State-Journal.com - Major moves

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Kentucky State University drum major Sam Thompson dances during a half-time show last football season. (State Journal/Kelly Mackey)

Sam laughs as he leads KSU band members in a plank exercise during band camp. (State Journal/Kelly Mackey)

Sam Thompson and the four other drum majors at KSU come up with their dance moves. (State Journal/Kelly Mackey)

Sam Thompson feeds off the energy of cheering fans and pounding music when he leads the Kentucky State University marching band on game day.

“It brings out the dance and the energy in you,” he says.

Sam, a 23-year-old senior from Detroit majoring in psychology, is the chief drum major of the marching band. A quiet and soft-spoken student, Sam rarely talks in class and is very laid-back.

But put him on the football field for half-time shows and he’s an aggressive, high-energy leader.

“It’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” he says.

At practice last week, Sam acted as drill sergeant - shouting commands and giving blasts on his whistle.

The five drum majors are also known for their lively dance moves, which they plan together.

“We do dance a little more than other drum majors,” Sam said. “We feed off each other. That’s one of the best parts of performing with a group.”

He said it’s an honor to be one of this year’s five drum majors - a record for the KSU band. The other drum majors act as Sam’s assistants during practice and supervise different groups of students.

However, it’s a privilege and can be revoked for attendance, performance or academic problems.

“It’s a position every band student aspires for,” Sam says.

When he put in his application for the job, other students thought it was a joke, he said. Drum majors are typically tall and thin, two things which Sam easily admits he is not.

Being selected as chief drum major is the pinnacle of Sam’s quick rise through the band ranks.

As a freshman, he was picked as the first chair - best player - in the French horn section. He quickly rose to lead the French horn section as a sophomore and was a drum major his junior year.

Members of the marching band are known for their green and gold uniforms. Sam’s baton also fits the theme with its golden staff and green ribbons.

For the past two weeks, he’s been helping director Kalomo Bailey forge the band into a cohesive unit. The students practice fundamentals in the morning, and they rehearse songs in the afternoon and practice marching techniques in the evening. Band camp continues this week and classes begin immediately after that.

Drum majors are the first members to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night, Sam said. Kalomo’s the manager, but drum majors are the supervisors who make sure their peers stay on task, he said.

It’s hard to supervise his peers, Sam said - you have to earn their respect first. Students also come from many different backgrounds, and it’s hard to work with different attitudes, he said.

“You have to be very confident,” Sam said. “All eyes are on you.”

Drum majors also direct the action on the field during a performance, telling sections when to play, stop or dance.

They do anything else necessary for rehearsals and performances to go smoothly from sharpening pencils to handing out music, Sam says.

Performing is the easiest part of the job, Sam says, because he rehearses until the moves are almost automatic.

“You turn on cruise control and go,” Sam said. “You can’t think about every step.”

However, it takes a lot of hard work to get there, and there aren’t a lot of perks along the way. Drum majors get the first drink of water during a break but they also have to supervise the other students to make sure everyone gets a turn.

Drum majors also get their own seats on the bus when they travel.

“That’s what it’s all for,” Sam jokes.

Even when he’s not at rehearsal or performing, Sam says music is an important part of his daily routine.

“Without anything to hum, I’d be pretty bored,” he says. “Music helps keep your day moving.”

In addition to his duties as drum major, Sam also works with students at the Hearn Elementary Horn Club after school program and with mentally disabled individuals at Every Day Matters.

Last summer he taught students at Hearn to play the recorder and was surprised to talk with one student this year who is still playing.

“Every time I see him, he tells me he knows a new song,” Sam said. “It’s very rewarding.”

Sam says he wants to either be a child psychologist or special education teacher.

Even after he graduates, music will be a part of Sam’s life. He’ll continue to assist the KSU marching band or the marching band at his Detroit high school.

“I just can’t give it up,” he says.