The Drum Major Society

So Many Memories... A Time to Reflect.

2013-12-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

So here we are.

Just like that, it is over. I finally took all of those “last’s” every senior talks about. The last first game. The last Catwalk. The last Sigma Sigma Concert. The last Down the Drive. The last CHARGE. And the last Alma Mater at the end of a game. All of it. Over.

I cannot believe my career of home games is completed at the University of Cincinnati. For me, this game marked the end of a 9 year marching career through high school and college. Five of those years I played trumpet, and the remaining four gave me the honor of being a Drum Major. For me, the game…no, week…no, the past month has been a very personal time for reflection and time to look back on all of the things I have been a part of while being a part of a band. I think many other graduating seniors have this reflection time too. It probably is nowhere even close to the length of time I spent because I am slightly more emotional than the average 23 year old, but it definitely is a time to reflect for most of us. And for those of you that have not reached this graduating year yet…Just wait, your time will come.

The memories that fill my head these past few days have been so surreal..

Best shower ever!

I know it sounds corny, but it literally feels like a few months ago when I was putting on my black Drum Major polo the very first time for a performance on September 3, 2011. At the field, my Head Drum Major, and very good friend, Corey Knapke looked over and waved me to the wall where Army Fanfare begins. I will always remember the scene as clear as if it was yesterday: Band Day. HOT. So damn hot we could not even wear our full uniforms for the game and a few band members had already passed out from the heat. I was so excited to see the CHARGE from a Drum Major’s standpoint. I was even more excited to just conduct in front of a capacity crowd against Austin Peay (I just wanted to conduct!). Corey gave me not one, but two good luck taps that day while this little moment was taking place. He said “Look around you.” And Corey being Corey (I swear the man’s life could be a movie) paused just enough to allow me to look around at the filled stadium and then come back around to him. He then said, “This is what it is all about.”

I can remember my very first time conducting in front of the band at the 2011 Rookie Day. I was on the back podium for the traditional “Let’s speed through pregame and hash out the entire thing the first day” routine. I will always remember the feeling of conducting Cheer Cincinnati with tears in my eyes because it was the first moment as Drum Major where the weight of the position had really hit me. As I walked off the podium to get ready for H & T, Laura Pinzone ran towards me and asked, ‘Well how was that!!??” …and with the biggest smile on my face all I could say was, “…Amazing!”

I could type up a ton of huge moments, but it’s the random moments that I will honestly never forget and will always bring a smile to my face and probably a few tears as well. Every time the low brass joins the trumpets on the first hold of Army Fanfare. The emotion, excitement, and beauty it brings. Every time I hear it, I fight back tears of pride. Or how about the times where a Drum Major cuts off the band right before the singing portion of “Hey Baby”…but the band keeps on going with an acapella version of the song. Or just the relieving feeling of having an entire water cooler of water being poured onto you after a long band camp. These random memories and so many more will be what I never forget.

Like the time we were at Paul Brown Stadium for a UC Football Game. We were getting ready for Catwalk, but instead of having one set of directions, we were given 9! All the times Mike took one for the team and completed most Christmas Break basketball games, gigs, and literally finding all the details someone else had missed and made sure they were hashed out. Or when Laura had to toss on the “hat” of being the band’s nurse because someone had gotten hurt, fallen, or passed out.

I can remember the random afternoon in the middle of May where I read the email announcing I had received the position of Drum Major, and quickly checking the email to see that it was not a joke. Then, I immediately started calling family members, AND NOBODY ANSWERED THEIR PHONE!!! I literally had to go down the list of family numbers until my older brother finally picked up the phone. My mom soon called me back. Telling her I had finally achieved one of my dreams, and hearing her hold back tears on the other side of the phone will always be etched into my memory.

How about the memories we all made today? Mike, Laura, and I all stood on the wall for Army Fanfare, and I once again conducted Cheer Cincinnati on the back podium, overlooking the second C-Paw, with tears in my eyes. There were a number of times I just stopped for a few seconds and looked around the stadium. Filled to capacity, and as noisy as it ever has been. I have never EVER felt that much electricity and energy inside of Nippert Stadium.

Halloween 2013

Or how about that halftime show?!? Playing “Can’t Hold Us” in front of the student section. As the band slowly marched closer, the students started to sing. By the end of the tune, the entire student section was singing and filling the stadium!!!!!! I have never seen something like this in my involvement with band!! How awesome is that?

How about the moments after the game? The last Alma Mater. I took another few moments to just look around me, under the lights, on the turf. Tears welling up in my eyes. I knew this was my final time I would ever feel like this, be in this moment, and just own this type of moment. The final march to Dismissal was emotional. Choking down tears was getting hard at this point. We completed dismissal in a different way this time. Instead of the three Drum Majors spreading out, we all stayed close together, to support each other to not break down in emotion through our regimented call and response. After that, I hugged a lot of people (sometimes, you just have to break uniform code in times like this!). Mike, Laura, and I had our moment together to have one cry together. I hugged my mother for the longest amount of time in the history of my life, and I ended up taking pictures with my favorite group of twirlers J

All of these memories come up whenever I started thinking about the Louisville game, and everything I have completed in the past. All of these memories brought back the familiar tears of pride, joy, happiness, and a sadness that everything is really about to end for my marching career.

Honestly, I could sit and type out 100 memories from being a Drum Major, and I could type up about 1000 of just being a member of this band. The late nights, early mornings, long bus trips, hard losses, last minute wins, funny times, parties, hard times, stressful times, and even “I forgot my name tag” story times. This is what being involved in band is really all about in the long run. Having the time of your life, at all times, and knowing what you are doing is special no matter how big or small your roll in the organization may be. In the end, it is the memories, friendships, and life lessons we will end up remembering. Which is quite an awesome parting gift when you think about it.

So here is to all those memories. If you are still reading this, and I applaud you for reading this novel, then just remember to give whatever you put your time into everything you absolutely have inside of you. If you do not, you wish you did. If you do, it will be the most rewarding experience you will ever have.

If you can go through a piece of your life where you end up tearing up because of the amazing memories you have made, because of the pride you have in what you have accomplished, because of the dreams you have made come true for yourself, and because you know deep down in your heart you gave everything you had to something because it made you happy…then everything you did is completely worth it and so rare that you need to cherish it for the rest of your life.

So what do I think? What do I know? Well, I know this:

The UC Band is DAMN Good.

And I will never forget it.

…Dismissed

6th Annual Gala Event

2013-10-29T06:19:00.003-04:00

Greetings Friends and Supporters!

The 6th Annual Drum Major Society Gala Event is scheduled this coming Saturday, December 7th beginning at 6pm at the Mecklenberg Gardens Bavarian Beer Garden. Like last year, this Gala promises to be our biggest one yet and we hope our friends and supporters will join us as last year.

Formal invitations will follow to many of you, but folks can RSVP online at anytime!

The deadline for RSVP's will be December 1st.

Keep your eyes peeled for the invitation both via email and in the mail so you are sure to save your spot for this sensational occasion!

See everyone soon!

The Drum Major Society

Organizational Announcement: GuideStar Gold Participation

2013-07-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

The Drum Major Society Has Reached the GuideStar Exchange Gold Participation Level as a

Demonstration of Its Commitment to Transparency

CINCINNATI, OH – The Drum Major Society, Inc. today received the GuideStar Exchange Gold participation level, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability provided by GuideStar USA, Inc., the premier source of nonprofit information. This level demonstrates The Drum Major Society's deep commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability.

"We have worked hard in the last year to showcase our progress toward our mission, and our long-held belief in being transparent about our work, to our constituents," said Executive Director and Founder Nick DelleCave. "As a GuideStar Exchange Gold participant, we use their platform to share a wealth of up-to-date information about our work to our supporters and GuideStar's immense online audience of nonprofits, grantmakers, individual donors, and the media."

In order to be awarded the GuideStar Exchange logo, The Drum Major Society had to fill out every required field of our nonprofit report page on www.guidestar.org for the Gold level of participation.

"I encourage you to check out our profile on GuideStar to see what we're all about," added Mr. DelleCave. "We are engaged in exciting music education initiatives, and we are thrilled to have another platform for communicating our advancement and progress."

