On Oct. 20th, the Elkhorn North Marching Band competed in state and placed higher than ever before at 7th place. One person that can be attributed to this success is Mason Miller. Miller is a senior at Elkhorn North and a drum major in the marching band.
The role of a drum major is to keep the tempo of the band, so that everything is able to run smoothly.
“They have to be able to recognize when things are starting to go off the rails and bring it back on track,” Senior member of the marching band Ava Kloster said, “And in the moments of panic, they have to motivate the band.”
Nerves can be very high before a competition, so Miller took it upon himself to give a speech to the band in order to help everyone focus up,
“He gave a speech before the competition to remind us that we need to apply all of our hard work into our show,” Junior member of the marching band Shadrack Tengue said.
Miller has been a reliable member of the band for a very long time,
“He knows what he’s doing. He’s the oldest drum major,” Kloster said, “He started as a sophomore, which is unusual. Usually people don’t get it till their junior year.”
Due to how important the role of a drum major is to the marching band, it’s crucial that they stay focused for the whole performance. Miller gives a pep talk to his fellow drum majors before performances.
“He meets with all the other drum majors before so that we all stay focused and locked in,” Tengue said.
Balancing the role of leading the band as well as being a classmate and friend to all members can be very tricky, but Miller manages to do it well.
“I think in marching band you get to see a lot more of the leadership side, but in concert band you get to know him on a more individual level.” Kloster said.
