Senior Caitlyn Krah chose to be a drum major because she knew she could lead the group of people and wanted to teach others how to march. She also wanted to help others develop the passion for marching band in their own way, along with the art of performing. This is her second year as co-drum major for Silverado’s marching band.
One of the hardest parts about being a drum major is making sure all the sections understand the instructions. Krah explained that since she cannot see inside of everyone’s heads, if something goes wrong, it can be tough to try and sort it out
What Krah loves about drum majoring is how much joy radiates from the marchers. They don’t see it, but Caitlyn loves watching their energy skyrocket as they perform their show.
“I love seeing their confidence boost and the way that marching band changes them as a person in a positive way,” Krah said.
Krah plays saxophone primarily, with the trumpet as her secondary instrument. She chose saxophone because of the unique sound it can produce and because it’s prominent in jazz. Krah wanted to learn different things about this instrument and become her own saxophone player with her own style. Later, her family also bought her a trumpet that she had asked for to expand her knowledge of brass instruments.
Krah loves her band as well as the color guard. She loves seeing bonds develop and seeing the way the performers get excited over performances and rehearsing to get better. They are incredible people with an immense amount of resilience.
If she found another activity besides this, she would probably be playing on the softball team. She had the choice to switch in her sophomore year, but she found a deeper passion for marching band so she stayed.
It took Caitlyn Krah about a week to understand technique for conducting, but it took her from sophomore year to senior year to develop into the drum major she is now. She admits, however, she still has so much room to grow.
The people in her group made her want to continue being a drum major and playing an instrument. She has met some of the best people, including her partner Dez Graham who is also her drum major for this season. Last year, she was co-drum major with Reniyah Marsh Gilliam.
“They always push me to be the best musician I can be,” she said.
The passion was found in Krah’s deeper thoughts, as she would ask herself questions about how she wanted to present herself as a leader. It took self-discipline and confidence to know that Krah could be even better for herself and the people around her. Her sophomore year, she followed the example set by the senior drum majors that year. Her junior year, her drum major at the time was also very motivating and they kept each other in check. Her friends and partner were always there for her and we uplift each other to continue with our journeys and strive to be better.
