As she stands high above the crowd, facing the field, arms out and in her Talonette uniform, junior Katie Lynn Sepper directs the band.

“People are watching you. You’re an example for the band,” Sepper said. “Be that model, and be someone that people want to look up to.”

Sepper joined band in the sixth grade, playing the French Horn. She started dancing when she was two and began competitive dance when she was in the second grade. At the end of her sophomore year, she decided to try out for Drum Major in the Prosper Band, while also being a member of the Talonettes.

“It had to have been like mid-April is when we auditioned,” Sepper said. “We had two separate phases. We had Phase 1, and we had about 20 people audition for a Drum Major in Phase 1. And then after Phase 1, we had 12 people get cut, and we had eight people for Phase 2.”

After Phase 2, five people, including Sepper, were chosen to be drum majors.

“From there, we had to clap different tempos,” Sepper said. “We had to conduct to a piece they gave us back in February, and then we had to sing and conduct the Alma Mater at the same time.

The auditions occurred right before Spring Show, which is the final show for the Talonettes at the end of the year. Before the auditions, each member trying out attended practice on Wednesdays in the morning before school and after school in February.

“The drum major team from last year would come teach us how to conduct different patterns,” Sepper said. “What the different patterns were, and what the different elements were of how to conduct.”

Sepper performed as Drum Major for the first time at this year’s Meet the Eagles on Aug. 17.

“I just kind of focus on being in time with our head Drum Major,” Sepper said, “and just making sure that I’m precise and clear with my hand, so that the people in the field can read my hands and keep time with us so we don’t have a tear in our sound.”

Sepper has practice for drill team early in the morning and then band practice after school. She said balancing both drill team and band is a matter of communication between both the drill team directors and band directors.

“There’s rare times where they actually conflict. Over the summer though, drill team has their boot camp and band has their band camp, so that could overlap, and it did a little bit,” Sepper said. “I had leadership camp the same week as drill team boot camp. I just had to communicate with both sides saying, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go to band in the morning on these two days, and then I’m gonna have to go to drill,’ because it’s important that I don’t miss this.”

Figuring out what to prioritize during conflicting schedules, is when Sepper says communication is key.

“The band directors know where I am at all times. Drill team doesn’t come first, because I am a drum major,” Sepper said, “but I do have to make sure I’m splitting my time more evenly. I think communications is the biggest role. Like, ‘how can you fit it all in’? It’s just communicating with both sides, being like, ‘hey, I can do this and this, but I can’t do this.'”

Talonette director Ashley Sharp said Sepper plans out her schedule with her and the band directors at the beginning of the year.

“She has all the calendar dates, and then she compares the different dates and see which she needs to leave early for or miss, or, make adjustments,” Sharp said. “Drill team and band work really good, hand in hand together. It really helps with figuring out if you can go to this but and then come here 30 minutes later or 30 minutes late. She’s just very organized.”

When it comes to memorizing dances and sets for band, Sepper said this can be the most challenging aspect of being a Talonette and a Drum Major.

“I have to memorize my dances and I have to make sure I know them for auditions and class and just remembering the cleans we do,” Sepper said. “But then for drum major, I also have to remember our show.”

The band has a spirit show and a performance show.

“Our performance show is a lot harder,” Sepper said. “Making sure I know what I’m doing, memorizing where things go, where I’m supposed to be at what time, and just having everything steady and not confused and all over the place.”

Band Director Aaron Renzenbrink said he has enjoyed watching Sepper step into the Drum Major role.

“One of my favorite things to watch students grow into is their confidence,” Renzenbrink said. “Katie Lynn has had a lot of performance experience being heavily involved in both band and dance, but it’s different when all of the other performers are relying on you to perform well so that they can perform well too. Katie Lynn has really grown into a reliable performer.”

Being both a drum major and a Talonette has taught Sepper to keep pushing through the hard moments, but also the importance of realizing when to take a break.

“It showed me how I’m able to do multiple things, but balance it all and stay positive and just be like, okay, yeah, this is little hard, but just practice it and you’ll be fine,” Sepper said. “Just keep going. There are gonna be hard things in life and you’re not gonna be able to do everything all the time. Just communicate. Communicate with either side to be like, Hey, I have a lot going on right now. I need a minute.”

Sepper said she has seen herself grow in communicating with different people including her directors. She appreciates the support she receives from them.

“The band directors ask, or the Talonette directors ask, like, ‘hey, is this okay’? And the fact that the drill team directors trust me enough to be able to be in this position, not even just on their team, is like, it’s very like, you trust me,” Sepper said. “You trust me that I know my stuff and that I will be ready for whatever is needed in drill team. I’m able to talk with who I can to figure things out and just be like, we have your back. Tell us if you need anything.”

Sepper said she appreciates the support she gets from her team members as well.

“At meet the Eagles, whenever my name was called for the drum majors, all the Talonettes cheered,” Sepper said “They were like, ‘Go KL’ and all that. It was really sweet.”

According to Talonette director Ashley Sharp, Sepper is a ‘model Talonette.’

“People look up to her because she’s doing what she’s supposed to do. We can rely on her,” Sharp said. “She’s very inspirational for everyone, and we like to see her up there directing the full band, and we cheer for her and take pictures and smile and scream because she’s doing great things.”

Being an example for students who want to do multiple things in high school, is something Sepper wants younger kids to know.

“Just letting those people who are in middle school, or maybe even younger elementary who are like, oh, I want to do this and maybe they’re in orchestra and they’re in dance, or they’re in choir and band. You’re able to do both,” Sepper said. “We have perfect examples already in the high school right now who are doing both, and I’m doing it, and I’m balancing it. I think the most rewarding part is inspiring others.”

This article first published in this year’s Vol. 4, No. 1 Eagle Nation Times.