Surviving
the First Home Game:
A Training Manual for the
New Head Drum Major of
Tulsa Memorial High School.
Amanda Doutey
May 3, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Contents. iii
Preface. v
Pre-Task: Before Friday Night Preparation. 1
Task I: From the Band Room to Kickoff 2
Task II: From the Kickoff through the Half-Time
Warm-up. 6
Task III: From Halftime to Call out. 9
Appendix 1: Stand Tunes – Which and When. 12
References. 13
Preface.................................................................................. v
The Big Blue Machine, Memorial High
School’s Marching Band, is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Memorial High School was founded in 1962 and
its marching band has been the Big Blue Machine since 1973. The Big Blue Machine carries on the proud
tradition with its current 85 members.
Pre-Task: Friday Morning..................................................... 1
Before performing the tasks included in
the instruction manual, the new head drum major must first perform several
organizational activities.
Task 1: From the Band Room to Kickoff............................... 2
The first step to a successful Friday
night football game begins in the band room.
The drum major will have to gather any materials he/she will need to
take with you to the stadium. After
organizing the band and lining them up outside, it’s time to march to the
stadium. Upon arrival at the stadium,
the drum major must get the band situated in the stands. The drum major must then get the band ready
to perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” at 7:10ish and the fight song at 7:30
Kickoff.
Task 2: From Kickoff through Halftime
Warm-up................. 6
The next step to surviving the first
home game is playing stand tunes during first and second quarter. When 6 minutes and 30 seconds is left on the
game clock, the drum major moves the band from the stands to the warm-up area
under the clock on the north end zone.
After the band warms up, the drum major conducts the fight song at the
end of the first half and lines the band up to march to the back sideline.
Task 3: From Halftime to Warm-up...................................... 9
This last task begins with the halftime
performance. It includes the steps that
do not change from year to year around the actual show, which does change
yearly. After the halftime show the
director gives feedback to the band members about their performance before the
drum major calls them out, releasing them for third quarter break. During the fourth quarter the drum major
conducts multiple stand tunes and the fight song at the end of the game. At the end, the director and drum majors
make any announcements they want to make before releasing the band members for
the weekend.
Appendix 1: Stand Tunes - Which and
When..................... 12
Many factors contribute to which stand tune
a drum major should choose; also important is when a drum major should play a
chosen stand tune.
References.......................................................................... 13
Many people helped make these
instructions possible. Past drum majors
mold the future drum majors and can provide additional information about the
art of being a drum major at Memorial High School.
The Big Blue Machine, Memorial High School’s Marching Band,
is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Memorial
High School was founded in 1962 and its marching band has been the Big Blue
Machine since 1973. The Big Blue
Machine used to march many more instruments on the marching field but still
carries on the proud tradition with its current 85 members.
Usually the new head drum major rises up to the position
from junior drum major, but this is not always the case. Occasionally both drum majors are new, in
which case instructions for leading the band through the first football game
could ease the stress of this transition.
When Eric Shannon and I took the reins of command in 2001, not only were
we both new drum majors, but we also had a new director.
As a former head drum major of Tulsa Memorial High School it
gives me great pleasure to write these instructions for future head drum
majors. With drum major try-outs coming
up in the next few weeks, these instructions could also provide confidence and
a glimpse of the future for these candidates.
New junior drum majors as well as new section leaders could also benefit
from reading these instructions by knowing when the head drum major will expect
certain actions from them.
Before performing the tasks included in the instruction
manual, the new head drum major must first perform several organizational
activities.
In the week before your first home game:
·
Create a booklet of stand tune names. Print out each stand tune in a large
readable font, one on each page. Get a
circle clip and hole-punch the top left corners of each page. If you like you can laminate these pages.
During Friday morning practice:
·
Talk to the band
and the lead snare to make sure he/she knows what to do for the tap off
when leaving the
·
Count the number of steps from the front hash mark to the
position from which you and the junior drum major will salute.
The first step to a successful Friday night football game
begins in the band room. You will have
to gather any materials you’ll need to take with you to the stadium. After organizing the band and lining them up
outside, it’s time to march to the stadium.
Upon arrival at the stadium, the drum major must get the band situated
in the stands. The drum major must then
get the band ready to perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” at 7:10ish and the
fight song at 7:30 Kickoff.
1.
Call the band to attention at approximately 6:45.
2.
Remind members to make sure they have their instruments, cases
(if applicable), and flip folders.
3.
Instruct the band to line up and dismiss the band by sections.
4.
After the band is lined up outside, check that all cases are being
carried on the inside.
5.
Standing outside the lines, call the band to attention, call “Mark
time mark” and the drum line should start tapping the intro to a cadence.
6.
Quickly get in line at the front of the band and step off with
your left foot on the first beat of the cadence.
7.
March toward the west side of the stadium.
8.
Take small steps at the bottom of the hill so the band doesn’t
get behind when it has to take small steps down the hill.
9.
March as slowly and as politely as possible through the crowd
and march up the ramp into section C, which the band parents should already
have roped off. On the extreme off
chance that this has not happened, simply approach all fans sitting in your
section and ask them nicely to move.
10.
Drop attention and watch the band members making sure they get
5 members on every other row until the drum line has enough room. Then you can evenly space the brass all the
way across the section if necessary, otherwise make sure that an equal number
of instruments is on each row. Figure 3
below shows an approximate setup. If
one section or another is bigger than it has been in the past, this can easily
be adjusted.
