Friday morning. Alarm clock goes off at 6:30 a.m. Seniors Maya Rigley, Tiger You and Kiana Shirmanesh climb out of bed, ready to face the day. Tedious details await for them to attend to, but they are already too familiar with the weekly cycle for them to mind. It is game day, and the longest day of the week for drum majors has just begun.

“Game days are much like normal days,” You said. “I get up at the same time, and go through all six of my classes basically the same.”

While it may seem like they have it easy, drum majors are constantly faced with complicated tasks. They are required to have a sense of charisma and confidence in order to lead the many talented band members each Friday night. When 200 people have their eyes on a particular person, it is imperative that that person stays on their conducting game at all times.

“Even though that seems like a good thing, you have to always be on your A game,” You said. “There is no room for mistakes.”

Though the three drum majors tend to go about their Friday mornings differently, they understand that Fridays are all about fine-tuning the small details. From uniforms and instruments to sound equipment and podiums, everything needs to be in perfect shape for the games. Of course, the most important thing is the actual show itself.

“We run through our halftime performance multiple times on game day so that everyone is super confident in what we’re doing,” Rigley said. “Although there is a heightened level of awareness, it does not deter our band from bringing the excitement that our show requires to halftime.”

Conducting is one of the most critical components of game day performances. Although it may seem simple, conducting is not so clear cut. Drum majors must individually have an explicit pattern that can be read from backfield while also having to match the other drum majors’ styles.

“Conducting is actually harder than it looks,” Rigley said, “I promise we are not just waving our arms around randomly.”

When band class rolls around on game days, preparation is just getting started. The band loads their equipment onto the trucks to take to the game that evening and then gets their uniforms ready for the performance. When asked about what the toughest thing about being a drum major is, Rigley responded with a pert “keeping the uniform clean.” Meanwhile, You and Shirmanesh had an answer of equal importance: leadership.

“Just trying to be the best leader that you can be can be is very stressful,” Shirmanesh said. “Now that I am a part of something I care about a lot, I want to make sure that I’m doing a good job in regards to leading by example, being approachable to my peers and effective and positive.”

The process of becoming a drum major is a year-long procedure that involves dedication to the band. During junior year, the band teachers are able to get familiar with both the work ethic and leadership qualities of prospective drum majors. Auditions and final tryouts are held during May, in which the hopefuls are made to conduct a few songs, conduct with a metronome and be able to clap certain tempos. Additionally, there is a separate playing audition, a marching audition and an interview process. Although being a drum major may seem taxing both mentally and physically, there are many benefits to reap.

“Band provided me with so many great friends and memories my freshman year,” Rigley said. “I really wanted to give back to this organization that did so much for me. I auditioned for drum major at Shepton and I loved it, so it felt natural to audition again my senior year.”

When school lets out for the day, it is the calm before the storm for the whole band, including the drum majors. At 4:58, their call time, the band gets into uniform and goes to the marching field, where they run through their routine before checking each other to make sure that they do not leave anything crucial behind.

“It is not a high stress environment, because our band has gone through this routine so many times,” Rigley said. “Making sure all the equipment and instruments are loaded is the most important part, on which the loading crew does a really great job.”

Being a high school student in band is hard enough, but balancing the activities of a drum major along with school, work and extracurricular activities proves to be a difficult task. Whether it is going to tennis or golf practice, clinical rotations or work, participating in the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO) or figure skating, the drum majors’ schedules allow for little time to rest. Although they are given a scant amount of time to get even homework done for the next day, the drum majors manage to execute their daily to-do lists with ease, a feat that takes time to master.

“To be honest, it is so hard for me,” Shirmanesh said, “but it is doable and completely worth it.”

Finally, it is time for the band’s halftime performance. Each member files in from the parking lot, where they do their final rehearsal, and onto the field, eager to show off their hard work. The drum majors climb onto their podiums. The announcer introduces the band. The drum majors lift their arms. The band anticipates their first note. The arms come down, signalling the opening note and the beginning of a well-prepared show.

“I love dancing to the percussion cadences with the band and drill team,” Shirmanesh said. “I see a new dance every time. It never gets old. Plus, our percussion section is awesome.”

Physics is an additional factor of having to lead the marching band. Due to the speed of light being nearly a million times faster than the speed of sound, drum majors do not actually conduct with the band. For the fans in the stands, the band looks synchronized with the drum majors. But there is actually a slight, undetectable lag between each beat from the drum majors and the music that is produced.

“Technically, we lay down a beat, and the band has to follow us,” Rigley said. “However, we have to maintain that beat even though the band’s sound is reaching us later than the beats that we’re giving them.”

After the game is over and the stadium is empty, the band unwinds during the drive back to school. Exhausted from displaying a week’s worth of work in just a few minutes, most opt to go home, shower and get to bed. Others go out for a very late post-performance meal, marking the end of one successful production and onto the next.

“I love seeing the student section, drill team and cheerleaders get hyped about the songs we play,” Rigley said. “Music is an amazing way to interact with so many people at one time.”