Photos: U of M Marching Band director makes history, quietly

There are new uniforms that should've arrived by now, practices to schedule and recruits to talk to. And then there's that Spiderman song for the halftime show at the Iowa game. In an undecorated office with unpacked boxes piled around, University of Minnesota band director Betsy McCann makes edits to the season's repertoire on her computer.

Beyond the buzz of work, there's an air of history.

McCann is the first woman to lead the U's marching band. Actually, she's the first woman to lead any Big Ten marching band.

Gopher senior and baritone player Megan Kieffer said she was "completely shocked" her director was the first woman in the Big Ten. "I would've thought that that would've happened already. To find out that we were one of the first bands in the Big Ten to have a female director is awesome."

Last week, the full band came together for the first time as a group — a yearly tradition in Northrop auditorium.

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