The appointment of two drum majors Tuesday completes the leadership staff of the Cavalier Marching Band, who will make their debut performance at the first home football game of the 2004 season on Sept. 11.
Band Director William Pease appointed first-year College students Woody Wingfield and Logan Riddick as drum majors who will serve as the conductors of the band during performances at athletic events and will manage practices along with student section leaders and drill instructors.
"I'm certainly pleased that progress towards the Marching Band has been moving along well with the announcement of the student leadership staff," Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said.
Their inaugural performance at Scott Stadium prior to the football season opener against the University of North Carolina marks the first time in 40 years a University marching band will take the field.
"A high energy tradition is what we're looking for -- since we're the first we want to make sure we get it off right," Wingfield said.
Riddick and Wingfield both served as drum majors for two years at their respective high schools and said they are excited to work together, Wingfield said.
"Unlike some other schools that have a head and an assistant drum major, here the drum majors are treated the same -- I look forward to working with him and we've both got stuff to learn from each other," Wingfield said.
Wingfield and Riddick were selected from a pool of 15 applicants. Riddick noted that a major factor for applying as a drum major is that college level bands exist exclusively to promote spirit and enthusiasm in the crowd.
"Our goal is not to burn out in practice preparing to play for judges -- our goal is to put on a show for the fans," Riddick said.
The drum major application process involved an interview regarding leadership philosophies and styles and music experience. The applicants also were given three musical scores in various styles and had to conduct to them without having heard the recordings ahead of time.
The panelists who helped Pease make his decisions both previously had served as college drum majors. One is a former band member from Western Michigan, where Pease served as band director before coming to the University last year, and another is a graduate student from James Madison University.
The band will start practice in August one week before school begins and will rehearse three times a week for two hours a day. In the meantime band members are doing behind the scenes work and studying scores, Pease said.
"I'm just thinking about what were going to do in August and September to make sure that we have an outstanding product on the field for the audiences in Scott Stadium," Riddick said.
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