What began as a Google spreadsheet of instrumentalists and meetings over pizza has become Iowa Pride Ensembles, a joyful resistance movement led by musicians from across the state.
With a mission to “promote artistic expression, education, community and acceptance through performance,” IPE includes Iowa’s premiere LGBTQIA+ performance groups. The Des Moines-based ensembles include a marching band, concert band and a jazz band.
With their marching band season already underway, IPE’s first gig of 2026 is June 14 at Capital City Pride Fest in Des Moines. This Pride season, Iowa Pride Ensembles will be taking their vibrant talents to Ankeny Pride (June 20), Iowa City Pride (June 20) and Valley Junction Pride (June 28). Their concert band season will begin in the fall.
After seeing Pride bands perform in other states, the IPE co-founders knew just what Iowa needed. The day after Thanksgiving in 2024, community liaison and co-founder Rachel Gulick created the pivotal Google spreadsheet and started asking people to join the marching band.
“What’s more I-O-W-A, Americana, ‘76 Trombones’ than a marching band?” Gulick said.
The Iowa Pride Ensembles are the only Pride bands in Iowa affiliated with the National Pride Bands Alliance. The National Pride Bands Alliance is a “membership organization of LGBTQ+ community concert and marching bands from cities around the world.”
After a couple meetings with the National Pride Bands Alliance and a wedding between co-founders Amanda Thomas-Murphy and Meredith Murphy, IPE were on their way to a successful inaugural season.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” said co-founder Amanda Thomas-Murphy. “We said we would be happy if 10 people performed with us, but the response was huge! So many members of the community from all over the state stepped up, participated and made our first Pride season amazing.”
Members of the band range from ages 18 to 67. The furthest-flung musician drives three hours for each rehearsal.
“Most of our members are in the LGBTQ+ community, of course, but we also have lots of musicians who are straight and just want to show their support for the community,” Thomas-Murphy said.
Thomas-Murphy serves as the group’s artistic director, coordinating small ensemble performances and assisting other directors in planning future seasons. A University of Iowa alumnus and band director in West Des Moines, she was able to secure local supplies, performance spaces and helpful connections in the band network. Thomas-Murphy she served as only the second female drum major in the history of the Hawkeye Marching Band.
These connections sparked strong community partnerships; the Breakfast Club and the Blazing Saddle, both located in Des Moines, were some of the group’s first donors. A public service announcement was also issued in the Iowa Band Masters Association newsletter to attract members and support from the community.
The IPE marching band’s first official rehearsal was in April 2025, with their first performance only a few months later on June 8, 2025 at Capital City Pride.
In October, Iowa Pride Ensembles held the first rehearsal of their concert band, culminating in a “Coming out of the Dark” concert at Roosevelt High School Auditorium in December, which saw an audience of 350 people.
Jazz band rehearsals started in early January 2026. IPE held a Swing Fling event at Bash DSM in partnership with Heartland Swing, featuring swing dance performances (and lessons), an appetizer buffet and the IPE jazz orchestra. The Swing Fling sold 200 tickets, raising enough funds to serve the ensembles’ financial needs for upcoming seasons.
After their first season, IPE formed a 12-member board. Gulick was elected to serve as the community liaison. In this position, they focus on building connectivity between the various fibers of community.
When their 12-member board was elected, co-founder Meredith Murphy was elected to serve as IPE’s president. Another Hawkeye Marching Band alum, Murphy met her wife while in the University of Iowa group.
The Iowa Pride Ensembles have grown to 100 marching members for their 2026 season, with a color guard that has doubled in size. Gary Nell, IPE’s marching band director, is a longtime musician and is looking forward to the marching band season.
After his college years, Nell went to New York, where he had the chance to perform in the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band. He then served as their marching band director. Nell hopes to bring some of the history of the LGBTQ+ community to the Iowa Pride Ensembles.
Their 2026 season will be about expanding on the success of 2025. With new uniforms and new music, “we are gonna be strutting out proudly claiming the joy in our hearts that is the celebration of marching arts,” Nell said. This Pride season, their set lists will feature Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and Diana Ross.
Looking ahead, IPE has a few plans in store — starting with a call for compositions. IPE will be creating a space for Iowa composers to have their work played by a live band. Concert band chair, Nevi Zerkle, will be heading the composition calls.
“People don’t belong in closets,” Gulick said. “Neither do your talents or your instruments.”
People interested in joining, supporting or sponsoring Iowa Pride Ensembles is encouraged to visit IowaPrideEnsembles.org and follow the group on Instagram.