About the GuideStar Exchange

The GuideStar Exchange is an initiative designed to connect nonprofits with current and potential supporters. With millions of people coming to GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations, the GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with GuideStar's many audiences. Becoming a GuideStar Exchange participant is free of charge. To join, organizations need to update their report pages, completing all required fields for participation. The GuideStar Exchange level logos, acknowledged as symbols of transparency in the nonprofit sector, are displayed on all Exchange participants' nonprofit reports.

About the Drum Major Society, Inc.

The Drum Major Society, Inc. is the leading educational resource for conducting, musical, and leadership development in Cincinnati, OH. The Society is dedicated to the advancement of music education in the public sector as a means to enhance peer leadership and core musical competencies at large. Our annual Training Program has worked to embrace these key elements in our efforts to educate young people in our community. The Society recognizes outstanding musical contributions from members and community leaders who demonstrate the virtue of service to others.

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Communications Director: Drew Reynolds: reynolds@drummajorsociety.org

Entering Fall 2013

2013-07-22T08:57:00.000-04:00

Greetings Friends and Supporters!

The Board has been working this summer to continue to deliver our annual events, local band support initiatives, and exploring brand new opportunities for us as a Society. I couldn't be more proud of the work we are doing to set the stage for the future, and will have more specific details to share with everyone in the very near future.

Aside from that I have a few new items I'd like to share with everyone about some of the great things that are happening inside the Society:

The Blog now has a new page associated with it called #drummajorsource (selectable from the top of the page)
This new page aggregates all Social Media for the Society on Facebook and Twitter and filters it in an interesting way for viewing. It's also been placed on the bottom of our main page, so please be sure to scroll down to check out some of the cool integration and formatting.
We have 2 scheduled Game Watch parties this year which have been added to the calendar, so please keep an eye out for an email invitation to share some good times with the group!
We continue to work on our Strategic Development Plan and plan to unveil some pretty exciting things to the membership at our Annual Gala Event this fall.
The Annual Gala Event will be held on Saturday December 7th at 6:00pm at Mecklenberg Gardens like last year. RSVPs will be coming soon!

We continue our support of local students in Cincinnati, and are exploring new ways to really integrate into the local community. Many wonderful experiences are out there waiting to be had, and I look forward to working those opportunities into our collection of excellence very soon.

Finally, please consider a donation of any amount to the support of local music education, Drum Major scholarships, and other initiatives which are the cornerstone of our efforts. Every donation is tax deductible and easy to contribute online on our website at: http://www.drummajorsociety.org/donorlevels.php

We continue to thank the many supporters whose generosity allows us to pursue our mutual passion for the support of Drum Major excellence in Cincinnati.

Thanks!

Nick A. DelleCave

Executive Director & Founder

2013 Spring Campaign

2013-03-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

Gearing Up for the Fall!

After the success of last years Gala Celebration, and our best ever year for supporting our Drum Majors, Spring is not only the time of year for renewal, but for looking forward to the next Fall Marching Season!

Very quickly we will be at the close of the Spring Semester many schools which brings with it much planning and budgeting for the 2013 Fall Season. It is at this critical time that we ask you to consider giving to the Society to support student needs this next Fall Marching Season.

2012 brought new Maces to a local DM Corps which were previously over 10 years old. The new maces were even hand wrapped by the students and were available to view at the Gala Celebration in December.

For Fall 2013 students will require several new items:

Whistles
Summer Uniform Shirts
New DM Winter/Spring Jackets
Metronomes for Rehearsals

While you can give at any level, I encourage you to consider giving at $50 or more to be a supporter of our Silver Whistle Donor Level. There are many perks including invitation to our Annual Executive Meeting, named sponsorship of materials, and of course a tax-deductible contribution for your 2013 taxes.

If you consider joining the Society Club, we have exciting new plans for this elite group this year! You don't want to miss it!

Letters will be sent to members and friends in April but we encourage you to go online and Donate Today!

DONATE TODAY!

As always we couldn't do this without your support! Please consider a gift of any size and help us make our students look and feel amazing as we start the 2013 Fall Marching Season!

Thanks!

Training Program Nearly Complete

2013-03-06T09:30:00.003-05:00

In 2013 the Drum Major Society Board of Directors selected new Board member Melissa Dennedy to assist us with this years training program. Melissa brings a significant musical and leadership pedigree as a local band director and former uC Drum Major.
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LEADERSHIP

This year we agreed to inject more leadership competency components into the curriculum to allow students to understand the connection between the various points of philosophy as well as the role itself along with traditional elements of technique and style.

Leadership competencies are now included in each session as a brief lecture style portion to allow the free exchange of ideas in various circumstances which allows greater application of core concepts.

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TEAM BUILDING

As in years past we've incorporated more team building exercises for the class to become more familiar with not only each other in the classroom setting but also themselves. These fun items included tossing tennis balls around to each other, dance offs and other activities which push the limits of in classroom education into a whole new way to "play"!

Warming up is always important!

Tossing the tennis ball and bouncing on the floor can
reflect proper wrist flick and rebound technique.

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FOCUSED LEARNING

This years program also boasts more individualized and precise teaching methods based on what works best for each student. This targeted approach to the learning model has helped assist even veteran students to the program in understanding new ways to learn, approach information, and better contribute to the overall group experience.

Even with this differentiation we still had many group based activities which is a main staoke of any class instruction through the Drum Major Society.

Mirroring exercises help focus our class.

Rebounds are a critical element to any conductor.

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E-LEARNING

For the very first time we supplemented our in class work with online assignments for a variety of reasons:

Allow students to follow up post class to see what they had learned.
Gave out of town Board Members the chance to assist with the program this year.
Permitted students who missed a session a chance to contribute to the group forum and pick up what they missed.
Students could comment on each others posts to encourage information sharing outside of the classroom in between sessions.

This new medium will likely become a new staple with a few tweaks each year. Giving Board Members and students the opportunity to continue to learn between sessions and just in case they miss one is an excellent way to continue their education in the program.

The new Forum had assignments after each session.

Students could reply to each post AND to each other!

Overall this year has proven to be a huge success for the Program with some new areas to explore for future growth and an opportunity to reach out to more students especially to incorporate leadership competencies outside of the role of Drum Major.

Jay Kreimer and Bob Dennedy join a session to assist
in understanding the UC Band History.

~The Drum Major Society

Honorary Member Robert Muench Has Died

2012-12-19T09:37:00.001-05:00

Tuesday evening, one of our own Mr. Robert Muench lost his short battle with cancer. He died peacefully in his home alongside family members and with the thoughts and prayers of many friends. As an organization and family we have lost a great man, a better friend, and a terrific father.

A few words from our Executive Director:

"Bob was one of the best parts of gameday when I was a Drum Major! He was funny, always supportive, and worked tirelessly on the drum major podiums. He assisted with water, setup on and off the field as a volunteer, and chaperoned on all our band trips. He and his wife Nancy Jo stuck around long after their own children had graduated to support the UC Band family, and continued to support with High School Band Day well after their retirement on the Equipment Crew.

Bob was a man of tremendous love, charity, and humor. He always brought the best spirit of friendship and support in everything he did with a passion for the students and a love of UC. As a recent inductee into our organization The Drum Major Society has lost a truly great man, and a even better friend. A dear personal friend." ~ Nick A. DelleCave

Funeral arrangements and information are as follows:

MUENCH
Robert E., loving husband of 47 years to Nancy J. (nee Young), devoted father of Donald (Barbara) and Jason (Christina) Muench, cherished grandfather of 5 grandchildren, also survived by two sister-in-laws, one cousin and many friends. Tuesday, December 18, 2012. Age 72 years. Visitation Friday Evening from 4 to 7 PM at the Dalbert, Woodruff & Isenogle Funeral Home, 2880 Boudinot Ave., 45238. Funeral Service 9:30 AM Saturday at the Funeral Home. If desired memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2808 Reading Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45206 or The Julie Benken Memorial Drum Major Scholarship, UC Foundation, PO Box 19970, Cincinnati, OH 45219. www.dwifuneralhome.com

Sincerely,

The Drum Major Society

DMS Training 2013 is just around the corner!

2012-12-12T23:35:00.002-05:00

The Drum Major Society is proud to announce the beginning of the 2013 training program! This year the DMS is excited to offer our most comprehensive and professional training program yet - provided to members of the band for free, courtesy of the DMS Board.

