How To Deal With A Horrible Drum Major

Any Drum Major salute ideas?

I don't know if this will really help your or not, but maybe it will give you some ideas. I would watch some Harry Potter clips especially during dueling and such. The 5th movie, Order of the Phoenix probably has the most dueling scenes. It could give you some ideas as far as "wand" movements which you could imitate with your hands. Just be creative!

I lost drum major by 1 point out of a possible 110. Should I ask the director for another chance?

I heard somebody put it like this: "Nobody likes the guy that screams at the ump because he didn't like the call."

You are asking for a "tie-breaker" when there was no tie to break. You lost but you got assistant drum major which is also a position of responsibility. I think you would be buying yourself a batch of trouble and bad relations with the director by even asking for such a thing.

EDIT: The trump card in this whole thing is that the director was not a judge in this. She wisely chose to have others judge this. Question: should a student who happens to be the child of the director be excluded from winning the drum major position?

I made Drum Major.....Now I'm Worried?

I made Drum Major and now I'm going to be my school's first African American drum major. (My town is a very small town but I like it that way) I didn't even know I would be the first African American until the principal awarded me the position. But now I'm scared.
This is my first time being drum major. Now I feel like the only reason I got Drum major because only 3 people auditioned. Im going to be a junior next year. I'm exited but I don't know what to expect.
What should I expect as Drum major? Any tips on marching and leadership? If you are/were a drum major how much fun did you have? Was all the work worth it?

How to become a drum major?

I just started high school band, and after my first few days of "Band Camp I" I realized that drum majors have the most awesomest, coolest job. I am barely going to start my freshman year next week. I know that I am only a freshman, but wouldn't it be awesome to become a drum major in my sophomore year?! I was just wondering if you Y! Answers users could give me some good pointers and ideas on becoming a Drum Major. FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ONLY. I've already read tons of webpages on becoming a Drum Major. I want things that helped you to become a better drum major and what I can start doing that will help me ultimately. I have already spoken with my Drum Major , but why limit myself to just one? So please and thank you in advance!

Drum Major Essay help?

A Drum Major doesn't think of himself as an 'I', they ponder the issue of a 'we.'

Band is all about teamwork. It's the Drum Major's job to make sure that everyone is comfortable in their own skin, that they feel the band is a safe haven (because chances are the band is where you'll spend the next four or so years of your existence). Encourage people to work together, and be their shoulder to lean on. You're the glue that holds them together, not just a pretty decoration to sit at the head of the field to conduct.

Be professional, on and off stage. People won't respect you if you're disgraceful off the podium. That means you're just playing a role, and I know for a fact that people HATE fakers (based upon my experiences). Keep your emotions in check, hold down speech static (because 'uhms' 'uhs' and 'likes' are not acceptable, as I've been told by my Teachers). Be firm, but fair. If there's nothing that a group of band kids hate, it's the Drum Major that misuses his powers and attack them.

Be family. Your band members should know that you ARE there for them and that you just want the best for them. Tell your Band Director this. Tell your BAND this at the beginning of the year. At the same time, tell your Band Director that you'll be fair and honest. That you'll ALWAYS do what's best for the WHOLE and not the individual. No favoritism is allowed as Drum Major.

And last but not least. Be honest! Tell us what band means to YOU through previous experience! Tell us what you want to do with the band. Tell us how they would benefit from your leadership. Do you capitalize on people's strengths? Are you cool under stressful situations? What makes YOU unique? Why should I make YOU Drum Major over anyone else? Let your passion show through and be totally honest (don't kiss up to your band director, either).

Remember, you can fix conducting skills. You CAN'T fix a person's attitude.

I've served on several Drum Major audition panels as well as been a drum major for one year and a section leader for many.

Drum Major Issues- How do I cope?

Can anybody help me? At my school, we have two drum majors: myself and our head drum major. It's a couple days before UIL, three to be exact, and our director decides to add a kid from orchestra who has never experienced marching band before, doesn't know the show, and didn't attend any drum major clinic to conduct with us during the second movement due to a tear in the tempos (and for the record, the orchestra kid isn't even on beat with us) and fourth movement of our show due to back field things. I've worked my butt off for this assistant drum major position. I tried out both years I was eligible to try out for drum major, and when selected drum major, I devoted my time to learning how to conduct, and I also attended the SASI drum major camp. Now somebody who hasn't worked as hard as me or the head drum major can come in and conduct with us (and do our salute with us), and now, I really feel like I'm just nothing. If anybody can do that job, why am I there? Deep down, I know that he's with us to better our show, but last year, we only had one drum major, and she conducted the whole show by herself, including back field stuff. I just feel useless and hurt and just really sad. And the fact that the head drum major and I weren't consulted beforehand and found out the day of just made me feel any worse. How can I bounce back from this? I want to get back in the swing of things. I don't want to go through these last practices before UIL feeling like I don't need to be there. Of course I'll put on a good attitude for the band, but every night, I just think about this and cry to myself. I'm tired of this. I want to feel like I felt before they brought in this orchestra kid. I guess essentially what I'm asking is, how do I cope?

I didn't get picked for drum major ?

I'm so mad I really love the band I'm in and the first day of band camp my freshman year I looked at the three senior drum majors and though "wow, what it would be like to be just like them" and I have been eager for the dm try outs and there where 6 people for 2 spots one person didn't really want the position so, yeah I dunno. But anyway, we what to salute, count in 2 3 and 4 4 time and do some of it legato and conduct a piece that was 66 measures.
I was happy as can be. Thinking holy crap I could achieve my dream, conduct the best band in the world for marching season and be just like the seniors. So we saluted conducted and then we had an interview on why we wanted to be a drum major, I sucked so bad on the interview but was good in everything else we did. And we went to freshman band camp and had to conduct a parade block and hit a gock while doing so. I'm a brass player so I kinda knew there was a slight chance of not bein chosen. And two days past and I checked the chart for positions. And the two rising juniors were there. I felt like..I messed up and failed I have been dying for this spot and I didn't get it and my conductor said he didn't chose the people by personal experience but there were four people that were familiar with the students. And the douchbags doing the interview were pretty much laughing during m interview because I went silent during mine. I just can't believe I didn't get it. I don't really want to be in hand anymore, I kind of aimed for that spot the entire year by helping hold doors, put away chairs, go to two of the fruit sales and not ask for m refund on spring trip. Deep down I'd like to quit band because watching the person who took my spot as a horn player in sixth grade quit her eighth grade year made me furious, I replaced her in ninth grade because of that. And the placement I see now of the kids who want to play an instrument can't because everything was PLANNED and we can't chose the instrument we want to play. It has to be chosen for us. I just feel like, a floor mat. Because I've contributed a lot to this band and didn't get dm. I feel like &&$@ now because my dream was crushed and I'm crying.