Becoming a drum major can be considered as a huge honor. It also comes with a lot of hard work, patience, and dedication. If you are thinking of becoming one, you have to be prepared mentally and physically.
Six candidates tried out for the Ohio State University Marching Band’s Head and Assistant Drum Major.
The OSU Marching Band was able to earn its name as The Best Damn Band in the Land because of its ability to come up with really awesome marching band innovations. Examples include animated formations, floating, and scriptwriting.
Because of the band’s reputation, getting into it isn’t easy.
The six candidates had to go through three different sections for the tryout. The first one was the traditional Ramp pregame entrance or salute.
In this section, each of the candidates was able to show unbelievable athleticism. They didn’t just march through the field but they had to march to the musical piece while showing off their skills in handling their batons. The field was quite long so you’d expect them to be visibly exhausted when they finish their routines. Amusingly, they weren’t. They were still composed after.
The next section was the individual twirling routine. At this point, they had to show off their twirling skills to the mashup of the song “I Get Around” and “Fun Fun Fun”.
It was quite a lot of fun to watch.
Their routines were breathtaking. At some points, they look like they were going to drop their batons, but they didn’t. Some of them even did that intentionally. They threw the batons and caught them just when they were about to hit the ground.
The last part was the 5 high tosses with the individual catch. Just like the previous sections, it was also thrilling to watch. The candidates’ eye-hand coordination was so unbelievable. Their feet were so quick, too. They can move from one spot to another with ease and flexibility.
Near the end of the tryout, a statistical tie was declared.
Two of the candidates had to compete in a run-off competition that included the twirling routine and ramp entrance. Both of them won as one was announced as Head Drum Major and the other as Assistant Drum Major.
Here is one candidate sprinting across the entire football field with high knees and a smile…
The Marching Band is open to all students who are enrolled at the Ohio State or other Higher Education Council of Columbus’ membership institution. If you are an incoming freshman, you need to register for the class in your orientation and if necessary, drop the class. It’s easier than to adjust an existing schedule.
Once you make it to the band, you’ll need to spend about 10 hours a week at the rehearsal. You will also need to dedicate time to memorize and practice music. You’ll be required to understand and be familiar with the band’s marching style as well. The band has fundamental guides which you can see on their website. The same goes for the try out schedules.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