Any and all interested band members are encouraged to attend an info session (There is another on Thursday) and sign up online to participate in the program. Training can be useful for any member of the band, as the program covers basic musical leadership skills and conducting; useful skills for Drum Majors as well as section leaders and general members!

Each year the training program grows, and this year is no exception bringing a number of exciting changes to the curriculum. In particular, there will be an added focus on leadership development. Towards the end of the program, there will also be special guest speakers prepared for engaging questions from the DM's regarding crucial band history and leadership skills applicable to all facets of life.

We are proud to introduce some new faces to our team in addition to several experienced trainers. They include licensed music educators, former Drum Majors and University of Cincinnati Band Staff:

Teaching Staff

Melissa Dennedy
2013 Training Chair

Melissa Dennedy (Drum Major; 1997-2000) joins us from Loveland School District where she is the Band Director for 5th and 6th grade and Assistant Band Director 7th and 8th. . She is a graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music at UC with a degree in Music Education and has her Masters of Music from Boston University.

Melissa will serve as the primary leader of the training program and her tireless work to create a comprehensive curriculum will be a key player this year. Her extensive conducting pedagogy background, close connections with UC and leadership development expertise will be interwoven throughout the process. She will also serve as a panelist on the final tryout committee.

She was recently awarded Member of the Year by the Drum Major Society for her behind the scenes efforts on redesigning the training program and other programs yet to be implemented by the DMS.

Nick DelleCave

2013 Trainer

Nick DelleCave (Drum Major; 2002-2007) is the Founder of the Drum Major Society and currently serves as Executive Director. His impressive 5 years of Drum Major service to the band have continued for many years as he serves the UC Band as Assistant to the Director, a member of the UC Band Alumni Association and the UC Foundation.

Nick has a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from the University of Cincinnati and a Certificate in Project Management from Xavier University.

Nick will serve as a secondary trainer of the program this year, assisting Melissa and any of our staff when needed and serving as a panelist on the tryout committee.

Robert Jaques
2013 Trainer

Rob Jaques (Drum Major; 2005-2008) is the current Director of Operations for the Drum Major Society. He has been integral in all aspects of development for the DMS and has served as a trainer for several years now.

Mr. Jaques has his Bachelors in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and his Masters in Community and Economic Development from Penn State. In addition to his work for Corbus, LLC and P&G, he also manages communications for preservation of The Emery Theatre in Cincinnati and is a strong advocate for Over the Rhine development.

Rob will serve next to Melissa as an Assistant Trainer for many sessions as well as a panelist on the tryout committee.

John Stueve

2013 Trainer

John Stueve (Drum Major; 2008-2010) is the current Director of Finance for the Drum Major Society. This will be his 3rd year serving as a trainer for the DMS.

Mr. Stueve has his Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He will be serving as a secondary trainer assisting Mrs. Dennedy when needed and sitting on the final tryout panel.

Honored Guest Trainers

Dr. Terren L. Frenz

2013 Honored Guest Trainer/Director of Bands

Dr. Frenz is Director of Bands for the University of Cincinnati and has held the position since 1994. His impressive resume of success includes directing the Marlington Band to become Bands of America Champions in addition to teaching since 1963. Dr. Frenz recieved his Bachelors of Music Education from Mt. Union College; Master's in Education from Ashland University; and his PhD from Columbia University.

Dr. Frenz is responsible for direction of the UC Marching Band, Concert Bands, Jazz Bands, Pep bands, and other small ensembles. As the final decision maker for all leadership personel in the UC band, Dr. Frenz is an integral part of the training program and will speak about leadership and score reading. He will also serve as the lead panelist for Drum Major selection.

Dr. Jody Besse

2013 Honored Guest Trainer/Associate Director of Bands

Dr. Besse is in his 3rd year as Associate Director of Bands for the University of Cincinnati. He hails from Louisiana where he conducted many marching bands since 1986. Dr. Besse recieved his Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and both his Masters of Music Education and DMA in Conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also currently serves as a member of the Drum Major Society Board.

Dr. Besse is responsible for assisting with the direction of the UC Marching Band, Concert Bands, Jazz Bands, Pep bands, and other small ensembles. Dr. Besse has been integral in the development of the training program and will speak about leadership and score reading with Dr. Frenz in addition to serving as assistant lead panelist in the final Drum Major Selection.

Guest Speakers

Bob Dennedy

Graduated from the college of Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2001
U.C. Band (1995-2001)

Trumpet section leader (1997-2001)
Band President
Kappa Kappa Psi President

Currently works as a Global IT Manager with Procter and Gamble

Jay Kreimer

Band President
Kappa Kappa Psi President

Curriculum Designers

Melissa Dennedy

Corey Knapke

Andrew Reynolds

The DMS 2013 training starts Wednesday January 9th! Come join us for this rare opportunity to be part of a tradition of excellence!

Remember, as always - TUCBIDG!

Best,

Andrew Reynolds

Director of Communications

5th Anniversary Gala A Hit!

2012-12-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

On December 1st the Drum Major Society celebrated its 5th Anniversary with a transformative event. The Board agreed to change the name of our annual reunion to the Anniversary Gala to allow for a greater and more diverse audience of friends and supporters, as well as a chance to allow the support community an opportunity to join us in our signature event!

Once again, we hosted our event at Mecklenburg Gardens only this time we took to the largest room with nearly 70 attendees. That was almost double 2011 attendance and was a packed house!

This year we had several outstanding honors bestowed upon some truly remarkable individuals who have for many years respectively contributed to the betterment of the band program as well as to the Drum Majors. Whether it was providing water in the early hot fall weather, pushing podiums across the field or just making sure the Drum Major experience is the best it can be, we awarded Honorary Membership to the following individuals:

~ 2012 Honorary Members ~

Debra Susan Frenz

Nick Angelis

Randy Smith

Arlene Jaunita Brill

Robert Muench

Nancy Jo Muench

Robert Elliott Pugh

Barbara Wolf Pugh

Our Executive Director Nick DelleCave posing with newly
inducted Honorary Member Mr. Nick Angelis - Assistant Director
for the UC Bearcat Bands

These outstanding examples are the people we all look to for continued dedication and contribution to both the band and the Society. We couldn't be more please with their efforts. Please join us again in congratulating these fine new additions to our membership!

We also formally recognized our TUCBIDG Club members at the ceremony as well. These are those individuals who donate and give at the highest contribution level and earn the Gold Lanyard to publicly symbolize their contribution of treasure to our operations. Please join us in thanking these fine folks:

~ 2012 TUCBIDG Club Members ~

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Benken

Michael Benken

Stephanie DelleCave

Without their generous support, our operations and student assistance would not be possible.

The final portion of the evening resulted in our annual award recipients. This year we had 2 very outstanding members within the Society who went above and beyond both during the fall marching season as well as for the entirety of calendar year 2012. Please join us in recognizing the following outstanding individuals:

~ 2012 DMS MVP Award ~

Benjamin Eric Lozar

The MVP Award was started last year to recognize that member which has demonstrated the highest level of service and positive can-do attitude during the fall season. Ben's constant positive attitude and energy is infectious to both the membership and to the band at large. His pride for the band program is clear and palpable. He represents the band with distinction at all times and has done great work this fall demonstrating his talents. Please congratulate Ben when you see him!

~ 2012 Society Member of the Year ~

Melissa Christine Dennedy

This year we created a new award to recognize and thank the Society member who has contributed the most in the calendar year. The new award offers both a certificate and the coveted Purple Lanyard symbolizing the highest level of service recognition offered by the Society. Melissa has been instrumental in supporting the new strategic vision and planning of the organization as well as leveraging her skills as a music educator to completely revamp our Training Program to bring it in line with formal educational material and credibility. We couldn't be happier with her contribution and look forward to her efforts in the future.

Display of old Drum Major memorabilia provided
by Brian Pack - Band Historian

Pictured here is one of the new Maces purchased by the
Society to support the students in 2012.

2012 was a fantastic year for the growth of the Society, the support of our students, and the celebration of our combined accomplishments. We are always looking for new and better ways to assist and take feedback openly from both the public and members. Do feel free to let us know by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, as we wind down to the end of the year, we are already working to raise funds for a successful 2013. The Drum Major Society is a non-profit tax-exempt public charity and offers tax deduction for all gifts received. This holiday season consider giving to one of the giving levels or simply give as little as $1 to support the students and our Training Program in 2013. You can donate online with credit card by clicking DONATE NOW!

