Keller Central
Percussion Ensemble
Matthew Stephens --- Jacob Arie
Directors
Monica aguilera
Monica Gabrielle Aguilera is a junior percussionist in the Keller Central High School Band. She is the daughter of Anthony and Meliza Aguilera, the youngest of 3, with 2 older sisters Isabel (22), and Sofia (20). Both her sisters were also in band, which encouraged her to join. In her free time, Monica loves to cook, swim, sew, or read. Outside of her school’s band, Monica participates in her church’s Youth Orchestra, picking up percussion parts when needed! Music means a lot to her and has made a lasting impact on her life - she is very honored to have been granted the opportunity to perform at the 2023 PASIC Convention along with her closest supporters, friends, and mentors. She would like to extend her gratitude to her family, especially her parents for always working tirelessly and endlessly, showing up to every event they can to cheer her on.
Elijah art
Elijah Art is a junior at Keller Central High School where he plays marimba in the front ensemble. He is the son of Robert and Robyn Art and has an older sister, Victoria. Music has always been a passion of his from a young age. There are many instruments he has learned over the years including piano, drums, and guitar. These last 5 years Elijah has been a percussionist and found his sole passion there. He also enjoys furthering his strengths and making his own music. Elijah aspires to be a music major at TCU to further enhance his musical education.
NoaH Bailey
Noah Bailey is a junior percussionist in the Keller Central High School Band. Noah is the son of Kevin and Krista Bailey and has two older siblings named Benny and Hunter. Noah has been a percussionist for almost six years and plans on continuing to pursue percussion as a career. He wants to major in music education and music composition at Texas Christian University. In his free time, Noah loves spending time with friends inside and outside of percussion and enjoys learning new music and new ways and techniques to play percussion. Noah is very grateful for the opportunity to perform and experience PASIC and hopes to meet and interact with many other percussionists.
TRistan Baker
Tristan Baker is a sophomore at Keller Central High School. This is his 4th year in the KC Percussion program. In 6th grade Tristan played euphonium, but after moving and transferring to Hillwood Middle School he wanted a fresh start and changed to percussion.
Outside of the percussion program, he is a member of the KC swim team and likes to play video games and pet his two very adorable doggies, Jojo and Summer.
Tristan would like to thank his parents Danielle and Kelli, his girlfriend, and his two amazing percussion directors
Mr. Stephens, and Mr. Arie for giving him this amazing opportunity to perform at PASIC.
Jackson Boyd
Jackson Boyd is a freshman percussionist at Central High School. After being drawn towards a musical path, he entered into the percussion class at Parkwood Hill in the summer of 2020. As the years have progressed Jackson is thankful for the camaraderie with older percussionists, who have helped him advance. Jackson spends most of his free time writing his own music, hanging out with other percussionists, and strumming his guitar. This year, when Keller Central percussion was rewarded with the opportunity to go to PASIC, he was offered a bass guitar part for Matt Moore’s Stage Select, which he accepted immediately. In the future, Jackson aspires to be a member of the Crossmen and go to TCU.
Aiden Burk
Aiden Burk is a sophomore percussionist at Keller Central High School. They were born and raised in Keller, Texas. Their passion for music began with piano at age 9. 2 years later, they joined the percussion program and has been a part of it for 5 years. They play quads on the drumline during the marching season, but also loves pushing their musical capability during the concert season, playing a variety of solos and ensembles. They live with their parents Kristen and Ryan Burk, and younger sister, Anna. They hope to continue their love for music by marching Drum Corps International and participating in the University of North Texas’ percussion program in the future. During their time away from the band, they love listening to music, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family.
Kinsley Davis
Kinsley Davis is a freshman at Keller Central High School. She plays snare in the varsity drumline and is a member of the Symphonic Band. Kinsley is the daughter of Carl and Dana Davis and has an older brother, Kasson, who played trombone at Central and is now a sophomore in college. Kinsley played football in middle school but chose marching band over football once starting high school. She also plays soccer and participates in track in the shot put and discus events. Kinsley has a love of music, cars, and all kinds of sports. She enjoys playing music with her brother, and tinkering on the piano, marimba, and drum set at home. She is a dad-joke aficionado, and enjoys video games, fishing, and watching movies with the family. She grew up watching her older brother in band and felt right at home slipping into the same high school band, but making it a new experience as a percussionist. She is excited and honored to perform and experience PASIC for the first time.
Lincoln Dean
Lincoln Dean is a senior percussionist at Central High School. Lincoln is the son of Kiersten and Michael Dean and he has 3 siblings. He loves to get involved in his school’s community through organizations like Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, and Health
Occupations Students of America. He plans to go to college and major in Biomedical Engineering in hopes of becoming an Orthodontist. In his free time, Lincoln enjoys the company of his friends, biking, and playing video games. Being a percussionist has given Lincoln the
opportunity to learn lifelong lessons, meet lifelong friends, and make lifelong memories. He is very thankful for the opportunity to perform at PASIC.
Sarah Duncan
Sarah Duncan is a senior at Keller Central High School. She is the daughter of Rhesa and Patrick Duncan with two older siblings, Emily and Seth. This is her 7th year as a percussionist but she also played guitar and piano for 2 years before. In her free time, she likes to watch old movies with her mom, craft, and spend time with her 4 pets. After graduation, she will go to Tarrant County College to get her Anesthesiology Assistant certification and continue her journey in med school.
Hallie Gull
Hallie Gull is a junior percussionist at Keller Central High School. She has been playing drum set for around 5 years now and has been part of the Keller Central Percussion Program for almost 4 years. Outside of music, she is involved in National Honor Society and Academic Decathlon. She would like to thank her family and friends, as well as her directors, Mr. Stephens and Mr. Arie, and mentor Mr. Christian Dorn.
Torie Henault
Torie Henault is a senior at Keller Central High School, a percussion captain, and is currently in her 7th year of percussion with the KCP studio. She is the oldest of 7 children but currently lives with her Mom, her Dad, and her youngest sister, Melody. Torie has a wide range of hobbies from making music and painting to skateboarding or binge-watching Netflix shows, but she enjoys having fun making music with her friends (aka everyone in this program) the most. Torie plans to attend Oklahoma State University in the fall of 2024 with the hopes of becoming a Civil Engineer. Torie is so grateful to be able to perform at PASIC and is glad to have her last year in percussion be one for the history books. She would like to personally thank you for coming to watch KC’s performance and hopes that you enjoy the show!
Ashley Ki
Ashley Ki is a junior percussionist at Keller Central High School. She is the daughter of JeongPill Ki and Sangsu Park. Ashley participates in various organizations such as the National Honors Society, FBLA, HOSA, and more. She spends most of her time focusing on academics and socializing with friends.
Music became a part of her daily life when she first started playing piano at three years old, but she spontaneously joined percussion prior to her freshman year of high school. That decision changed her entire high school career for the better and brought her experiences she could not have imagined beforehand. She made forever bonds and unforgettable memories through the program and is beyond thrilled for the opportunity to perform for PASIC all the way in Indianapolis.
After high school, Ashley looks forward to majoring in biology and eventually pursuing a career in the medical field as well as continuing to pursue piano as a hobby. She wants to thank her parents for supporting her in various ways throughout marching and concert seasons, her friends for being her biggest fans, and her directors who have put so much work and time into this program which should never go unnoticed.
Landon King
Landon King is the son of Shana and Jeremy King. He has a brother, Trenton King, who plays drums. Landon is a sophomore who attends Central High School. He has been an active member of the percussion program for a total of 5 years. Landon plans to stay on the snare line for the rest of his high school career and hopes to attend college for music. In his free time, he likes to play video games and hang out with friends. Landon loves baseball and his favorite team is the Philadelphia Phillies. He is also very proud to be a part of the Central percussion team and is very exited for their opportunity to perform at PASIC.
Evan Knight
Evan Knight is a sophomore at Keller Central High School. He has been in the percussion program for almost five years. His experience includes the middle school select ensemble in 2020, the Keller Central marching program: Unchained, and the 2022-23 freshman all-region band. In addition to being a part of the band program, Evan is also involved in the Keller Central Choir as a part of the Chamber Singers, and Central Stage Theatre. In his personal life, Evan enjoys spending time with his brothers Addison and Oliver, reading, camping and hiking, and playing with his dog, Dolly. Evan would like to thank his parents, Rachel and John Knight for their support. He is also grateful for the opportunities he has been given by Mr. Stephens and Mr. Arie and is very excited to share the work of KC Percussion with the world.
Kara Le
Kara Le is a freshman percussionist at Keller Central High School. She is deeply honored to be a participant in the 2023 Percussive Arts Society International Convention and is very eager to attend. She has been a part of the percussive community since the 6th grade and looks forward to continuing her love for music and percussion throughout her years of high school. She believes that being in this program has really given her life skills, like responsibility and hard work. Kara is proud to be Vietnamese-American and the second daughter of Tan and Thuy Le. In the future, she strives to be an engineer and fancies the idea of going to Rice University in Houston, TX, to pursue her dreams.
Cadyn Lersch
Cadyn Lersch is a senior at Central High School and will be finishing up her seventh and final year in the Keller Central Percussion Program. In addition to playing bass in the drumline, she also enjoys hanging out with friends and traveling. She is beyond grateful for the opportunities her lesson teacher and percussion director have given her to learn percussion techniques and most importantly, life skills. Her favorite marching shows she marched are titled Unchained in 2022 and The Edge in 2023. Cadyn is very appreciative to PAS for the invitation to perform at the 2023 PASIC Convention and will cherish these next few days for the rest of her life. Although her journey in this percussion program hasn’t always been easy, she wouldn’t trade it for anything. This program means so much to Cadyn and she hopes it makes a similar impact on many others in the future.
Gianna Lodato
Gianna Lodato is a freshman at Keller Central High School. She is currently finishing her first year in front ensemble, and her fourth year in percussion. She has loved music since she was little and has participated in many activities such as taekwondo, ballet, theater, and piano leading up to percussion. Gianna is working towards her goal to be center marimba and even pit captain one day. She is very proud to call herself a member of the percussion family at Keller Central High School, and is very excited to be part of the PASIC program.
Gianna would like to thank her family and her amazing directors for all of their help, support, and patience through the years. She wouldn't be where she is now without them.
Clayton Naddy
Clayton Naddy is a sophomore at KCHS and the son of Cory and Lauren, as well as the middle child in between an older brother, Carter, and a younger sister, Vivian. He began playing percussion in 6th grade and fell in love with the marimba during his freshman year. In his free time, he likes to play video games with friends and build legos next to his cat, Beans. His love for band came from his mother, who played clarinet and became a drum major in high school, she was also a registered nurse and is the reason for Clayton’s interest in the medical field. For marching band, Clayton plays the marimba and vibraphone and he wants to continue playing in the front ensemble through high school, as well as continue playing percussion in college. Clayton is very grateful for this opportunity to perform at PASIC 2023 and wants to thank both percussion directors, Mr. Stephens and Mr. Arie for their non-stop effort to make this program exceptional. It wouldn’t be a fraction of what it is now without them. It’s because of them that we are able to show PASIC 2023 what the KC percussion studio is all about.
Tyler Naylor
Tyler Naylor is the son of Amanda and Richard Naylor and brother to Ashlyn Naylor and Mason Sheffield. Tyler is a senior at Keller Central High School and this is his 7th year in percussion. His hobbies include playing guitar, hunting, camping, riding dirt bikes, working on cars or anything with an engine in it, and studying the Bible. Tyler believes in Christ with all of his heart, soul, and mind, and plans to live his life through Christ. On May 3rd, 2023 Tyler Naylor officially enlisted into the United States Marine Corps on a 5-year contract with aviation mechanics. Tyler leaves for San Diego, CA for boot camp on June 3rd, 2024. Tyler hopes to work with either Lockheed-Martin or Bell Helicopter when he gets out of the Marines and also plans to attend college or a trade school as well. Tyler will be the first-ever Marine in his family!
