 A high school drum major uses hand gestures to lead his band. A 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. He is usually dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the Band or Corps. Image File history File links Drummajorlbj. ...
Image File history File links Drummajorlbj. ...
An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement – usually some type of marching – with their musical performance. ...
Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe two forms of marching units. ...
A Pipe band is a traditional Scottish musical group consisting of bagpipes and drums. ...
An advance on the club, a mace is a strong, heavy wooden, metal-reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. ...
A baton is a light metal rod that is used for keeping time, twirling, and juggling in marching band, cheerleading, and parade performances, usually by drum majors or majorettes (Drum majors typically use either the larger mace or the smaller military baton. ...
The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata XI, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and the metronome marking as = 120. (Metronome markings were not used in Mozarts day. ...
History
The position of Drum Major originated in the British Army with the 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 brass bands and pipe bands around the 18th century, the position of the Drum Major was adapted to those ensembles. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
An Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a traditional drum corps that plays fifes and wooden rope tension snare and bass drums. ...
A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ...
Traditionally, a military Drum Major was responsible for:
- Military discipline of all band members
- The band's overall standards of dress and deportment
- Band administrative work
- Maintain the band's standard of military drill and choreograph marching movements
One of the defining features of a professional military is a strict and sometimes elaborate code of courtesy. ...
Military position A Drum Major in the armed forces is these days an appointment and not a rank. Appointment may refer to a number of things, including the following: Look up appointment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
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 Sergeants or Colour Sergeants, except for the Corps Drum Major, who is a Warrant Officer Class II. The Drum Major is always referred to and addressed as "Drum Major" 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. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ...
United States Military Staff Sergeant insignia (U.S. Air Force) Staff Sergeant is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Airman and below Technical Sergeant. ...
Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers. ...
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Chief Technician (CT or Ch Tech) is a non_commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force which is only held by airmen in technical trades and by musicians. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
The Royal Marines Band Service is the musical wing of the British regiment the Royal Marines. ...
Colour Sergeant (CSgt or C/Sgt) is an non-commissioned rank in the Royal Marines, ranking above Sergeant and below Warrant Officer Class 2. ...
A chevron (also spelled cheveron, especially in older documents) is a V-shaped pattern. ...
In the Royal Marines Band Service and in regimental corps of drums of the British Army, the Drum Major is always a side drummer, 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. The word leadership can refer to: the process of leading. ...
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. The Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. ...
The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...
The Canadian Forces (French: Forces canadiennes), abbreviated as CF (French: FC), are the combined armed forces of Canada. ...
US Marching bands
 A high school drum major takes the podium for a half time performance. 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Dmeric. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Dmeric. ...
The title of music director is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. ...
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. A conductor conducting a band at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ...
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. In music, solo means to play or sing alone. ...
As marching bands have started to focus more directly on halftime shows and less on parades, the stereotypical staff or mace has vanished in preference of hand movements, occasionally with the use of a conductor's baton. 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. ...
United States Marines on parade. ...
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.
See also A conductor conducting a band at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ...
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