Tell us about your path to JMC. How did you end up here?
A friend of mine who’s a year older was already at JMC. We were in the same AP Comparative Government and band class in high school, and she said, “Maya, this is a good opportunity over here.” So I went to Meet Madison Days, asked her questions and she even sent me one of her essays. She convinced me.
I originally thought about pursuing music, but I realized I wanted something more personal to me. When I learned about JMC’s writing program, that sealed it. I hope to go to law school, and I knew the kind of writing training JMC offers would help me get there. It wasn’t just about a political science major — I specifically wanted the writing experience.
Tell us about your history in band.
I started playing trumpet in fifth grade — before that, just the recorder they make you play in third or fourth grade. I obviously wasn’t very good as a 10 year old, but I stuck with it all the way through high school. At Hartland High School, I was involved in marching band, jazz band, pit orchestra and concert band.
After my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to try out for drum major. Because of all that my band had given me, I wanted to give back. I got the position and spent two summers at Smith-Walbridge Clinics camp at Eastern Illinois University, two weeks each summer. That camp broke me down and built me back up. The summer before my senior year, I worked hard enough to have earned the Most Outstanding Drum Major award at the camp, which was one of the biggest awards they offer.
For people who don’t know much about marching band, what exactly does a drum major do?
A lot of people hear “drum major” and think, oh, so you play the drums? I do not know how to play the drums! In the Spartan Marching Band specifically, drum majors are officers of the band. We handle a lot of the organizational work — figuring out squad leaders, section leaders, supporting the directors and connecting the leadership to the students. Our main job is to prepare new members and veterans for the fall. One thing about SMB drum majors: we don’t conduct during the show. Instead, we march halftime with our own drill that we write ourselves. And during pregame, we do our traditional back bend. It’s a very visible role, but a lot of it is about being someone the band can look up to and setting a good example for what membership in the SMB should look like. Our position is an extra special opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.
What was your first season in the SMB like as a new member?
Pre-season was the hardest fun I’ve ever had. You arrive not really knowing anyone, you go through registration, get your uniforms, and then the first few days are just new members with the squad leaders and section leaders. After completing the block audition — music and marching — we get ranked based on our performance, then placed into squads.
There are 60 trumpets, but only 56 spots in the performance block, so I was genuinely nervous after my music audition. We found out past midnight that night. I was 30th chair, which I thought was pretty good considering how I felt going in. I got to play second part all season and wasn’t one of the subs, so that was an exciting achievement for me.
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What was it like performing on game days for the first time?
My first game, I was really nervous when I looked inside the stadium from the tunnel. I told my squad leader, “There are a lot of people out there and I can’t even see all of them yet.” Going out onto the field for the first time was exhilarating — especially because it was opening game, when everyone wants to be there, and they had fireworks going off while we played the National Anthem.
Everyone warned me: “You won’t play your first game.” The idea is that it’s so overwhelming — the crowd, the scale of everything — that you end up just focusing on the marching and forget to actually play your instrument. Some squad leaders said they didn’t play a note their first game. But I played as best as I could. I wasn’t as loud as usual for pregame, but I played and had an amazing halftime performance.
By the last game of the season, I was playing everything confidently and loving every second of it. It really does get easier as the season goes on.
What’s been your favorite part of the SMB experience so far?
The Series. I think that is my favorite thing I will ever do in the marching band. The Series is when we march from Adams Field to the stadium before the game. What makes the SMB’s version so distinct is the intensity. Every section has their own moves — the tubas flip their instruments around their bodies, the drumline plays a cadence that has never changed. And everyone has this intense energy. It’s meant to be intimidating in the best way.
As a trumpet in the section this past season, I had my own part in that. Next year as drum major, my role in the Series will be completely different — but I’m learning it now with Tom who’s a great mentor and co-drum major.
What was it like juggling SMB with JMC coursework in your first semester?
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. But MC 111 — I had Professor Stein — gave me exactly the writing experience I was hoping for. We read a lot and wrote a lot, and it was not easy, but it was worth it. With MC 201, I felt more confident moving through alongside everything else. Professor Lorch was fun to talk to and explained material very well. I stayed up late some nights, but I made it work.
What are you looking forward to in the semesters ahead?
I want to build more connections within JMC — last semester I was deep in the marching band world and didn’t always have the bandwidth to get as involved in the college community as I wanted. I’m looking forward to becoming more of a presence in JMC, getting into internships, and doing the networking that will start connecting my time here to wherever I’m going after graduation.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Check out the Spartan Marching Band website (www.spartanmarchingband.com) and audition for the 2026–27 season. You don’t have to play an instrument to try out. You can try out for Big Ten Flags, and you don’t need any prior experience; you can always decline an invite. It’s an incredible community. There are 300 people in the band, and I personally know all 60 in my section and more. I have made some lifelong friends. I have had and will continue to have the experience of a lifetime.