Alright, so marching band competition season has come and gone (I can't believe how fast it went!) and now I have the chance to reflect on my first season of being a drum major. I can honestly say that being a drum major is a lot of hard work, and it's a very large time commitment. Having said that, it's definitely worth it in the end.
The Pros
When you're the drum major, you're the boss. You're the one who makes the rules, and your fellow band members will respect that. If you tell them to do something, they'll do it, no complaints. However, this can be a very dangerous thing. No one likes someone the same age as them telling them what to do--you have to use this power carefully.
The band director loves you. We all know there's nothing worse than being yelled at in the middle of practice by your band director. And let's face it, most band kids fear their band director, at least a little. When you're a drum major that fear completely disappears, and your band director treats you as an equal. You're spoken to by your band director with respect, and there's nothing better than being treated like an adult.
You get to accept awards. Before I was a drum major, I never got to hold a single trophy our band received. Once I became a drum major, I was ecstatic every time I got to go on the field to accept an award. You also get to do a fun salute when you accept an award--just don't mess up and embarrass yourself (that happened to me quite a bit this year, actually).
You don't have to march. This is most definitely the main, yet unspoken, reason why alot of drum major become drum majors--they don't have to march. Yes, we march on and off the field, but as far as practice goes, we're pretty much up on our podiums the entire time. Personally, this wasn't the main reason I became a drum major, but for a lot of people it is, whether they admit it or not.
You get to feel important. The best feeling in the world is feeling needed. Sure, everyone in the band is equally important and it takes each and every person to make a band, but the drum majors are crucial to the band's success.
Cons
First to arrive, last to leave. The thing about drum majoring that would make most people turn away is the time commitment--all the extra hours a drum major puts in to make their band successful. Many drum majors have extra practices or camps just for training, and they're expected to arrive early and stay late for regular band practices. I'm not complaining about this, because I love spending time helping out my band in any way possible, but it is listed under cons because we all know that time is a valuable thing.
If you mess up, everyone messes up. A drum major is expected to be perfect. I know, I know...nobody's perfect. But seriously, a drum major can't mess up during a show. If a drum major messes up, the whole band messes up. I've seen it happen--trust me. Drum majors cannot, under any circumstances, make a mistake.
As you can see, the pros seriously outweigh the cons of drum majoring. I'm so lucky I've had the opportunity to be a drum major--I wouldn't trade it for anything. Goodbye marching season, see you next year!
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