Gerry Shellmer first played snare drum with Most Precious Crusaders before moving up to the drum line of the Princemen. For almost 20 years from 1959 to 1978, he was the percussion instructor for many well-known junior and senior corps, including the Garfield Cadets. In 1962, he was the first senior individual national drumming champion. He is widely known and admired for his innovations in percussion instrumentation, and has contributed a number of unique ideas in percussion arranging.
