drum major:
[plural: ‘drum majors‘; pronunciation: the letter ‘u’ in ‘drum’ rhymes with the letter ‘u’ in the word “but”; female: ‘drum majorette’ (next entry → →)]
a drum major leading a band
(in British English) a soldier who is in charge of the drummers of a military music band playing while marching, usually with a large baton or mace that he/she holds and throws high up and then catches it;
(in American English) the male leader of any band of marching musicians;
the marching leader of a drum corps,
a drum major and his band
Mike, who can play more than two music instruments, practised well and is now the drum major of our school.
A drum major should know how to march in step with the music, how to handle the baton or mace and how to salute while leading a band in a band show.
In the army, a drum major must know how and when to use different levels of tunes that are used as signals to the band and to the soldiers that follow the band.
There are several institutions and summer camps that train enthusiastic students who want to be drum majors for their school band or a drum crops.
