Drum Major Baton

Drum Major Baton, 1942

Highlands band Drum Major Baton

Donor: Lela Emmerich, class of 1967; baton belonged to her father, Clayton Randall, class of 1942

Authors: Evelynn Henkenberns, class of 2028, Mariah Ofori-Attah, and Mackenzie Sparks, class of 2029

Story Contributors: Lela Randall Emmerich, class of 1967, and Highlands Film and Broadcasting

Web Page Designer: Lilly Ahlfeld, class of 2028

The single starting beat of the drums marks the beginning…excited cheers fill the Highlands stadium as the marching band’s stomps and marches hit the turf with a rhythmic beat. It was an electrifying Friday night, as every football game at Highlands is. A rush of adrenaline beats with the same rhythm as the drums. The leader of all this enchantment is none other than Clayton Randall.

Highlands High School drum baton

Clayton Randall, the lead drum major, senior class of 1942, loved what he did. He took his role as the lead very seriously. Since his sophomore year at Highlands the band called to him. The band itself served as a musical anchor for the school. Performing at plays, games, and concerts the air of Highlands was filled with the band’s beautiful sound. The peppy life at Highlands in the 40’s was nothing short of inspiring for the love of the school and its high spirits. The school spirit was the main attraction of the school, everyone loved Highlands, and Highlands loved them. With all the clubs and organizations there was nothing that anyone couldn't do.

“The band used to be one of the highlights of Highlands when they had a very good band director. They were invited and went to play at the New York World's Fair,” his daughter Lela Randall Emmerich remembers.

Clayton Randall, head drum major, 1942

For Clayton he was a pillar of the band, literally and figuratively. His tall, leading, stature made it difficult not to draw your eyes to him and the rest of the band.

”The highstepping drum major with the wavy hair and winning ways was one of the mainstays of the band,” Emmerich said.

His leadership while leading the band using the baton (described as a stick with a ball on the end) showed how important his role was in order to succeed. He established the band’s unified rhythm with the up and down motion of the baton.

“It's like a big ball and a stick… he held it and led the band.”

Randall was very proud of being in the band and using the baton which led them to the success of traveling to perform. The band was able to travel a lot because of how dedicated they were with a good leader.

”Dad was proud of the fact that he played in the band which, according to the 1942 annual, was chosen to represent Kentucky at the New York World’s fair in 1939.”

The dedication and practice of those band members is what made the band as good as it is now. Their legacy was they never gave up or stopped. They wanted to win.

“... I would say it was significant because they were that good,” Lela Randall Emmerich states.

The story of Clayton and the leader he was will live on forever. The halls of Highlands have history, history that we should never forget.

“Oh, he was lovely. The best dad ever. He was fun. He was cute. We always thought he was really cute. He had this beautiful… dark curly hair…”

1942, Randall holds baton over right shoulder; majorettes hold theirs by their side

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