A brief history of Chops, Inc.
Chops, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based music nonprofit with three decades of experience in music education and award-winning performance ensembles. Our mission is improving lives through music education and performing arts.
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chops history - 1991-2024​​​​​​
1991 Chops, Inc. was founded by Michael Mayer and Nell Doyle. The first membership board consisted of Mike, Nell, Ed Croce, and Kathleen Ryan. Their mission was to give back to communities through parades by providing quality, slapstick entertainment. Thus, Chopstix Percussion was born. Chopstix originally consisted of 22 members, most of which were alumni from Waseca High School where Mike was an instructor. The uniforms, purchased from Kmart Department Store, consisted of straw hats and Hawaiian shirts. The members provided sunglasses, red shorts, and sweatbands. Yamaha Drums gave Chopstix a half sponsorship on drum equipment. Halfway through the first summer, red Converse high tops were voted on by the membership board to add uniformity. They traveled in their own cars with equipment in the trunk. Campouts were common because they were fatigued and could not afford hotels.
1992: Chopstix experiences a surge in popularity and performance requests, leading to the need to decline some bookings. The organization purchases its first bus to address transportation and storage needs.
1993: Chopstix updates its uniform, introducing new red shirts and black satin shorts while retaining previous elements like the hats, sunglasses, sweatbands, and shoes. Members collaborate to sew their own shorts. Chopstix expands beyond parades, performing its first exhibition field show in Alexandria, Minnesota.
1994: Top Chops Brass Line is formed, founded by Michael Mayer and Doug Antoine. Top Chops innovates by performing as a marching brass ensemble without percussion accompaniment.
1995: Chopstix and Top Chops begin performing concerts together. Top Chops grows to 65 marching members under the direction of Todd Dufault.
1996: The organization formally adopts the name "Chops, Inc." to encompass both Chopstix Percussion and Top Chops Brass Line. Chops acquires two buses and frontline equipment. Greg Hiniker becomes the new director of Top Chops Brass Line. Top Chops transitions from traditional instruments to G bugles.
1997: Chops expands its resources, adding a third bus and a souvenir trailer. The organization relocates from Waseca, Minnesota to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
1998: Chops invests in an equipment trailer. A decision is made to compete as a unified senior drum and bugle corps the following year, while maintaining the separate parade units.
1999: Chops, Inc. makes its competitive debut as a senior drum and bugle corps, participating in Drum Corps Midwest (DCM), Drum Corps International (DCI), and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) circuits. Chops is granted DCM membership, classified as Division II in size, and wins the top Drum Major Award. Augsburg College serves as the rehearsal facility.
2000: Chops hosts its first drum corps show, "Chopping Above the Clouds," in St. Cloud, Minnesota, in collaboration with the St. Cloud All-City band program. The organization obtains a gambling license and establishes its first site in July. An equipment truck is purchased to accommodate the growing inventory.
2001: Hot Chops Color Guard, founded and directed by Robert Thomas, is introduced as the third ensemble within Chops, Inc. Chops, Inc. now performs parades with three independent groups: Chopstix, Top Chops, and Hot Chops. An old bread truck, affectionately nicknamed the "Hot Truck," is acquired to transport the color guard's sound system and equipment. Chops celebrates its 10th anniversary with a field show titled "Until the Next Time," incorporating elements of popular parade tunes and culminating in a collaborative performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird."
2002: Chops, Inc. expands further with the introduction of the Chops Winter Program, a senior-division competitive unit combining color guard and percussion elements for the North Star Color Guard Circuit. The winter program gains substantial popularity and a dedicated fan base. New field uniforms are unveiled for the summer season, featuring a black bottom, a maroon short-sleeved jacket with a black sash embroidered with "Chops," and a black hat. Wristbands and sunglasses are retained as a nod to the parade program's legacy. The traditional Hawaiian uniforms remain for parades.
2003: Jeremy Kunkel assumes the role of Director of Chops, Inc. The Chops Winter Program completes its second successful season on the North Star Circuit. The summer drum corps show, titled "4 Fried Chickens and Some Dry White Toast," features the music of The Blues Brothers. Jeremy Kunkel serves as both director and drum major. Chops' home field show relocates to Champlin Park High School and is renamed "Choppin' in the Park." The "Hot Truck" suffers engine failure after the last parade of the season.
