Being a UC Band Drum Major
Being a Drum Major has been one of my biggest goals since first joining the band in the fall of 2013, and it’s been an experience filled with an immense amount of learning, personal growth, and true joy. This year, I was lucky enough to serve as one of the full-time Drum Majors for the UC Bearcat Bands after being the Associate Drum Major (basically an “in-training” position) last year. Being Associate Drum Major had already taught a lot, not just about the job, but also about what it means to be a young, developing leader in an organization as big as the marching band. Technically, the job of the Drum Majors is to be the liaison between the directors and the students, to conduct the music for the band, and to relay information to the band about rehearsals and performances, but it’s so much more than that. Being a Drum Major means that I get to step up as a role model for other members of the band by sharing my passion and showing that with dedication, any dream can be accomplished. With this comes a lot of responsibility, though. As the highest student leaders in the band, we’ve devoted ourselves to always be early/stay late, to take full responsibility for the success of the band, and to constantly be on-top of things, which is difficult for any 20-year-old. I found that for these struggles of the job, it takes a lot of confidence to overcome the failures to continue to pursue the joys that the job brings, and that was probably the hardest part for me.
There were many instances in which my confidence in my abilities and decision making skills were put to the test, but ultimately led to some of the best experiences that I will cherish forever.
There were many instances in which my confidence in my abilities and decision making skills were put to the test, but ultimately led to some of the best experiences that I will cherish forever.
One of the best examples I can think of was when the band was honored enough to be chosen to perform as an exhibition band at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championships. This is, by far, one of the largest and most influential venues that a band can perform, and to add, it takes place in the same arena where the Drum Corps International (basically professional marching band) groups perform. There was a TON of pressure on our band to do well here, which made it necessary for us as the Drum Majors to constantly be positive and hard-working leading up to and during the performance. There was one particular rehearsal where I made a mistake before starting a song and got very discouraged, and that was always in the back of my mind during the rehearsals to follow. But when it came time to the performance and my moment came where the stadium was completely silent, all eyes on me waiting to start the song, I was able to remember the hard work I’d put in and channel that electric feel I got from the moment I was in and lead the band in the best run we’d ever had of that song. I actually remember being brought to tears with just the pure power of that experience, remembering where I had started with the UC Band just two short years prior, and that moment changed the way I’ve viewed being a Drum Major ever since. It’s more than an honor and a privilege, it’s a complete blessing that I’ve been selected to experience music performance and ultimate school spirit on such a deep level, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget what it’s like.
As much as this experience has benefited my experience within the band, I’ve been able to gain countless skills that I will be able to apply academically, professionally, and personally. Being a Drum Major has taught me how to manage my time well and always come in with a plan. We are the students that are expected to come at least 15 minutes early to everything to open the band room for the other students and to finalize any plans for the day with the directors. We use the mindset that early is on-time and on-time is late, and this is a method of time management that I have tried to apply to my whole life, especially with my homework submissions, arrival to class, and also arrival to any professional meetings (interviews, co-op team meetings, etc). I think the work habit from being a Drum Major that has proven most applicable to my academic and professional lifestyle has been schedule management. We are usually provided with a rehearsal schedule before every rehearsal that describes a breakdown of our time and our goals for the evening. I find it useful to use this same approach when planning my day, setting out times for certain homework/studying, exercise, club meetings, and more. These are just a few skills that have really pushed me to be a highly-motivated and organized student and young professional.
While those things are great, I truly do think that the most influential part of this experience has been the effect on my personal life. One of the biggest challenges I had this year, while it may seem silly, was deciding what kind of Drum Major I wanted to be. Did I want to be this serious person that showed others the demanding work ethic that was necessary? Did I want to be the goofy one that gave everyone a laugh, but wasn’t taken that seriously? It was definitely a balancing act, and I really do hope that I found a happy medium between the two. I just decided to act in the only way I knew how: by being driven by my passion and enthusiasm and just having the best-darn time I could! The friendships I built with the other three Drum Majors, Jamey, Tony, and Stephen, are ones that I never imagined I’d have that very first day of band camp my freshman year and are now the ones that I am so unbelievably thankful to have. They got me through what was arguably one of the hardest points in my life (be sure to check out my Year in Review!) while also being a huge source of laughter and stress-relief. Serving the band in this capacity allowed me to truly get to know way more people than I ever had before and encouraged me to do so by just being myself, and that’s the lesson that I’m most grateful for. I can’t wait to do it all again next year! TUCBIDG!
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While those things are great, I truly do think that the most influential part of this experience has been the effect on my personal life. One of the biggest challenges I had this year, while it may seem silly, was deciding what kind of Drum Major I wanted to be. Did I want to be this serious person that showed others the demanding work ethic that was necessary? Did I want to be the goofy one that gave everyone a laugh, but wasn’t taken that seriously? It was definitely a balancing act, and I really do hope that I found a happy medium between the two. I just decided to act in the only way I knew how: by being driven by my passion and enthusiasm and just having the best-darn time I could! The friendships I built with the other three Drum Majors, Jamey, Tony, and Stephen, are ones that I never imagined I’d have that very first day of band camp my freshman year and are now the ones that I am so unbelievably thankful to have. They got me through what was arguably one of the hardest points in my life (be sure to check out my Year in Review!) while also being a huge source of laughter and stress-relief. Serving the band in this capacity allowed me to truly get to know way more people than I ever had before and encouraged me to do so by just being myself, and that’s the lesson that I’m most grateful for. I can’t wait to do it all again next year! TUCBIDG!
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