In my junior year of high school, I was selected to be my marching band's drum major. I had been in the band since middle school and to this day, it remains one of the proudest moments of my life. The next two seasons were an adventure as I tried to figure out what the heck I was doing and settled into the newfound authority I had. While every drum major has a different sized band and different experiences, there are a few things we have in common.
1. "Drum major? So you play the drums?"
The only time I've played percussion was the time we didn't have a triangle player for a concert once and I jokingly said I could do it and my director gave it to me anyway. The "Drum Major" at first was in fact the lead drummer of a regiment, but in modern times, we lead the entire band by conducting or marching in front. No percussion instruments necessary.
2. You can project your voice to the high heavens.
Whether the band is working on drill, spread over 100 yards of football field or you have to communicate which stand tune to play next over the audience of a football game, you have to make sure everyone can hear you. Some of us had the luxury of a megaphone, but others of us needed to make our voices work. "Band parade rest" was our equivalent to "stop talking and listen up," and I'm sure everyone was sick of hearing it in my voice by the time I graduated.
3. You've learned to have no shame.
At the football games, I was the one facing the high school student body while dancing to the drummer's cadences. Even when no one was paying attention to our halftime show, I smiled at the crowd after my salute. With the uniform did come some teasing from the people who were disrespectful, but you had to learn to lead by example and hold your plumed head high. Learning to just let loose and be yourself brought the best results.
4. You have a love-hate relationship with the podium.
Whether you have a stepladder or a podium that can fit three people on it, there's a certain sense of power that comes with being above everyone (quite literally). I didn't have the biggest sense of security on my rickety podium, and I sometimes felt disconnected from the band. When my band director took over rehearsals from the press box at times, I didn't have too much to do or anyone to talk to while I waited. However, you think about all the people you respect that stood on that same podium and feel a small sense of pride to be included in those ranks.
5. You learned delegation and conflict resolution the hard way.
There are going to be band members that disagree with your leadership styles. Maybe section leaders aren't following through with their duties, and you're the one who has to step forward and do something about it. You are not a superhero, and you can't do everything by yourself. You learn to find the balance between what you are responsible for and what others must be responsible for. You learn to know what is in the band's best interest rather than a specific person's best interest.
6. You've developed a thick skin, but also learned to admit your mistakes.
There were countless times when I conducted in the wrong time signature, then yelled at everyone when they came in sloppily. After rough rehearsals, where my voice was tired from yelling so much, I could feel the crankiness of the band directed towards me. Sometimes, I questioned how good a drum major I really was, but eventually, I learned not to take it personally. Every rehearsal typically brought a fresh start, and in the end, the band and I had a mutual tolerance for each other's mistakes.
7. You find yourself conducting everything.
You can be driving with both hands on the wheel, and suddenly you notice your head bobbing in a 4/4 pattern. You hear a song with a different time signature and try to find the downbeat and figure out what it's in. You think about the style you would conduct it in as well. It's a curse.
8. Throughout your time as drum major, you think about the future leaders of the band.
Obviously, you want to leave the band in good hands. Even if you don't have a say in it, you think about the band members in each band that would be a good fit for drum major or section leader in the coming years. You also try to figure out where everyone is going to end up in five years and think about if they're just going to quit their instrument as soon as high school ends or if they'll continue on to possibly become a music major.
9. You know that modesty is key.
You have every reason to be proud of yourself, but you can't let it all go to your head. You don't want to seem like a ruthless dictator. You want the band members, especially the younger ones, to know that you can relate to them and know what it feels like to be in their shoes.
10. You miss being "in" the band.
It's an awesome feeling playing such an important role in the band, but you miss the tedious feeling of going back and forth between your dots on the field and playing pop tunes in the stands. Whenever my band had sectionals, I would float around checking up on everyone or made copies and became my band director's secretary. I would march on the field for fun sometimes before rehearsal, or participate in warm-up drills with the band.
11. You've grown more than you could ever expect.
After years of hard work, you've climbed through the ranks and got an amazing opportunity. You gained leadership you may have never had before, and gained respect from band members and band moms alike. Being drum major will be an accomplishment I will be proud of for the rest of my life.