Sophia Pelland
Sophia Pelland is a freshman at Keller Central High School, starting her 4th year as a percussionist. Her love for performing music started in 1st grade, when she got into playing the piano, and she hasn’t stopped playing since. She currently plays snare for the Keller Central marching band, and in her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, playing games, and she plans on joining a few clubs once the marching season is over. She believes that being in percussion really opened up a whole new world for her and she doesn’t know where she would be without it.
Aaron Remmers
Aaron Remmers is a 10th grader in the Keller Central Percussion program. He has been playing since he was 11 years old and can play a variety of percussion instruments, but enjoys marimba most of all. Outside of school, he also plays for his church band. Aaron became interested in learning music when his mom introduced him to the piano. He is so excited to now be performing at PASIC both in the showcase and the I&E marimba competition. He would like to thank his parents, Lauren and Dustin, for their support.
Devin Russo
Devin Russo is a senior percussionist at Keller Central High School. His parents are Jessica and Joe Russo, and he has three younger brothers: Corbin, Westin, and Halstin. Devin is also involved in the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and the National Society of High School Scholars. He has aspirations of a career in Bio-med as a pathologist. Band has been a major part of his middle school and high school career and he wishes to continue involvement in such activity into college. Devin is excited about the opportunity to perform at PASIC this year and would like to thank the amazing staff and directors at Central High School for all they've done for him and the program as a whole.
Parker Seals
Parker is a freshman at Keller Central High School. He has been interested in playing percussion since the third grade but was only able to start exploring it in the sixth grade. Parker loves music and hopes to become a professional musician someday. His goal is to attend the Dallas Academy of Music and learn to play more instruments. In his free time, Parker plays video games and listens to audiobooks while riding his bike around the neighborhood. Parker is grateful for choosing percussion as his instrument because it has allowed him to meet amazing people and directors. Playing percussion has shown Parker how beautiful music can be and how much work goes into creating it. He feels that playing percussion has helped him become a more talented, responsible, and mature person. He is excited to perform at PASIC and sees it as a great opportunity to learn more.
Logan Smith
Logan Smith is a freshman at Keller Central High School and for marching band, he played the vibraphone. Logan also wrestles for Keller Central High School, and in his free time, he likes to hang out with friends, play video games, and drum. Joining percussion has affected Logan, shown him a skillset, and given him memories that he values every day. He is blessed to be a part of the Keller Central Percussion program and is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of PASIC 2023.
Nathaniel Smith
Nathaniel Smith is a senior at Keller Central High School and has been in percussion for 7 years. He is the son of Ronald Smith and Maryrose Smith and has a sister, Jasmine, who goes to V.R Eaton High School. He likes playing soccer, embroidering sweatshirts, and playing Five Nights at Freddie’s. Nathaniel plans on going to university to become a dentist. Being in the percussion program at Keller Central has truly been a blessing. Learning life lessons, and giving him strong friendships, Nathaniel could not ask for a better band family to be a part of.
Adrianna Turney
Adrianna Turney is a sophomore percussionist at Keller Central, and is currently enjoying her fifth year as a percussionist, and second year in front ensemble. She not only has been a percussionist since 6th grade, but a wrestler as well. She enjoys playing marimba the most and hopes to be on marimba line for next marching season. In her free time she enjoys listening to almost all genres of music and reading. She would like to thank her lesson teacher, Mr. Arie and her percussion director, Mr. Stephens. But most of all she would like to thank her parents for providing her the most amazing opportunity to participate in the percussion program. She’s grateful to have had an amazing freshman year and to have the opportunity to go to PASIC her sophomore year. She’s most excited to see many other groups perform at the convention and cannot wait to meet new people.
