For Woodward High School senior Judy Benesch, band began as an opportunity to take a trip with friends. It quickly became something much more meaningful.

“My friends originally convinced me to join band because of a Frontier City trip, but it later grew into a passion for music,” Benesch said.

Now a drum major and a member of the school’s wind symphony, Benesch has embraced the work, discipline, and leadership required to help guide the Woodward band program. Her journey has been shaped by people who recognized her potential early and encouraged her to step into a larger role.

One of Benesch’s strongest influences was the drum major during her freshman year. The two shared a place in wind symphony and performed a duet within one piece. Before graduating, the older student wrote letters to each of the wind symphony flutists.

“My biggest role model so far has been the drum major my freshman year. We both made the wind symphony in our program and shared a duet as part of a piece. At the end of the year, she wrote each of the wind symphony flutes letters before she graduated. At the bottom of the letter she wrote me, it said, ‘P.S. Try out for drum major. You’ll make it!’ Those two sentences have kept me motivated to keep doing my best,” Benesch said.

Benesch also credits her longtime dance teacher with teaching lessons that extend beyond performance. She has studied dance for nine years and now serves as a dance assistant outside of school, teaching Pre-K through fourth-grade students and preparing them for community performances.

“The teacher with the biggest influence on my life is probably my dance teacher. I have been a student of hers for the past nine years, and she has taught me many valuable life lessons along the way. Being humble and being your own individual are just two small things that she has taught me that have affected the way I live and perceive other people,” Benesch said.

For Benesch, success in band is not measured solely by individual ability. She believes commitment to the group matters most.

“What makes not only me, but any student, a successful member is the passion and dedication we have for the program. Being a skilled or talented player doesn’t make you a successful member of the group; it’s the dedication that pays off towards the success of the group in the end,” Benesch said.

As a drum major, Benesch understands every performance represents Woodward High School and its community. She hopes other students continue pursuing the activities that matter to them long after graduation.