Clayton Callender, the Ohio State marching band’s current drum major and third-year accounting major, arches back before the first round College Football Playoff game against Tennessee Saturday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
As Clayton Callender’s name rang out across Lincoln Tower Park’s turf field in April 2023, the air seemed still.
Then, the words sank in and a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Standing at the center of it all, heart pounding, Callender’s breath caught in his throat; he had just become the 2023-24 Ohio State drum major — the 65th person to claim the title — which is a role he’d proudly carry forward into the 2024-25 season.
Aspiring Ohio State drum majors begin their journey years before their feet brush against Ohio Stadium’s field. In fact, most would-be drum majors have dedicated themselves to mastering intricate baton twirls and precise marching steps in order to lead and uphold the tradition of excellence in one of the nation’s most celebrated collegiate marching bands.
Preparation typically starts in high school, during which Callender, a third-year in accounting, said many students attend Ohio State’s specialized summer and winter practice sessions, which are designed to develop essential skills in future drum majors. Through these sessions, students learn from current and former drum majors while practicing alongside other high school counterparts across the state.
“It’s really just about being there for them and making sure there’s an open line of communication,” Callender said. “You just have to go from the basics and just continue to learn more difficult skills.”
Potential drum majors must first audition the year prior for the D Row, which Callender said serves as the drum major training row in the band.
“You have to do a twirling routine, high tosses and the ramp entrance, as well as learn all the marching fundamentals that the rest of the band has to learn,” Callender said. “During that year on D Row, you kind of just sit behind the head and assistant drum major at the time and learn from them while helping out with props and stuff for halftime, maybe filling in spots if people are sick.”
After their first year, Callender said students become eligible to audition for the coveted drum major position in April.
Josh Halter, the 2008-09 drum major who has helped judge the tryouts for nearly a decade, said he looks for candidates who can maintain precise body control and form, assessing elements like balance, depth of stance and stability in each move.
Clayton Callender, the current drum major and third-year accounting major, practicing on the Lincoln Tower Field. Credit: Paige McBane
Halter said judges look for details such as whether the candidate’s body is low enough to reach the ground — with the height of the hat and plume in mind — during backbends, if they’re steady during turns and if they keep the baton secure through complex moves.
“Are they in control? Are they wobbling?” Halter said. “Do they kind of take a step or two outside of that because they were out of balance?”
The last day of tryouts is open to the public, during which contestants perform a ramp entrance, showcase a prepared twirling routine and execute five high tosses. Halter said after about half an hour of deliberation, the results are announced in front of the crowd resting upon the hill cresting Lincoln Tower Field.
“We’re trying to drill down as to making sure that they understand the weight of that responsibility and are up to the task of handling it,” Halter said. “It represents all band members, drum majors or instrumentalists that came before them, and it’s a true representative of the university.”
Callender said it can be challenging to consistently give his best effort, but it’s essential knowing that for many spectators, it may be their first and only opportunity to witness the drum major in action.
“My mom will always tell me, ‘You may not feel like Superman right now, but there are people out there waiting to get a picture with Superman,’” Callender said. “They don’t care that you haven’t done well today. You need to get out there, act like everything’s cool and go take a picture with people.”
Ella Wielinski, an Ohio State pre-dental graduate and a fourth-year marching band member, said the drum major is the heart and soul of the band, embodying its leadership and spirit.
“I think a lot of people have a lot of respect for [Callender], and a lot of people look up to him,” Wielinski said. “He’s very well known, not only throughout the band, but also throughout the entire fan base worldwide.”
Though it was over a year ago, Callender said he will never forget the moment he heard his name called.
“It was a surreal feeling, like standing there, and as soon as they announced it, my whole family was up on the hill and they just went crazy,” Callender said. “And I was like, ‘This is what it was all about the whole time.’ It was a feeling that I’ll never forget.”
