Julia just posted that she has decided to not return to lead the Dukettes.

I'll let everyone make their own inferences.

Cheer coach, Pep Band director, and now dance team coach.

I do think there is a personal angle to this move

The owner of a local restaurant that my family frequents mentioned this to me a few weeks ago. His daughter is a member of the Dukettes. Younger daughter and I immediately began speculating that Julia leaving was due to Chad being let go. No hard evidence or confirmation on that, just our opinion. Seems a bit too coincidental to me though.

Brian

Hope Chad gets picked up in Blacksburg. Not sure what Julia's plans are, but she's a good one for sure. Perhaps they can both find a good situation similar to what they had at JMU. Very sad it went this way for both of them.

Don't think I should say much more than what I'm about to post, as I consider folks on both sides some pretty good friends, so I will choose my words carefully.

I think it's crazy that Chad was considered 4th at-best during this hiring process. To be honest, if option #3 hadn't accepted, I'm fairly certain they wouldnt have chosen Chad even at that point. For whatever reasons, this wasn't an innocent restructuring. It was 100% about getting rid of Chad, not finding a great candidate. (Please understand that I DO think Amy is a great candidate.)

This whole situation stinks, stanks, stunks.

-Asst band director of 6 years let go; another friend of the program hired for the position after a 6 month "national" hiring search.
-2x National champion dance coach resigns
-2 drill instructors stepping down (Posey, Snow) in the last couple years.
-2 drumline instructors stepped down this summer.
-declining on-field product over the last couple seasons (opinion shared by many)

The last core staff served for many many consecutive years, some of them decades. Lately staff members are leaving very quickly. Let everyone make their own inferences indeed. Is there a problem at the top?

(07-18-2017 12:32 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  -Asst band director of 6 years let go; another friend of the program hired for the position after a 6 month "national" hiring search.
-2x National champion dance coach resigns
-2 drill instructors stepping down (Posey, Snow) in the last couple years.
-2 drumline instructors stepped down this summer.
-declining on-field product over the last couple seasons (opinion shared by many)

The last core staff served for many many consecutive years, some of them decades. Lately staff members are leaving very quickly. Let everyone make their own inferences indeed. Is there a problem at the top?

I ask this because I am completely ignorant to the inner-workings of the MRDs:

Problem at the top of what? the MRDs? The School of Music (is that what it is called--sorry, I don't know)? The Athletic Department?

Satchel Paige once said "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Like old age.

Some of the changes the MRDs are experiencing are the natural result of people getting older, and retiring for personal reasons.
Those folks who've provided valued service over many, many years are missed, and its hard to no longer see them in their regular place in our lives.

Chad is a buddy of mine. I swamped him continuously with YouTube music suggestions telling him the Pep Band would sound great playing the stuff I sent him. One time too many and he finally said to me that the stuff I was sending was too old, would not resonate with the younger folks. I reminded him that most of the fans were OLD! and that my kids love the stuff. Of course my kids are quite a bit older than Chad! I kept sending him stuff. This went on for years and it was lots of fun. I will greatly miss Chad.

During the past season I talked with Chad about the scenario of having to apply for a job you currently have and I sensed that he did not have a very good feeling that this was going to play out well. His interview was over the phone and not in person. After hearing that, I did not have a good feeling either.

I actually knew Julia separate from Chad, as I already had my crush on anything Dukettes related. I got to meet her folks a few years ago as they would stand on one of the landings on the Stairway at the end of the upper deck of BFS. I got all sorts of intel from them about Dukettes stuff and Julia and Chad. When the gathered MRDs started their march around the Stadium before the games, we all would wave down and yell at the waving Dukettes with me doing a Marlon Brando inspired JUUUUUULLLLIIIIIAAAAAA!!!!!!! I am going to really miss Julia.

I'm bummed, big time, about all of this.

Didn't know any of them. It sounds like from the tone (interjecting perception) that the two were outed because they challenged the status quo.

I don't think Julia was outed. I'm pretty sure she chose to go. Chad was outed. For those who don't know, they are a couple.

(07-18-2017 09:03 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  I don't think Julia was outed. I'm pretty sure she chose to go. Chad was outed. For those who don't know, they are a couple.

Stand by your man!

(07-18-2017 05:12 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  Satchel Paige once said "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Like old age.

Some of the changes the MRDs are experiencing are the natural result of people getting older, and retiring for personal reasons.
Those folks who've provided valued service over many, many years are missed, and its hard to no longer see them in their regular place in our lives.

There is only ONE person who has retired from JMU when he left the MRDs: Pat Rooney. Your statement is false.

The people at the top of the School of Music do not value Athletic bands which was blatantly obvious over the recent hiring of an "athletic band director" when they hired a friend of the program who had great concert band experience. Go read her bio and then try to get excited about the direction of the basketball pep band or the football marching band.

When people have argued with Chad and don't like him personally but respect what he's done for the University make comments about how it's rotten up top, I'm going to realize that it's not just people who like Chad and are friends with him that are upset.

(07-19-2017 08:29 AM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  When people have argued with Chad and don't like him personally but respect what he's done for the University make comments about how it's rotten up top, I'm going to realize that it's not just people who like Chad and are friends with him that are upset.

The water has gotten stagnant in general in the upper echelons of JMU.

(07-19-2017 07:55 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(07-18-2017 05:12 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  Satchel Paige once said "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Like old age.

Some of the changes the MRDs are experiencing are the natural result of people getting older, and retiring for personal reasons.
Those folks who've provided valued service over many, many years are missed, and its hard to no longer see them in their regular place in our lives.

There is only ONE person who has retired from JMU when he left the MRDs: Pat Rooney. Your statement is false.

The people at the top of the School of Music do not value Athletic bands which was blatantly obvious over the recent hiring of an "athletic band director" when they hired a friend of the program who had great concert band experience. Go read her bio and then try to get excited about the direction of the basketball pep band or the football marching band.

Posey retired. Rice retired. Not sure where you're getting your info, but your sources are poor.

Bill posey stepped down from the MRDs. He still works for the school of music. If you're going to argue with me about the definition of the word retired, well he "retired" from service to the MRDs. I love me some Bill Posey. I admire and respect him so much. That guy bleeds MRDs and music. I've dedicated a lot of time supporting a scholarship in his honor.

Bill Rice did retire from JMU in 2015. I don't think he's been involved with the MRDs since the 90s; he was a percussion professor forever in the School of Music. The problems at the SoM aren't because of Bill Rice.

Pat Rooney is they only MRD leader/director who retired in the last 15 years. My statement is accurate. lol poor sources. Come on man. This is basic public band knowledge easily verified on the Internet. Check your sources.

(07-19-2017 12:01 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(07-19-2017 07:55 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(07-18-2017 05:12 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  Satchel Paige once said "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Like old age.

Some of the changes the MRDs are experiencing are the natural result of people getting older, and retiring for personal reasons.
Those folks who've provided valued service over many, many years are missed, and its hard to no longer see them in their regular place in our lives.

There is only ONE person who has retired from JMU when he left the MRDs: Pat Rooney. Your statement is false.

The people at the top of the School of Music do not value Athletic bands which was blatantly obvious over the recent hiring of an "athletic band director" when they hired a friend of the program who had great concert band experience. Go read her bio and then try to get excited about the direction of the basketball pep band or the football marching band.

Posey retired. Rice retired. Not sure where you're getting your info, but your sources are poor.

Rice hasn't worked with the MRDs for decades. Bill Posey isn't retired.

I don't know any of the people mentioned but I do know this, don't mess with the halftime football band.

Is Bourne somehow behind this band disturbance?