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Drum Major
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A Sergeant Major of the Drums or drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band. The Drum Major is usually positioned at the head of the Band or Corps and is the figure who stands out in the public eye. The Drum Major is responsible for providing commands either verbally, through hand gestures, or with a mace in the military or with whistle commands or a baton in the US civilian bands to the ensemble regarding where to march, what to play, and what time to keep.
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Encyclopedia
A Sergeant Major of the Drums or drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band. The Drum Major is usually positioned at the head of the Band or Corps and is the figure who stands out in the public eye. The Drum Major is responsible for providing commands either verbally, through hand gestures, or with a mace in the military or with whistle commands or a baton in the US civilian bands to the ensemble regarding where to march, what to play, and what time to keep. They are often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the Band or Corps.
History
The position of Drum Major originated in the British Army with Corps of Drums in 1650. Military groups performed mostly duty calls and battle signals during that period, and a fife and drum corps, directed by the Drum Major, would use short pieces to communicate to field units. With the arrival of military concert bands and pipe bands around the 18th century, the position of the Drum Major was adapted to those ensembles.
Traditionally, a military Drum Major was responsible for:
- Defending the drummers and bandsmen (The drums and bugles were communication devices)
- Military discipline of all Corps of Drums members
- The Corps of Drums's overall standards of dress and deportment
- Corps of Drums administrative work
- Maintain the Corps of Drums's standard of military drill and choreograph marching movements
The Drum Major was also given duties in the battalion at several points in history, which included the administering of military justice (lashing), to any member of the battalion and collecting the battalion's post.
Military position
A Drum Major in the armed forces is these days an appointment and not a rank.
In the British Army, a Drum Major holds the rank of Sergeant, Staff Sergeant (or equivalent), or Warrant Officer Class II. Royal Air Force Drum Majors hold the rank of Chief Technician (Sergeant in the Air Training Corps), except for the Senior Drum Major RAF, who is a Flight Sergeant. Royal Marines Band Service Drum Majors are Corporals, Sergeants or Colour Sergeants, except for the Corps Drum Major, who is a Warrant Officer Class I. The Drum Major is always referred to and addressed as "Drum Major" or 'Drummy' and not by his rank. The insignia of appointment is four point-up chevrons worn on the wrist, usually surmounted by a drum. Staff/Colour Sergeants have a small crown between the drum and the chevrons and Warrant Officers have the larger crown from their rank badge in its place. Since the Drum Major is part of the battalion staff, he will wear a crimson sash instead of scarlet, and will dress as a Warrant Officer regardless of his rank.
The Australian Army traditionally follow the appointments along the same lines as the British Army. The Drum Major is always an experienced member of the Australian Army Band Corps, usually with the rank Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class II or Warrant Officer Class I. However, the member of the unit with the highest or most senior of these ranks is not always the drum major. The ability of the Drum Major is the main condition for the appointment.
In the Royal Marines Band Service and in regimental corps of drums of the British Army, the Drum Major is always a side drummer(titled Bugler in the Royal Marines), and would normally be required to have passed a number of courses in music, military skills, and leadership throughout his military career before he would be considered for appointment as a Drum Major.
In the Corps of Army Music, Royal Air Force, United States Armed Forces and Canadian Forces, the Drum Major is not required to be a drummer, the appointment being held by any suitably qualified musician.
Within Commonwealth Military's the Drum major is one of four types of Sergeant Majors
US Marching bands
The drum major position is one of leadership, instruction, and group representation, but usually not administrative duties. A band director or corps director assumes administrative responsibility. In the absence of the Band Director, the Drum Major carries the authority of the director or instructor and assumes complete leadership over the band.
Drum majors are mostly responsible for knowing the music of the ensemble and conducting it appropriately. What is "appropriate" conducting has evolved over the decades. During the 1970s and prior it was not uncommon for a stationary drum major to do a high-lift mark time on the podium for an audible and visual tempo; with the arrival of increasingly higher drum major platforms and thus greater visibility this has become both dangerous and unnecessary. In addition to memorizing the music (between six and nine minutes of music is typical for high school marching bands, college bands and drum corps may have that much or more, up to more than eleven minutes of music) a drum major must memorize dynamics as well as tempo in order to provide proper direction and cues, particularly in area where the drum major has some discretion, such as a ritardando or fermata.
To see one to three drum majors in most ensembles is typical. More usually indicates a group of prodigious size; conversely, no drum major may indicate a small band conducted by its director or a group lead by a horn sergeant or drumline captain. In some ensembles, drum majors switch positions during the show to allow all individuals a chance to conduct from the central podium, occasionally they may serve in other capacities such as performing a solo.
