Sara Mack, a Boston University Kilachand Honors College junior studying Public Relations in COM and Environmental Analysis and Policy in CAS, is one of two drum majors for the BU Marching Band.
Aside from marching band, Sara is a section leader for BU Pep Band, the Social Media Chair and on the Editorial Board for the Emerald Review, works in a biology lab, and is starting an environmental fraternity called Epsilon Eta, for which she will be a Co-President. She also enjoys being outside — specifically hiking — doing arts and crafts, and cooking.
Because I’m in the color guard in the BU Marching Band, I constantly see the amazing leader that is Sara Mack in action. Recently, I caught up with Sara and asked her a couple questions…
How did you first get involved in marching band?
I knew that I was going to do marching band since I found out what it was basically. I was never on a team sport growing up and I was like, ‘I want to do that band version of sports!’ I went to the info session in eighth grade and I was like, ‘Alright, I’m doing it!’ Our high school marching band was about the same size as this one and I was a drum major in high school too, so I’ve had a similar experience all the way through.
How did you get into music in the first place?
I wanted to play an instrument forever, but the way I picked clarinet was because my grandmother was a secretary to the principal at a rival high school. The previous principal there had been a band director at that school also and he started a community band in our area, which is a well-known group. He was very good friends with my grandmother and he played the clarinet. He really liked me and he actually let me use his professional, amazing clarinet to learn on when I was a little kid – when I was in fourth grade! I don’t understand why he trusted me with that. He obviously did marching band there and I used to go their football games all the time.
Even outside of band, I’ve done music forever. I was in a touring choir for eight years when I was in middle school and high school. That’s how I made a lot of my friends growing up – in that group and in marching band.
Why did you want to be drum major for the BU Marching Band?
I felt that it was very important for there to be a strong student leadership presence in the band, and not that there wasn’t before, because obviously [the past drum majors] did a great job last year. There was some stuff that I wanted to see happen, like dismissals by the drum majors. There was some stuff that I felt like I could push to happen. I wanted to get to know more people in the band than just the winds. I think that’s all important in tying the band together and making everyone feel excited to come to band every day.
Has being drum major taught you anything?
For sure. I think the most important lesson is you have to be ready to understand people’s issues with the program. If people are upset about something, you have to be like, ‘I understand why you’re upset about this and here’s how we’re going to work to fix it, and here’s what they’re already doing to fix it. In the meantime, let’s just remember that we like being here and remember that we like being in band.’
I think it’s really easy in the middle of the season to forget why we’re here, because everyone starts to get frustrated with the process and tired because we’re doing 18 million things at once. A lot of the time, not that they regret doing marching band, but you forget why you signed up in the first place. It takes a little bit to step back and remember, ‘Hey, I actually like the people here and I like what I do and I’m glad that I’m doing it.’ That’s sometimes all it takes. The lesson that I learned is to remember to remind people of that and help people to have a good time.
What’s your favorite thing about the BU Marching Band?
Something that’s unique about my specific life and marching band is that I’m from where we go to Fall Tour. When we go to Fall Tour, I’m going home! I get to see all my friends and my family. A lot of my friends from high school band are in bands that are there.
Other than that, the BU Band is just so unique from a lot of other bands. We don’t have to worry about a football team and because of that, what we do is what we want to do. We can do whatever is easier and more fun for us and helps us grow and learn as a band. I think that’s really cool because there’s less restriction from “The Powers that Be” within BU to tell us what to do. At the same time, a lot of the traditions have been able to be passed down. I love that we do the history nights, so people can see where we came from and where we are now.
You’re obviously very involved on campus. How do you balance it all?
There’s never a ‘Will I be able to get this done?’ It’s just ‘How will I get this done?’ Whatever I want to do I know I’m going to be able to do it. It’s just a matter of when I can fit things in, scheduling everything correctly, looking ahead to any conflicts that may arise, talking with the people ahead of time so they understand, and just making things happen.
Sara’s passion for band is obvious and that makes her such an outstanding drum major. Sara takes on the role of being a leader in multiple parts of her life and it is inspiring. I can’t wait to watch her flourish as drum major throughout this marching band season.
Come watch the BU Marching Band perform at the BU Women’s Soccer vs. Navy on Oct. 5 and at the BU Marching Band Home Show on Oct. 20. Visit the BU Bands website for more information.
Cover photo credit: Mitch Davidowitz
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!