Junior rises to prestigious musical position

Junior Katie McLaughlin is one of the leading stars of the music program. She is the only junior drum major for the marching band this year. Her journey to this highly coveted position requires immense dedication.

“[Band] practice starts early in the morning and is quite tiring, but it’s something I really enjoy,” she said.

Her love of music began as a toddler enrolled in her mom’s music class.

“My mom grew up in a musical family and she teaches this thing called ‘Music Together,’ which is like a music class for infants,” Mclaughlin said.  “So I got started with that at a young age and found music classes fun from pretty much birth.”

This early start prompted McLaughlin to enroll in piano lessons, but it wasn’t until fourth grade that McLaughlin took her first step toward band.

“I was at a community band concert at my family when I saw [someone playing] the oboe,” Mclaughlin said.  “I instantly knew it was something I wanted to get involved with.”

Following this inspiration, McLaughlin joined the Redwood Middle School band in seventh grade. Since then, McLaughlin has qualified for  the All State Band competition in Fresno each year.

Upon entering to high school, she decided to dive even further into the musical world and to experiment within the different divisions of band.

“I played front ensemble [marimba] my freshmen year, and that was a great experience because my senior friends were really accepting,” McLaughlin said. “They helped me with the transition into high school.”

After enjoying freshman year band, McLaughlin was determined to try out for the drumline her sophomore year. This proved to be a prestigious but arduous position for her, as she was the only female drum player in her section.

“When I tried out for drum major, I [didn’t] really focus on my age, gender or other criterias [of] the position,” McLaughlin said. “I just [focused] on being the best I can at performing the piece.”

McLaughlin’s composure paid off, and she got the position. She is the youngest and only girl among four drum majors this year.

“[Being the youngest and only girl] can be intimidating,” McLaughlin said,  “but I focus on trying to be the best server for the band, the best colleague I can be to fellow students and the most improved student I can be for the staff and, most importantly, for myself.”

As a drum major, McLaughlin sometimes finds herself carrying 40-pound drums early in the morning for band practice.  Her strong nature and love for band keep her determined to get past any challenge.

“[I] knew it would be hard, and I wanted to do it,” McLaughlin said. “It taught me endurance physically, emotionally. It was a challenge, but it was a challenge I wanted to do.”

Since middle school, McLaughlin feels she has grown immensely with the band program, constantly honing her skills and deepening her passion. Her dedication and readiness to take on any challenge have brought her to where she is now.

“[Band] has really shaped who I am today,” McLaughlin said. “As cliche as it sounds, I only hope that students can find an activity of some kind that gives them as much joy as band has given me.”