Please enjoy a few more pictures from the event and thanks to all our members, sponsors, donors and friends for their continued support!

TUCBIDG!

The Drum Major Society

2012 Game Watch Parties a Success

2012-10-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

I hope this message finds everyone well! This season the DMS has had several Game Watch parties to cheer on the Cats as they battle away for each win this season. Each event has had a slightly different dynamic this season as we work to change the format a bit to accommodate more involvement from our friends and supporters!

The first game v. VaTech was a great time at Adriatico's Pizza near the UC campus. Several folks got together as we eeked out the last second win in a crucial game that was sure to define the season. The last Watch party ended on a sour note as we watched the Cats crumble to Toledo in the waning minutes of the game.

Our final Watch party this year is scheduled for Saturday 11/10 (Time is TBA) at Mecklenburg Gardens and we hope to see several of you there as we cheer for the Cats over a few drinks!

We hope to see you there!

TUCBIDG!

The Drum Major Society

The Bearcats Take D.C. By Storm!

2012-10-14T13:02:00.000-04:00

In the last weekend of September, the UC Bearcat Bands took a trip to Landover, Maryland to participate in the Bearcat football team's home (more like AWAY) game against the Virginia Tech Hokies. The team and band played on FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins. The stadium holds around 85,000 people. The game was not a complete sell-out, but the excitement of the game definitely made the stadium deafening!

The band left the Rockerwern Band Center right around 9am Friday. The ten hour bus ride was filled with movies, traveling books, homework, and a ton of sleeping! Before we knew it, we ended up at the Holiday Inn in College Park, Maryland (about a half hour from Washington D.C.) in the early evening. The band was free until around midnight to get some food, socialize, and just explore the area.

Many band members went to the area restaurants. A few others found rides to D.C. and got to check out downtown Washington D.C. Some of the band even put their money in the jukebox and sang along to some band favorites. Others played some cards and watched T.V. in their rooms while others just took advantage of the free time and got some sleep!

The next day, the band had a great hot breakfast in one of the hotel party rooms before getting ready for the game. The band then got their uniforms, checked out of their rooms, and boarded the 5 buses in full uniform. We were ready for an exciting day! Traveling to the stadium, the band could see the place coming. The stadium was huge!!! One awesome perk from the trip was getting our own parking area. From what I saw, I think we actually parked where the pro football players park on Sundays! NICE!

While in the parking lot, the band warmed-up, played through the show tunes, and ran through some new stand tunes. We were all geared up for the game. It was show time!

Marching to the stadium was very awkward. We all knew the game was a home game, but everywhere we marched we saw Va Tech fans! All around us was orange and maroon! We entered the stadium, got situated in the our seats, and had some time to buy some great food from the concession stands! Mike, Laura, and myself bought pulled-pork sandwiches for a great lunch! Before we knew it, it was show time!

The Drum Majors were very thirsty after the long afternoon!

Pre-game was not our traditional running down the steps. Obviously, we did our normal substitute- running from the end zone. The show went very well. However, there were a few close calls with some of the stadium cameramen. Those guys were almost run over more than once!

Another cool thing about the game was the amount of playing time the band had. Usually, we play in between plays more often than we play during media timeouts. At this game, we got to play in between plays AND during media timeouts. Needless to say, the band was very exposed. I have to say we definitely were playing very well!

Mike was encouraging the band to get angry and loud

Halftime went on without a hitch (we ROCKED that stadium!). And we also played fabulously in the stand as well. What I want to give the band props for is how much continuous support the band gave to the football team. The band continuously cheered with our student section to encourage the team. It definitely payed off. With 13 seconds left in the game, the Bearcats took the lead for good with a 39 yard pass for a touchdown! The band was elated! It was very hard to play the fight song there was so much excitement!

After the game, the team came over to the band, some of the players hopped the hall and shook the Drum Majors hands. Coach Butch Jones even came up there and asked us to play Cheer Cincinnati for a third time in a row! The band and football team definitely had a good celebration with the student section right after the victory! Way to go guys!

Butch Jones and the team celebrating with the band!

Once the stadium cleared out, the band marching back to the buses to start loading for the trip home. After taking off our uniforms, loading the buses, loading the equipment truck, getting a great dinner, and relaxing for a few minutes we were on the road home! Now, I would like to tell you exactly what went on, but I took advantage of the ride and slept most of the way home. It was refreshing after a long day in the sun.

We arrived back at UC around 8 in the morning. We quickly unloaded the buses, and headed to our houses for a few more hours of sleep. All in all, I would say it was a great trip. We had a great time in the hotel, an even better time at the football game, and some good time to relax on the bus ride home.

Hopefully those Hokies decide to not mess with us again!

TUCBIDG!

Now as a Drum Major

2012-10-11T17:06:00.002-04:00

Where to start? It has definitely been a crazy 7 weeks since band camp and the beginning of school and the football season. This switch to semesters definitely has me thrown through a loop! Band camp was very different this year being only on campus and not going to Higher Ground. I can honestly say that it was rough for me that first week of camp just because the dynamic of being a drum major is so different and because I really missed being with my section on the field and playing my clarinet. I still do miss playing and marching, but the experience of being a drum major so far has been extraordinary. It is amazing to see how the band reacts to you. One word or two tweets of the whistle and you have the attention of 250 people! (Well… most of them…) My past experience as associate drum major has majorly helped me prepare to be where I am now. I know there are many things I would not be comfortable with if I did not have this previous experience.

I would say that my favorite experiences are, of course, being front box for pre-game, and standing on the wall during the games. My first time conducting Army Fanfare was just a wave of excitement. I swear I practiced jumping up on to that wall at least fifteen times, but somehow on game day it wasn’t so easy. It’s a completely different experience when there are hundreds of fans in front of you and you’re trying not to pay attention to the echo of sound. I’m not sure what else to say besides “That was REALLY COOL!”. Before I hopped on the wall, Ben told me to remember that moment, and I definitely do! Sprinting across the field with the tubas is also another neat experience! Definitely need to stay clear of them!

At first I was really nervous about being on the headset, but it is not quite as nerve-wracking as I was expecting it to be. Mike and Ben answered my hundreds of questions and walked through everything with me. My first time actually went really well, and once I really felt comfortable with the flow of when to play and whatnot, it was really kind of fun! The sound from being right there in front of the band is remarkable, it just blows me away.

One thing that I like the most about being a drum major is being in a position where I can really help people and help the band. I love that I can answer peoples questions, help them fix any problems, help the directors plan and work things out and help them get everyone doing what needs to be done. Being able to make that type of difference is really what I like to be able to do.

This weekend I will conduct Army Fanfare on the wall again and I am already excited! I hope to see everyone there to cheer on the Bearcats to another win!

-Laura Pinzone

Pelotonia - One Goal

2012-09-03T22:09:00.001-04:00

First let me start this by saying thank you again to all of those who donated to my ride and my wife, Larissa’s, ride. Your donations to help me reach my fundraising goal of $1250.00 are greatly appreciated, and will go a long way in helping Pelotonia reach its one goal, and that is to end cancer.

My first experience at Pelotonia was humbling, exhilarating, fulfilling, and just pure fun. I was riding in memory of our dearly departed friend Julie Benken, of whose memory this Society was founded in. Her name adorned the back of my cycling jersey, along with the Drum Major Society’s seal. On the sleeves of my jersey were the names of some of the cancer survivors I know, including Doc, Abby Resnick, my grandma and my dad.

Weeks before the event, my wife Larissa decided to participate, so I was fortunate enough to have her company on the first 25 miles of the ride. We arrived at Columbus Commons in downtown Columbus, OH at 6:30am, along with roughly 6000 other cyclists. What a site it was! I have never seen so many people in one place all focused on the same thing. It was a very emotional start to the day seeing so many people wearing the names of loved ones lost to cancer, seeing cancer survivors riding in the event, and just the overall sense of everyone working together to reach one goal. We all may have been wearing different colored jerseys, but we were all there for the same reason.

I must have been looking at something important...

Almost to the start line!

