Gainesville High School graduate (Class of 2014) and former Big Red Machine band member Ariana Olalde was recently chosen drum major for the Georgia Tech Marching Band.
Olalde, in a recent Gainesville City School System newsletter, describes the opportunity as "amazing," adding, " After a year of being band Vice President, marching tuba, and balancing that with school as well as being a Room Advisor, I knew that I wanted to move up to the position of drum major. (Even after housing had told me doing both was not possible). I did some heavy schedule planning, and after a while I saw that it was very possible to do both."
The process in becoming drum major was not easy, and Olalde had to find time to prepare for her tryout. "There was a large amount of preparation. I watched lots of old football games to learn the calls. I paid pretty good attention to our games in high school, but I never had experience making my own calls. I prepped for about a month, and then the spring game happened. I made correct calls, and the band responded well."
"All of the candidates were required to get in front of the band, introduce ourselves, and play a piece of music that wasn't a football cheer. I took them by surprise with my three years of experience in high school!"
Olalde says she is anxious to begin her new role as Georgia Tech's drum major in the fall. "After taking classes this summer and working as a room advisor and a waitress, I'm looking forward to coming back and being on the podium for the season as well as continuing with a new batch of residents for the year!"
She is the daughter of Maria Olalde of Gainesville.