11.
After the right number of members is on each row, evenly space
out the first row of flutes and instruct the rest of the rows to line up behind
them.
12.
Stress the importance of looking good by staying in rows. You will have to remind the band of this
several times throughout this and all subsequent games.
13.
Instruct the band members to get out their instruments and
then to stand up for the “Star Spangled Banner”. You will need to tell them to get up the music for it, just as
you will all the other stand tunes.
14.
Discuss with the junior drum major where each of you will
stand while the director conducts the “Star Spangled Banner.”
15.
As you get into your position, remind the band to wait quietly
for the anthem.
16.
After the band plays the national anthem and you have returned
to stand in front of the band, remind the band members they will perform the
fight song at kickoff.
17.
Watch the field from the top of ladder for kickoff.
18.
Point to the lead snare to tap off for the fight song.
19.
Turn and conduct the fight song in cut time.
20.
Lead the band in the end-of-fight-song chant.
The next step to surviving the first home game is playing
stand tunes during first and second quarter.
When 6 minutes and 30 seconds are left on the game clock, the drum major
moves the band from the stands to the warm-up area under the clock on the north
end zone. After the band warms up, the
drum major conducts the fight song at the end of the first half and lines the
band up to march to the back sideline.
1.
Flip through the booklet of stand tunes and pick 2 or 3 tunes
for first quarter. Accompanying these
instructions is a set of note cards with tips for choosing which tune to play
and when you should play it.
2.
When you are ready to perform first stand tune, show the band
what tune is up, then show the pom and cheer squads.
3.
Count off and conduct the song.
4.
Cut off song and descend your ladder.
5.
When you are ready to play the each successive stand tune,
show everyone what song it is then count off and conduct the song.
6.
Play the fight song at the end of the first quarter.
7.
Pick 1 or 2 tunes for second quarter.
8.
When you are ready for each tune you picked out, show everyone
what song it is. When everyone is
ready, count off and conduct the song.
9.
When 7 or 8 minutes until halftime are left on the game clock,
tell the band to start getting ready to go to warm-up.
10.
When 6 minutes and 30 seconds are left on the clock, dismiss
the band to go to the scoreboard for warm-up.
11.
Walk to the scoreboard area.
12.
Assist the band in lining up into two big arcs (see Figure 4
at the top of the next page).
13.
Call the band to attention and call “Horns up”.
14.
When the sections are tuning, walk around to the various
sections, making sure they are on task; this also makes you available in case a
section leader needs a second opinion on tuning of their members.
15.
After all of the sections have returned from tuning, get into
position to assist director in conducting the various parts of the half-time
show.
16.
When 1 minute or so remains on the clock, instruct the band to
line up into first position lines for half-time show.
17.
When the clock runs out on the second quarter, point to the
lead snare to start the fight song, and conduct the fight song.
18.
After playing the fight song, you and the junior drum major
should line up at the front of the lines.
19.
Call the band to attention; call “Mark time mark,” then “Forward
march.”
This last task begins with the halftime performance. It includes the steps that do not change
from year to year around the actual show, which does change yearly. After the halftime show the director gives
feedback to the band members about their performance before the drum major
calls them out, releasing them for third quarter break. During the fourth quarter the drum major
conducts multiple stand tunes and the fight song at the end of the game. At the end, the director and drum majors
make any announcements they want to make before releasing the band members for
the weekend.
1.
After leading the band to 50-yard line, call the command
“Band, Halt.” Then call “Band, parade
rest.”
2.
Go out into the field 10-15 feet and turn to face the band.
3.
When the announcer says, “Tulsa Memorial, you may take the
field for preplacement,” call the band to attention; call “mark time mark”,
then “forward march”. The lead snare
will tap the beat as you march onto the field.
4.
Turn and march forward next to the junior drum major. After you pass the first hash mark, count
the predetermined number of steps to your spot.
5.
When the lead snare taps appropriate, stop marking time and
wait.
6.
When the announcer asks, “Is your band ready?” count off and
execute your salute.
7.
Hustle to your podium and climb up.
8.
When you, your junior drum major, the band and the color guard
are ready, count off.
9.
At the end of the show, you will conduct the fight song twice. During the second playing of the fight song
the band will march to the front sideline.
10.
After the fight song, descend your podium, get in front of the
band and march them back to the scoreboard.
11.
After the director debriefs the band, tell the band that you
are going to play the fight song at the beginning of the third quarter.
12.
After you have played the fight song, call them out for the
third quarter break.
13.
While the band members are still at attention, remind them
that they need to be in their places and ready to play the fight song at the
end of the third quarter.
14.
After playing the
fight song at the end of the third quarter, pick as many songs as you like for
the fourth quarter. Reread guide for
what and when to play stand tunes for suggestions.
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Note 1: If the
other band plays a song in the band’s repertoire you may consider starting
a ‘band war.’ Similarly, if they
play the same song right after you, they are challenging you to the
same. You probably know for which
bands it is appropriate to challenge.
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15.
When ready to perform next stand tune, remember to show the
band what tune is up, as well as the pom and cheer.
16.
When everyone is ready, count off and conduct the song.
17.
At the end of the game, signal the lead snare to start the
fight song.
18.
After the director debriefs the band, make any announcements
you might have.
19.
After making your announcements, call the band to attention
and call them out.
20.
Dismiss the band until Monday morning.
When deciding what to play, consider the following questions: