SSU Director of Bands Dr. Gabriel Arnold said that during the tryouts, Taylor was simply one of the best drum majors who auditioned for the spot
When Savannah State University, an HBCU, named Christopher Taylor, Aaron Franklin, and Shai McKenney its drum majors for the 2024-2025 season, they made history. Taylor became the university’s first white drum major.
According to the Savannah Tribune, the other drum majors in the program’s history were all Black, and only four were Black women before Taylor.
SSU Director of Bands Dr. Gabriel Arnold said that during the tryouts, Taylor was simply one of the best drum majors who auditioned for the spot. According to Arnold, he looks for his drum majors to control marching training, cardio, discipline, and to set expectations for what each member of the band will give during the marching and performance season.
According to Arnold, one of Taylor’s strengths was his ability to communicate. “He is an outstanding marcher and gives 1000 percent each time he is on the field,” Arnold told the outlet. “He also has great communication skills, and he won over a lot of the members because of that.”