I saw a lady standing on the sidewalk cheering on riders with a sign that read, “UR MY HERO”. This brought tears to my eyes as peddled past her. I could only imagine the story she had to tell. I thought about the people I know touched by cancer, and I thought about the thousands peddling around me, and that each and every one of them had a different personal story to tell about how their lives had been affected by cancer. This really started to put things in perspective for me in regards to how wide spread the reach of this disease truly is. It has so many different forms, and affects so many people. Events like Pelotonia and the Susan G. Komen events are vital to ensuring that we as a community, as a society, as a race, figure out how to cure cancer in all its various forms.

Focusing on the cycling I was supposedly doing, I noticed it was an endless stream of cyclists on the road. The ride was lovely, cool weather and a slightly overcast sky made for excellent riding conditions. The 25 mile mark was at Pickerington High School. There were police officers at every turn along the way to look out for rider safety, and Pelotonia support vehicles out on the road to assist any riders that needed it. I couldn’t have been more impressed by their amount of preparation.

Once we got through Pickerington (which is a lovely little town btw, and I encourage you all to visit it one day), we were headed toward New Albany where I would conclude my 50 mile ride. There were three rest stops along the way with ample food, liquids, restrooms, and rider support. I scarfed down a PB and J and a banana, topped off my water bottles and was on my way rather quickly. The remaining 25 miles of my ride were a little lonely at first without Larissa, but I quickly and easily found a few people to chat with, and explained what group I was riding for and why. Probably one of the more enjoyable moments for me was close to the 50 mile finish I met a gentlemen named, Lee Schneider. Lee is in his 80s and was the oldest participating member of Pelotonia. He was riding the full 180 miles over two days. Speaking with him for five minutes was amazing, and I’m very thankful to have met him, even if it was fleeting.

I finally reached the finish line and they had tons of food, drinks, and beer waiting. Talk about a great end to a great day! There was live music playing, people cheering, and smiles abound. Did I mention they had beer waiting? It was nice to sit at long banquet tables with the other riders and talk about the day, and who they were riding for, and if they were planning to do this next year. I honestly can’t wait for next year, and I am hoping to go farther and raise more, so we can all work together to end cancer.

Finally, I would like to wish the DMS team participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure the best of luck! I may not be there physically, but I will be there in spirit. This will be another great event that allows us, as a community, another chance to continue the fight against cancer.

The 50 mile finish line!

Does this even need a description...?

Drum Major Icon Fred J. Miller Has Died

2012-08-03T17:03:00.003-04:00

It was reported today that marching band patron and businessman Fred J. Miller creator of the FJM Drum Major Clinic series, died earlier today of natural causes (Friday 8/3). FJM clinics have been held around the country for over 40 years and touched the lives of thousands of high school students working toward understanding the art of conducting for marching bands everywhere.

Please CLICK HERE for a link to the local news source on more information.

From the Drum Major Society Executive Director Nick A. DelleCave:

"Today, the marching band world lost another great contributor to the art of conducting, leadership and drum major excellence. The Drum Major Society has several members within its own ranks who became the great leaders they are due in no small part to Fred's outstanding work in his many nationwide clinics.

As a tribute to his legacy, our Society will salute Mr. Miller during the course of the duration of August with special notes and thoughts of his on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Our membership firmly believes in Fred's legacy; the selfless and gracious attitude of service to others. He will be missed."

The Drum Major Society

Organizational Announcement: GuideStar Exchange Seal Certification

2012-07-02T13:13:00.000-04:00

The Drum Major Society Receives the GuideStar Exchange Seal as a
Demonstration of Its Commitment to Transparency

CINCINNATI, OH – The Drum Major Society today received the GuideStar Exchange Seal, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability provided by GuideStar USA, Inc., the premier source of nonprofit information. The Seal demonstrates to the Society's support-base our deep commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability.

"We have worked hard to showcase our progress toward our mission, and our long-held belief in being transparent about our work, to our constituents," said Nick DelleCave, Founder and Executive Director. "As a GuideStar Exchange member, we use their platform to share a wealth of up-to-date information about our work to our supporters and GuideStar's immense online audience of nonprofits, grantmakers, individual donors, and the media."

In order to be awarded the GuideStar Exchange Seal, The Drum Major Society had to fill out every required field of our nonprofit report page on www.guidestar.org, including our annual report, financial data, IRS compliance, etc.

"I encourage you to check out our profile on GuideStar to see what we're all about," added Mr. DelleCave. "We are engaged in exciting initiatives, and we are thrilled to have another platform for communicating our advancement and progress."

About the GuideStar Exchange

The GuideStar Exchange is an initiative designed to connect nonprofits with current and potential supporters. With millions of people coming to GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations, the GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with GuideStar's many audiences. Becoming a GuideStar Exchange member is free of charge. To join, organizations need to update their report pages, completing all required fields for membership. The GuideStar Exchange Seal, acknowledged as a symbol of transparency in the nonprofit sector, is displayed on all Exchange members' report pages.

About the Drum Major Society, Inc.

The Drum Major Society, Inc. is the leading educational resource for conducting, musical, and leadership development at the University of Cincinnati. The Society is dedicated to the advancement of music education in the public sector as a means to enhance peer leadership and core musical competencies at large. Our annual Training Program has worked to embrace these key elements in our efforts to educate young people.

Communications Director: Drew Reynolds: reynolds@drummajorsociety.org

Presentation of the Drum Major Plaque

2012-05-21T14:45:00.002-04:00

At this spring's band banquet the Drum Major Society, with the generous support of it's donors and on behalf of the Board of Directors donated a perpetual plaque to the directing staff and Dr. Terren Frenz as a token of our appreciation and esteem for the program and for the outstanding legacy left by Julie Benken.

Julie's parents worked with the Society to create such an outstanding legacy plaque, and were quite moved by the end result which will now hang in the Rockwern Band facility on UC's campus. Each year the Society will donate each name plate for each recipient.

Finally, each Scholarship recipient will now also receive an individual plaque, and all previous recipients will get one as well, again each donated by the Society membership and donors.

We are forever grateful to the Benken Family for their continued generosity, and to those students who truly represent the spirit of Julie Benken.

TUCBIDG!

The Drum Major Society

Organizational Announcement: We are Now Tax-Exempt!

2012-05-20T10:06:00.001-04:00

From the Executive Director

Members, Donors, Friends and Supporters,

Last night at the UC Bearcat Bands Spring Banquet it gave me great pleasure to announce publicly that this past week the Drum Major Society achieved its latest organizational milestone by completing and being approved as a 501(c)3 tax exempt public charity with the IRS.

This latest change now allows the Society to collect donations of all kinds and that donors can now deduct that donation from their federal income taxes each year. This includes money, gifts in kind, and many other types of contributions to the organization.

Over the next few days, our website will be updated to reflect this new status, and our donate functions and list of existing donors will be added to thank those wonderful people who have allowed us to get to this point. It also means that shortly all of our giving and support levels will take effect which expands the Society's ability to serve our students, and provide quality education in the future. Our newest Board Member Melissa Dennedy brings a wealth of music education experience and will allow us to really make some terrific strides in this area.

With your help and support, the Society can now begin its mission in earnest. The Board of Directors wishes to thank those individuals that have allowed this to happen, and we look forward to your future contributions to our organization!

TUCBIDG!

Nick A. DelleCave
Executive Director & Founder

Organizational Announcement: 2 New Directors of the Board

2012-04-29T23:17:00.000-04:00

Greetings Everyone!

It gives me great pleasure to formally announce that effective 5/1/2012, the Drum Major Society has voted and approved two new members to our Board of Directors. Please join me in congratulating officially our newest Board Members:

1) Melissa Dennedy (Silsby)

2) Corey Knapke

These two individuals represent some of the most outstanding leadership in the band's history, and we are thrilled to welcome them into the family bringing the Board to our goal of nine Directors in 2012. Brief descriptions have been included below for your reference.