2004: Jeremy Kunkel continues as director and drum major, adopting the persona of "Ronald McWhopper." The summer show, "Would You Like Some Fries With That Shake?" incorporates a playful theme and selections containing the word "shake," including works by Aaron Copland, Manhattan Transfer, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, and The Blues Brothers. Chops expands its performance territory, venturing to LaCrosse, South Milwaukee, and Port Washington in Wisconsin.
2005: Chops embarks on a significant journey to compete at the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Their show, "Yes, We're Serious... And Don't Call Us Shirley!" features selections from The Who's "Tommy," Harry Connick Jr.'s "Heavenly," and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." Chops enters the finals in first place in Class A competition and clinches the DCA Class A Championship title.
2006: Robert Bohanek becomes the new CEO of Chops, Inc., succeeding co-founder Michael Mayer. Jason Wiley takes on the role of Director of Operations. Mark Schilling assumes the position of Program Coordinator. The summer show, "I Never Kissed Winnie Cooper," features music by Joe Cocker, The Rolling Stones, Michael Bublé, and Stevie Wonder. Chops participates in the DCI Central Division Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the sole all-age corps. The corps makes its second trip to DCA Championships, now held in Rochester, New York, facing challenges due to Tropical Storm Ernesto. Chops finishes fourth in Class A competition and wins the High Percussion Award.
2007: The summer show, "Drums & Horns & Guard, Oh My!! The Music of Wicked," features costumed drum majors and incorporates music from the Broadway musical "Wicked." Brian Melland serves as Program Coordinator. Chops travels to Traverse City, Michigan, to perform in the Cherryland DCI Classic and the Cherry Royale Parade. The corps participates in its third DCA World Championships in Rochester, New York, achieving notable success in the Individual & Ensemble Competition. Robert Bohanek places second in the mellophone solo competition. Kyle Hoffman and Nick Edwards tie for second with an original snare drum duet. Chopstix earns recognition as a percussion ensemble.
2008: Kevin Kimes becomes the new CEO, following Robert Bohanek's relocation to San Antonio, Texas. Brian Melland continues as Program Coordinator. The show, "It's 7 o'Clock and I'm Ready to Rock," explores classic rock, featuring music by Head East, Edgar Winter Group, Melanie, Harry Nilsson, and Elton John. Chops participates in the DCA World Championships, achieving success in the Individual & Ensemble Competition. The corps advances to the Finals and secures third place in Class A competition.
2009: Chops, Inc. focuses solely on parade performances, enabling the organization to return to its roots and emphasize street entertainment. Jeremy Kunkel designs new street shows. The parade season commences with the traditional performance at the Dam Days Celebration in Morristown, Minnesota. Chopstix, Top Chops, and Hot Chops march in several new parades, including St. Paul's Grand Ole Days, Funfest in Durand, Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities Pride Parade. The season concludes with a performance in Le Sueur, Minnesota, preceded by a gathering at "The House" for a concert and the Giant Celebration parade and park performance.
2010: Chops, Inc. continues as a parade-only organization. The season opens in Morristown, Minnesota, featuring music by Styx arranged for parades and concerts. Weather challenges disrupt planned performances in Medford, Granite Falls, and St. James, Minnesota. Chops once again participates in the Twin Cities Pride Parade. The season ends in Le Sueur, Minnesota, with a Chops Open golf tournament and a campout.
2011: Chops, Inc. celebrates its 20th anniversary. Alumni from various years participate in the festivities. Chopstix boasts one of its largest and most talented drumlines to date. Co-founder Mike Mayer rejoins the ranks. The season kicks off in Morristown, Minnesota, upholding a 20-year tradition. Performances are impacted by weather in St. Louis Park and Farmington, Minnesota. Brian Melland delivers a patriotic speech accompanied by Top Chops' rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" during a Fourth of July performance. The Le Sueur performance features a joint drumline warm-up with Su Fu Du from South Dakota. Nate Gamb, an alumnus, assumes the role of CEO. Jeremy Kunkel steps away from Chops to focus on family commitments.
2012: Chops, Inc. maintains its focus on parade performances with Chopstix Percussion and Top Chops Brass. A new staff takes over: Kyle Hoffman leads Chopstix, Andy Yaroch heads Top Chops, and Jared Norberg spearheads efforts to revive Hot Chops Color Guard. The season is marked by unusual incidents, including a bus hitting a deer en route to Willmar, Minnesota, and a Fourth of July performance on a sweltering day. The hornline performs as a mini-corps at two Minnesota DCA shows in South St. Paul and St. Peter. The season concludes with the annual awards banquet at The Mermaid, featuring a roast of longtime member and board member Greg Hiniker in honor of his retirement.
