by Taylor Massey
The Republic Tiger Pride Marching Band has jumped into the school year with several performances, from playing at home football games to participating in competitions. But behind all of this hard work lies two drum majors who work to keep the band cohesive.
This year’s drum majors are senior Shelby Densberger and junior Brayden Schneringer. The two students found out that they would be drum majors in May. The next month they began preparing their show for competitions and festivals. After their summer band camp, they started to perform their show.
“The band has performed at the Friday night football games, a clinic at Nixa High School, and our first competition at Ozark High School. This year the band will also be competing at a festival in Illinois. We couldn’t have our out-of-town trip last year due to COVID-19,” said Schneringer.
Besides extensive work over the summer and throughout the school year, the drum majors’ responsibilities come into play during their performances. Helping the band keep tempo while playing is one of the key roles for the two students.
“As a drum major, I make sure people are watching and counting right. I also have to make sure that I stay in time with Brayden. Some other responsibilities we have are getting the podiums down in the morning and to the field and off the truck for competitions,” said Densberger.
Off the field, the band has a strong team dynamic. Schneringer said that this is one thing he enjoys in his role as drum major.
“My favorite part about being drum major is being able to see all the members of the band work together and accomplish the goals that are set before us. It is really cool to be able to see the improvements not only on an individual level but also on a group level.”
The band will perform at halftime of at least one more home football games and will travel to Illinois for its festival.