Melissa Dennedy – Drum Major 1997-2000

Nominated for 2012-2014 Director of the Board Position

Instrument – Clarinet

Band Director/ Music Teacher, Loveland City Schools - January 2001-present
Currently instructs 5-8 band, general music, 5th grade strings, 5th and 6th grade music technology and composition
Helps with high school orchestra and band sectionals, workshops, and trips
Private lessons instructor - 1996-present
Bachelor of Music, Music Education - College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati
Masters of Music, Music Education - Boston University - 2010
Member of OMEA
Volunteer - Girl Scouts of America, 2006 - present
Member of the Southwest Ohio Band- 2011

Corey Knapke – Drum Major 2009-2012

Nominated for 2012-2014 Director of the Board Position

Instrument – Baritone

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering; Masters of Business Administration
Participated in International Co-op Program
Participated in Accelerated Engineering Program (ACCEND)
Member, Sigma Sigma honorary fraternity, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2010-Present - Vice President 11-12
Member, Men of Metro honorary fraternity, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011-Present
Participant, University of Cincinnati Honors Program, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2007-Present
Participant, Leadershape Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2008
Participant, 2012 Paxton Linz/Prague International Graduate Seminar

Congratulations to Melissa and Corey!

TUCBIDG!

Nick A. DelleCave

DMS Executive Director and Founder

Drum Majors in Training meet Lauren Heller

2012-04-15T17:43:00.000-04:00

During the course of the normal Drum Major Training process our DMT's get many chances to conduct to recordings, do score analysis, work one-on-one with the band and other Drum Major's and many other neat opportunities unique to the program, but this year we had something special planned for them just before the end of the process.

Those of us in the marching band field know the importance of George N. Park's and his work before his untimely death a few years ago. His Drum Major Academy is his crowning achievement that is responsible for educating thousands of high school, college and aspiring drum majors across the country every summer. DMA has defined the art of Drum Majoring and is the basis for UC's current command standard and conducting technique. The "eyes with pride" cheer we do at the end of every performance and rehearsal is his creation.

Lauren Heller is one of eight people on the DMA's Pro Team responsible for continuing to teach and manage the DMA clinics in the spirit of George N. Parks, which is appropriate considering she has worked personally with Mr. Parks and the DMA for 11 years. Her own personal Drum Major experience comes from the University of Delaware. She also happens to be getting her Doctorate in Wind Conducting right in our backyard from UC's own College-Conservatory of Music. She was more than happy to come work with our candidates for two hours in March!

Lauren Heller - DMA Pro Team/CCM Doctoral Candidate

Lauren's clinic had three different parts to it:

General introductions and a review of basic conducting concepts
Watching current videos of the DMT's as a group and evaluating what they could improve on
A general Q&A session about the duty of being Drum Major

The basic review session broke down all sorts of basic motions, from their stance, to the horns up motion.

"Lauren...taught me a lot about the basics and the fine points of the conducting. Even though we had already learned the fundamentals, it was still very beneficial to slow down the process and make sure we were paying attention to detail... There was a good deal of self- and peer-evaluation that helped me to focus on what I need to improve." - Melanie Richardson, DMT

The peer evaluation comprised of breaking the group down into lines that constantly evaluated each other for consistency, such as in the picture below. All of the DMT candidates loved this approach and it provided them instant feedback.

I took away a lot from her discussion on energy. She also used different terminology which helped gain a better vocabulary in terms of conducting. Overall, having someone from outside of the band come in to talk helped me gain a different perspective on the ins and outs of being a drum major. It was nice having yet another person break down each point of conducting. - Aaron Sykes, DMT (right)

During this part of the clinic, Lauren talked a lot about energy and tension while conducting. While holding up your arms that long might not seem taxing compared to a 10 lbs baritone, the continuous motion can actually hurt your shoulders and has been a problem for our DM's in the past. Lauren offered some wonderful advice about reducing the strain on particular joints by using gravity. DMT's watching their own video's was probably one of the most useful tools to demonstrate what she meant. In addition, while discussing the specific problems in the videos, Lauren gave some great practice tips to make our conducting more smooth and efficient.

"A DM should never look like they're trying to do more than conduct or they might look funny (to the band). This allowed us to realize that it was more about leading a band and not our style... Covering the basics in this new view helped me realize why I was doing things wrong." -Alexander Krousouloudis, DMT

Lauren (center) works with Anthony Helbling (left)

At the end, Lauren gave a general Q&A session which led to topics like how to lead a band effectively, dealing with stage fright and other important performance topics.

"We asked about the conducting height depending on the situation (football field versus basketball arena), and Lauren gave a lot of insight as to exactly what a drum major really does. It's not how far you move your arms, but rather with the kind of presence and the kind of authority with which it is done. I know this is helpful, even though there will be differences in the conducting based on the situation." -Melanie Richardson, DMT

One question in particular caught us all off guard and was personally my favorite moment of the evening:

"I was intrigued by the question: "Since Drum Majors are more of a male role what should I (a woman) do to compensate?" Lauren's answer was "don't try to act like something your not" and it left a mark. While conducting the band you have one job, (and that is)... be simple for the bands sake. Do not try to act "cool", this is the bands' show- not yours." -Alexander Krousouloudis, DMT

I was inspired by the discussion our DMT's had on servant leadership and continuing to serve the band as best they could.

That ended our evening with Lauren. She was very happy to work with the group and offered her assistance in the future with anything we may need. We wish her the best as she finishes her Doctorate this year and pursues a career.

"Lauren's clinic was extremely helpful for my growth as a conductor. Her clinic blew away my expectations and was my favorite part of the training process thus far." -Aaron Sykes, DMT

The training process is almost complete and we are mere weeks away from knowing who the new Drum Majors for next year will be. Given the cancellation of the spring football game, the tryout process is currently being re-planned. We'll let you know as we move forward!

Some upcoming dates for you all:

MainStreet Stride Parade - May 18th around noon
Spring Banquet - May 19th in the evening at Wunderland
Spring Concert - June 7th at 7:30 PM in Corbett Auditorium

Best,

Drew R.

Communications Directors

The Drum Major Society

This is New York!

2012-03-25T00:13:00.008-04:00

Just a few days after one pep band made it back from Connecticut, another pep band set off for New York City for the Men’s Big East Basketball Tournament! The band reported VERY early Wednesday morning (some at 6am). Packing the bus, getting everyone settled, and making sure we had everyone was a breeze; we left right on time! The trip was a long and arduous 12 hour bus ride, but movies like Dispicable Me and some Disney favorites made the trip a little more bearable. We made great time getting down into The Big Apple. It hit everyone we were about to arrive at our hotel when we were going through the Lincoln Tunnel and immediately were welcomed by the customary New York City traffic.

We made it to New York!

A welcomed surprise to everyone on the bus was the close proximity of our hotel to the heart of the city. Our Comfort Inn was only about 3 blocks away from Times Square and just 4 blocks away from Madison Square Garden. This made travel easy and entertainment easy to come by! J

The first night was pretty relaxing. Everyone was getting settled in and trying to find a place to get food. Some people hit up fast food joints while a group of band members went to a hometown place called Atomic Wings. Everyone can say throughout the trip that they ate pretty well every day!

Thursday rolled around, and a large group of us decided to go to the 9/11 Memorial. Mr. Angelis even arranged for the bus to drop us off and pick us up from the Memorial in order to ensure easy travel. After getting through the intensive security, the astounding site of the memorial took all of us aback. The beauty, somberness, and tranquility of the scene definitely had everyone thinking about where they were on September 11, 2001. Mr. A talked about how he was in New York City while the attacks were actually happening. Going to this memorial was definitely a good thing for all of us to see. It helped put things back into perspective. Life goes on no matter if a basketball game is playing or not. It was an amazing hour spent at a place where most of us did not want to leave. However, we had a game to get to!

Ricky Fairchild checking out the memorial, and Mr. Angelis telling us what it was like to be in New York during 9/11

After hopping back onto the bus, changing into our uniforms quickly, and grabbing a huge slice of New York pizza, we were on our way to Madison Square Garden. We arrived about an hour and a half before our game time. Walking into the area was amazing in itself. It was truly an honor playing in a place where people like Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan, and John F, Kennedy have been in the same exact same spot!Our first opponent was nationally ranked Georgetown. The game was exciting the entire duration. UC played down most of the game, but the team kept it close. Near the end of regulation, the team got their score to within a few points. Back and forth the score went until we hit 0:00 on the clock. The game was tied! OVERTIME. 5 more minutes of an already exciting game! The game once again went back and forth. UC pulled ahead but Georgetown came storming right back. At the end of the first overtime, the game was tied AGAIN! Another 5 minutes of basketball! At this point, everyone could tell the UC players had more energy in their legs since they had a 2 round bye and Georgetown played a game just a little under 24 hours ago. With about 2 minutes left in the second overtime, the team pulled away for good! Georgetown tried to comeback, but we were up for good! We had won 72-70! For the team, this meant our next game was against the 2^nd best team in the country, Syracuse. For the band this meant we got to stay another night!

