Drum Major Essay

The end of junior year in high school I ran for band president against 6 other people; I ended up winning. I was the 2016 band president for Midwest city high school, I was very nervous for this new adventure. It was time for summer band, the first day of summer band was for freshman and band parents, I had to speak in front of 200 people. The next day was full band, it was time to start summer band officially. Practicing in the heat is the worst part of being in marching band, its long and hot and people always get sunburnt. Through the long hot days and playing good music and making new memories is the best part of marching band. My senior year I became a very good musician, I spent more time in the practice room and preceded my speaking

Not many people are familiar with marching band because the sport only lasts for a fall semester. Because the season is short, marching band does not have many competitions. A typical marching season has only one or two competitions. However, even though there are few competitions, each group practices for weeks on end. Each band strives to meet that one goal, which is to do well in a certain competition. When a marching band performs their absolute

Much time goes into making a show, and getting every detail and set practiced to perfection. A Marching Band's main goal is to provide entertainment to the people who choose to watch them, through the combination of peppy music and jaw dropping drill sets to get the crowd going.

Anyone can stand on a podium and conduct, or call out a few commands, but it takes a well-rounded person to be a successful drum major. There are many different qualities that a drum major should possess. I, for one, believe that I possess many different qualities that make me a superior candidate for drum major. I have grown greatly as a person, as well as a musician, during my many years as a band student. Marching band is a huge passion of mine, and probably will always be. I love the feeling of going onto the field, playing my heart out, and getting that rush of euphoria once I hear the crowd clapping. Passion is a quality that makes me a superior candidate because I want to help others become just as passionate with motivation and positivity.

It was a great transition from Middle School to High School. I had a group of friends that I accepted me as one of their own. As the Marching seasons went by, I constantly improved my skills, and by my junior year, I was the section leader for the Sousaphones. In concert band, I continued my efforts to improve my skills. I joined the symphonic winds in my sophomore year and became first chair by the end of the year.

Marching band should be considered a sport because the difficulty is equal to any other sport both mentally and physically. Some students need to carry an instrument up to 30 pounds with perfect posture. Before rehearsal, students also have to warm up, do stretches, and even run. Students have to be able to memorize notes, dots, and stay in step with the entire band. In order to do these things, students have to be super concentrated and must constantly practice. Just like any other sport, the participants have to stay committed, and it’s crucial that they are there for every practice. If a student misses, there is a chance they will lose their spot and be very lost when they return.

The Marching Band program of the Greece Central School District (GCSD) provides every child with the opportunity to perform and compete in a unique way. Through the acquisition of specific knowledge, skills and the development of appropriate disciplines, these experiences

Summer band wasn’t easy but it did teach us lessons such as discipline, teamwork, resilience, and time management. Being in band is commitment all year round and through that commitment you are taught skills other people aren’t exposed to. Learning how to adapt to others is a skill you need to survive in a band. There are 200+ people in a lot of high school marching bands, which means over 200 different characters you have to work with no matter any difference. With most of us coming from different backgrounds of course there are going to be differences. Two years prior to high school there was a school split between and I lived on the edge of the zoning border. I lost most of my friends the following year and thought I would be by myself all throughout high school. When I joined band I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. The band was essentially my family and my directors were my parents. My school had a large band population so I never had a class without at least two other band kids. Also, the band kids were considered to be the smarter kids and since we all took Per-AP/AP classes we all had classes together. You couldn’t separate us because it was just that strong of a bond. Band on top of that was all

For five years, I have been a committed member of my high school’s marching band. For two of those five years, I have been given the opportunity to be the drum major where I conducted and commanded the band. Despite being the only sophomore competing against juniors for the title, the band director saw that I possessed the leadership qualifications needed to inspire the band to work as a single unit. Being drum major, as well as participating in marching band itself, has made me more communicative with other people. As a senior member, the younger students look to me and the other seniors for proper examples of experience. However, as the drum major, the younger members look to me for proper marching technique, advice, and an ear to listen.

When I first joined the marching band in high school, I was very insecure and unsure of what to expect because it was very unfamiliar to me. Near the beginning of the season, our director and staff began to teach us how to march and play simultaneously. Many people were doing fine but some were struggling and I was one of those kids in that predicament.

Marching band isn't just a group of kids finally getting outside for once to run around a football field and blare random notes out of their instruments or spin flags. It's not just an activity or a way to pass the time. It’s not about getting all the medals and trophies or making it to State. It's more important than that. Marching band is a family that brings people together and helps people to grow.

As for the Wikipedia article “Marching Band,” it mainly reviews the foundations of marching band. But aside the technicalities, it also mentions the significance of a supportive staff which are primarily made up of parents. They contribute their time to take part in the activity which their children care so much about; it is their devotion that makes the program possible.

The swing bands showed a highly organized approach to performing Jazz. Fletcher Henderson’s band started the evolution that established the legacy for big bands to follow, both white and black. Henderson’s band merge into the sections we now call big bands, the contrapuntal lines necessarily became more formalized and thereby less improvised. “The first signs of sectional activity appeared in the clarinet trios that is heard in Jelly Morton’s arrangements.” There are four sections including, the sax, trumpet, trombone and, rhythm section of the classic big band.

Throughout my career in band I have learned and grown. I learned numerous musical techniques and how to keep up with my band’s high energy marching style. I have learned discipline

     As a kid I always wanted to play the drums. When I was three years old my godmother gave me my first drum. It was a blue plastic remo drum that I love and I still have. It has white stripes that go vertically and it has two black remo pin strip drum heads. Drumheads are the surface, which you strike with a drumstick to produce a sound. The drum came with a pair of cheap plastic remo brand drumsticks. That I hardly use became if I do, I would probably break the drumsticks.