Progress: In this blog, we will discuss the end goal as a drum major, success. Succeeding as a drum major means you have made the season the best you could. Nothing could be made better because you have done what you could. No regret can be left on the field ever. No matter the result, as long as the group is content with their last performance, you have succeeded as a drum major. Reflection:
I decided to keep this blog short and sweet. This is the definition of success Mr Miller gives every year at the end of the season.
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Progress: Today we will discuss the need for honor as a drum major. The drum major must hold themselves of a high position, high enough so the band members may touch but not low enough for them to drag you down. The drum major must hold themselves up to a high respect, demanding the group for their respect and attention. In order for this to happen, the drum major must show that they are an authoritative force, not a dictator. They must be right, not always correct. Their word is the law when they are there alone. The drum major's words and decisions must be for the best of the band. They cannot take advantage of their position to exploit others, but to help the group as a whole improve and become better individuals. Only then, will the band honor and respect the drum major. Sacrifices and compromises must be made in order for the whole band to work effectively. Reflection:
Honor and respect is very key for a drum major. For example, this year my drum major made it very clear that if the students did not finish the assignments they were asked to do by the instructors, that she would make us run several laps. Some of the students believing that she was bluffing did not do it and made the rest of the band suffer with them as we ran 4 laps around the baseball fields. The students failed to meet compromise and faced the consequences the drum major said would happen. After that incident the band learned to respect and honor the drum major's words. Progress: In this quarter we will focus more on the mental maturity and requirements to be a leader and a drum major. In today's post we will discuss why being prepared is essential. In marching band, literally anything could happen. From a student forgetting an instrument at home before a competition to the apocalypse. All these possible events requires the students and the drum major to be prepared The drum major especially has to be able to identify the problem and be prepared to do whatever is needed to solve or, in the words of Mr Miller, eliminate the problem. The drum major must act appropriately and be able to use their resources around them. The drum major must be prepared for absolutely everything. They must be organized and ready to adapt to the situation at hand. No 2 performance is exactly the same, and its important for everyone to adapt to each change.
Reflection: I feel like this year especially has taught me to be prepared. This year I was in the indoor drumline for the first time and that had taught me how to adapt to changes quickly and work with instructors to make the show more of an art piece. During the season we faced the risk of losing a key member to the program due to personal problems and the entire group had to be prepared for the show to be rewritten. Luckily the member fixed the problems and was able to stay in the group. Change is a constant through the art of marching, in drumline, colorguard, and in marching band. Progress: Today I will discuss the need for passion in order to be an effective drum major, or leader in general. Band is a demanding activity. It pushes you to your very limits and still expects you to perform. Nothing about being band is supposed to be comfortable. You are expected to go above and beyond every day. Being a leader in it requires the same things and more. You are the face of the band, you will represent it no matter what. Your role as leader calls you to go beyond beyond. Not everyone is fit for it. That is why passion is needed. Loving band is going to be the foundation. You have to learn to respect the art of marching and music. Accept that there is going to be a bumpy road, and move forward. You have to be willing to do what ever it takes to make the band experience an experience for everyone. Reflection:
A leader without passion creates this toxic environment because that person is not 100% committed like everyone else. That is problem I've dealt with this year and last year, with some of the leaders putting minimal effort into the program and it drags everyone down. I have been passionate about band since the beginning. Everything must be hyped up and performed in order to bring everyone's morale up, no matter how crappy you feel. Pushing beyond my own limits I thought I had has helped me grow as a person and a leader. Progress: In this blog we will discuss how to react to certain things, and how to set an example. As drum major there will be several things you will encounter that have the potential to slow the efforts of the band. You have to be ready for everything, be ready to adapt and change. It is important to remain cool and calm. Everything from a whole change in the show to other school trash talking your band, you must remain calm and collected. Your emotions do not matter, and should not matter, in band affairs. All that matters is a good performance and the general positive of the band. As drum major you are what the band members look up to. You must display self discipline. Be a kind leader, let your band know that you are there for them, and ultimately this is a group effort. No one is too important, no one is not important. You are there for them, they are there for you.
Reflection: Progress: Today we will discuss how you must lead yourself before leading others. This may sound contradictory, but your health and well being must be your first priority before leading the band. You must be in a stable frame of mind, and if you realize you have a problem, get it checked out. Do not solely depend on yourself for help, your group is there for you as you are for them. Your problems should not interfere with the band's progress. Always stay on track with you responsibilities. Being a drum major requires time management skills, band is not everything. Grades, clubs and band are hefty things to juggle but with the right mind set and motivation, it benefits the group even more. Productivity and morale is important to keep up. Bad days are okay to have, but do not let that get in the way of leading. You need to stay positive and healthy in order to help those to stay positive and healthy. It may be hard but this is a huge necessity for the group to succeed.
