It’s a Friday night. The lights above draw attention to a sea of blue shirts. It is halftime and the scene on the field has switched from football players in helmets to Students in blue polos and khakis, instruments in hand. For the second time in just three years, the people who are responsible for leading the band in their halftime performance, the Drum Majors, are all women—Seniors Alanna Cox-Taggart, Ainsley Warford and Junior Olivia Robertson

This shift in leadership is worth noting since these positions of authority have been traditionally held by men. Cox-Taggart, Robertson and Warford have worked hard to earn the opportunity to take on the role themselves. 

“We’re just more interested in it because women aren’t respected as much so we kind of look for that role of leadership and respect,” Cox-Taggart said.

Through their assertive presence, drum majors act as the heart of the band. The marchers rely on their leadership, confidence and the overall stability that they contribute. 

“You have to adopt the attitude that you want everybody else to have in order to make it successful because everybody is looking up to you for guidance,” said Warford.

There are two head drum majors, Cox-Taggart and Warford, who are not only responsible for leading the halftime performance, but also pushing information out to the rest of the band.

 “We’re basically the line of communication between the directors and the section leaders,” Warford said. 

The commitment required to be a successful drum major is large, as they often find themselves devoting hours of their days to the band.

“You have to be the first one there at rehearsal, and you’re typically one of the last ones to leave,” Cox-Taggart said. “In fact, I [once] missed my first period class ‘cause I had to go to the football field to drag podiums out here.” 

According to Warford, the commitment is more than just time. 

“It’s like you’re kind of the mom of the band,” Warford said. “Just like trying to make sure everybody’s good and everybody’s situated.”

Warford makes a habit of having a progressive mindset for the sake of the band. She made it clear that setting positive examples for the rest of the band also falls into the category of being a good leader. 

“It’s good to see how your attitude and how your actions have directly benefited people,” Warford said. “People think that I’m doing a good job and they’re seeing the effort that I’m putting in and it’s helping them. I love that about it.”