Sumter's Next Generation, presented by TheLINK: Drum major Kayla Epps on leading Crestwood High's marching band with quiet confidence

Off the field, Kayla Epps said she keeps to herself. She's quiet, shy and not always quick to fill a space with conversation. But as the drum major for Crestwood High School's marching band, the senior has learned when to flip a switch by stepping into one of the visible leadership roles in the program. She showed others - and most importantly, herself - that a strong presence doesn't always come in the loudest package.

But it didn't start out that way.

Music has always been a constant in Kayla's life. From the violin to the piano to her underlying interest to learn the trombone or the baritone - which she says is the foundation of the band - music is a common thread in Kayla's life. Which made it ironic that the one thing she didn't want to explore upon entering high school was its band program. Initially, the idea was not appealing to a freshman Kayla. In simple terms, she thought it would be "boring." But after asking her mom's advice, she showed up to practice. All these years later, she's still surprised at what she found.

"That first day that I went, I was like, 'You know what, this is not that bad. I kind of like this,'" she shared. "I fell in love with it, and I've just been falling in love with it more and more."

Through that slow but steady free fall, she learned of what her future would hold.

Unknown to a young Kayla at the time, a drum major is the highest-ranking student leader in a marching band, acting as the field commander, musical conductor and liaison between the band director and its members. He or she is responsible for leading rehearsals, maintaining discipline, conducting the band during performances and executing high-visibility, athletic routines.

In her sophomore year, she learned more about the role and the leadership skills one needs to possess to uphold such standards. And Kayla was determined to exceed them.

She started exploring being more vocal, confident and visible to her peers about the direction of the band. She started to exude the very qualities she would admire in a leader. She took notes of the drum majors before her and tailored them to her own style of leadership - one that differs from the reserved persona she wears in the school hallways. On the field, she's focused, determined, dependable. She soon realized that by putting herself out there, despite her nerves, it would all pay off.

On one leisurely afternoon, while riding around on the golf cart, Kayla noticed an influx of notifications from the band's group chat. The results of band auditions had been released. She avoided the messages, nervous of what the outcome would be. After several friends encouraged her to see for herself, she saw what she had hoped for: her as the band's drum major.

"I hopped out the golf cart, and I started crying," Kayla said, a soft smile forming at the memory. "It was - it was a very emotional moment for me."

That first performance as drum major, as the face of the band essentially, was equal parts nerve-wracking and exhilarating. She deemed it "a great performance" but didn't shy away from the weight the role carried, for one reason or another.

Typically, the role of a drum major is filled by a boy. Being a girl in such a role mattered immensely to Kayla. When she spoke of the pressure, her tone carried no anger or bitterness. Rather, it was laced with a thoughtfulness that is admirable of the young leader. She knew to be taken seriously, she had to "lock in," to balance her friendships with bandmates with the order the band needed to take the program to the next level. She had to be more disciplined, much louder, more commanding.

"I felt like I had to uphold the standard because for one, I'm a girl," she said. "When it comes to being a drum major, at the end of the day, you got a job you got to do. You're the face of the band."

And as the face, she would be sure to make a good first impression. Whether braving the Friday night lights during football season or fighting for their chance at the title in competitions, Kayla brought the energy. She explained that the leader sets the example for the rest of the band so even if she was reluctant to do something, she still had to show up. She learned that if she wanted consistency from her bandmates, she had to model that effort.

As her senior year comes to an end, the next chapter of her musical endeavors will continue at the collegiate level. In February, Kayla and her clarinet auditioned for several top-rated HBCU bands - from preparing a solo to knowing all 12 major scales to being ready for on-the-fly sight reading - for her chance at a scholarship.

She came away with more than $72,500 in scholarships.

Kayla is keeping her college decision under wraps right now, reasoning that she wants it to be a surprise.

What she is sharing is her excitement for college life and meeting new people. Different from how she entered high school, she is eager to take more classes, exploring the biology major and playing at the next level of band.

Kayla's perspective shift is heartwarming. How her nerves of what lies ahead became excitement for what she has yet to accomplish. To her younger self, she'd assure her that the going will get tough, but in the end, it is worth it.

To the next drum major, she shared the words that have soothed herself through the hard times.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, don't beat yourself down. Even if you think you're doing something wrong, you're the face, you're the leader. You're the first face that everybody's going to see," she said. "Just be confident in yourself. Keep going even though you feel like quitting because you wouldn't want nobody else to quit on you. Just stay strong, and just have fun."