Savannah State University Names Its First White Drum Major

SSU Director of Bands Dr. Gabriel Arnold said that during the tryouts, Taylor was simply one of the best drum majors who auditioned for the spot

When Savannah State University, an HBCU, named Christopher Taylor, Aaron Franklin, and Shai McKenney its drum majors for the 2024-2025 season, they made history. Taylor became the university’s first white drum major.

According to the Savannah Tribune, the other drum majors in the program’s history were all Black, and only four were Black women before Taylor.

SSU Director of Bands Dr. Gabriel Arnold said that during the tryouts, Taylor was simply one of the best drum majors who auditioned for the spot. According to Arnold, he looks for his drum majors to control marching training, cardio, discipline, and to set expectations for what each member of the band will give during the marching and performance season.

According to Arnold, one of Taylor’s strengths was his ability to communicate. “He is an outstanding marcher and gives 1000 percent each time he is on the field,” Arnold told the outlet. “He also has great communication skills, and he won over a lot of the members because of that.”

Cherie Kitt, one of the band’s female drum majors, who led the band from 2008 to 2009 under Lorne Lee, told the Savannah Tribune that her advice to Taylor was to enjoy it and live in the moment.

“Enjoy it, but also know it will be challenging. You are now in front and will have to work two times harder than anyone else. I would also say to live in the moment and don’t overthink. Once you start overthinking things, you’ll start second-guessing yourself, and that’s the last thing you want to do; trust me, I know.” Kitt said.

Taylor’s high school coach, Aubrey Simmons, a former drum major at North Carolina Central University, said that while Taylor was in high school, he wasn’t sure if Taylor was drum major material but noted the work that Taylor has put in since his graduation.

“He joined the marching band his sophomore year and began to work really hard on becoming a great bandsman. He worked hard to become section leader his senior year and did an amazing job of leading a great group of students,” Simmons said.

Simmons continued, “I am extremely proud of the band students who have moved on from Bradwell to SSU…well, any college or university for that matter. We currently have the piccolo, trumpet, and tuba section leaders at Savannah State University. We also have had others hold that title elsewhere. Chris is the first collegiate drum major to come out of one of my band programs. I am hoping that he will not be the last. I do know that he will be great at SSU leading the band this coming year.”

Taylor, for his part, noted that Savannah State, being close to his hometown of Hinesville, Georgia, helped him decide to attend Savannah State. Taylor is also a two-time award winner at the band’s annual banquet, taking home the Freshman of the Year award for the 2022-2023 season and the Best Marcher for the 2023-2024 season.

“Savannah isn’t too far from home, and the tuition compared to other schools seemed a lot more manageable. The band also grabbed my attention, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this style and culture in Savannah,” Taylor said.