Nels Lebakken

Nels Lebakken is a percussion educator and performer from West Salem, Wisconsin, and is currently based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nels started his marching career on quads with River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps in ‘21, and the Bronze Medallist Blue Devils ‘B’ in ‘22. He continued to march quads at River City Rhythm Indoor Drumline in ‘23 along with a pitstop in the front ensemble, where he played vibraphone for River City Rhythm Indoor Drumline in ‘22 due to an ankle injury. This injury lingered, and forced him to switch to bass drum for the indoor season of 2024. On bass drum, Nels marched at MBI Indoor Percussion (‘24–‘25), Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (‘24), and recently aged with The Blue Devils in ‘25, and ended his marching career earning a WGI PIW gold medal and world record score with Rhythm X in ‘26.

Nels is currently a bass tech at River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps, and a visual tech for MBI Indoor Percussion. He is also an educator at several high schools across the midwest being a clinician at both Brandon Valley High School and Onalaska High School, along with Battery Coordinator at Eastview High School, and Co-Battery Coordinator at Eden Prairie Indoor Percussion.

Outside of drumline, he is currently in his final year of college at the University of Minnesota pursuing a degree in Statistics, where he was also a member of the Pride of Minnesota marching band for 3 seasons. He also enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Abby, and her wonderful cat Cardamom.