Aggie Band Announces Drum Majors
Cadets Elliot Stump, Adam Broussard and Samantha Kropp will lead the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band during the 2008-2009 school year.
Stump, a junior general studies major out of B Company from Crosby, will be the Combined Band Drum major, Broussard, a junior political science major out of B Company from Katy, will be the Infantry Drum Major and Kropp, a junior architecture major out of A Battery from El Paso, will be the Artillery Drum Major.
Each spring, the drum major candidates undergo a rigorous selection process that encompasses various components of each cadet’s participation in the band. This includes, but does not limit, the candidates’ individual academic performances, their experience in, and contributions to, the band since they became a member as well as their command presence, integrity, respect among their fellow bandsmen and how they represent themselves, the Corps of Cadets and the Aggie Band.
Qualified candidates prepare several weeks prior to a preliminary tryout which includes a demonstration of basic baton and whistle commands as well as conducting skills. Final candidates are then selected and conduct the band, minus the senior class, in various selections such as the Spirit of Aggieland and standard march tunes commonly played by the Aggie Band.
The second portion of the tryout requires each candidate to lead the band through a basic drill designed by the directors to test their skills on instruction, voice quality, uniform appearance, marching ability, baton control and accuracy in conducing and whistle signals.
Final selection is made by a committee of the band directors, the current drum majors and the commander designate for the following year. The announcement is made to the band by the current drum major as the pass along the honor and responsibility to lead the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band on the field next year.
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is the largest military marching band in the United States. The band is famous for its unique style of military precision drill and performs at each Aggie home football game in front of crowds exceeding 86,000. The band also travels and performs drills at many of the Big 12 conference away games as well as in special events including the Presidential Inauguration Parade in Washington D.C., Corps Trip Parades, and other various dedications, and ceremonies.
Approximately 350 cadets are members of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band who train, live, eat and are housed together as a unit of the Corps of Cadets.
Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets is in its 131st year of training leaders for service to the state and nation. In the Corps, cadets gain valuable leadership skills and experience to complement their academic education. While cadets earn commissions as military officers, membership in the Corps itself, carries no military obligation.
