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Glite Dictionary
drum major

drum major

3 5.0
A leader who directs a marching band and leads it in parades
  • noun
  • /drʌm ˈmeɪdʒər/
translation icon : director de banda
  • I'm Brandon Vandecamp, senior drum major, Beechwood Academy and the president of the Tall Oaks Council.
  • drum major for the marching
  • drum major of marching band

I mean, through Mars may sound stupid, but through marching band and like, being a drum major, I learned a lot about like, what Perseverance really means, you know?

Examples

  • Their music today was composed by senior drum major Brandon Vandecamp.

    American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005)

  • Her enthusiasm for music extends to playing the flute in the high school band, where she has been named drum major.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Now, as drum major, my love for this band is just off the wall.

    Blog text (10)

  • Mason is talking about what it's like to be drum major.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Drum majors, you may now take the field.

    Drumline (2002)

  • Students may be elected to roles such as president, secretary, treasurer, or drum major based more on personal characteristics than strictly musical achievements.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Chalmers is a Smith grad who cut his teeth in the Golden Bulls band, first as a horn player, then as drum major.

    Blog text (8)

  • The drum major raised the baton, signaling the band to start marching.

  • During the parade, the drum major led the band proudly through the streets.

  • As the drum major of the high school band, she coordinated all the performances.

Synonyms

bandleader
vsdrum major
9 3.4

A person who leads a music group like a dance band or orchestra

is focused on leading marching groups and often leads during processions
bandmaster
vsdrum major
1 5.8

A person who leads a band, often a military or marching band

is the leader specifically of marching ensembles who directs performances and processions

Surface Forms

drum major singular
drum majors plural

Morphology

drum + major

The compound is partly predictable: a B1 learner who knows 'drum' and 'major' can infer a prominent person related to drums (someone with authority or rank). However, the specific role — a leader who directs a marching band or drum corps — depends on cultural/occupational knowledge of band hierarchy and the use of 'major' as a title, so the exact meaning is not fully derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Drum major The noun drum major comes from old marching bands where one person stood at the front and set the beat. That person used a large drum or a baton and acted as the major, meaning the chief, so today drum major means 'the leader' who directs and leads the band.