At the end of the process, after candidates are dismissed, the panel comes up with 1 to 2 really good things each of the candidates did and they discuss the results.
After auditions, the tough deliberations begin. The way our drum majors are chosen prevents mistakes that could be made by the director and allows the leaders to be chosen by the people that know them best: the students. Those on the panel are not allowed to say anything negative or compare the candidates. -Matt H. (‘18) auditioned and elected to Drum Major ‘16
At the end of the deliberations, I collect all of the data and scratch sheets from the panelists and then have them vote (not anonymously) for a primary candidate and two second- ary candidates. I warn the panelists that they should not talk about the auditions they saw except in glowing terms. They are usually pretty good about this.
Eight hours to two days later, after having stewed on the voting and what I saw, I almost always respect the panel’s wishes unless I really think the person they chose would do damage to the band, which has occurred once in 25 years. Even if I think somebody might do better than their preferred candidate, I think it’s more important to respect that panel’s wishes.
Both years, when the drum major list was released, it was all but impossible to be upset at those who were chosen. We saw firsthand how hard everyone worked, and couldn’t be angry with them. That’s not to say that there wasn’t disappointment for those who did not get it, but there was still community in that. Those who got it did not gloat, and instead helped comfort those who did not get it. And those not chosen did not have resentment and hard feelings for those who did.
I
know that I personally have grown a lot by auditioning for drum major. I learned new leadership skills, and learned more about those I am in band with. The skills I have learned in band and the drum major process has helped me learn ways to deal with disappointment and rejection, which I know will stick with me and be useful in my adult life. -Ellen F. (‘18) candidate
A letter of acknowledgment/contract is then issued to the chosen candidate(s) as well as a brief letter of consolation to the others. The new drum majors are then required to write their own letter of acceptance to the organization, sign it and have their parent(s) sign it. After that, we sign the drum majors up for leadership camp. I really believe that our selec- tion process and the type of expectation it establishes help us identify successful leaders and helps guide these young leaders on a positive, productive path.
One thing I really appreciate about our drum major 23
selection process is that we don’t allow ourselves to say anything negative about a candidate or something that may compare one or more candidates. I also believe that it is very important that we do have more than just the band director as a part of the drum major selection process. This way, we have an inside look on how the candidates actually act with the band and how we feel they would lead people. For example, if we knew that a candidate came to every band practice with a smile on their face and a positive attitude, we would 100% want them as our leader, as opposed to a person who came to every practice talking about how much they didn’t want to be there. It is, however, necessary that we have our band director there to hear everything we are say- ing about the candidates, since he has the last call. -Meghan W. (‘17) color guard captain ‘15 – ‘17, panel- ist for ‘16
During this whole process the students on the panel were making the majority of the decisions. It really let us take control and decide which way we wanted to go with our band program. From being on the panel this past year, it’s really made me realize that as band students we have a lot of say on a lot of important decisions that happen in our organization. It’s also really made me realize how difficult it can be choos- ing just two people for the job, when all the candidates would have been a really great fit. The whole process of selecting our drum majors was a very positive and uplifting experience and will always be remembered when facing a tough decision in the future. -Alexandra C. (‘18) panelist for ‘16
This student-centered panel approach to selecting our drum majors produces overwhelmingly positive, enthusiastic, high-quality leaders who are generally well-liked and well- respected by their peers. Further, I think the process instills a sense of confidence that stays with all candidates and con- tributes to future success.
Should any director desire, I would be more than happy to accommodate a phone call, a visit, or even participation in the our leadership selection process.
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northern.bands@
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