By Jennifer Hill

Drum Major Darryl Lim of the Ottawa Caledonian Pipes & Drums (photos courtesy of Darryl Lim)

A Drum Major is hard to miss. There is the uniform, the mace, the commands and the person leading the band onto the field. What most of us do not see is everything that happened before they even ‘step-off’.

Darryl Lim, whose background includes service with the Singapore Army and the RCMP Pipes & Drums, describes the Drum Major as the “fifth element” of a pipe band, alongside the pipes, snare drum, bass drum and tenor drum.

Drum Major Darryl Lim leading the band at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montreal

Besides leading the band, the role has five main responsibilities: teaching drill and bearing; maintaining standards of dress and deportment; carrying out site and route reconnaissance, security planning; and representing the band ceremonially.

“A band’s dress, drill and deportment are a direct reflection of the Drum Major,” Darryl says. Before a parade, he inspects the band, checking kilt height, sporrans, kilt pins, the angle of the glengarry, the hose and how the flashes are worn. He also makes sure the band can march as one unit, with proper spacing, alignment and timing.

Darryl learned the importance of presentation during his 12 years with the RCMP Pipes & Drums, including six years as Drum Sergeant and Principal Bass/Tenor with the National Capital Region band. One of his former Pipe Majors often said that, from the audience’s point of view, wearing the red serge and white spats with pride and marching properly was 60 per cent of the battle. The band was not Grade 1, but audiences loved what they saw and heard. “They loved the look, and the sight and sound that we brought,” Darryl says.

Leading the band at Ottawa’s annual Pride Parade

His work also went beyond performances. Darryl wrote the RCMP National Midsection Curriculum, creating standardized bass and tenor scores for all eight RCMP pipe bands. The scores are still in use and have also been adopted by other bands in the region. In 2013, he attended the RCMP’s inaugural National Drum Major Course, beginning his Drum Major career in Canada.

One part of the job few spectators think about is route reconnaissance. In 2019, Darryl was invited to lead the Rob Roy Pipe Band in New York City’s Tartan Day Parade. The day before, he walked the Sixth Avenue route in civilian clothes. The next morning, he walked it again in full dress uniform with an NYPD officer, reviewing road closures, intersections and places where traffic would still be moving. The third time, he led the band down the route. “It’s all about situational awareness,” he says. “Always be prepared, and always have a plan.”

That preparation matters even more in a massed-band formation, where several bands must move together as one. When Darryl is appointed to lead, his direction to the other Drum Majors is simple: “Nothing fancy and nothing complicated,” he says. “It’s all about looking good and marching as one massed band. If you want to be individualistic, you don’t belong in a band.” The Drum Major is not there to steal the show. The job is to make the entire band look disciplined, confident and unified.

That requires close coordination with the pipe major, drum sergeant, bass drummer and the band’s musical leadership. A Drum Major must understand the musical sequence, anticipate starts, halts, counter-marches and cut-offs, and make sure the movement stays with the music.

Darryl works closely with Shannon Brooks, Principal Drum Major of the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. Together, they mentor and train Drum Majors and support Highland Games throughout the region, helping to maintain consistent standards of dress, drill and deportment. Drum Majors are assessed at A, B or C levels. At the time of writing, Darryl and Shannon are the PPBSO’s two A-level Drum Majors.

When asked what is hardest to master, Darryl does not choose the mace work or the drill. He chooses Leadership. “It’s the confidence of Leadership,” he says. “The ability to think on your feet and problem solve to put on the best show possible.”

Today, Darryl is a member of the Ottawa Caledonian Pipes & Drums, better known as OCal. The band has a strong youth focus and is committed to being welcoming, diverse and inclusive. OCal set itself an ambitious goal: win Grade 5 at Maxville within ten years. They did it in nine, winning the Grade 5 North American Pipe Band Championship in 2024.

The next time you see a Drum Major leading a band onto the field, take another look. The uniform and mace may catch your eye, but the real work began long before the parade did.

Behind the Mace: What a Drum Major Really Does