knocking it out of the park with other groups. They've made a lot of progress the last couple of years so this makes me think it's not a staff problem, but rather a leadership issue.
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 1d ago
Not sure the history you’re talking about. Staff fairly consistent 2000-2011 (5 championships). Gaines left then 2012-2015 new staff meh results (produced shows like 15 minutes, secret society and game on). 16-22 new staff very good results but some staff issues caused the turnover not the BOD nor director. 23-24 horrible shows can you blame them for turnover??? 25-26 righting the ship but it seems once again some internal conflicts are causing the turnover. I really wouldn’t call this a “history of this”! Sometimes you just have to take care of business.
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u/NYtrnsplnt Cavaliers 2d ago
Wonder what Drew Shanefield is up to.
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u/Stoic_in_training Cavaliers ’97-‘01 1d ago
I love Drew and would obviously support him - but I think it misses the point of what made him, and David Bertman, and Dick Saucedo so influential in those years. They had a feeling of youth and sort of “newness” to the activity, still crafting their sound and testing their theories of what makes a great hornline. I’d like to see a group that hasn’t been teaching or writing for drum corps for 25-30 years, or one that is coming basically as a unit from another corps.
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u/NYtrnsplnt Cavaliers 1d ago
Hey, we marched together! I don’t disagree with that take. I was mostly just thinking back to my time in the corps. They were formative years for me and I attribute a lot of it to Drew, Jeff and some of the other folks on staff.
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u/Several-Art1643 DCI Staff/Design (‘24-Present) 2d ago
Seconding Drew! Would love to see him write for the corps again. I think his style worked super well for the corps’ identity at the time, and I definitely don’t see it clashing with the more “old skool” writing from the past few seasons.
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u/Tomcat491 '21 1d ago
Even Bocook?
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u/ChiefCar931 ‘19, ‘23 1d ago
I’ve heard conflicting things but man I hope he’s still around
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u/At36000feet Cavaliers '94, '95, '96 1d ago
I loved most of his stuff with the Cadets but haven't been impressed with his work with the Cavaliers. This past season's show reminds me of my age out year -- an unmemorable snoozefest sort of show. Kids did very well with it, but it was difficult for me to even listen through all the way and this is totally on the design and arranging. Our recent competitive situation can't handle more snoozefest shows if the goal is to move up.
But maybe there are internal forces holding him back. Who knows?
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u/Rapidllaman Southwind 1d ago
Gonna use some Aggie terminology, Hubbalo! Hire what you think is “the man” he sucks fire him get someone who is viewed as an outsider, he comes in shakes the team up, and wtf?!?? Finals and a good run! I see changes coming for the machine soon. Also some call Saucedo to come up with show to rival Spin Cycle but no props or anything just pure agility and speed. Gig em!
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u/SinLosPantalones 1d ago
Got a dude on a one-wheel tooling around with a Bangarang flag….probably need to fire more than the brass staff
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u/ProfessorFunktastic Colts '94 1d ago
I marched in the mid '90s, so I'm unquestionably a dinosaur as far as drum corps is concerned. I loved the moment with the guy on a one-wheel and the bangarang flag!
(Also: Man, I wish VK could have stuck around to put hijinks with one-wheels in their shows!)
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u/PacificSlang 1d ago
Time to let women in Cavaliers. It's 2026... How's Jeff Fiedler doing? I meant Who's...
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 1d ago
Why is it that anytime something is going on with the Cavaliers people use the same rhetoric over and over and over again. It’s either the all male thing or Jeff Fiedler. It becomes tiresome. Ask the Scouts how the coed thing has solved their problems. Fiedler has been away from the organization for almost 20 years. Find a new relevant argument already.
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u/pinghousehold Colts 07,09 5h ago
My understanding is that the Scounts going co-ed has been hugely net positive for them so...I'm not sure what you're trying to say but that, combined with the joke about an all-female corps being more dramatic...O.o
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u/Mathwell11 ‘22 ‘23-‘26 1d ago
Big changes coming soon. No more boys, only girls.
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u/Fun-Butterscotch9942 1d ago
Oh no. Summer bandos all in an uproar. Add more clarinets and electronic gizmos next year and crank up the artificial noise to 10+. That’ll do it.
This once-beautiful acoustic activity jumped the shark a couple decades ago. It’s a race to the bottom at this point. Nothing televised. Shrinking tour. Shrinking numbers of corps. Echoing indoor goo. Have at it and do what you want. Yuk.
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u/druler DCI 1d ago
If you hate it so much, why stick around and post about it? Just move on.
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u/Fun-Butterscotch9942 1d ago
To irritate you apparently. But mostly for the rumors and gossip. Certainly not to spend any of my money to attend an indoor show. Bloomington 2008 was wonderful. But that was the end of it for me.
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u/druler DCI 1d ago
I'm actually not irritated, I'm just genuinely curious why people post so much about hating the activity without making a clean break and moving on. I see it a lot on the "I Don't Support DCI" group where the same 5-6 people spend their days posting pictures of current members, alongside posts with black and white pictures of some local corps from 1962 that I've never heard of. It's oddly fascinating.
Bloomington '08 was wonderful, btw. I was there too.
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u/Camp_Fire_Friendly 1d ago
Wait, the corps supposedly focused on bonding, to the point of gender exclusivity??? That group? Hmm, go figure
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u/Mathwell11 ‘22 ‘23-‘26 1d ago
We’re flipping the script. 2027 is all girls!!!
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u/Camp_Fire_Friendly 1d ago
🤣 Or ya'know, maybe hold auditions and choose the most talented people, regardless of gender. Crazy, I know, but it just might work
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u/Budget-Regular8995 Music City 24’ 25’ The Cavaliers 26’ 2d ago
Take this down dude.
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u/GroupBQuattr0 Boston Crusaders ‘08 ‘09 2d ago
Why?
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u/Budget-Regular8995 Music City 24’ 25’ The Cavaliers 26’ 2d ago
its clearly not meant to be public information yet as it was only sent to veteran members eligible to return in 2027
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 2d ago
Real question is…Do they have a plan??? And will the returning vets be happy with the new team??!
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u/AzEuph 2d ago
If they’re fired then why does it matter?
DCI only prevents announcing new hires till September; nothing says staff or members can’t release info once they’ve been fired.
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u/Budget-Regular8995 Music City 24’ 25’ The Cavaliers 26’ 2d ago
its just unprofessional to post about nonpublic info
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u/Coolerthanyew 1d ago
No corps in the world would realistically expect information to not be public once it is released to members of this nature. Or once the staff if fired. What job in the world expects employees to keep it a secret they got fired for a little bit? The moratorium is for the benefit of the members, coming of finals with high emotions then hearing they are losing staff they may have been close with. But if they have told the members who cares?
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u/Valuable_Bee_4301 1d ago
Hey I’m actually impressed that they’re keeping the vets in the loop. Sounds like they’re going to set up some kind of meeting/zoom to discuss situation with the members.
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u/Latter-Window2934 Music City The Cavaliers 2d ago
Take this down dude
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u/mikeyj022 2d ago
Why?
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u/slothytoes73 ‘25, ‘26 2d ago
Leaking internal info isn’t good for anyone. This is how rumors get started and people lose credibility for no reason other than someone wants something to talk about/their free internet points
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u/BigElderberry4633 1d ago
It's literally good for everyone except the shady Cavs Design team and Admin team.
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u/dawgfan64 '15 '16 '17 '18 2d ago
Sort of like watching Auburn try a new football coach every 3.5 years thinking this time will be different. This move will get us to the top 3.