During her three years in Baldwin’s color guard, Emma Smerbeck thought she would never get the opportunity to become a drum major for the marching band. But after a rule change going into her senior year, Smerbeck got her chance.

Previous to this season, only students who played an instrument in the band were able to audition as a drum major. After the position was opened up to color guard members as well, Smerbeck auditioned by interviewing with the band director, writing an essay, and demonstrating her conducting skills. 

“I always hoped I could become one, but until this year, I didn’t think it was going to be possible,” Smerbeck, a senior, said.

Senior Marley Murajda, meanwhile, followed the more traditional route to becoming a drum major. Murajda originally played the clarinet, but has also learned a mellophone part this year.

Murajda has had an interest in joining the marching band and becoming a drum major since fourth grade, when the high school band performed at Paynter Elementary School.

“Ever since then I was like: I want to do that. I want to be that,” Murajda said. “I like helping and leading people, so (drum major) seemed like a good role for me”

Another change this year is that each drum major now has a moment on the field. Smerbeck opens the show with a visual, while Murajda has a visual and a duet in movement two.

All in all, Murajda said that serving as drum major has been a “very fun and very different experience.” 

Senior band member Donald Busch said both drum majors have a way of bringing the band together through their leadership.

“Their leadership capabilities make them empathetic with the entire band and gain everyones’ respect,” he said.

Emery Palmer, the band’s assistant director, said the drum majors have made the transition to this year’s new staff members easier for everyone involved. The drum majors’ interaction with the directors has been a great resource, Palmer said.

“The drum majors have done an excellent job of being communicators between us and the rest of the band. They always come to us when something is not being received well,” they said. 

The two drum majors said it has been a year of change for the marching band, including getting a new band director, Zachary George, a week before their first parade. 

“He does a very good job with working with us as high schoolers, and he brings the positive side. He’s very uplifting,” Murajda said. 

The band on Saturday earned its best score of the season at Saturday’s competition. 

“I feel like we get better each week, not only in terms of performance and score, but I think the cohesiveness of the marching band gets better,” Palmer said. “I think it’s all coming together finally and it’s going to make a huge difference at the end of the season.”

Murajda emphasized the importance of the role of drum major, saying it takes lots of leadership skills. 

“Everyone is depending on you. You set the mood of the band,” she said. 

The drum majors hold the job of keeping the band on beat and making sure all the instruments sound cohesive and on time. 

“We conduct up on the podiums to keep the band in time, so they don’t rush or slow down. Conducting is giving visual cues for the speed and the volume of whatever we’re playing,” Smerbeck said. 

Smerbeck said she has learned a lot this year.

“I’ve gotten to see parts of the activity that I never had before, like how I can hear the dynamics (volume) of them better and see their forms from above,” she said.

Murajda has also learned a great deal from the role. She also said that the band has improved other parts of her life outside of the music. 

“I feel like it’s made me a better, well rounded person. Band is like a big community and a family. We all have that bond together,” she said.

Smerbeck said that throughout the season the band has been improving while still having fun with it, and thanks in great part to the adults who have been helping the season run smoothly. 

“We’re really lucky to have the music patrons, who all come with us and help us with everything, like food and moving all the equipment,” she said. “They’ve been making the competitions fun and also less stressful.”

Overall, Murajda said she has high hopes for their last competition, which will be the PIMBA Championships this Saturday at Gateway High School.

“We’re going to finish with a great ending,” she said. “We’ve all been in a very positive mindset, so I think it’s going to be very good.”