Student Spotlight: Blake Brdak, Drum major

After 125 historic seasons, senior Blake Brdak is thrilled to serve as Drum Major 58 of the Michigan Marching Band. 

"I am thrilled to continue building on the tradition and legacy of the past 125 years," Brdak said. "This next season, there are a lot of exciting things coming: we are going to have an amazing new facility, and we get to build on the excellence of the ensemble, the culture, the tradition and we get to watch some great Michigan football. This season, I would like to instill that pride in new members that so many of us have for the MMB. A lot of people are proud of what we do. That was one of the most striking things I noticed when I first came here and one of the things I would like to pass on."

Brdak first joined the MMB during fall 2020, when the band was completely virtual. 

"I knew I wanted to do college band when I first came to Michigan," Brdak said. "The MMB was actually a big part of why I decided on Michigan: I wanted to be a part of the amazing band program we have here. I think my favorite show we've done is 'El Toro.' I loved the Latin music and the energy it brought to the stadium. I love the really unique stuff we get to do, like our collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the lights show for 'We Remember.' I love how we take these unique ideas and put an MMB flair on it."

While Brdak had been a drum major in high school, it wasn't until he saw the leadership demonstrated by previous drum majors Walter Aguilar and Rachel Zhang that he realized the positive impact he could have serving the band as drum major. 

"Something I really appreciate about the MMB is that we put an emphasis on friendship and collaboration in leadership, and we build a community through that leadership," Brdak said. "The leaders that have inspired me most are the ones that make me feel valued and who are genuinely friends with me and took the time to get to know me as a person. That's what I want to do in my role: I want to be their friend and make their college experience great, like others did for me."

The audition process spanned several months, consisting of eight semi-finalists and four finalists. 

"I think the toughest part of the process is that it takes place during the winter," Brdak said, "so it takes a lot of self-motivation and self-discipline to work on those skills, especially when you don't have an ensemble out there with you. It is a competitive process with an amazing group of candidates; that's one of the best parts. I love the sense of community that we have. Even though it is a competitive process, there isn't a competitive energy. There are a lot of great candidates, everyone going for the position is working hard, but we work hard together. We do a lot of training as a group. The eight semifinalist candidates had a really fun time training together. It was really great to learn from one another and become close friends with them all."

In the past three seasons, Brdak has marched trumpet.

"I play guitar and trumpet," Brdak said. "When I first chose the trumpet, we had a little instrument 'petting zoo' where all the instruments were lined up and you could try out each one. I tried playing the trumpet and the guy overseeing the process said I was good, and so I stuck with it. The trumpet section is the largest in the band, so we get to know a lot of different people and have a wide variety of section events for people with different interests. I love the way the section brings different people together that ordinarily wouldn't meet because we have at least one commonality. The section is like a microcosm of the band as a whole; we get a little bit of everything."

During previous summers, Brdak marched for the Boston Crusaders, a Drum Corps International group.  

"Marching drum corps taught me a lot about work ethic," Brdak said. "It was a very intense experience. A lot of hard work went into it, over a long period of time to make an incredible product. It's that commitment to hard work and excellence that I can bring back to the MMB each year."

Brdak marched alongside three other MMB members in the Boston Crusaders.

"It's great to have the connection between the two communities," Brdak said. "It's great to have people to work on drum corps stuff with at Michigan and it was great to share that MMB community there. We also get to see MMB people in other drum corps groups. We always have a little time after shows to talk with the other bands. If you are considering drum corps, go for it. I think a lot of people are intimidated, and it is a really competitive audition process, but there are lots of corps and lots of spots. I never thought I would be able to do it, but I went for it and have had amazing opportunities."

Brdak's favorite Boston Crusaders show was their 2022 show "Paradise Lost." The 2022 season was a record breaking season for the Crusaders, with some of the highest scores and placements in the group's history.

The drum corps season concludes with a final performance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana, and then students must begin the transition to the college season. 

"I think some advice I would give, especially for new marchers, is to make sure that you're physically prepared," Brdak said. "Being in shape and physically ready for the season is a huge help when you are about to start band week. You won't feel as tired and you're less likely to get injured. Also, don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Student leaders here to help you transition to the sphere of the MMB family; really take the time to become a part of the ensemble."

Brdak has furthered this commitment by joining the Honorary Band Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi.

"I love the way KKY offers an environment to build on the band experience even further by providing a chance to serve the band and give back," Brdak said. "Both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma do a lot of service work for the band to support the ensembles here. It's also a great way to meet people from other sections and make new friends that you might not have otherwise."

Brdak is a computer science major with a minor in music. Although Brdak had never taken a programming course in high school, he found an interest in computer science after taking an introductory course his freshman year.

"Going forward in my career, I don't have a dream company or dream job, but I'd love to work on something innovative," Brdak said. "I want to push the envelope of tech; make the world a better place; and work on something new, exciting and fresh. This summer I will be a software engineering intern at Publicis Sapient in Chicago. It's really nice, since there are a lot of MMB alumni living and working in Chicago. [A former trumpet], Alex, is working in a building three blocks from mine, so I'll get to see him often. It really speaks to how many MMB people there are everywhere and how many connections we have."

Blake is thrilled to welcome new members to the MMB family and cannot wait for his first performance in the Big House as the Man Up Front.