Reflection: I personally really struggle with this. In school and outside of my home, I can be very energetic and motivated. Band is one of the reasons I am living today. I want to give back to something that has given me so much, especially with my mental health. I have depression, and it sucks dealing with it. Band is a way for me to escape from my mental health, and thankfully now I am learning more and more about my own issues and learning how to deal with them. This is very personal to me and it has taken me a long time to finally begin to guide myself to a better future. Progress: Today we will discuss how to lead the band, or just any kind of program like it. In order to lead a program, one must understand that every member is an individual. Everyone has their own set of problems, physical or mental. Some more than others, but all still worthy of attention. As a leader, one cannot ignore these problems, and must learn how to handle these in order to keep the group working effectively. For example, if someone is feeling down and they are crying, a leader must be able to be there and comfort. Any kind of problem that affects the individual's effort in the group is under the leader's responsibility. A leader not only must be able to listen to their group, but also call for their authority. Drum majors especially must balance on the fine line between an totalitarian dictator and a soft friendly leader. They must be able to keep the group in check and most importantly make sure the group moves as a unit. Remember, you are not a friend, you are a leader. Outside of practice, you can be a friend.
Reflection: I found out this year that finding the balance to be a leader is very hard to maintain. I used to be the class fool and I needed to change a lot this year in order to prep for next year. Being the shoulder to cry on is definitely one of the hardest things I've experienced. You have to know when things are serious and know when to be able to bring someone of higher authority into the situation. But, this is the reason I wanted to become drum major, to be able to help those enjoy their experience in band and be happier in general. I guess that is my goal in life, to make others happy because I know what it is like to be hopeless and depressed. Progress: Today we will discuss the importance of remembering the tempo changes, and time signatures. A composer will not keep a piece at a simple 120 beats per minute and stay in 4/4 forever. Unless of course the composer is John Phillips Sousa. Tempo changes and time signature changes are more in Corp style band shows and concert ensembles. These changes will allow for the composer to fit notes into the right places without the music product suffering. It can also affect the mood. Slowing down the tempo can allow the piece to settle, and soften up, usually called a ritardando. Speeding up the music can cause tension and pressure within the piece, an accelerando. Knowing these changes will allow the show to run smoothly, and that requires that the drum major knows the music front and back. Memorization is key. A way of remembering these changes are singing the actual music. Practice here is also key. Here is an example of tempo change, the Bluecoats running practice run of their 2016 show: Within the first 30 seconds, the tempo speeds up, with the introduction of the rest of the ensemble visual, adding intensity. Reflection: Although I do not have not conducted any pieces with specific tempo and time signature changes, there is a specific pep song called Fred, where I get to decide the tempo and how fast I want it to be. It's a running joke that I change the tempo to mess with the band and the cheerleaders dancing to it. Don't tell the cheerleaders please, it's really funny seeing them freak out when we play that song super slow. Anyways, finals are coming up and I'm super stressed. A lot has happened, but I'll manage. See you all next semester! Gotta blast! Progress: The mace is what several people think of when they see someone lead a marching band in a parade. The drum major will do flips, spins, and always some how manages to catch it. It is an act that requires a lot of practice. There are several different ways to use the mace, different positions of the mace has different meanings. But the general motion is an up down repetitive motion. The mace will be held at an angle, hand 1/4 from the top of the mace. The first beat will be above the head, and the second will return to its beginning position. Here is a link detailing the different uses of the mace: http://drummajor.net/documents/USADMLesson2MaceManual.pdf Reflection: The mace has always made me excited to see marching bands whenever I was at a parade. The drum major would do awesome flips and twists and I would be so hyped. I find it really similar to spinning a staff at my kung fu classes, and I think this will be pretty natural with how often I used the staff back in kung fu. I can't wait to do parades my year as a drum major, and I believe I have 2 parades to do. See you all in my next post! Smell ya later! Progress: There are several different ways to conduct these patterns, but we will look at the drum corp style of conducting. 4/4 The most common time signature in all of music, 4/4 is essential. To start off, your hands need to be up, preferably about forehead level. The first beat will be both hands making a straight motion downwards, stopping around chest level. The second will move the hands closer, but not crossing, remaining at the same level. The third beat will stretch away from each hand, spreading the arms apart. The fourth beat will return to the area where the first beat was, and the arms will go back up from the beginning to begin the pattern again. 2/4 2/4 is a little more complicated. The beats happen at the minimum of an arc created by the pattern. The start off will always be the same, hands around forehead level. the first beat will go down until around collar bone level, arcing out to about shoulder width and level. The second beat will arc down towards chest level, and go straight back up to the beginning position. 3/4 3/4 is very similar to 4/4. It is the same basic motion, but without the second beat needing the hands to go inward. The first beat will go straight down again, just like 4/4. The second beat will be stretched out, and the third will return to the first beat position. The iticus, or the moment the beat happens, may vary but the general patterns will be the same. Practice makes perfect. There are also many different ways to conduct parts of music, depending on the style and preference of the composer. Here a link to a website detailing more on conducting: https://method-behind-the-music.com/conducting/ Reflection: This is all very technical and requires a lot of practice to be a good drum major. I like to conduct the music I'm listening to and try to figure out the time signatures and tempo of the song. The different ways you can conduct can really affect the mood and meaning of the music. It is essential I learn these different methods now to have a successful year next year. Thanks for tuning in! |