Drum Major Experience

Long before I earned the drum major position for my junior year, I had fallen in love with my marching band. As drum major, I was in the position to put that passion to work for the improvement of the band. However, as the competition season drew closer, I could see that the band was not where it needed to be. The marching technique was undisciplined, count structures were ambiguous, and the music was messy. It was painful to consider the trajectory of my band and the disappointing result at the end of it. My initial solution was to identify and solve individual cases. I watched for sloppy marching and made sure we drilled that technique more while practicing fundamentals. Mistakes in music were corrected by leading sectionals with the struggling instruments. I made sure to count aloud when marching without instruments to solidify the count structure. However, as competition season began, my efforts seemed to be in vain. After two weekends of disappointing competitions and another frustrating rehearsal, I stuck around in the parking lot with two other seniors. The three of us talked for hours about our frustrations and theorizing on the issues that the band was facing. The
Our struggles weren’t coming from a lack of skill, they were caused by poor attendance and bad rehearsal etiquette. The next day, I gathered the band and started a discussion. I asked seniors to share their experience in band, their dedication, and what success means to them. I watched the seniors reflect on how they could improve their own contributions to leading the band. I outlined how we could improve our habits off the field in order to achieve the season that this band deserved. First, we prioritize rehearsal attendance. Second, we approach rehearsal with a mindset to improve together. Third, we treat every band member with respect and patience, whether giving or receiving