Trumpeter Judah Crowder is not one to toot her own horn – even when it comes to her impressive accomplishments. 

The Hazel Crest resident is modest, upbeat, exudes positivity and proudly uplifts and praises her Illinois State University bandmates. 

But when Judah Crowder was named Illinois State University’s first Black woman drum major, she made history and headlines.

Crowder’s success is the ultimate “Hometown Girl Makes Good” story. Crowder is one of four drum majors leading the 400-plus member band, known as the Big Red Marching Machine. 

“I live, eat, sleep and breathe marching band, period,” Crowder said. “I really love BRMM. I just love marching band. I love how tightly knit the school of music is.” 

The people who know and love Crowder best say they knew she was destined for great things.

“When I heard that Judah had been named drum major, my heart was overwhelmed with pride, but honestly I wasn’t surprised,” said Glennetta Crowder, Judah’s Mom.  

“Judah has always stood out. There has always been something about her that people notice — not just because of her name, but because of the way she carries herself,”  Glennetta Crowder said. “I’ve always believed she was destined to lead, and seeing her step into this historic role confirms what I felt about her from the very beginning.”

Crowder says when Judah was born, they used to teasingly call her Judah the Lion.

“What’s funny is that when she was born, she had this big beautiful, thick hair that looked like a lion’s mane. But looking back, it feels like more than a joke – it feels symbolic of who she was always meant to be – bold, confident and strong.”

Homewood-Flossmoor High School band director Sarah Whitlock echoes that sentiment. 

“Judah was the kind of leader people naturally gravitated toward. Her infectious smile, generous heart and genuine kindness made everyone feel valued,” Whitlock said.

“She didn’t just lead – she inspired, taught and lifted everyone around her. I’m not surprised to see Judah making history. That’s who she has always been. She constantly pushed herself into roles that challenged her and never shied away from blazing a new path.”

Crowder, who is a junior at ISU majoring in music education, was a drum major at H-F High School, too. While in high school, Crowder also played with the guitar ensemble, the jazz band and sang in several choirs. She was selected and participated in the Future Music Educator program, too. The program is for students interested in pursuing a career in music education. 

At ISU, Crowder went through a rigorous interview and audition process to become a drum major. It included a call back and conducting the fight song and a song of her choice. Drum majors have to reapply every season for their jobs, Crowder said.

The fall is a busy time for Crowder because there’s so much behind the scenes work to do, she said. She spends hours learning and memorizing music. She practices conducting and works on special hand cues. Crowder puts her heart into her new role and said it brings her a lot of joy.

“One of the color guard coaches said, ‘I like seeing your face when you’re interacting and conducting the band,’ ” Crowder said.

Crowder plays several instruments that include the piano, guitar and drums. She also sings with the Belle Voix choir, an advanced female choir. 

“My heart goes to the altos,” Crowder said. But she also 

 has the range to sing tenor/contralto and soprano, too.

Crowder’s instrument of choice, however, is the trumpet, which she picked up in fifth grade and has stuck with ever since.

The trumpet section at ISU is 60 members strong and is the largest section in the band, Crowder said. When she got news of her new role, Crowder said she had a message for her trumpet bandmates.

“Just because I’m going to the podium doesn’t mean I’m leaving my trumpet family behind,” Crowder said.

Crowder loves how close the band is, despite its huge size.

“We’re still a tight knit marching band family. One of our goals is to make sure that we’re a tight-knit family within our sections, but also across the entire band program, including our Color Guard and the Redline Dancers,” she said.

“I believe our drum line is the tightest team possible,” Crowder said. “They are easy to connect to.”

The band plays at seven to eight games a year, does a homecoming and tree lighting performance, a lot of parades and has a full roster of community events and performances, Crowder said. It also hosts the Illinois State Marching Band Championship for high school bands.

On game days, Crowder’s day starts early. At 7 a.m, the band does a run through and show rehearsal. There are also sectional rehearsals. The drum majors do uniform checks and make sure each section knows the set.

The band then does a Y performance, so named because the street where it performs looks like a Y, Crowder said.

“It’s like a teaser. Come listen to the band play some music,” she said.

The band also does a 10-minute pre-game show with marching and music. The halftime show is the main event. But the day doesn’t end there. If the team wins, they sing the alma mater with the team. Then they walk back as a group to Cook Hall, the band’s home base where the drum majors finish up their day.

Crowder said she and her fellow drum majors, all women, are close. 

“We realized that we’re the same person, but in different fonts,” Crowder said with a laugh. “I felt like our energy kept feeding off of each other. We hang out a lot.”

Next fall, there will be three women and one man conducting the band.

During games, each drum major conducts the band from one of the four podiums placed around the field. The lead drum major conducts from the middle stand, which is the tallest podium. Drum majors rotate who conducts there.

Crowder’s family is very supportive of her new role.

“I was never that child who was like ‘where are my parents’ ” at a game. I always knew where my parents were. I heard them,” Crowder said.

Crowder said her dad and grandmother yell her name with pride at games. Her mom makes big elaborate posters to show their support, as the family cheers her on. Crowder has a younger brother, too.

Mack Wood, director of the Big Red Marching Machine and Associate Director of Bands said Crowder’s selection for drum major was unanimous, according to an article by ISU reporter Bella Morello.

“I knew she was going to be a strong-minded and resilient leader, ” said Glennetta Crowder. “Judah has always been comfortable being different. Judah has always walked to the beat of her own drum — so it feels perfectly fitting that she’s now leading an entire marching band.”

As in high school, Crowder’s busy life is filled with extra curricular activities. She’s president of the Music Student Multicultural Association, a member of the Trumpet Club and the American Choral Directors Association and she works for the School of Music as a recital worker. 

After graduation, Crowder said she’d like to get a master’s degree in wind conducting and find a good job in a place where she is needed.

People often say what’s in a name? Crowder’s mother shared the story of how Judah got her name. She wanted to name their daughter Noel, but her husband said that “God had given him the name Judah.”  

“But since marriage is about love, partnership and compromise, we decided together and gave her both names. Over time, I began to understand how powerful that name really was. The name Judah is connected to praise and Noel reminds us of the celebration of Christ’s birth,” Crowder said.

 “Even her name tells a story of purpose.”