Given Their Marching Orders : High School Drum Majors Vie for State Honors in Anaheim

On the hot pavement Saturday afternoon, with his parents and scores of others looking on, Steven Tite walked a fine line. The 10th-grade drum major from Valencia High School of Placentia also marched, high-stepped and kicked a fine line as well.

Unfortunately, the 15-year-old didn’t fare quite as well with the 38-inch baton he twirled in front of his chest, around his back, and over his head. A few steps before the finish of his four-minute routine, his baton hit the pavement.

“I saw the end before it came,” said Tite, Valencia High’s youngest drum major. “I hated dropping it.”

Tite was one of 100 California high school students put through their paces Saturday at the statewide Drum Major Championships at Loara High School in Anaheim. And Tite was far from the only competitor from across the state to slip in their quest to become the best.

“It can happen to anyone,” said Tom Peacock, a former state champion drum major, and the event’s organizer since 1972. “All it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration.”

With music ranging from John Philip Sousa to Yanni playing in the background, the drum majors were graded in marching categories. Judges evaluated their ability to march with the rhythm, the difficulty of their moves, their costumes and composure.

Some drum majors say the anticipation of competition can take a bigger emotional toll than the event.

“Before you go on, it’s really nerve-racking,” said Rae Tabbert, 16, of Vintage High School in Napa. “Your hands are shaking, you’re short of breath. It’s really intense.”

Once their personally chosen music begins, the drum majors march their course, twirling their maces or batons and shouting commands to an imaginary band--with the judge shadowing their every move. The judge speaks into a tape recorder during the competition, listing each contestant’s strengths and weaknesses. The competitors are given a copy of the tape after their performance.

The scrutiny protects the integrity of the drum majoring--a vital component of promoting school spirit, Peacock said.

“They are the top guns,” he said. “They give school programs pomp and circumstance, which contribute to an overall sense of pride.”

Kristen Judy, a drum major from Ventura High School, thrives on instilling that kind of spirit in her classmates.

“What’s the coolest thing is if you perform well, you can bring everyone’s morale way up,” said Judy, who practiced up to an hour a day for months in preparation for Saturday’s competition. “It can be intimidating with hundreds of people staring at you, though.”

Three Orange County drum majors performed well enough for the judges and the 100 spectators to claim top honors Saturday. The local winners were: Michael Turanitza of Loara High School, who placed third in military majors; Jared Johnson of Cypress High School, who finished third in the show division; and Mark Irons of Fountain Valley High School, who ranked fourth in field conducting.

Saturday’s competition is the end of the line for the performers for this season. There are no national drum major tournaments yet for high school students.

But if it’s any consolation, Peacock contends winning this contest is tantamount to being the best in the nation.

“California has the best drum majors. Anywhere,” he said.