Joe Hobbs

Educator. Composer. Clinician.

Close-up of stacked metal pipes with scratched, rough surfaces in black and white.
A smiling man in a light grey blazer and matching pants, holding drumsticks, standing against a plain dark background and wearing black and white athletic shoes.

Current Battery Arranger
and Caption Head

Carolina Crown

Logo of Crown with a stylized gold crown above the word 'CROWN' on a dark patterned background.

Crown is a world-renowned, award-winning drum and bugle corps comprised of 165 performers, ages 16-21, who are selected from a rigorous audition process that spans the course of several months. Each season, Crown creates an 11-minute field show designed and taught by experts in the marching performing arts from all around the world. After completing the show, Crown embarks on an extensive 2-month-long nationwide tour, captivating the hearts of hundreds of thousands, all while competing with other drum and bugle corps at the highest level.

20+ Years of Excellence in DCI

Joe has spent over two decades shaping the sound of elite drum corps, most recently as a percussion staff member with the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps, where he helped lead the corps to:

  • 2024 DCI World Championship

  • 2022 Fred Sanford Award for High Percussion (first in corps history)

He also arranged for Music City Drum Corps (2023–2024), where the percussion section earned its highest placement ever in 2023.

Previous DCI Roles Include:

  • Percussion Caption Head, The Cavaliers (2015–2018)

  • Percussion staff, Phantom Regiment & Spirit of Atlanta

  • Battery Instructor, Music City Mystique (2009–2011)

  • Member, The Cavaliers (2004–2006) — 2× World Champion, Zildjian Award recipient

  • 2003 DCI I&E Snare Drum Champion, Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps

Director of Percussion

Vandegrift High School (2016–2025)

Joe led the Vandegrift percussion program to national recognition with achievements that include:

  • Dripping Springs Drumline Champions (2016, 2017, 2019)

  • Lone Star Classic Champions (2018)

  • Featured PASIC Clinicians (2019)

  • Invited Ensemble at the Midwest Clinic (2017, 2024)

Band Program Honors During Tenure:

  • UIL 6A State Marching Champions (2022, 2023)

  • BOA Grand National Champions (2019)

  • 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade invitees

  • Sudler Flag & Shield recipients

Writer, Clinician, Trusted Voice

Book cover titled 'The Starting Line' by Joe Hobbs, featuring an illustration of snare drums in black, gray, orange, and yellow, with blue lines and abstract background elements.

Joe is the author of The Starting Line, a snare drum methods book published by Tapspace. It’s used across the country to help young players develop rhythmic comprehension and expand their rudimental vocabulary.

His percussion arrangements have been performed by:

  • The University of Texas

  • The University of Alabama

  • Phantom Regiment

Education & Affiliations

Joe holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Murray State University and a Master’s from Lamar University. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Kara, and their daughter, Nina.

Proudly Endorsed By: