Junior Annabeth Reed will become the Drum Major for the 2018-19 school year. After three years of marching band, she will be taking the position after serving as Assistant Drum Major last year.

As new leadership is coming into the band for the upcoming season, new changes are expected to be made. Reed has a few changes in mind for the band.

“I definitely want to work on communication between the band leaders and our director and also in the ways we go about things like leadership,” Reed said. “Just the way we handle situations and the way we communicate with people in our sections and how we still have fun, but are still disciplined and get stuff done.”

As well as her goals for the band, Reed also has her responsibilities as Drum Major to tend to.

“The biggest responsibility is keeping everyone together and working on the same page and being a leader for everybody and being an example is a big deal,” Reed said.

Reed also wants to focus on the first time marchers so that they feel welcome and are able to fit with the other band members.

“I definitely want to do more to get to know them on a personal level at the very beginning so they feel less left out at the beginning,” Reed said. “Because sometimes it’s everyone knows each other so well so they’re like ‘oh this is weird,’ but I definitely want to get everyone to know each other and make sure they know they are important, and we do need them here.”

Among other goals Reed also wants the band to work together better so they can accomplish more things.

“I hope the band is more unified next year and that pride aspect of band comes back, and we gain pride in what we do again and we’re not just like ‘eh nobody cares.’”

Other students in the band want Reed to carry the team to trophies and awards at the competitions they are participating in this year.

“It’d be nice to have a very successful season, win a ton of competitions and have a more clean show,” Caden Miller a sophomore in marching band said.

Reed has many traits that are necessary for a leader in any setting.

“She leads by example and she has a very positive view on band,” Joel Tucker the band teacher said. “She’s always prepared for anything that pops up.”

As any other leadership position, being drum major comes with a lot of work and balancing school work, and extracurricular activities work can be challenging.

“It’s definitely tough, and it’s very stressful, but at the end of the day, I have other people supporting me, and that really helps. That’s what’s special about band. It’s just one big family.”
As the new year comes closer Reed has moments that she feels proud of as a band member.

Reed said, “I think one of the cool moments is when we finish our show for the first time and you get to watch it, it may be a complete disaster but it’s so cool because you worked so hard for it and you get to watch the whole thing, I got to stand on the podium and watch it this year and it was so cool.”