leading the band

Senior Caroline Tarleton conducts the Spartan Regiment during the Sept. 16 football game The band plays an active part of keeping the crowd in the game by leading cheers and playing music to keep the atmosphere festive. Photo by Aniya Sparrow

MAJORLY

committed

The story behind the leaders of the band

By MaryGrace Cummings

Staff Reporter

It’s another Friday Night, spirits are high as Anna Schwarm and Caroline Tartleton, senior drum majors, put on their uniform, adjust their gloves and prepare to lead 110 of their bandmates onto the field at Don Muench Memorial Stadium.

The drum majors main job is to make sure the band is on the same page and provide leadership.

“By definition, it’s just the word out there for conducting through. Like the performances, keeping everybody in time,” Tarleton said. “But it’s also a lot to do with leadership and meeting everybody through just everyday things and also competitions and football games.”

Drum majors hold an enormous amount of responsibility in the band and keeping it as one, and they have to go through a rigorous process to get this position beginning with an application. Drum major applicants then discuss their answers to questions on the application with band staff. “That starts to give us an insight to just who they are as leaders, how they’re thinking about leadership, their philosophy on leadership,” Band Director Nathan Griffin said.

They then move onto a “nerve wracking” as Schwarm says interview in front of the rest of the band. Mr. Griffin explains that he does this for lots of reasons. Not only does it benefit the band, but seeing how the applicants do under pressure, seeing if their answers are either selfish or band-first, and just seeing how they overall command the room is helpful.

Drum major applicants have a long interview process because of how important their presence is to the band and the band staff.

“[I’m] looking for somebody who is a servant, first and foremost because the responsibilities they’re going to have in this job is really going to be serving the band,” Mr. Griffin said. “They’re going to be put through so much, almost like staffing, they’re gonna be handed so many responsibilities.”

Band majors truly do have many responsibilities outside of conducting the band on those tall podiums we all see. Whether it is having to find quick solutions to things when performing or dealing with drama, a lot goes on behind

LEFT: Gazing up at fellow drum major Caroline Tarleton and band director Nathan Griffin, senior Anna Schwarm helps the majority of the band stay on the same page during the Pink Out Game Oct 7. In order to lead the band the majors rely on each other. Photo by Kyly Jacobs ABOVE: Tartleton screams to the band and they scream back as Troy faces a fourth down during the game. The band does this to support the team in their defensive efforts as best they can. Photo by Aniya Sparrow

“I’m looking for somebody who is a servant, first and foremost, because the responsibilities they’re going to have in this job is really going to be serving the band.” - band director Nathan Griffin

the scenes, including the unpredictable.

“When it rained, a lot of our instruments can’t get wet. Like, we’re at the beginning. We’re supposed to have a guitar solo, but because it’s electric, it can’t get wet,” Tarleton said. “So we have to improvise and explain to everybody what’s going on. And they’re asking us all these questions because they want to know what’s going on.”

When encountering challenges, it helps that Schwarm and Tarleton are good friends with such a strong bond already. Tarleton describes her relationship with Schwarm as something special and useful. “We also like to read each other’s minds. We call it twin telepathy, even though we’re not related,” Tarleton said.

Drum majors are separated, feet apart, but have to be able to communicate and understand what the other needs, making this position even more challenging and special.

As previously mentioned, to Mr. Griffin, being a good leader is obviously very important for drum majors so he takes lots of steps teaching them the ropes. Mr. Griffin also sends them to a camp at Kansas State University where they get as prepared as they can be for the coming season and experience.

“[They] get to meet other drum majors, from not only Missouri, but from, in this case, Kansas and other places where now they’re swapping stories, they’re learning from them, and maybe some different nuances that they hadn’t thought about,” Mr. Griffin said. “Or maybe they’re picking up new ideas that they can bring back to us.”

Lots more goes into being in the band and especially being a drum major than outsiders could ever imagine. Next time you are enjoying a Friday night football game and dancing to our fight song, take a moment to listen and appreciate all the unseen work drum majors and the band put in for the students to have that experience.