Marching bands can vary widely in size, ranging from small bands of 20 to larger sizes of 80, or even past 100. With all of these people and all of the different sections and moving parts, it can get tricky to time things right. That’s where drum major Kaitlyn Thomas comes in.
“A drum major is responsible for keeping time during performances, but also leading the band,” said junior Drum Major Kaitlyn Thomas. “You have to be able to communicate clearly and confidently.”
The drum major helps keep the band in sync and in time with each other. They don’t necessarily perform the show themselves; instead, they are the conductors and managers of the show, making sure everything runs as smoothly and as synchronized as possible.
“My favorite part of being drum major is getting to work with so many different people on one shared goal,” said Thomas. “I love how so many people can put such a significant amount of time all into one goal of having a successful show.”
While on the field, the image of a drum major comes off as intimidating and commanding. However, off the field, Thomas does well at connecting with her fellow band members, balancing her leadership and her personality.
“My favorite aspect about Kaitlyn–as a drum major–is her ability to be versatile and flexible,” said junior Zoe Valverde. “Many of these high ranking leadership positions might come off to people as intimidating or serious all of the time. This is not the case for Kaitlyn. She is a very compassionate person who can show you what a friend is. As well as being friendly, she also has a good balance of being drum major and leading the students. Setting prime examples while also balancing her personality towards others.”
Being a drum major is not an easy job. Although drum majors typically don’t perform within the show, it is still not an easy task to manage a whole band by oneself. Being a drum major requires leadership, good communication skills, and a lot of patience.
“Personally, I think I have learned a lot about leadership through this experience,” said Thomas, “like how to be more confident when it comes to public speaking.”
Along with conducting and making sure their show goes smoothly, Thomas also leads and inspires her fellow band members.
“[She inspired me] to be more serious and motivated in band,” said junior Raine Garcia-Faison.
Marching band is not just about dedication and work, however. It can be a place where friends gather and have a good time. Still, there is that balance between fun and work in working together on a shared goal.
“I would say the stress to fun ratio is one to one,” said Thomas. “It is very difficult to try to manage 62 people.”
This year is an eventful year for the Marching Sundevils with their involvement in many things. Come support them at their parades and competitions to cheer them on.
