It’s halftime under the Friday Night Lights, but she’s been on campus since 4:45 p.m. to prepare. Raised above on her podium, she faces 40 band members to lead their every move. Gold stripes across each member’s uniform distinguish them as a part of a musical performance group, but for Lyndee Veldstra, the drum major outfit represents a family legacy of leading the band’s halftime performance.
From 4:45 to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays, Veldstra rehearses with the band section to coordinate with the Voices of Whitney and the student section music. She memorizes 16 different two to three-minute pep tunes to lead her band. Without a music sheet to reference, Veldstra has to know her music like the back of her hand.
“There’s a lot of prep work that comes behind getting ready for football games,” Veldstra said. “As a musician, having the music in front of you is kind of a safety, so when you become drum major, you have to memorize everything. I take a lot of time out of my day and make sure I perfect my skills so that I don’t let the band down.”
While she aims for perfection, she says that making mistakes isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Faking it until you make it is something I had to learn,” Veldstra said. “Making mistakes makes you better and can make others better, too. I think that being vulnerable and showing your mistakes in front of the band is something that can help them trust you as a leader.”
Veldstra began her music career when she was in fifth grade at Sunset Ranch, where she played the flute. From there she has taken on various leadership positions, such as auditioning for section leader her sophomore year, Woodwind Sergeant junior year and now, she conducts the band as drum major.
“Conducting is a very respectable thing in the band world,” Veldstra said. “Every drum major has their own way of conducting; it’s always unique to the person. My band director, me and my assistant all have different styles, and I think that’s something that is really cool and makes it special.”
She works alongside music director Mrs. Michelle Jamieson to make preparations and lead the music program.
“She has become the leader — she is the drum major, section leader and she has taken charge and become an assistant band leader,” Jamieson said.
Following a family line of musicians, Veldstra continues the legacy her family left for her. Her older sister, Lena Veldstra, was the band’s drum major in 2023 and her father led the University of Southern California’s band as drum major in addition to his high school’s band. Veldstra’s mother also played the flute in both high school and college.
“I have a very distinct memory of going to a football game when my sister was a freshman, and I remember seeing the marching band and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! I think this is my thing,’” Veldstra said. “I was so excited to go into high school because I knew that I could be in a marching band. As soon as I went to band camp and I stepped foot in that band room, I was like ‘this is my home, this is my place.’”
by EMERSON KIBBY & NATALIA TAKEUCHI