Nightlife after the game was insane. A few went to Times Square to walk around again. Others went to a bar to hang with a bartender of few band members had gotten to know. Others just took the night to rest and be ready for a day full of sight seeing. The next morning (Friday), a big group of us took the subway to the location where a ferry can take people to the Statue of Liberty. We made it onto the second ferry of the day, and we got to Lady Liberty around 11am. Lots of pictures were taken. Unfortunately the monument was being repaired, so we could not go inside of it, but we did get to walk around and enjoy the skyline and the gorgeous sight of Lady Liberty holding her torch. After everyone had taken enough pictures, a few took the ferry to Ellis Island while others took the ferry back to the loading dock where we came from the subway to make it back to the hotel. The subway proved to be a little tricky when we realized we were going to end up at Grand Central Station instead of in front of the hotel. Since it was such a nice day out, the group decided to walk back to the hotel. This gave us more time to take pictures, and see more of the city.

Lady Liberty

Something that was different about our pregame preparations for the second game from the first game was a pep rally. The cheerleaders and band performed outside of the bar where many UC Alumni and fans ate and drank at before any of the UC basketball games during the Tournament. A first, we did not have much of a crowd, but once the band started playing some of our fan favorites, a crowd quickly gathered. Most of the crowd was not even UC fans. Many of them had heard the music and stopped to take videos and pictures of the band, cheerleaders, and the Bearcat. It was a fun experience for everyone involved!

Our second game was against the number 1 seed of the tournament, the Syracuse Orange. Electricity was in the air. The band was definitely in a groove for all of the game. Everyone could feel that something special could happen that night. The cheerleaders and the band even coordinated the cheers together to make the cheer louder and more powerful. The band and cheerleaders WERE the student section. We were louder than the entire arena for most of the game! The best part about our cheers was that our enthusiasm was mirrored on the basketball court. The team came out blazing hot. The Bearcats were ahead for most of the game. Even in pressure situations, the Bearcats held their composure and came out with the 60-53 win! The Bearcat fans were going nuts! The band played a fight song and All I Do is Win right after it. WE WERE GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP! This game meant it was the FARTHEST the team has ever made it in the Big East Tournament. It also meant this is the FARTHEST the UC Band has ever gone in the tournament. J

After the game, the band headed back to the hotel and rested up for what was sure to be a crazy last day in New York. First, the band and cheerleaders had to change hotels. We all upgraded from a Comfort Inn to the Millennium Hotel right off the Hudson River. Many of us had a room with 2 bedrooms, 3 TVs, a kitchen, and a scenic view of the Hudson River AND the city. We may have only been there for a few hours, but it was a great place to keep our luggage! J Most of the band got food quickly and stayed in to finish up some homework or prepare for the upcoming Finals Week. A few hours of relaxing, and it was game time against one of our heated rivals, Louisville.

Before we even got onto the bus, the energy for the game could be felt. Nerves were on a high. People were antsy and just anxious to get to the arena. I decided to wear the Formal Drum Major uniform for the game. Everyone knew the game was something special. We performed a small pep rally at the same bar we played at before the Syracuse game. This time, a small band went with the cheerleaders to perform and cheer inside the bar. Once we got back together with the rest of the band, we performed again for fans waiting outside of the ticket area in Madison Square Garden. It was a great way to let everyone around us know The UC Band was here, and we mean business!

The Band was pumped!!!!

Arriving at the arena, the media people I was working with for all the games congratulated us to making it to the Championship Game. More UC fans came from anywhere and everywhere to show their support for the team playing in their first Big East Championship. Unfortunately, it was a tough game to watch. The game was very nerve-wracking, and the team seemed to be getting over their hangover from the energy spent on beating Syracuse just 24 hours beforehand. Louisville led almost the entire game. In the end, the Cardinals proved to be the better team. It was hard for everyone to swallow, but in the end we were just happy to be there.

The loss did not take away from the band’s spirit, though. Playing our hearts out, we definitely were one of the best bands in the tournament. Multiple fans from other schools told us we were the best band they had heard all tournament. One fan even told us she wished her school’s pep band was like the UC Band. The game may have been heartbreaking, but the band came out with multiple victories.

After the game, the band was given until 1am to report back onto the bus. We needed to pack, grab food, shower, get changed, and be back on the bus in order to make it back to Cincinnati for the Winter Band Concert. It was a very tough drive, but the band and Cheerleaders slept through most of it. A very tired group of band members and cheerleaders got off the bus Sunday at 2pm. With about 3.5 hours until report time, the band had just enough time to recover and get ready for what turned out to be an outstanding Winter Concert.

Congratulations to everyone who went on the trip. It was definitely an awesome experience. It was an trip that was much longer than expected, but I think everyone had the time of their lives.

To the basketball team: Congratulations. You definitely have deserved all of the perks, and high statured games you have gotten into due to all of your hard work! I really look forward to seeing how far this team goes in the future!

Goodnight, New York! Until next year!

Lions, Tigers, and Bearcats! Oh My!

2012-03-19T23:15:00.008-04:00

Now that exams are over and I am no longer constantly thinking and speaking in medical terms, I can share with you the adventures we had at the Women’s basketball tournament in Hartford Connecticut! This was my third time on this trip, and part of me was thinking that since I had been there and done that twice now, that maybe it wouldn’t be as exciting. Boy was I wrong!

We left bright and early Thursday morning for the very long bus ride to Connecticut. I didn’t realize how long the ride was actually going to be, until it seemed like every time I checked where we were we still had 4 or 5 hours to go! However it gave us lots of time for some good movies, studying, and naptime. J We arrived the night before the game, which wasn’t until 8pm. The morning of the game we took a field trip to the shopping center. Everyone got to explore, shop, eat, and best of all, ride the giant carousel in the middle of the food court! Many of us decided it was worth the dollar to ride around in circles on horses, lions, tigers, and elephants. Corey needed some convincing, but with a token handed to him, we inspired him to embrace his inner child! The girls definitely had some fun window shopping! Pictures to prove it!

The game was very exciting! Our group was very fun and happy to be there, and with Dr. Besse around it’s always a good time!With the cheer team, the band really supported the ladies very well. It was a close game, but we lost with a score of 54-51. The game was tied quite a few times, and we were never behind by more than 4 points until the last play of the game. It was disappointing, but the women still had a great season and it was such a blast to be there supporting them! And I think our version of Dr. Who blew the other band out of the water!

Without a W we had to return home the next morning, but the night was young! A small group of us found a restaurant with fantastic burgers! Then went back to the restaurant across from the hotel where we found some other bandies. A couple dances and refreshing beverages later we were back at the hotel for the night.

The ride home is always shorter right? Maybe it was because we were all so tired that we slept through half of it. But many hours and three or four movies later we were back in Cincinnati. It was a fantastic mini vacation and I think everyone had a great time. Just another reason why it’s awesome to be a Bearcat and a member of the Bearcat Bands! TUCBIDG!

Check out the pictures!

-Laura

2012 Training Program Update

2012-02-28T11:07:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! After having held the first official part of our DM Tryout sequence yesterday, I felt this would be a good opportunity to post an update on the 2012 training program. Since our last post we have had a few more workshops, some Drum Major in Training experiences, and our Midterm Evaluation of all drum major candidates.

Workshops

Since the last post we have held a score analysis workshop led by Dr. Terren Frenz, two intermediate conducting workshops, and an advanced conducting workshop led by Dr. Jody Besse. All of these workshops have been very helpful in creating a foundation of knowledge useful to anyone pursing the position of drum major. Further, all of these workshops have provided learning experiences beneficial to any musician. Knowledge of what to look for in concert conducting or how to break down chord progressions in a musical score are valuable tools for anyone advancing in their musical knowledge.

