Women making history for the University of Pittsburgh's band
An all-women drum major team is making history for the University of Pittsburgh marching band.
The band is rocking the field and blazing a trail with junior Kennedy Aderogba as the head drum major. She's the first Black woman to earn that title in the history of Pitt's band.
"When I first got the position, I actually didn't even realize that I was the first Black female head drum major. Even now as I say that long title, I can't even believe that I am it," said Aderogba.
Also, for the first time, three women are leading the Pitt Band. Rachel McGregor and Gale Clark are the two assistant drum majors.
"Last thing I ever expected," McGregor said. "The three of us get along really well, and I think having that kind of connection and understanding what each of us kind of go through, being a woman and also being in band, it's really cool to see how close we've all gotten and seeing what we can all do together with the three of us."
"We all come from male-dominated sections, so having that understanding, there's a certain sort of bond. I come from the drum line, Rachel's a trumpet, Kennedy was a baritone," Clark said.
Aderogba, who's quietly confident, stepped out of her comfort zone and joined Pitt's band as a freshman with no prior marching band experience. She has played instruments since she was a kid and loves the orchestra. Her passion for music and ability to work hard helped her land the tough drum major audition.
"You do the strut, backbend, conducting and teaching, all the stuff that you started in late September, early October with the drum major clinics. .. I decided to just kind of take a chance and better myself and hope that my parents' teachings and my confidence in myself would take me there and it most certainly has," said Aderogba.
Aderogba led an electric halftime show at Pitt football's first game of the season last weekend against Miami (Ohio) at Acrisure Stadium. On and off the field, she takes her role as head drum major seriously.
"I just want to make sure that I'm leading by example, I'm having fun, and just making sure that I am available and approachable to everyone in the band," Aderogba said.
The trio of women in charge is making history together and inspiring others by marching to the beat of their own drum.
"Getting to have that impact and hopefully shape this organization that I love into something even better than it was when I got here is really what drives me to show up every day and work my hardest," Clark said.
"Hail to Pitt, I love Pitt Band, I love being in a drum major and helping and supporting everybody," McGregor said.
"I can't wait for our game days so that way I'll get to see little children come up to us and see that they shouldn't really be limiting themselves either on their gender, or on their race, you can be whatever you want you choose to be," Aderogba said.
