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 66 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).

1892: Jennings C. Litzenberg
1893–1894: Joel Gregory
1895: N.D. Bessessen
1896: Tom L. Jones
1896: Ben Towne
1897: Claude Cotton
1900: George B. Webster
1903: R.T. Hugo
1903: W.B. Stout
1904: C.W. Huntington
1905–1906: R.C. Cannon
1907: Ben E. Taylor
1908–1910: George Cottingham
1911–1913: Carroll F. Nelson
1914–1917: Carl G. Swendseen
1918: D.W. Kitzmiller
1920–1921: Leonard Aamodt
1923: Herbert Liese
1924–1927: Wallace A. Thexton
1928–1930: Wallace Benton
1928: Walter Johnson
1931–1935: George Aagaard
1936–1938: Winston Jewson
1939–1941: Laurence Ellefson
1939–1941: Walter Holmstrom
1939–1940: Ted Mosio
1940: William Balamut
1942: Jerry Benson
1943: John Gruye
1944–1947: John N. Smith
1944: Albert Burns
1947–1948: Cliff Schroeder
1948: Robert Thompson
1949–1953: Jim Wetherbee
1954–1957: Don Elsen
1958–1960: M. William Johnson
1961–1965: Richard Johnson
1966–1970: Jim Mitchell
1967: Bill Ekstrum
1971–1973: Bryan Warren
1974: Charles Buck
1975–1976: Jim Krikava
1977: Pat Patton
1978–1980: Grant Benjamin
1981–1982: Dan Kuch
1983–1984: Jeff Thomas
1985–1986: Ed Long
1987–1991: Kirk Juergens
1992: Aaron Fisher
1993–1994: Chad Saloka
1995: J. Drew Kunkel
1996–1997: Alec Charais
1998–2000: Andy Richter
2001: Todd Olin
2002–2003: Jon Tepe
2004: John Thompson
2005: Dick Osterberg
2006–2007: Molly Watters
2008–2010: Aaron Marks
2011–2013: Brandon Folkes
2014: Joe Walsh
2015–2016: Robert Rudin
2017–2018: Tommy Greco
2019–2020: Chamberlain Gregg
2021: Julia White
2022: Jon Ingram
2023–2024: Ari Martin
2025: Charlotte Baker 
2026: Nathan Orcutt

Drum Major Nathan Orcutt

Nathan Orcutt is a fourth year music education and drumline student who has spent two years in the tenor drum section, as well as one year in the snare drum section. Nathan has also performed with the University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic band, Maroon band, and Gold band, as a french horn player, percussionist, and accordionist. Nathan also spent the 2025-2026 school year as the Gold Campus band TA. 

Nathan is from Bloomington, MN, where he attended Thomas Jefferson High School. While at Jefferson, he participated in every instrumental group available, started the Drumline club, played basketball, and was the track captain. Nathan also served as the drum major of the Jefferson Marching Band. 

In his free time, Nathan directs the St. Paul Police band, Twin Cities Holiday band, and is an organist and associate director of the brass and wind ensembles at House of Prayer Lutheran Church. Nathan loves working with drumlines, and coaches the Forest Lake and Jefferson drumlines. He also loves spending time outside as an avid cyclist and kayaker. 

Nathan is beyond thrilled to serve the band as the drum major this year. In this role, Nathan hopes to strengthen the community, culture and climate of the band, and nurture the band's history and valuable traditions. 

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 17 block captains, each with their own spin on the position and contributions to the organization.

2006: Megan Ivers
2007: Elliot Redmann
2008: Chesney Engquist
2009: Nick Aspholm
2010: Brandon Folkes
2011: Quentin Knutson
2012: Raoul Shah
2013: Joe Walsh
2014: Phil Homen
2015: Amelia Forsmo
2016: Cole Jobin
2017: Connor Jensen
2018: Ryan Beczkiewicz
2019-2020: Bethany Mestelle
2021: Neil Garcia
2022-2023: Kindra Peterson
2024-2025: Zainab Adebayo
2026: Brennen Lishman

Block Captain Brennen Lishman

Brennen is a fourth year student studying Mathematics with a minor in Statistics in the College of Science and Engineering. Now in his fourth year in the tenor drums section,he has served as the section leader for the last two. Brennen has also participated in the Maroon and Gold campus bands as an opportunity to try his hand at being a brass player on the trumpet. 

 

Originally from Golden Valley, MN, Brennen graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in 2023. While in high school, he was involved in many music activities including concert, jazz, and marching bands, various choirs including the Chamber Singers, and even performed in the pit orchestra for the school musicals. 

 

Outside of band, Brennen has worked throughout campus and the community as a tutor and TA for math students from kindergarten through upper division college students. In his free time, Brennen enjoys playing games with friends on campus and enjoying time at the lake with family.

 

Brennen is very excited for the opportunity to serve as the band’s block captain alongside Nathan. This role is a natural extension of his teaching and mentoring experience and he is eager to be able to make meaningful contributions to the band, creating an environment where everyone has what they need to succeed.