2013: Chops faces challenges and changes due to a smaller corps size. Chopstix and Top Chops, with only eight performers each, march as a unified unit instead of separate sections. The traditional Morristown parade performance is missed to prioritize rehearsing the new parade format. The corps achieves success despite its reduced size, including a well-received standstill performance at the Racine, Wisconsin DCA show and two on-field exhibitions in South St. Paul and St. Peter, marking the most field performances since 2008. All three hornline rookies receive awards at the banquet.
2014: April 26: The founding members of Pan-handlers Steel Drum Band hold their first rehearsal.
2017: Tin Cups steel drum band is founded, specializing in parades and providing an accessible entry point for those new to the instrument or with limited time commitments.
2018: Chops launches the Pan Outreach Program, a "traveling school of pan" offering steel drum instruction to wider communities.
2021: Jeremy Kunkel steps down as director of Pan-handlers.
2022: September 27: Chops, Inc. announces a new mission statement: "Improving Lives through Music Education and Performing Arts." The organization's first Core Values are also announced: Integrity, Excellence, Personal Development, Community, and Entertainment.
2023: January 9: The National Endowment for the Arts awards a $15,000 grant to Chops' Pan Outreach Program. This funding supports steel-drum residencies at K-12 public schools throughout the year.
2024: Pan-handlers Steel Drum Band unveils a new logo, website, and updated social media channels in celebration of its 10th anniversary. Chris Belich serves as the current director. August 10: Chops hosts its annual Day of Pan event at The Cedar Cultural Center, featuring performances by Pan Camp students, Tin Cups, Pan-handlers, and guest artists Liam Teague and Faye Seeman.
Hall of Fame - Chops AwarD
The All Star Award: Those who have distinguished themselves with a lifetime of service and achievement to the corps are awarded the All-Star and are inducted into the Chops, Inc. Hall of Fame. The award was created for the 20th anniversary of the corps. Jeff Mohr, inducted 2011 Jeff has been involved in various roles since 1995, as a member of Chopstix and the Board of Directors and as the Communications Director. He is the definition of a Box Five member: Jeff is a leader and quality performer in the line, a valued volunteer willing to tackle anything behind the scenes, and a sage director on the Board. Greg Hiniker, inducted 2012 Greg was involved with the corps from 1995 until 2012. He was instrumental in the formative years of Top Chops and was involved in the hornline throughout his tenure as an instructor and performer. He was a long-time member of the Board of Directors, the longest serving Vice-CEO in Chops history, and served as Interim CEO for a season. Greg has always gone above and beyond to serve the corps, one example being that he drove through a blizzard in December of 1995 to pick up the G Bugles the corps had purchased from Star of Indiana. Kevin Kimes, inducted 2013 Kevin joined the corps in 2000 as a part of the visual staff and served as drum major that year. He continued on staff with the corps, eventually taking on the role that would be his greatest contribution to the organization: that of Gambling Manager. Under Kevin's stewardship, the charitable gambling arm of Chops has become a model organization in the state, and Kevin has been invited to speak at the Allied Charities conference and has helped the legislature craft current charitable gambling law. Kevin has taken on leadership roles with the corps as well, serving as CEO and Corps Director for two years, as well as a couple years as Visual Caption head and Brass Caption Head.
The Shoelace Award: The Shoelace is given to the member who has made the most significant effort to help the corps behind the scenes that year. The name of the award comes from our iconic Chuck Taylor high-tops, as this is the person who has tied everything together to make the season successful. Recent Recipients 2013 – Scott Kolman-Keen 2012 – Robert Lichtenberg 2011 – Greg Hiniker 2010 – Matthew Kilanowski 2009 – Jeremy Kunkel 2008 – Tyson Smith / Jeff Mohr 2007 – 2006 – Greg Hiniker 2005 – 2004 – Matthew Kilanowski 2003 – Sarah Mayer? 2002 – Jeff Mohr? 2001 – 2000 – 1999 – 1998 – Sherry Bah 1997 – Cathy Skiba 1996 – Pat Kneef 1995 – 1994 – 1993 – Nell Doyle 1992 – 1991 –