CAPTION HEAD & FOUNDER

René is the Caption Head for the Rex Putnam Kingsmen Thunder Drum Line (Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion), an award-winning winter indoor drum line program that competes in Scholastic A on the NWAPA circuit and regionally in WGI. 

René has a long history of music performance and instruction in the Portland metro area. She is the co-founder, keyboardist, and principal songwriter of the original NW indie piano-pop band Here Comes Everybody, and has been actively performing in clubs, colleges, festivals, opened for local, regional and national acts, and has performed on TV and Radio since 1985. René has toured, recorded countless albums with HCE, been a guest on many other recordings in the NW Music Scene, and has performed with many bands. 

With a music degree in percussion performance from Lewis & Clark College (1992), she is an established and sought after drum and piano instructor and Vic Firth Educator, teaching master classes and clinics on jazz, rock, Latin, marching percussion, and mallet instruction. 

René is also a Percussive Arts Society Member, Oregon Music Teachers Association (MTNA) member, has written for Tom Tom Magazine, and is on staff at the nationally acclaimed Alan Keown Drum Line camp.  She regularly performs piano at events and is hired for keyboard and drum/percussion work in Portland recording studios.  René is also busy drumming in professional musical theatre shows, often doubling on keyboards. 

She lives and teaches in Milwaukie, OR with her husband Michael (a drummer), son Emerson (also a drummer!), and rescue dogs Tana & Ruby.

CHOREOGRAPHY & VISUAL INSTRUCTOR

Aaron is a Pacific Northwest local who has been involved with the marching arts for over a decade as a member and educator.

From 2014 through 2022 he performed with the Oregon Crusaders, OC Indoor, Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, and Broken City Percussion, earning a WGI gold medal with them in 2019.

Aaron has also been providing instruction throughout his time marching and post age-out to a number of independent groups and schools from junior high through collegiate level. This includes the University of Oregon Marching Band, Blue Knights, Columbians, Impact Percussion, Carolina Crown, and several schools along the west coast.

When not teaching Aaron enjoys staying active, cooking, playing drum set, and spending time at home with his cat, Shadow. 

FRONT ENSEMBLE CAPTION HEAD

Wyatt began his musical journey in middle school playing flute in band, branching out to trombone during high school. In eighth grade, he joined the Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion program, continuing with the group until graduating in 2022. During his time there, he rose to the position of center marimba and section leader.

After graduating, Wyatt continued playing music and marching with the Seattle Cascades, a local world class DCI group, for the 2023-2024 seasons as center marimba and section leader both years. In 2025, Wyatt marched for the world class finalist group the Blue Stars, finishing the season in eighth place.

Wyatt started working with Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion during the 2023 season. Since then, he has helped many students develop and improve their percussion and life skills, along with finding his own passion as an instructor.

SNARE TECH

An aspiring band director from Portland, OR, Isaac Brusse has been in the drumline scene since 2019. His journey as a marching percussionist began at Alan Keown’s Marching Percussion Camp in 2019-2022. Isaac’s competitive experience began with the Kingsmen Thunder drumline in 2023. He has since gone on to march with the Columbians, Seattle Cascades, IMPACT Percussion, and the Blue Devils.

Isaac’s performance experience began at a much younger age. He attended classes at Maralee’s Dance Studio in Oregon City, Oregon from age 3 to 16. Isaac also joined his middle school’s concert and jazz bands in 7th grade. He has since gone on to compete with Rex Putnam’s wind and jazz ensembles.

Isaac’s teaching experience began at Rex Putnam’s indoor drumline in the 2025-2026 season. He also teaches private lessons to students in the Portland area for snare drum and drum set. 

He is most looking forward to returning to Rex Putnam’s championship-winning drumline as a snare technician.

BASS TECH

Will started his marching percussion career with Sherwood High School. After graduation, Will performed throughout the Pacific Northwest with the Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps and most recently IMPACT Percussion, scoring 2nd at WGI's open class world championship.

With a great passion for the marching arts, Will continues to serve as a bass technician for Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion.

TENOR TECH

Sam Zimmer is a world-class teacher from Portland, OR. He works privately as well as with Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion, from 2022 to present, as the tenor technician.

Sam marched on tenors with the Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps in 2022 and with the Seattle Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps from 2023 to 2024.

He is currently an undergraduate student and devoted educator, with nearly a decade of experience playing across the Pacific Northwest.

CYMBAL TECH

Chloe is has been a musician and singer her whole life. With a strong arts background, Chloe has participated in theater, choir, and has been in leadership positions in the drumline with Scott Reese Leadership Training Skills. She also attended the NW Drum Camp for specialty cymbal training.

Chloe marched with Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion from 2022 to 2025, scoring 12th place in Scholastic A Percussion at world finals in Dayton, WGI in 2024.

She is excited to return as a cymbal specialist technician for the Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion program.

FRONT ENSEMBLE TECH

For nearly a decade, Jeremy has been in demand as an educator and performer based in the Pacific Northwest.

After studying music at Western Oregon University, Jeremy performed with the Blue Devils in 2017, winning the Drum Corps International gold medal in an undefeated season. Jeremy was also a member of Rhythm X, as well as the Oregon Crusaders and OC Indoor. He has taught the front ensembles at the Columbians and Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps, and has also been an audio technician for the Cascades.

Jeremy is one of America’s only kashaka artists—a percussion instrument native to West Africa. He studied under masters from Japan, Brazil, and Senegal, and shares his knowledge of this instrument in the U.S. by performing, teaching, crafting, and even inventing a notation system for the instrument. To learn more, visit his website at minorumusic.shop!

Currently, Jeremy is a concert percussion teacher in Beaverton and is entering his fourth season as a front ensemble instructor for the newly world class IMPACT Percussion.

MUSIC COMPOSER

With over 20 years experience teaching marching arts in the Pacific Northwest, Eric has brought competitive percussion excellence to programs across all levels of performance, including high school marching bands and indoor drumlines, conference university drumlines, Open and World Class DCI ensembles, and independent and scholastic WGI ensembles. 

He currently serves as the Percussion Caption Head and Arranger for Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, WA and is the Percussion Arranger for the Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps.

SOUND DESIGNER & ELECTRONICS TECH

Jeffrey Brice is an Audio Sorcerer who multiclassed into Bard, for Jeffrey does sound effects design and general support for the line. He's been working with Rex Putnam since 2019, originally joining as Front Ensemble tech. 

Known across the internet as Pumodi, he is a sound designer and composer working in video games and on animated films. He is also an avid player of the sport of curling and is a father to twins!