Mr. Williams and Mr. Pannell, marching band directors at North Cobb, chose seniors Mia Jordan, Madison Luense, Sarah Lee, and Sajal Patel as this year’s drum majors, marking a rare, all-female team.

A drum major’s duties include running the band, ensuring the musicians have everything they need, setting up on the field in time, helping the band warm-up, and assisting the directors.

Luense plays the flute, and she wanted to become a drum major mainly because of the amazing leadership of past drum majors. The excitement she experienced as a section leader contributed as well.

“I was really excited when I first found out that I was going to be a drum major, but I also knew that it came with a lot of responsibility. I had to definitely step up my game, but I still love the leadership role,” Luense said.

Jordan, also a flute player, has aspired to become a drum major for the past three years. Despite the immense responsibility involved, she looks forward to acting as drum major this upcoming season.

“The hardest part of being drum major is probably making sure that everything is where it needs to be and getting everything there on time for when the directors need it. Most of the time we are running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get everything in order,” Jordan said.

Patel, a clarinet player, auditioned for the role because a drum major from her sophomore year inspired her to become a leader. She finds difficulty in putting her personal feelings aside for the sake of the band, but that never stops her from stepping up to the plate.

“I was really excited when I found out I was given this position. I really wanted to be drum major ever since I started marching my sophomore year, and when I found out, I was super excited. I see being a drum major as a way to help make the band better and guide them in a direction of prosperity,” Patel said.

Lee, clarinet player, started preparing for a leadership role since she first entered the marching band her freshman year. She worries about the amount of responsibility, but she knows she possesses the charisma to live up to the students’ expectations.

“I was inspired to audition for drum major by my brother who also wanted the role when he was a senior, and I follow my brother’s footsteps because I think he’s so cool. Also, when I came in freshman year, Cole Moore was a drum major. He is a really good leader and an awesome role model, and I saw him and thought, ‘I really want to become someone like him’. And so I started helping out with the band and now I’m a drum major,” Lee said.

At the end of each year, Williams and Pannell hold an audition for the next drum majors. The students are evaluated on how they conduct various time measures, conduct a prepared piece that must be committed to memory, and how they answer interview questions. But that shift in leadership remains a while away, and the current drum majors plan to soak up the experience while they can.