Leading the Golden Band from Tigerland
September 01, 2026
Ready to Roar In Action: Student Stories
At LSU, career readiness happens everywhere. In this series, students reflect on how their campus involvement connects to the Ready to Roar career proficiencies and helps prepare them for life after graduation.
Every Saturday night in Death Valley, tens of thousands of eager spectators watch with anticipation as the Golden Band from Tiger Land kicks off the game with its pregame performance.
At the front of the group, one student clad in a white, sparkly uniform leads the band onto the field. While many other universities have two, three, or even up to six students in this position—called a drum major—LSU has remained firm in its tradition of having a single student in this leadership role for its 132-year history.
Though the position is highly visible at every Tiger Band performance, it is shrouded in mystery. Who is the drum major? How are they chosen? What is the extent of their duties?
The Person in White
I’m here to clear the air. During the 2025 football season, I was the person in white leading and conducting the Tiger Band at every home and away game. My name is Catherine Mansfield, and I was the drum major of the 132nd edition of the Golden Band from Tiger Land and the fourth woman to ever hold the title.
At LSU, the drum major is responsible for many managerial tasks within the band, as well as skills such as conducting, marching and more. To become drum major, I went through a week-long audition process where I showed the directors and my peers that I had all the knowledge and skills needed to lead the band both on and off the field.
Leading the Golden Band
As it pertained to the performance aspect of my role during the season, I needed to know how and when to call up certain songs during a football game or other performance. I had to stay watching the game the entire time to know which down cheer I had to call, how to time the touchdown sequence, when to play a red zone, and much more.
When we performed songs in the stands or during halftime, I had to know exactly how fast each song had to start and how and when to conduct tempo changes and cutoffs at the end. During parades, I would use my whistle and a baton called a mace to signal to the band when to start and stop marching.
Being a drum major can definitely be high pressure at times, but I was never completely alone. Luckily, Tiger Band has a comprehensive system of directors, graduate assistants and student leaders who all know the importance of teamwork, ensuring the group can meet its expectations and goals for the season.
Marching Together
One of my first official duties was to organize and lead a student leadership camp for all the new section leaders and support staff. This leadership camp is meant to be an opportunity for the entire leadership team to come together and set goals for our sections and the band as a whole before the season officially starts.
I set aside time for group discussions, team-building games and teaching practice so everyone could feel prepared not only as individual leaders, but as a cohesive group.
As the one at the helm of the student staff team, I had to make sure I was exemplifying the leadership attitudes that I wanted to guide the student staff during the season. This meant a variety of things during staff camp, preseason and the rest of the season.
It was important that I was always showing up to rehearsals and performances organized and prepared—knowing the music for that day, having my gloves, whistle and all of my equipment ready to go, and taking care of anything else the directors may have communicated to me.
Punctuality and professionalism are also very important to the role. The Tiger Band is composed of lots of moving parts, and the drum major is a very important part of the machine. I relied a lot on self-motivation, as I was the sole person responsible for a lot of deadlines and information. These are skills that will certainly continue to be important further down the line and that employers will be glad to know I already possess.
Beyond the Baton
My season as drum major was quite the whirlwind, but it will always be a very special time in my life that I will treasure forever. Because of the unique challenges of the role, I feel very prepared for whatever I might pursue in life.
The performing arts are an important part of the LSU community, and I’m so glad I have contributed in such a meaningful way. After undergrad, I plan to pursue graduate education in art history. In my career, I hope to continue to work in either museum or private gallery spaces where I can continue to spread my passion for the arts.
About the LSU Career Center
Our team is committed to ensuring every student has ample opportunities to gain experience, grow their network, and communicate their aptitude for a chosen career long before graduation. We believe LSU students are unparalleled in their potential to step into leadership, solve problems, and elevate the workforce for the benefit of all.
Ready to Roar Career Proficiencies
At LSU, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience to succeed in any field. With a blend of professional experiences, academic pursuits, and involvement opportunities both on and off campus, you'll graduate Ready to Roar.