Diego Villarreal
Diego Villarreal is a junior percussionist at Keller Central High School. He has been in the percussion program for almost five years. Diego has two younger siblings, Sofia and Mateo, who are also part of the Keller Central Percussion Program. Diego is honored to have two very supportive parents, Ricardo Villarreal and Karina Elizondo, who enjoy every bit of this fun activity. Apart from band Diego enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and watching sports- especially soccer. Diego is very excited and honored for the opportunity to showcase the variety of ensembles Keller Central has to showcase at PASIC.
Sofia Villarreal
Sofia Villarreal is a sophomore percussionist at Keller Central High School. Sofia is the daughter of Ricardo Villarreal and Karina Elizondo and the sister of Diego and Mateo Villarreal. During her free time, Sofia enjoys reading, solving sudokus, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. For the past five years, Sofia has enjoyed being a member of the Keller Central Percussion Cluster. She has learned about the importance of dedication and teamwork and has made life-long friends. Sofia is honored to perform at the 2023 PASIC Convention and can’t thank her directors, parents, and friends enough for supporting her every step of the way.
Duykha Vu
Duykha Vu is a freshman percussionist at Keller Central High School. He is the son of Vinh Vu and Quynh-Sa Nguyen, and the brother of An Vu. Throughout his life, Duykha has always been fascinated with music and found his calling as a percussionist. During his 2023 marching season, he played the MalletStation. In his free time, he likes playing video games and hanging out with friends. He also takes pride in other extracurricular accomplishments- receiving honorable rewards from the National Junior Honors Society and Science Olympiad. He strives to be one of the best students in his class and wishes to attend the University of Texas at Austin. Duykha is honored to perform with Keller Central at PASIC, and can't wait to explore the awesome world of percussion!
Evan Wasson
Evan Wasson is a senior in the Keller Central Percussion Program. He has been on the snare line for 4 years and has served as the battery captain for his junior and senior seasons. Evan has qualified for the All-Region Band every year since 8th grade, and has advanced to the Area round twice. This year he hopes to make the Texas All-State Band. Evan also plans to continue his study of music in college. Outside of band, he loves to play basketball, hang out with his friends, and listen to music. He also enjoys spending time with his Mom and the rest of his family. Evan is beyond grateful for the opportunity to perform at PASIC and can’t wait to see everything the convention has to offer.
Tyler Zak
Tyler Zak is a sophomore percussionist at Keller Central High School. He has been on the drumline for 2 years as a snare drummer. Tyler earned a spot in the all-region band the last two years and advanced to the area round as a freshman! Tyler has also participated in various percussion ensembles over the past 4 years. Outside of band, Tyler likes to listen to music and hang out with his friends. Tyler would like to thank his parents, Chris and Jenn, and his siblings, Kara and Nathan. Tyler could not be more thankful for this amazing PASIC opportunity.
2022-23 Ensemble
2023 CHS Graduates
Nicholas Rendon
Jaden Flores
Rory Nelor
Dyjea Patterson
Santiago Salazar
2022-23 IPEC Submitting Ensemble
Monica Aguilera
Elijah Art
Noah Bailey
Lincoln Dean
Sarah Duncan
Jaden Flores
Torie Henault
Tyler Naylor
Rory Nelor
Dyjea Patterson
Santiago Salazar
Evan Wasson
Tyler Zak
Additional Thanks!
Thank you, Logan Scott, for your help with setup and for tuning all the drums for our performance today. They sound great!
Thank you to Dr. Brian Zator and Texas A&M-Commerce for lending us your double seconds for our performance today.
Thanks to the PASIC Logistics Team for making our move into Wabash Ballroom very smooth.
Thanks to our many parent volunteers and chaperones throughout this trip. It has been a great time!
PROGRAM CORRECTIONS:
Evan Wasson will be performing on Hydra.
Sofia Villarreal will be performing on Doors.
