Career Essay: A Career As A Drum Major

Being a Drum Major Over my high school years, I have held more than one tangible leadership role. However, nothing has taught me more than my tenure as one of the drum majors for my marching band.
My junior year, I decided to audition for the role of drum major, which is the main leadership component of the band. A few months later, it was announced that I and two others had been chosen as drum majors for the next year. I was ecstatic and ready to begin working towards the next season. As the band grew and performed better throughout the season, I also grew and performed better as a leader. Being a drum major has taught me that not only must you be an example as a musician and as a person, but you must also be friend to others. One memory
sticks out—there was one day during band camp where me and one of the band members were just sitting behind my car as they talked through what a tough time they were having. That person is now flourishing in the concert band. Being drum major gave me a platform to help and befriend others in my band that I did not have before. My greatest achievement as a leader is not some grand hardship that I was able to battle head-on; my greatest achievement as a leader was my success in befriending and getting to know the members of the band. Befriending so many different members of the band helped the band become a team, which allowed the band to perform better than it had previously. Becoming closer as a band made marching band feel like it should be—one big, happy family.