Shelly Mao’s important role in marching band is making a mark on her senior year

Alexandra Gray, Sports Editor, Raina Jain, Staff Writer, Isha Patel, Staff Writer 

Shelly Mao is a senior at Northview High School who has recently been appointed as Head Drum Major, a prestigious role in the marching band. Her main role is to create a bridge between the band director, Kelly Dickerson, and the students.  In addition to directing, Mao helps with uniform fittings, setting up the stadium, sectionals for the saxophone players, and anywhere else she is needed. 

“It stands out a lot because we do things separately from the band,” Mao said. “In marching band, you're one unit. Everyone's supposed to look the same, play the same, and you're supposed to be a group, and the drum major stands out because we're always out doing something else.”

While becoming head drum major was a change, it was not a surprise. Mao has been training for this position for several years and took considerable steps to reach this coveted position. She has been preparing for drum major ever since she started marching band by actively participating in the band and consistently lending a helping hand to those in need. 

“I applied rising into my sophomore year, and I got to be assistant drum major,” Mao said. “Basically, as you go on, you can eventually become head drum major.”

Marching at home football games is one of the aspects of marching band that helped shape her experience. It provided her with an opportunity to perform in front of an audience while also spending time with her friends. This Friday night tradition became her favorite memory of marching band. Now that she is not marching, her Fridays are spent doing what she has been training for since sophomore year.

“[During] the band’s first game, being the drum major felt really nice because two years before, I was the assistant drum major. Being the drum major this year and having a successful first game was something I was really proud of accomplishing,” Mao said. 

Marching band has provided more than just musical experience to Mao, the community she has been a part of for all four years of high school has also been a standout aspect of her time in the band. Because of this, she has met people such as senior Allen Jones. 

“It would not be the same without her there. She helps me so much. Even when people start giving me hate for messing up, she says, ‘Hey, it's okay. I'll help teach you to be better.’ So I'm really grateful that I get to work with her,” Jones said. 

When Mao discovered she was the drum major, she felt excited because while she enjoyed marching, she also wanted to step up into a bigger role to help out with the band. The head drum major unifies the band, and being a director requires natural leadership skills. Part of what makes this transition more natural is that Mao practices these skills in settings other than band. In the classroom, her AP English Language and Composition teacher, Elizabeth Lake, saw how she could both be a leader and observe when necessary. 

“In AP Lang, Shelly was equally confident putting herself in the foreground of discussions when she really knew stuff, and she was also comfortable fading in the background when she didn't know as much and wanted to learn from her peers. I think both of these skills are valuable leadership characteristics,” Lake said.

As Mao is now in her final season as a member of the marching band, she has multiple goals to make her mark as drum major. As marching band has been such an important part of her high school experience, she is working towards making this last year the most impactful. In addition to this, Mao is also in the process of training next year's head drum major. 

“I think I really just want a really successful season, I want us to look good, I want us to sound good, and I want to make sure that everyone enjoys being in marching band,” Mao said. “I just want to make sure that the band is set up successfully.”