Welcome to the smallest — and most selective — section in Tiger Band! As drum majors we are chosen by our peers to be great conductors, leaders, and guardians of the Clemson spirit, both on and off the field. We work as a tight-knit team to solve problems and make Tiger Band a welcoming and exciting place for everyone. Are you ready to see what it takes to wear the white uniform?
Bruce’s Brick is a tradition that started in the 1980’s during the tenure of band director Bruce Cook. Tiger Band used to be housed in Holtzendorff Hall, so the band members took a brick from Holtzendorff and made sure every band member touched it before every game. After Bruce Cook retired, the tradition was lost. Bruce’s Brick did not return until 2016, when former Tiger Band commander and drum major Zach Arms found the brick still lying around the band room. Now, every member of Tiger Band touches Bruce’s Brick before each home game. It’s a great way to bring the band together and hype everyone up as we walk into the amphitheater to present our “90 Minutes Before Kick-Off“ concert!
Before we take the field for the pregame show, we greet each other with a special handshake. Each drum major has their own handshake with each of the other drum majors and the feature twirler, for a total of 6 unique handshakes across the section. From hand clasping and fist bumping to toe-tapping and even rock-paper-scissors, we use a variety of moves to ensure that no two handshakes are alike!
Every year, the drum majors come up with a new touchdown celebration dance. Every section in Tiger Band has one, but ours is special, because every new drum major gets to add their own twist to the previous dance! After we score a touchdown, we play Tiger Rag and the drum-line plays a tag, or a short cadence. During this tag, the whole band chants, and each section does their respective dance. It’s one of our favorite traditions to “shake our booty” to.
