CAPTION HEAD & FOUNDER

René Ormae-Jarmer has a long history of music performance and instruction in the Portland metro area. René 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 private drum & piano instructor in Portland. She is a Vic Firth Educator teaching many master classes and clinics ranging from jazz, rock, Latin, marching percussion, and mallet instruction. 

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

She 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, which often have doubling on keyboards. 

She lives and teaches in Milwaukie 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.

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.

Aside from nearly a decade’s worth of experience playing across the Pacific Northwest, Sam is currently an undergraduate student and devoted educator.

SNARE TECH

An aspiring band director from Portland, Oregon, 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.

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 the Rex Putnam Indoor Percussion program from 2022 to 2025, scoring 12th place in the 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.

MUSIC COMPOSER

Eric Yahrmarkt is an accomplished percussion instructor and arranger with experience teaching, performing, and writing for ensembles of all ages. Eric has worked for middle school concert and parade programs, competitive high school marching bands, indoor drumlines, conference university drumlines, Open and World Class DCI ensembles, and independent and scholastic WGI ensembles.

His experience in the Pacific Northwest spans 20 years of competitive percussion excellence, private instruction, and performance. He received a Bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance under professor David Jarvis at Washington State University (2000-2004). From 2000 to 2002, Eric performed in the tenor line with the Seattle Cascades Drum Corps.

Eric’s teaching experience in the Portland metro area from 2007-2018 includes Seattle Cascades, Oregon Crusaders, OC Indoor, Sunset High School, Liberty High School, Beaverton SD middle schools, Rex Putnam High School, Evergreen High School, Southridge High School, Canby High School, and an active private lesson studio.

Currently he serves as the percussion director for Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, WA. He currently resides in Edmonds with his wife, Andrea.

VISUAL DESIGNER

A Portland native, Maximilian is an active designer, adjudicator, clinician, and servant leader in the Pacific Northwest’s athletic arts activities.

Maximilian became educated and certified as a pharmacy tech but left that profession to pursue his resonant passion of pageantry design. Founding and operating his company Melody Productions, Maximilian now provides design and educational services to scholastic and independent ensembles.

He was a member of the Oregon Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps from 2008-2012, then was on visual staff there from 2013-2015. Maximilian became involved with the Seattle Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps in 2017 on the visual team, then as Caption Supervisor for 2018. He joined the IMPACT Percussion visual team in 2022 and continues to lead in that capacity and as Ensemble Coordinator.

Maximilian shepherded the WGI Winds presence in the Pacific Northwest as director of Sherwood HS Winter Winds for four years, and served on the NWAPA Board as Vice President-Winds for two terms.

SOUND DESIGNER & ELECTRONICS TECH

Jeffrey is a sound designer and music composer who primarily works in the video game industry. He’s been working with Rex Putnam since 2019 in various capacities. Originally working with the ensemble as a front ensemble tech, Jeffrey now primarily creates sound effects for their shows and manages the electronic needs of the line.

He is a proud dad of twins, an avid curling player, and loves to play games like Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and Dota 2.