As marching bands have started to focus more directly on halftime shows and less on parades, the stereotypical staff or mace has largely vanished in preference of hand movements, occasionally with the use of a conductor's baton. Some drum majors have also become more elevated over the years, having moved off of the field over the course of the 1970s and 1980s and onto small podiums, which in recent years have often become some eight feet in height or larger. There may be supplemental podiums for additional drum majors, usually smaller in stature.
A marching band or drum corps drum major (field conductor) is in charge of holding the band/corps together, and directing the entire band/corps during shows and competitions. This drum major can come from any section of the performing unit: percussion, winds, or color guard. They are chosen on their musical abilities, leadership qualities, attitude, and passion for the sport. The Drum Major is the highest ranked band participant, usually followed by the captain(s) of the drumline, then by guard captain(s), pit captain(s) horn sergeant(s), section leaders and band officers.
Drum majors have slightly different roles within the world of traditional show bands. Many college bands have drum majors who are very much part of the visual element of a field show. Rather than conduct as a corps-style drum major would, traditional drum majors often march on the field with the band, using a mace or baton to keep time and flourish their own movements. Drum majors in the Big Ten and HBCUs have a particularly prominent role. While most of them do not conduct at all, they lead the band onto the field, often after having several seconds for a short performance by themselves (a backbend is traditional in many schools). During dance routines, they often move along with the bands. As traditional drum majors have much more of a visual role than corps drum majors, there are often many more of them, sometimes up to ten drum majors to a single band.
High School Drum Majors
High School marching bands generally have anywhere from one to four drum majors who are responsible for conducting and leading the band. There is usually a drum major on the 50 yard line. A notable exception to this would be if there are two drum majors that take turns as the central drum major and, for convenience during the show, are placed on each 40 yard line. Any other majors are placed on yard lines closer to the end zone, or to the rear of the band for about face maneuvers. A member of the on-field band may take a position as drum major temporarily if the band's movements require a rear drum major or the lead major performs. Some drum majors also serve as leadership positions and can conduct, but prefer to march. These drum majors serve as replacements in case one or more of the permanent drum majors (usually older members of the band) can't make it to a performance, but still continue to practice their conducting abilities. Depending upon the region, field conducting may be done by the band director, allowing the drum major(s) to play a more important role in the performance, marching with the rest of the band.
A marching band show (college or high school) usually begins with a salute from the drum major(s). Salutes range in complexity from a simple salute to complicated routines involving many members of the band. The salute is traditionally the beginning of judging in a competition, and also signals the end of a band's show. The dropping of a salute usually involves making the hand into a fist just above or in front of the face, and bringing the hand down by the side. A drum major is also responsible for calling the band to attention, beginning, and conducting the show. For calling the band to attention a drum major may use a command such as "Band-Ten-HUT," thus bringing the band to the attention position. The command "Detail-Ten-HUT" is also used to call a specific group within a band to attention. The drum major may use a whistle, vocal, or hand commands to accomplish this. This practice goes back to the military origins of the marching or field band.
A marching band review (parade), begins like a field show. Because of the street setting, there are usually no change in formations. Typically the band forms a parade block and width and length of rows and columns varies depending on how large a block is desired. Around the block is the color guard and infront of all of it is the drum major. Scoring is similar to a field show (musicality, visual, general affect, auxiliary, etc), however there is an added section specifically on the drum major's performance. The drum major is scored based on the execution of the opening routine, salute routine, marking time, vocal/whistle/hand commands, and overall control of the band. The opening routine is the main area where the drum major displays his/her skill at spinning a mace/military baton and ends in what can be referred to as a 'pike' (the mace is still and pointing straight up) followed by a whistle or vocal count off. The salute is usually much less complex than the opening routine. The salute routine occurs half way down the competition line where the judge table is located on the drum major's right hand side. The general rule for a salute is that it begins 6 steps before the American flag (located in the middle of the judge table) and ends 6 steps after passing the flag (6 on 6 rule). After that, the last thing the drum major does is cutting off the band after passing the competition line. This is done by either vocal, whistle or mace/baton command as with any other commands given while in a parade block.
A high school drum major usually wears a uniform different than the rest of the band. It may either be a show-specific uniform, or a custom uniform based on the school's uniform or colors and is a slight modification of the standard uniform. It really can be as simple as extra shoulder decorations or different colored plumes or chain on the head piece, or as complicated as a specialized chest section. It is designed to help the drum major stand out when coming onto the field and to give distinction to the leader of the band.
High school bands usually have (an) older member(s), most often seniors and juniors, as drum majors. When it is time to appoint new drum major(s), he/she/they instruct the "in training" drum majors, usually juniors. However, the position may be open to different people, depending on the school; some schools only let seniors be drum majors, while others let students apply as sophomores or even freshmen. The next year the Drum majors train the next aspiring drum major auditioners, and continue the cycle of proficient drum majors.
See also
External links
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