Category Archives: Field Conducting

An Interview with Conductor Benjamin Zander By Rick Wilson A few years ago, I had an opportunity to spend some time with Benjamin Zander, the Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. He has a world-wide reputation and is considered one of the very best conductors alive today. I was able to watch him rehearse and later […]

How to coordinate multiple field conductors By Rick Wilson As marching bands and drum corps have gotten larger, they have begun to turn to multiple drum majors. This can be both a blessing and a curse. It depends on how well the drum majors coordinate with one another and how well they achieve their primary […]

Getting Maximum Energy From Your Group By Rick Wilson Photo: UCLA Drum Major Bryan Kreft. Here’s his description of the moment: “This photo was taken at the UCLA/USC game… at halftime… when we were playing One More Time Chick Corea… These were the last couple of blastissimo chords at the end… in between some skyrocketing trumpets. […]

Acknowledging Your Audience By Rick Wilson When leading a band in performance, don’t forget about the audience. They are there to be entertained, to see a show. Give them one. When you get an audience’s response, be sure to acknowledge their applause. Give them a salute. Take a bow. Let the audience know you hear […]

Matching Music and Performance There is one basic item that can make the difference between a great and a not-so-hot performance. It has to do with this one little idea. Make your performance match the music. Make every one of your body movements an extension of what the music is doing. Have the two working […]

Getting Your Hand Salute Right By Rick Wilson The fastest way to get an audience (or a judging panel) believing that you are a skilled drum major is to snap off a precise and flashy salute. The problem is that about half of the drum majors you see at competitions, don’t know where to place […]

The Basic Parts of a Field Performance There are five basic components in every field performance put together by a marching band. These hold true despite the band’s style or music selection. They are: 1) The Set-Up involves bringing the band on to the field, getting each member in their proper position, getting them ready to perform. […]

The Championship Season by Kelly Johnson – Drum Major of the 2000 Div II International Champion Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets (Editor’s Note: In 2000, the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadet Drum & Bugle Corps made history. They not only captured the Division II Championship, but went on to end up 17th overall, besting a number of […]

Where Should a Drum Major Place Their Downbeat When Conducting? This text will be replaced Many field conductors ask where the best place is to put their downbeat when conducting their marching band or drum corps in performance? In this video, Rick Wilson shows you and tells you why the answer today is different from […]

Ultimate Drum Major Conducting Challenge Winners for 2008 Congratulations to our top 5 competitors, and especially our winner Corey Harkins. If you’re a field conductor or someone looking for drum major tips or drum major salute ideas, check out the videos below. You’ll see some excellent examples of drum majors at their best. Curious about […]