Setting the standard in the SMB

Music Education major Samantha Barringer leads the Spartan Marching Band by example in her fourth official year as drum major. Photo by Nick Schrader.

Samantha Barringer is a fifth-year music education major in the College of Music and Honors College member. This is Barringer’s fourth year as a drum major in the Spartan Marching Band. Lacy Jewell is a fourth-year music education major in the College of Music and Honors College member. This is Jewell’s first year as a drum major. In 2020, Barringer joined senior drum major Lisa Lachowski, making them the first two women to lead as drum majors in SMB history. Barringer had two solo years before Jewell joined her, making it just the second time since the band began in 1870 that two women are drum majors. This article first appeared in MSU Today.

We feel so grateful to be the ones to fill this role of drum majors. The members of the Spartan Marching Band are incredible, and getting to work with them, help them improve and learn from them is unmatched.

Music Education major Lacy Jewell joined Samantha Barringer this year as a Spartan Marching Band drum major, making it just the second time since the band began in 1870 that two women are drum majors. Photo by Nick Schrader.

For me (Lacy), becoming a drum major this season was a full circle moment. I grew up only 20 minutes away from campus and I always looked up to the MSU drum majors and couldn’t wait to see them on game days. Getting to do this job with Samantha is absolutely an immense honor.

In our role, we assist the SMB directors. Some of the duties we share include being an officer (administrator of the band), avid marchers, teachers, and, lastly, a few of the many leaders of the band. The Spartan drum major’s position is unique, however: we don’t conduct, rather we are the main “model” for all marching. All our work surrounds helping others become better marchers.

So instead of being on a podium, we are on the field marching with our colleagues.
The SMB was originally a military band. We have traditions in our band that stayed in a militaristic style such as our discipline, our uniforms and level of excellence that we uphold because of who came before us. As drum majors, we are the catalysts for this standard.

Drum majors Lacey Jewell, left, and Samantha Barringer, right, do a back bend in sync on the Spartan Marching Band practice field, a classic drum major move beloved by fans. Photo by Nick Schrader.

Our marching band practices are a little different from the others in the band. During sectionals, we head to Munn field and either write our drill for the next halftime show, practice knowing the tempo changes in each halftime tune, practice any pregame sequences, work on our marching fundamentals or meet with other members and help them improve their marching. During rehearsal, we are either repping halftime or pregame with the band or walking around and helping others with a specific marching transition or dot placement.

It’s a privilege to be a member of the band and keep these traditions alive. The growing alumni community provides opportunities for us to do what we love and the Spartan legacy in general makes us proud to be Spartans and represent our school.

We both have dreamed of attending this school and joining the band since we were little. We are very grateful for every moment in this band and in this university.

Samantha Barringer, front, and Lacy Jewell, back, march in line on the Spartan Marching Band practice field. Photo by Nick Schrader.