The drum major’s role in the marching band has multiple layers to it. While a drum major must conduct the band, they also lead the band off the field. The role entails being in charge and a point of contact when the marching band director is unavailable. Gavin Chodoroff is a senior at Pennridge High School and earned the leadership role of drum major. He works heavily with his marching band peers, answering questions when the underclassmen may be confused or lending a helping hand to any in need. Before every competition, there is a rush to load all of the equipment onto the truck for
transportation. Gavin is usually found stationed at this spot, ensuring that any type of help that may be needed is being completed by himself or another band member. While on the field, during every football game and every marching band competition, a drum major must conduct the band in front of large crowds and be confident in each movement made.
Earning the leadership position within the marching band as drum major is not an easy task. The first part of the process is getting elected by other marching band members. Then, the auditions take place where the student must conduct the banner by themself in front of the entire marching band. Those who make the final decision of who earns the spot as the drum major are the marching band directors who watch the audition with close precision and make cuts from there. Gavin went through this process at the end of his junior year at Pennridge High School. Being a drum major means competing against the majority of the senior class within the marching band, and winning the final spot as the drum major reveals the mix of natural talent and hard work that a student must have to lead the band. While Gavin has many musically talented relatives and was sure to inherit the musical gene, he practiced for endless hours for his role as drum major, combining both his determination and talent to earn the leadership role.
Gavin’s family has a long history of being involved with instruments and the marching band. His father is a drummer who plays in a wedding band and also directs a local school district’s marching band. Other family members, including both Gavin’s grandfather and his uncle, were band directors as well. His entire life has been filled with musical notes and background melodies since he was young, paving the way for his own personal musical career in high school. Gavin’s path to being the drum major was not linear, though. He began at a young age, loving the drums. When the time rolled came for Gavin to choose his instrument to learn in fourth-grade elementary school, Gavin made the sudden decision to choose the saxophone instead of the drums. Changing course to the saxophone set Gavin up for the rest of his musical career within the Pennridge school district, where he learned to play four different types of instruments, sticking mostly with the alto and tenor saxophones for his role in the high school marching band.
Being a part of the band is a large commitment. The season for the marching band begins in the first two weeks of August with band camp, where members must show up at 12 pm five days a week to practice for 8 hours. During the fall of the school year, weekday rehearsals are held for 3 hours, two to three days a week, with competitions about every weekend. Being a full-time student, a marching band member, and having a personal life can be a struggle. Gavin manages a full schedule every week throughout the school year by taking a rigorous academic schedule with many AP classes on top of his extracurriculars. His free time, aside from the marching band, is dedicated to being employed on weekends as a certified high ropes instructor at a local farm and practicing all through winter for his spring volleyball season on the school team. Juggling so many diverse activities can be challenging, but Gavin never complains, always being the first on any team to walk in with a smile and begin to hype others up with his positive attitude.
When students in the stands at football games look at the marching band on the field performing their show, students, despite being unable to grasp how much energy goes into the performance in front of them, feel the positive impact of the band unifying the school. Current Pennridge High School senior Parker Phillips describes the marching band’s impact as, “it creates such an energy that unifies the student body, which is something that doesn’t happen on this level outside the stadium.” The positive influence of the marching band performing at the football games begins with Gavin and his position as drum major. Gavin’s effort to bring together the band, as he explained, “drum majors should fit in everywhere as long as you make the connections with your band”, shows his dedication to making the marching band a unifying force. The student body can feel when the marching band is hype; that energy and charisma start with its leader. When a group is as cohesive as the marching band is, people want to come out and recognize the accomplishments of every one of its members. Pennridge High School senior Gwen Rabago, whose older brother was part of the marching band for four years of his high school career, explains, “My family and I love going to the football games to support him.” To make the performance that the peers, friends, and family from the stands love, takes a leader who is fully dedicated to their band and is ready for the commitment. For Pennridge High School’s 2025-2026 academic school year, Gavin Chodorff proved to be the leader who created a positive environment at football games and dedicated his time to making the band one to remember.
