By: Kadin Daigle, Copy Editor

The Pride of the Tribe Marching Band, a combination of the instrumentalists and the Dazzlers, has many leaders that help make the band run smoothly. Every job, from the equipment staff to the band captain, is important and necessary. Out of all of the leadership jobs that a student could have in The Pride of the Tribe, a job on the drum major team is probably the most public. As members of this team, eyes are always on them.

The drum major team consists of three drum majors, who conduct the band, and two field commanders, who manage teaching and field maneuvers. The three drum majors, clad in white uniforms that differ from the rest of the band, hold their position with esteem. Senior Jahleel Morton, senior Elia Kenney, and junior Iara Saraiva are this year’s selection and they couldn’t be happier.

They worked as a team throughout the year and together, along with the rest of the band leadership, led The Pride of the Tribe through many great performances. Being in the spotlight all the time sometimes makes it difficult to win the approval and respect of your peers, but this drum major team managed to accomplish that and more.

Band senior Joshua Tijerino says, “They tried their best every day. This [team] was way more enthusiastic than all the other [drum major] teams!”

The path to becoming a drum major starts with an audition and an interview. Each of the selected three say that the audition is fairly straightforward, but Kenney says that the interview is the part with the most emphasis because “You need to have a certain stance on what morale you want to give the band that also fits in with the philosophy of the band.”

All three drum majors had different reasons for wanting the position even after knowing how much work they would have to put in, but all three agree that it is an experience that they would gladly go through again. Morton even says, “It’s been a lot of fun. I love leading, I love conducting, and I love music. So, you put those three things together and you get a drum major, and it’s been pretty much the biggest experience of my high school career.”

With marching season coming to a close, it may seem like the positions they hold may start to become obsolete. The truth is just the opposite. There are still more parades in the future along with the big trip to Hawaii that the band is going on in December. The role of drum major is hardly wrapping up.

This is especially true for junior drum major Saraiva, who hopes to be drum major again next year. She really enjoyed learning from the two seniors on her team and says, “Yes, if I have the opportunity to I will do drum major next year.”

For drum major hopefuls for the 2015 marching band season, all members of the drum major team agree that you need to understand and fulfill the three principles that The Pride of the Tribe is built on in order to be successful: motivation, dedication, and discipline. But all three can agree that being drum major is an experience unlike any other.