Drum Majors & Block Captains
Drum Major
The drum major is the heartbeat of the University of Minnesota Marching Band. The drum major is the primary student instructor of the University of Minnesota Marching Band and wears many hats – musician, conductor, leader, performer, and role model for the Marching Band community.
These band members took great pride in leading one of the finest marching bands in the nation. The band has had 65 drum majors, including 5-year drum majors – George Aagaard (1931–35), Jim Wetherbee (1949–53), Richard Johnson (1961–1965), Jim Mitchell (1966–1970), and Kirk Juergens (1987–1991).
Drum Major Ari Martin
Ari Martin grew up in Woodbury, Minnesota and graduated from East Ridge High School in 2021. Ari was heavily involved in extracurriculars, participating in marching band, concert band, orchestra, jazz band, pep band, indoor percussion, and indoor color guard. In their senior year, Ari served as one of two drum majors for the ERHS Marching Raptors. Additionally, Ari danced at Woodbury Dance Center for 13 years, 10 of those competitively. Through dance and these various ensembles is where Ari found their love for music and performance.
Currently in their senior year at the University of Minnesota, Ari is majoring in Psychology within the College of Liberal Arts and minoring in Pharmacology. In the future, Ari plans to use their undergraduate degree to further their education in medical school and pursue a career in either psychiatry or pharmacy. In their free time, Ari enjoys traveling, playing board and video games, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on the Minnesota Vikings and Golden Gophers.
Before becoming the 67th Drum Major of the Pride of Minnesota, Ari was a member of the mellophone section for two years. They are also a member of Athletic Bands at the university, playing in the stands at Gopher volleyball, basketball, and hockey games throughout their respective seasons. As Drum Major, Ari hopes to work closely with the Block Captain to better overall performance quality and connect with the greater Twin Cities population. Equally important, Ari is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. They are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for the band, as well as bringing support and visibility to every individual within the band.
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1892: Jennings C. Litzenberg 1895: N.D. Bessessen 1896: Ben Towne 1900: George B. Webster 1903: W.B. Stout 1905–1906: R.C. Cannon 1908–1910: George Cottingham 1914–1917: Carl G. Swendseen 1920–1921: Leonard Aamodt 1924–1927: Wallace A. Thexton 1928: Walter Johnson 1936–1938: Winston Jewson 1939–1941: Walter Holmstrom 1940: William Balamut 1943: John Gruye 1944: Albert Burns 1948: Robert Thompson 1954–1957: Don Elsen 1961–1965: Richard Johnson 1967: Bill Ekstrum 1974: Charles Buck 1977: Pat Patton 1981–1982: Dan Kuch 1985–1986: Ed Long 1992: Aaron Fisher 1995: J. Drew Kunkel 1998–2000: Andy Richter 2002–2003: Jon Tepe 2005: Dick Osterberg 2008–2010: Aaron Marks 2014: Joe Walsh 2017–2018: Tommy Greco 2021: Julia White 2023– : Ari Martin |
1893–1894: Joel Gregory 1896: Tom L. Jones 1897: Claude Cotton 1903: R.T. Hugo 1904: C.W. Huntington 1907: Ben E. Taylor 1911–1913: Carroll F. Nelson 1918: D.W. Kitzmiller 1923: Herbert Liese 1928–1930: Wallace Benton 1931–1935: George Aagaard 1939–1941: Laurence Ellefson 1939–1940: Ted Mosio 1942: Jerry Benson 1944–1947: John N. Smith 1947–1948: Cliff Schroeder 1949–1953: Jim Wetherbee 1958–1960: M. William Johnson 1966–1970: Jim Mitchell 1971–1973: Bryan Warren 1975–1976: Jim Krikava 1978–1980: Grant Benjamin 1983–1984: Jeff Thomas 1987–1991: Kirk Juergens 1993–1994: Chad Saloka 1996–1997: Alec Charais 2001: Todd Olin 2004: John Thompson 2006–2007: Molly Watters 2011–2013: Brandon Folkes 2015–2016: Robert Rudin 2019–2020: Chamberlain Gregg 2022: Jon Ingram |
Block Captain
The block captain works closely with the band's faculty, staff, and leadership team to serve the needs of all band members while continuing to serve as a regular member of the ensemble.
The band has had 16 block captains, each with their own spin on the position and contributions to the organization.
Block Captain Zainab Adebayo
Zainab Adebayo grew up in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and graduated from Simley High School in 2022. In high school, Zainab participated in many extracurricular activities such as Nordic skiing, varsity track and field, marching, concert, and pep band. Additionally, she competed in several honor bands, solo and large group ensemble concerts. These musical ensembles fostered her love and ambition for music that she has today.
Currently in her junior year, Zainab is majoring in Kinesiology within the College of Education and Human Development. Once graduated, she plans to attend graduate school and become a physical therapist. In her free time, Zainab enjoys photography, solving puzzles, spending time with friends and family, and playing video games.
Before becoming Block Captain, Zainab played the baritone for two years in the University of Minnesota Marching Band. She still continues to play with her section in addition to leading and serving the rest of the band. Outside of a marching band setting, she also loves going to Gopher pep band events to cheer on the basketball, hockey, and volleyball teams. As the Season 133 Block Captain, Zainab is honored to lead the band alongside Ari. She’s excited to strengthen bonds within the band, uphold an inclusive environment for all band members, and spread the band’s musical presence throughout our university and beyond.
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2006: Megan Ivers 2009: Nick Aspholm 2012: Raoul Shah 2015: Amelia Forsmo 2018: Ryan Beczkiewicz 2022-2023: Kindra Peterson |
2007: Elliot Redmann 2010: Brandon Folkes 2013: Joe Walsh 2016: Cole Jobin 2019-2020: Bethany Mestelle 2024: Zainab Adebayo |
2008: Chesney Engquist 2011: Quentin Knutson 2014: Phil Homen 2017: Connor Jensen 2021: Neil Garcia
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