Senior drum major Jackson Feasel plans to study Music education at Ball State University after highschool. He was asked a few questions on his future plans and music career so far. 

• How long have you been into music/instruments?

“I’ve been into music for as long as i can remember, more so than most other kids, instruments, how they work, the way you play them, it’s always interested me. I wasn’t able to pursue this interest until about 7th grade when Wayne Township opened up the performing arts programs to students.”

• Have drums always been your specialty or did you transition to them along the line?

“Actually, the title Drum Major doesn’t come from a person playing drums, they’re someone who watches the percussion interprets the time they give, and relays it to the rest of the band. I really play brass instruments like trumpet and french horn. I started off on trumpet, wanting to play as beautifully or as rampantly as many of the orchestral excerpts. The band program needed more students to play french horn though, and I volunteered because from what I had learned, it has just as many, if not more fun to play parts, as well as getting me experience on more than one instrument before college.”

• Are you particularly partial towards drums or do they just happen to be your focus at the moment?

“I would say I’m more partial to trumpet, it’s where my roots are, but don’t get me wrong, I absolutely am learning to love horn.”

• What school are you planning to go to after High School?

“I plan on attending Ball State University, and after that, my goal is to be a high school band director.”

• What other schools did you apply to and why?

“I applied and was accepted to Carthage College, it was an interesting possibility but it ended up being too far away and too expensive, to Indiana State University as a back up to BSU, University of Indianapolis because I’d heard great things, but their music program doesn’t appeal to me, Dominican University, same fate as Carthage though.”

• What other majors did you consider and why do you think you’re more inclined towards music education? 

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, it was just juggling on what to teach until I met and watched my 8th grade director Mr. Marshall. He’s my biggest inspiration. I’ve also thought about math, or ancient history education. To me music is an outlet of personality that many students get to experience.”

• What do you think a major in music education will look like for you in college and beyond?

“A music education major is a very difficult one to focus on. Most of the teachers I’ve had described it as forcing a five year program into four years. There’s so much beyond what’s on the page for music to work.”

• Would you say you saw yourself in such a position early on in life? Or is this a more recent development?

“By position I’m assuming you mean the role of Drum Major for the marching band, and it’s something I looked to do since freshman year. I saw it as a stepping stone into music education as it put me in the role directly between directors and the band.”