Yale Bands Officer Responsibilities

Yale Concert Band Officers

• President:

  A position of honor, and he/she presides. Maintains contact with the Yale Administration and serves as the band’s official student representative at University functions. Prepares the agenda for, calls, and chairs the officer meetings. Assesses the capabilities of band leaders and delegates jobs accordingly; oversees activities of all YCB leaders. Acts as a liaison between members and Mr. Duffy. Resolves intra-band conflicts. Oversees general direction of band from the students’ perspective, scheduling and execution of all YCB events, election and appointment of officers, and Commencement activities.

• General Managers:

  The General Manager position holds much responsibility, mainly keeping Mr. Duffy from worrying over operations of the bands. Works with the Business Manager to ensure the YCB operates smoothly. Quick decision-making organization, and initiative are essential. Specifically, GMs must set up and break down equipment for all YCB events, work with percussion leaders to transport equipment whenever necessary, organize work crews, and make sure that rehearsal and performance venues look better after an event when they are done cleaning up. GMs are the first people who want to move things or make things happen.

• Social Chairs:

  The Social Chairs provide opportunities for YCB social gatherings. These can range from parties to picnics and barbecues to bowling trips. Though the specific details are left up to the social chairs, there are some standing responsibilities of the office: preparing receptions after YCB concerts, coordinating the annual YCB retreat, and generally making sure all band members are having as good a time as possible. The social chairs must work closely with the Business Manager to keep receptions within budget, and must raise funds for all other YCB social events. Creativity, energy and a desire to make others feel welcome are essential.

• Publicity Chair:

  The Publicity Chair helps to publicize our concerts and update and maintain the YUB website at www.yale.edu/yaleband. He/she manages email lists, puts recordings on YouTube, manages social media (i.e. Facebook and Twitter), and helps with media-related projects. He/she also acts as a general computer and technology guru for all band-related projects. 

YPMB Leaders

Note: The Drum Major, the Marching Band Manager, the Announcers, and the YPMB Photographers are not elected, but rather appointed by Mr. Duffy, with the input of the outgoing DM and Manager, as well as a volunteer Selection Committee.

• Drum Major:

  The Drum Major’s most obvious duty is conducting. The DM directs the marching band at all events, and leads rehearsals. But the Drum Major also plays a large role in the general climate of the band. The DM can be a social leader, a spiritual leader, a musical leader, and a bit of everything else. The DM is also the decision maker for the marching band, and in tandem with the Manger is responsible for seeing that things run smoothly.

• Marching Band Manager:

  The Manager’s duties are vast. The Manager is responsible for all of the details of running a band: making sure schedules are kept, food is supplied, contacts are contacted, etc. The manager, working behind the scenes, is the one person worrying about all the stuff everybody else can take for granted.

• First Year Representative:

  The First Year Representative, elected from, for, and by the first years, represents the new bandies at officer’s meetings, hosts social events for them, etc. The position, probably more so than any other, is defined by the electee.

• Social Chairs:

  The Social Chairs provide opportunities for YPMB social gatherings. These can range from parties to picnics and barbecues to bowling trips. Though the specific details are left up to the social chairs, there are some standing responsibilities of the office: coordinating band parties, organizing the annual band retreat, providing lunch at football game rehearsals, and generally making sure all band members are having as good a time as possible. The social chairs must work closely with the Business Manager to keep receptions within budget, and must raise funds for all other YPMB social events. Creativity, energy and a desire to make others feel welcome are essential.

• Equipment Managers:

  The marching band has a lot of stuff, and the Equipment Managers are responsible for keeping track of it all. Regular duties include tracking band blazer rentals, inventory of band instruments, setting up chairs and stands for rehearsals, and generally making sure everything is where it needs to be at all times. EMs are the first people who want to move things or make things happen.

• YPMB Photographers:

  The YPMB Photographers go to every YPMB event to capture the band’s crazy moments and memorable activities on film. They compile scrapbooks to share the memories with the band.

• YPMB Stud. Arranger:

  The Stud. Arranger (“Student Arranger” or “Stud Arranger”? You decide.) writes the majority of the arrangements performed by the YPMB during their halftime shows, from Bach to Britney Spears. The Stud also heads up the Junta—the crew of other student arrangers—and manages the library of past and present YPMB music arrangements.

• YPMB Production Managers:

  The Production Managers (they’re quite the “Pros”) head up the conception and execution of each of the YPMB’s bizarre, fantastical, and often magical halftime shows. They work with the DM, Stud, Squids, and anyone interested in show production to coordinate all the complex moving pieces that form a wondrous six-minute machine.