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The Australian Army traditionally styles the appointments along the same lines as the British Army. The drum major is usually an experienced member of the Australian Army Band Corps, although drum majors in regimental pipes and drums are typically members of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Drum majors generally have the rank of a senior NCO.
A Tambour-Major of the French Imperial Guard (historical reenactment). The position of drum major originated in the British Army with the Corps of Drums in 1650. [citation needed] Military groups performed mostly duty calls and battle signals during that period, and a fife and drum corps, directed by the drum major, would use short pieces to communicate to field units.
Instruments, particularly drums, have been used on battlefields as signaling devices across many different cultures.Unlike army musicians who form bands and are usually limited to auxiliary duties in wartime, drummers in a Corps of Drums are principally fully trained infantry soldiers, with recruitment as drummers coming after standard infantry training.
The drum major of the unit is distinguished from the other musicians by his headgear, the light-infantry Cap. In contrast to modern Army bands, and as an indication of prominence, he carries an espontoon instead of the standard mace. The espontoon is an 18th-century weapon carried by officers.
André Estienne was a drummer with Napoleon Bonaparte's army at the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole in 1796, where he led his battalion across a river while holding his drum over his head, and on reaching the far bank, beat the "charge". This led to the capture of the bridge and the rout of the Austrian army.
The army was given a postwar reorganization on July 28, 1866. [19] Medical Cadets, drum majors and leaders of the band, artificers of engineers and enlisted men in the Signal Corps were eliminated (men could be detailed from the Corps of Engineers for signal duties).
The drum majors then march out in front of the band and the head drum major calls the band to attention and vocally gives directions to the band, referencing the composition of the Aggie War Hymn, by shouting, "Recall! Step off on Hullabaloo!" [45] (Recall is a traditional Army bugle call – the first 34 notes, and intro of the Aggie War Hymn ...
A drum-major of the "President's Own" U.S. Marine Band pictured in 2011. United States military bands include musical ensembles maintained by the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard.