Donovan and Shriner ‘quarterback’ 2003 Purdue Band
Drum majors enjoy Ross-Ade spotlight at Boilermaker football games

Purdue’s drum majors – Bob Shriner and Danielle Donovan - might not seem to have much in common with the Boilermakers’ star quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Brandon Kirsch initially, except for the fact they occupy the same turf on football Saturdays.

Donovan, of Dwight, IL, and Bob Shriner, of Mishawaka, IN, wear towering bear fur hats and toasty wool uniforms. Orton and Kirsch wear shiny helmets and sleek spandex. But both are expected to be leaders extraordinaire, to run their respective units with panache, to make split second decisions as to the best move to achieve success - and to go for it.

Unlike football coaches, band directors don’t scout high schools for talented seniors to take over the time-heralded and leadership-intensive drum major position. Donovan and Shriner, both former members of Purdue’s trumpet section, had to win the right to lead the band by besting the competition at a grueling spring audition process that included personal interviews, conducting tests, mace twirling and commanding the band in practice.

Shriner and Donovan begin their duties with the band during its August camp, and take the field for the first time in her regalia on Saturday, Sept. 6, which is Band Day at Purdue.

“Leading a group of 300 people onto the field for the first time in front of 70,000 fans will be one of the biggest challenges, but one of the biggest excitements,” says Donovan, a criminology major who hopes to do crime scene investigation or work in a coroner's office after graduation, and eventually work for the FBI.

“One thing that will be an amazing experience for me,” Shriner adds, “is to call tunes in the stands during the games. Not many people get the opportunity to control a crowd of 65,00 people on a Saturday afternoon. I’ve always been a very vocal fan and I want every Purdue fan to be just as loud as I am during the games.”

A management major who plans to do graduate work in sports management and one day manage a professional sports venue, Shriner developed a passion for marching band leadership while serving as drum major for two years at Mishawaka High School.

“I think having that added responsibility was one thing that made me want to try out here. Since I’m going to be a senior I feel like it’s almost my duty to step up and help the rookies become part of the Purdue band.
Someone was there to teach me the ropes when I was new, and now I want to the one to help.”

At 5’3” Donovan might just be the shortest drum major in the long history of the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, and she likes to jokes that her bear hat might fall off “because it’s taller than I am.” All joking aside, history records that she is just the fourth woman to hold the position in 117 years. Women weren’t allowed to march in the band until the 1960s and the first woman was selected as drum major in 1991.

“I’m honored to fill the shoes of such a short line of female drum majors. It will be a great experience to play such a major role in Purdue Band history. I hope I can carry on the tradition and passion all the past drum majors have had and make them proud to be Boilermakers!”

Fans tend to associate drum majors with the flashy strutting and mace routines seen on the football field, but their job entails much more. During pregame the duo leads the band on the field and does all the fancy stuff, then it’s down to the real work.

Like the quarterbacks, they are expected to have a game plan and call the next play which might be a tune, a cheer or a crazy antic like the wave. Donovan and Shriner strive to build the spirit in the stands, and keep it at fever pitch, through their selections.

“I think this season has the potential to be one of our best seasons ever and I’m ready to do everything I can to make sure we put on the best show possible,” says Shriner. He’s looking forward to upholding and continuing the traditions that so many drum majors have worked to create and maintain at Purdue while adding a bit of his own personality to the mix.

Likewise, Donovan also wants to make her mark. “I want to incorporate some contemporary and some traditional ideas to make the best band in the land even better,” she says.

“I have a passion for marching band because of the opportunity for so much creativity,” she adds. “In marching band you don’t just sit and make music, you’re out there performing to the music you’re making. It’s something new everyday and that’s what I love.”

The level of involvement offered to Purdue drum majors – most universities don’t let their drum majors take charge of the band in the stands – turned her onto the opportunity. “When I got to Purdue and saw what our drum majors do, I knew that I had to do it, so I went for it,” she says.

Purdue University, which offers a vast array of performing ensembles but no performance degrees, turned out to be a perfect choice for both drum majors. “I wanted to be involved in music after high school, but didn’t want to pursue a music major, so Purdue was the perfect place for me to stay heavily involved in music while studying toward a degree in criminology. I was also impressed by the chance to travel and the opportunities to go to Bowl Games,” Donovan says.

Music, she adds, “has enhanced so many aspect s of my life – confidence, interaction, talking/people skills, concentration, and most importantly creativity.”

Communication skills are on the top of Shriner’s list of benefits from the band experience. “When we’re trying to get something across to the rest of the band we have to utilize communication and interpersonal skills. You’ve got to know how to deal with all types of personalities and groups. I know these skills will aid me in the future.”

On the personal side, both say rare friendships come out of band. “I have made friendships here that will last a lifetime and I couldn’t be happier about that. Every time I’m with a friend from band, I thank my time in band for allowing me to meet that person,” Shriner says.

His freshman year the “All-American Band went to the Rose Bowl and Shriner thought those memories might be his all-time favorites. But he figures to top them this fall. “I’m sure this year will bring many more memories that will make it just a little harder to walk away form Purdue when I graduate. Waiting for those memories is one of the things that excites me most about this year. It’s going to be a great year!”

The “All-American” Marching Band’s drum majors and Purdue’s quarterbacks, have their sites set on a winning season and the ultimate moment of shared success comes at the end of victorious home games. Following a tradition started in the Joe Tiller era, the football players gather around the band and sing “Hail Purdue” as the drum majors conduct the school fight school.

For more information about the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, visit the website at www.purdue.edu/BANDS For more information about Purdue football, and how to obtain game tickets, visit www.purduesports.com

By Kathy Matter
Purdue Bands Public Relations Director