This year at Riverside Brookfield High School, the new drum majors for RB’s marching band are senior twins Aydan and Sidney Leffel. 

Drum majors are elected by their peers into their position. The election requires the candidates to make videos about their qualifications for the role. The members of the band then vote on who they want to lead them during the marching season. In total, three people were running for the two roles, but it eventually ended with the Leffels.

“It was good, there was some competition. Our other person running was also a phenomenal band member, but I guess the band just wanted to see the Leffels together,” Sidney Leffel said.

The process of becoming a drum major does not end after the election. Drum majors are required to go through a training process, the first step of which is going to drum major camp. The camp teaches future drum majors different leadership skills, which are crucial for leading a band.

“Both of the boys have sort of innate leadership qualities about them, and most of our drum majors from year to year have those qualities. Personable, somewhat energetic, trustworthy, high integrity, and that’s why they get elected into their position,” One of RB’s band teachers James Baum said.

In RB’s history of drum majors, there has never been a case of siblings being elected to the role, let alone a pair of twins. This makes the Leffels completely different from past drum majors, not only because of the familial relationship between them, but also their synergy.

“I would imagine that there’s a different dynamic of students who barely know one another getting elected into the two drum major positions and then it’s like they butt heads and communication becomes an issue. These two have been communicating with each other from day one of their life, so I’m sure they butt heads but they have their ways of getting over it, so that’s a major advantage I think,” Baum said.

Aydan and Sidney Leffel aren’t new to working with one another, due to the fact that they have been doing things together ever since they were young.

“We’ve been involved in a lot of the same activities including band, choir, and theater, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise we were both going for the role. When we both received the role it was nice to know that I would be drum majoring with someone that I know very well and that I’ve worked with for a long time,” Aydan Leffel said.

They also share roles in other classes and activities besides drum majoring. They have similar interests, which makes it easy for them to find their roles with one another.

“Just like, from the beginning, we’re always sharing things so it was kind of nice to have that same thing. We’re also in the Fall Play and we have the same role which is really funny, so we’re also double casted there. So I just feel like we’ve been doing the same things for so long that it kind of fits to have us be in the same position,” Sidney Leffel said.

Despite not having to play an instrument, being a drum major requires a form of showmanship and comes with its own challenges. However, being the drum majors doesn’t put the Leffels at any advantage.

“Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean I’m on top of the band, or above the band, I still get to be with my friends and everything just in a different kind of way,” Sidney Leffel said.

Since marching is not an option during the winter, the other performance put on by the band is concerts. After the marching band season, the Leffels can play their instruments again. Sidney Leffel plays the trumpet, and Aydan Leffel plays the saxophone. 

“So obviously the first part of the year was drum majoring and being in marching band, so that was really awesome to be able to conduct the band in that scenario. I’m excited to play in concerts, that’s always been a highlight of the year. Playing my saxophone in the Holiday concert has always been incredible, or singing in the holiday concert,” Aydan Leffel said.

Both twins are interested in keeping music a prevalent part of their lives in the future. The two have different goals, but still want music to be a focus and priority.  

“I wouldn’t say that I’m planning on going into music as a primary career, but I really would like to have music be a part of my life forever. I’m looking forward to college right now and I’d love to be in both a band ensemble and a choral ensemble,” Aydan Leffel said.

Sidney Leffel still wants to keep music in his life, but isn’t interested in making it a career or something to commit to. He plans on keeping it as a hobby and possibly joining a marching band in college.

“I definitely want to keep doing that, I don’t know if I’ll end up keeping with the trumpet and everything, but I do sing and everything and I do want to pick up some more instruments, something to just kind of keep up as a fun thing,” Sidney Leffel said.