Alumni Grant Minor was our drum major during his senior year in 2019 and has recently been named drum major of Old Dominion University’s Marching Lions. 

Being named drum major of the marching band is a high honor that shows leadership and determination.

“I was shocked when I was named drum major because I was considered to be young since I became one right after my freshman year,” said Minor.

But his former classmates here at Salem are not surprised. Minor positively impacted many of his fellow bandmates and friends while in high school. 

“My time with Grant was amazing, he was one of the first people I talked to as a freshman and he was such a fun guy to hang out with,” said senior Shawn Regalado. “Our time together in marching band eventually developed into a close friendship and we still talk to this day.”

College marching band is similar to high school marching band but not exactly the same.

“College band is a lot less competitive than high school band,” said Minor. “We don’t go to competitions and don’t have just one show for the entire season.”

Minor was known around Salem as light hearted and the person who made everyone laugh at the winter showcase. He was viewed as someone you could talk to, very approachable. 

“I had an amazing time in the marching band with Grant,” said senior Jaden Catalfamo. “Being that it was my first year at Salem, he never made me feel like an outcast, and his funny and peppy personality definitely rubbed off on me.”

Being approachable and kind makes for a good leader and that’s exactly what Minor strives to be. With Minor being an established member of the band, he has high hopes for the future of their program.

“One of my biggest goals as drum major is growing the band,” said Minor. “So I try to reach out to incoming freshmen to see if they are interested in joining. I also work as a campus tour guide, so I get to meet a lot of incoming music students who are interested in band and we get to talk one-on-one.”

Minor plans to use his past drum major experience to his advantage at ODU. 

“I try to always use the leadership skills that I learned in high school and I try to always be honest to all of my section leaders and band members if I don’t know something,” said Minor.

Minor embodies what it means to be a successful SunDevil and embraces it every day.