Driven by a childhood dream, senior drum major Ben Fox has worked his entire highschool career for a chance to continue pursuing his passion at The Ohio State University.
An event called Picnic for the Pops at the Columbus Commons featuring a performance by the Ohio State University marching band was the beginning of Fox’s lifelong fascination with the position of drum major.
“When I was two or three years old, that’s when I first saw the band and I just fell in love,” Fox said.
At five years old, Fox decided to dress up as the Ohio State drum major for halloween while his siblings dressed as other band members. Shortly after halloween, a member of the band noticed his costume and wrangled him an invitation to watch a small performance before a home football game.
All it took was one moment immersed in the lively environment of the OSU marching band for Fox to know it was the path for him.
“I will do anything to run down the ramp at the Shoe,” Fox said.
With the countless hours of training and technical preparation Fox dedicates to the activity, he strives to prove this statement.
His passion for the position is apparent in his remarkable attention to detail.
“On a Thursday night I take all the batons I will use in the next game and I paint them with silver nail polish so they look nice and clean. Then I will tape them up so they’re bright white and look perfect,” Fox said.
Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of training aspects involved in the position of drum major. “I know a lot of people don’t think so, but this is technically a sport. It’s really difficult on your body” said Fox.
Fox works with a coach for up to two hours every other week who helps him with his twirling technique. Additionally, he meets with a personal trainer at Rise Athletics once a week and lifts weights on his own time.
To set himself apart from other drum majors, Fox has also gone through some gymnastics training that he hopes will give him an edge when it comes to Ohio State tryouts. When asked about his need for this type of training, Fox said, “The current drum major at Ohio State, Clayton, was actually a cheerleader when he was a little kid so he’s very gymnastics based and he does a lot of flips on the field. I decided that I need to get a jump start on this stuff so I talked to my dad and he set me up at rock solid. I’ve been taking lessons for about a year.”
Despite how much time he dedicates to practicing and perfecting his routines, performing can still be extremely daunting.
“The first game last week I was about to run onto the field and I looked at the student section and realized all the people who would see me,” Fox said.
No matter what happens on the field, he continues with his routine, remaining focused on the next trick.
Although the overarching goal for Fox is to become head drum major for the Ohio State marching band, he is cautious of not wasting his final season at Upper Arlington stressing about the future.
“Right now the goal is to get through the season and have a good senior season and enjoy it. I’m trying not to stress too much about this. It’s my last one so I want to have fun,” Fox said.
With his entire college career in front of him, Fox is eager to see what lies ahead while simultaneously staying focused on creating memories for not only himself, but the entire student body.