Drum Majors in Training

Also since the last post, we have been sequencing our Associate Drum Major and other Drum Majors in Training through their own training on the podium at Women’s basketball games. Since January, both Will and Becky have conducted one full women’s basketball game. As Associate DM, Laura has conducted a number of women’s games. All three drum majors have done an excellent job and their continual improvement on the podium and in front of the band is noticed each time they conduct.

Midterm Evaluation

Finally, the training program midterm evaluation was held yesterday evening. The panel evaluations went very well. Each candidate chose one stand tune to prepare and conducted in front of a live panel consisting of DMS board members and an at large band member. All candidates did a commendable job and the amount of improvement seen across the board since the beginning of January was VERY apparent. In addition to this live panel review, each candidate took a written examination over material found in our DM Handbook and completed a brief score analysis. On behalf of the Drum Major Society, I would like thank all DM candidates for their hard work and dedication to further honing their skills sets.

Going into the final weeks of the quarter, we have two remaining workshops before spring break. In the midst of these workshops are trips to basketball tournaments by the UC Bearcat Bands. You can expect some updates on these trips in the near future. In the mean time, GO CATS!

Corey

In Memoriam: Julie Benken 5 Years Later

2012-02-08T11:55:00.002-05:00

Greetings Everyone!

February 3rd marked Julie Benken's birthday.

It was now 5 years ago that nearly all of us attended the untimely funeral of the MOST spirited, energetic, and dedicated woman to grace many of our lives. I think each of us can recall a memory from that fateful day when we heard the news, or visited with the family, or simply took time to pay our respects to one of the great leaders in UC Band history.

Julie was an unabashed optimist whose zeal for the UC Band, the University of Cincinnati, and each one of us made her one of the most unique people we've ever had the chance to meet. I remember many fond things about her, from my first day a pre-camp on the old Field #2 (where the baseball stadium stands today) where she yelled at me about my mark time, to her pledging as an Honorary of Kappa Kappa Psi in my pledge class, to her travelling with us on all the bowl trips, to the very last trip she couldn't make from her cancer.

Julie posing with the 2000 Kappa Kappa Psi pledge class!

I think it goes without saying that Julie truly embodied the very best of all of us, and encouraged all of us to be better than we are.

Julie and the Bearcat! :-)

One of her passions was the Drum Majors of the UC Band. Each of us that served in that position knew a different kind of Julie...LOL! She was pushy, in-your-face, and demanded a level of excellence from all who listened. (And even those who didn't). With the consent of her parents, and assistance from the University we had an idea to form a Society of Drum Majors to formalize education, recognize those members who serve, and in turn support the band she loved so dearly. It was her wish to see something happen, and through many years of hard work and perseverance, the group recently succeeded coincidentally around the date of her birthday! A fitting tribute to a dream held by Julie and her family!

Julie with Dr. Frenz

Julie with Mike Rutherford and Jessica Knause

Breast cancer is really the culprit here. Julie had her bought with breast cancer and 2 different remissions before it finally won, but it NEVER broke her spirit for the band, for life in general, and for her students and friends. She even had a yellow stuffed animal duck that quacked when you squeezed it, and based on comments from her parents, she never once stopped squeezing the bill while she was in the hospital towards the worst of her symptoms.

I'll share one of the most impactful memories for me during the day of the funeral:

Julie's Pledge Brothers at the funeral.

Her funeral caravan was MILES long and even had a few cars involved in accidents on the way from the Church to the cemetery. I remember the UC Band there playing a concert, specifically A Hymnsong on Philip Bliss. Later that spring the service organizations performed that piece live in front of nearly 1000 people at their District Convention held in Cincinnati. I was a member of the 6 Drum Majors in uniform as pallbearers and recall the UC Band played Shaka Zulu at the front of the church as the casket left the church for the hearse.

At the close of the Benediction at the cemetery the 6 Drum Majors stood up and approached the casket. In one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, I joined with my fellow DM's and we proceeded to do the dismissal cadence for the UC Band. Nothing can explain the eerie silence that ensued and finally dismissing Julie to her heavenly rest. At the close of the ceremony each Drum Major gave her mother our whistles to include in Julie's casket and one for the family to retain in memory of the events that transpired. It was truly an emotional event and one that I will never forget.

Julie directing Cheer Cincy after a runthrough

The Drum Major Society continually strives to support her memory! Some of our annual assets go to support her Drum Major Scholarship Fund, and many of our events are catered to the mission of eliminating breast cancer.

Later this year, our organization will be hosting a team for a local breast cancer run, and we certainly hope many of you will join us! More information will be available soon.

In closing, I just wanted to take this time to remember the REASON we exist today. The REASON this all started. We are bound to a legacy of greatness, and our members over the years have dutifully stepped up to embody the one person in UC Band history to have had the impact that Julie has had. We miss her. I miss her terribly. She was such a mentor and friend.

Julie posing! :-)

If you have any memories of Julie, or more pictures we can put online (website, Facebook, blog, etc.) please don't hesitate to send them to me at dellecave@drummajorsociety.org, or post them on our Facebook page.

Thanks for everything Julie!

Nick

Organizational Announcement: The Drum Major Society is NOW a Non-Profit Organization

2012-02-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

From the Executive Director:

We've been alluding to "big things" coming in 2012 for quite awhile, and now has come the time to announce where we are and where we are heading.

The Drum Major Society is officially a non-profit organization as of the start of 2012!

Our Articles of Incorporation and IRS filing have been completed and approved! We are now waiting patiently on completion of the tax-exemption process so we can begin to offer tax-deduction as a benefit to supporting our Organization.

It has been a personal dream to be able to offer a compelling service to student Drum Majors for many years, and with recent unanimous action by the Board of Directors we have made that leap a reality.

Being a legal Non-Profit entity is Step #1.

Step #2 is tax-exemption approval. This will take some time. In the interim we are supporting the students as best we can, and are always looking for new ways to gain more support.

Effective February 1st on our website, you have the option on our "Donate" page to give as little as a $1 (non tax deductible at this time) to give a little support to our ongoing operations while we wait for tax-exemption approval. While we would love everyone to offer $50 or more, any amount you can give in its entirety goes to the students and their functions within the band program. Our all-volunteer organization relies entirely on the generosity and support of friends and fans to fund basic Drum Major needs.

To make the process simple, we have partnered with Google Checkout, Square, and MailChimp to be able to offer professional monetary collection features to our members and friends. These free services really helped make our plans even more realistic, and have offered a simple format for anyone to support us monetarily, or communicate with you more professionally.

These outstanding services allow groups like ours to flourish in tough times.

While any amount is helpful, we urge you to consider supporting The Drum Major Society at whatever amount you can support (non tax deductible at this time) and help us bridge the gap between now and when tax-exemption is finalized.

Further announcements will be made over the next few months, and we hope to be able to count you as part of the team!

TUCBIDG!

P.S. "Like" us on Facebook!

Nick A. DelleCave
DMS Founder & Executive Director

Wrist Flicks and Focal Points

2012-01-19T19:57:00.005-05:00

Hey UC Band fans and DMS supporters! As we officially start the winter quarter here at the University of Cincinnati, we have also officially started the 2012 Drum Major Training Program sponsored by the Drum Major Society. Since we have restructured our board of directors, there is no longer an official director position dedicated towards organizing the training program; however, its overall responsibility belongs to our Operations Director.

This year’s program organization has primarily been handled by a small subcommittee of the board and many of its workshops and sessions are being instructed by various board members, directors, and guests. In additions to instruction, all candidates of the program are receiving a copy of the Drum Major Handbook and full access to online resources listed in our training members’ site. The added variety of instructing styles and the availability of resources to candidates have so far been of great advantage.

The program kicked off on January 11^th with our first conducting workshop and the second was held just this past Wednesday. Through the coming weeks, workshops on intermediate conducting, field commanding, score analysis, and advanced conducting will be offered to candidates as resources for their preparation in trying out for the Drum Major position this spring.

This year’s class of candidates is comprised of 17 individuals, including returning Drum Majors and Drum Majors in Training. So far the group has exhibited a strong desire to work in refining their conducting technique and they show promise of some real improvement over the next several weeks. Despite whichever candidates are ultimately chosen for the position, the program is certainly a worthwhile investment of time and the society is excited to be hosting its third official year of drum major training.

As we move through the upcoming training program and tryouts, we will be sure to keep you all posted on the status of everyone involved. Happy training!

TUCBIDG!

Corey