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S&WM(MS)ACF Drum Major becomes National Drum Major

Posted on 4th November, 2023

Drum Major Pickering from Uttoxeter detachment of the Staffordshire & West Midlands (North Sector) Army Cadet Force went on a national camp to complete his 4-Star Music Army Cadet Sylabus. Part of the 4-star syllabus is the Drum Major/Staff Drill element. This is designed to take Drum Majors from a basic knowledge to some quite complex movements. At the end of this training, the cadets are tested with a drill sequence. DMaj Pickering scored the highest out of the cadre, closely followed by Corporal Horne, also from Uttoxeter, meaning that Staffordshire & West Midlands had two out of the five cadets in the Senior Drum Major competition.

For this competition, DMaj Pickering had to commit to memory a complex sequence and lead a corps of drums with precision whilst being judged against very strict criteria including the precise point he stopped the music and moved to the next tune! DMaj Pickering came first in this intense competition which means that he is now not only the County Drum Major but also the National Senior Drum Major, the most senior Drum Major in the whole of the Army Cadet Force. In this role, he will be leading a national corps of drums at national events. His knowledge and skill will also be called upon during the next music camp to help run and assist the Drill wing, where he will teach and coach the Drum Majors course.