Leadership Team Application
Thank you for your interest in serving on the Buchanan High School Marching Band Leadership Team! Drum Majors, Colorguard Captains, and Section Leaders are entrusted with significant responsibility and are expected to fully commit to the duties of their role.
Leadership team members act as a vital bridge between students and staff, working collaboratively to support rehearsals, performances, and the overall success of the marching season. This role requires strong communication, reliability, and a willingness to lead by example.
Serving on the leadership team will challenge you to grow, step outside your comfort zone, and put the needs of others first. If selected, be prepared for a rewarding experience that will push you to become the best leader, and band member, you can be.
Prerequisite: Leadership Team applicants are required to have performed in a competitive high school marching band for at least one year. Members of last year’s leadership team must reapply this year.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Each Leadership Team Member will:
Attend all scheduled marching band functions, including rehearsals, competitions, and performances held outside the regular school day.
Serve fellow students with enthusiasm and care, helping to ensure a positive, inclusive experience for everyone in the program.
Act as a liaison between students and staff, communicating effectively and respectfully in both directions.
Arrive early and stay late at all band events to help ensure that responsibilities are completed thoroughly and correctly.
Attend leadership team meetings, including summer sessions and weekly meetings throughout the school year.
Participate in leadership training and workshops, as scheduled (dates to be announced).
Additional Roles and Responsibilities for Drum Majors:
Conduct the marching band at all rehearsals, football games, competitions, and performances.
Conduct the pep band at football games, rallies, and other designated events.
Lead leadership team meetings, including summer sessions and weekly meetings during the school year, and prepare agendas in collaboration with staff.
Application Process
Each Buchanan HS Leadership Team applicant must complete the following:
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Prepare and record a video presentation. The video should include your responses to the following ideas:
What motivates you to apply for the band leadership team? Describe what the leadership role means to you and how it aligns with your goals in the music program.
Describe examples that demonstrate your leadership skills, work ethic, and willingness to serve others. You may include experiences from band, school, or activities outside of music.
In what ways have you contributed to our music program, and what impact do you believe your involvement has had on others? Consider musical, social, and organizational contributions.
What challenges do you anticipate facing as a member of the leadership team? Explain how you would prepare for and respond to these challenges.
Conflicts and interpersonal issues occasionally arise in any group. How would you handle personal conflict or student “drama” within your section or the larger program? Describe how you would communicate, support others, and uphold program values.
Video Instructions
Please limit your presentation to no more than five (5) minutes.
Your video should represent you at your best and clearly demonstrate why you should be considered for the position for which you are applying.
You may speak freely from notes or read from a prepared script. Regardless of the format you choose, be sure to speak with confidence, personality, and sincerity.
Maintain a professional tone throughout your presentation. Creativity is welcome, but only insofar as it supports you as a strong candidate for the leadership team and reflects the high standards and expectations of student leadership within our program.
Once recorded, upload your video to Google Drive, Dropbox, or another shareable platform. Paste the video link into your application and set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with the link may view.” Be sure to test the link in a private or incognito browser to confirm it works properly.
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Select three (3) fellow students to complete recommendation forms utilizing the criteria below. Please be kind and courteous when asking for their recommendation. You will provide the three names of students who have agreed to recommend you in the application. Share this link with each person providing a recommendation: http://www.becmusic.org/recommendation
Recommendation Requirements for Drum Majors:
One recommendation must be from a non-senior marching band member at your grade level.
One recommendation must be from a non-senior marching band member not in your grade level.
One recommendation may be from a current non-senior marching band student of your choice.
Recommendation Requirements for Colorguard Captains & Section Leaders:
One recommendation must be from a non-senior marching band member of your section in your grade level.*
One recommendation must be from a non-senior marching band member of your section, not in your grade level.*
One recommendation may be from a current non-senior marching band student of your choice.
*If there isn’t a member of your section who meets this criteria, you may have a second recommendation from someone in the same grade level.
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Interview with directors and current drum majors. This will take place after the application deadline. When and if this step is completed is at the director’s discretion.
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We will contact your parents/guardians for permission to apply and accept a position on the leadership team, if selected. You do not need to do anything to complete this step.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on Monday, May 18, 2026, for consideration.
Section Leader applications will open at a later date.
You may apply for both drum major and colorguard captain/section leader. However, you must submit TWO (2) separate applications. You may use the same video for both, or you may make a second video.
If you are applying for two positions, you need to ask for a second set of student recommendations based on the two different criteria. You should have 6 total recommendations. You may ask the same person to fill out two separate recommendations for each position you are applying for, as long as that person meets the recommendation criteria.
Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for applying!
