Most teachers spend their weekends grading papers or creating lesson plans but not the new band director Tyler Vandermeer. You can find him at Empower Field hyping up the crowd for every home game for the Denver Broncos.

Vandermeer plays drums in the Broncos Stampede, marching around the stadium, playing cadences, and hyping up the crowd. He says playing professionally in the NFL’s first drumline gives him a creative outlet.

“Honestly, it’s just that I get to play,” Vandermeer said. “I don’t really have a ton of time to do that unless I only do music 24/7, non stop, and I like to have a break from it. So I think that’s my favorite part—having the ability to continue to play with low time commitment, too.”

His passion for music started long before he ever stepped foot onto an NFL stadium. It began with a simple childhood memory that has stuck with him over the years.

“Not a lot of my family members were musical, but my grandfather was, so he would sing a lot, and I would go to barbershop quartet concerts of his,” Vandermeer said. “My grandparents took me to a marching band competition in college.”

Those moments pushed him toward studying music, but it wasn’t until college that he realized he wanted to teach. Working with students changed the way he thought about music and helped him figure out where he was best fit in the music world.

“It was super fun. I really enjoyed the practicum stuff,” Vandermeer said. “That is where you spent time teaching kids in schools as part of your degree program.”

At Monarch, he hopes students walk away with more than just improved musical skills. He wants them to grow as people—learning how to work together, lead others, and stay committed when things get tough. Those lessons, he believes, are what truly last.

“The number one thing they can learn is the community aspect and job skills,” Vandermeer said. “What we teach is not just marching around on a field and learning how to play music. It’s teamwork, it’s leadership, it’s discipline, it’s grit and determination.”