Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-08-30
A DRUM-MAJOR'S DUTIES.
An Important Parsonage of the Baud In
Public Parades.


Public Parades.
Like poets, drum-majors are born,
not made. One man may become a
drum-major in week, while you can't
make one of another in a lifetime.
Without the knack of handling the
stick he will never be an artist, and
will, probably at the very moment when
he should look his jauntiest, commit
the crime, objectionable in drum
major, of dropping his left hand to his
side. For the left hand should always,
except in two-handed movements with
the staff, rest, knuckles up, on the hip.
Thus the drum-major's pose, when not
marching or giving command, is to
stand with his left hand on his hip, his
right hand grasping, his stick, just below
the head, the point of the stick resting
on the ground. He presents fine, i'm
posing figure as he stands there, erect
Now comes the moment, SO glorious to
the small boy, when the commands
''Play" and s'Forward-March' are to
be given. Facing the band the drum
major, with quick turn of+the. wrist,
points the ferule upward, letting it
slant a little to the right Then, rails
ing his staff to the height of his chin,
he thrusts it the full length of his arm
to the right, and draws it back again.
This is the signal to play. Then turn
ing, he points the staff to the front,
thrusts it the full length of his arm
forward, and music and march begin.
In the old days the drum-major then
brought the 'scane,'' as the staff was
called in the tactics, to the position
of sscarry sword" Now the drum
major beats time, setting the cadence"
the number of steps to minute
of the march. AS rule he simply re-
peats again and again the thrust and
recover, through which he gives the
command to play. Expert drum
majors, however, introduce some fancy
movement here. Jorgensen, for in
stance, has pretty way of describing
a circle from the front to the back of
his right shoulder, grasping the staff
in the middle and twirling it so that
the head points downward at the mo-
ment the left foot is to advance. In
unskilful hands this movement is apt
to end in disaster, the ferule striking
the drum-major's back or nose which
puts the nose out Of joint and the band
out of time.
It is important that the drum major
should mark the cadence correctly, as
otherwise, not only his own, but all
other regiments following will march
too slowly or too rapidly. The regular
cadence is 100 steps to the minute, but
in Memorial day parades, when there
are many veterans in the procession,
the drum-majors quietly reduce it to
ninety. Another clever trick of the
drum-major is to seize the ferule be-
tween the fore and middle fingers,
swing full circle with it four or five
times, and let go, giving it slight
twist as it leaves his fingers.
The drum-major who gets the knack
of the twist, and knows enough to al
low for the number OF steps he will adj
vance, can make his staff circle high mp
in front of him and sail down into his
hand again.
When the band is to execute an
oblique movement, the drum-maior
holds his staff ina horizontal position
at the height Of his neck, and pointing
the ferule in the direction OF the
oblique, extends his arm to its full
length. The prettiest evolution Of the
band is the countermarch. The drum
major faces the music" and gives the
signal to march, but instead Of turning
remains standing with his face toward
the band. The band marches upon the
drum-major, but on reaching him the
file leaders to the right Of him wheel
to the right, those on the left to the
left, the drum-major marching down
through the center. To signal Tor halt
the tall man in the bearskin cap raises
the staff with both hands ii q horizon.
tai position above his head, and with
arms extended drops It to q horizontal
position at the height of his hips. With
the staff he also Indicates to the field
music what signal It Is to play, and
puts the drum-corps through the
manual; for instance, 'sPut up the
drum-sticks, Detaeh the drums
Ground the drums. Gustav Kobbe.
IN st. Nicholas,