LEADERSHIP
Kenneth Xiong
ENSEMBLE DIRECTOR
Kenneth Xiong joins Red Wave Indoor as its next Director, bringing nearly a decade of dedication, experience, and passion for the marching arts.
A proud alumnus of California State University, Fresno, Kenneth earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and was a member of the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band. He has since built a professional career as an architectural designer, helping shape California's current and future educational facilities.
Kenneth has experienced many of Red Wave's most significant milestones firsthand. As a charter member in 2017, he helped establish the foundation of the organization. He was part of Red Wave's inaugural trip to the 2018 WGI World Championships in Dayton, OH, performed with the ensemble's highest-scoring production in 2019, and contributed to the historic 2022 season when Red Wave was promoted to Independent World Class.
Outside of Red Wave, Kenneth serves as a Board Member for the Friends of the Bulldog Marching Band, Battery Manager at Clovis East High School, and percussion technician at Selma High School. Through his work in music education and the marching arts, he remains committed to developing students, strengthening programs, and creating opportunities for future generations of performers.
Now, as Red Wave celebrates its 10th anniversary, Kenneth returns to lead the organization through its next chapter. His unique perspective as a performer, educator, administrator, and alumnus positions him to honor Red Wave's legacy while continuing its pursuit of excellence.
DESIGN TEAM
Greg Power
Program Coordinator
Taha Ahmed
Battery Arranger
Albert Avery
Front Ensemble Arranger/Sound Designer
Akira Torrijos
Visual Designer
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Austin Ballard
Ensemble Coordinator
This will be Austin’s sixth year on staff with Red Wave Indoor. He has been involved with various percussion programs throughout the Central Valley of California for the past twelve years, since graduating from Tulare Western High School in 2014. He currently works as the Percussion Caption Head at Hanford West High School and has been working with the program since 2017. Austin also works with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps- an independent world class ensemble based out of Tempe, AZ. He has been working with The Academy since 2025, serving as a Snare Tech in 2025 and Battery Coordinator in 2026.
Austin performed with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps for four years during the 2014 through 2017 seasons, and with POW Percussion for the 2018 & 2019 seasons- serving as the section leader for the 2019 season.
Austin’s academic journey led him to California State University, Fresno, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Mathematics. Beyond his musical endeavors, Austin currently teaches 7th and 8th grade mathematics in central California.
Oscar Torres
Front Ensemble Coordinator
Oscar Torres is a passionate and dedicated percussionist and educator originally from Modesto, California. With a wealth of performance and teaching experience, Oscar has established himself as a valuable contributor to the marching arts community.
Oscar’s performance career includes notable ensembles such as the San Jose Wind Symphony, Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, Red Wave Indoor, Dark Sky Percussion, and The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. He also had the honor of performing with Rhythm X in 2024.
As an educator, Oscar has made a significant impact at various institutions. He has taught at several schools across the Central Valley in California as well as given clinics and consulted schools or groups in Southern California, the Bay Area, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Washington and Texas.
Oscar has been on the instructional staff of prestigious ensembles, including The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, The Academy Drum & Bugle Corps, Rhythm X, Red Wave Indoor, and Sparta Indoor, as well as consulting for groups such as Paragon Percussion and Seattle Cascades, where he is excited to help the next generation of performers grow and thrive.
Outside of his musical endeavors, Oscar is dedicated to inspiring students to achieve their potential as musicians and individuals. His commitment to fostering growth, excellence, and passion in the arts makes him a vital part of the organizations he serves.
Justin Clement
Battery Coordinator
Justin is an experienced percussion educator based in central California. He currently serves as the Percussion Caption Head at Enochs High School and was a member of The Academy’s instructional staff during the 2026 DCI season. As an educator, he is passionate about developing well-rounded musicians by encouraging personal growth, confidence, and a positive team environment.
His performance experience includes the Blue Knights, Carolina Crown, and Broken City Percussion. Justin brings a diverse range of experience to every ensemble he works with, with a focus on musical excellence and individual development.
The 2027 season marks his fifth year with Red Wave Indoor, where he looks forward to continuing his contribution to the organization and its commitment to excellence in indoor percussion.
Brianna Gier
Visual Coordinator
Brianna Gier is a Visual Educator and Designer from Northern California. She got into the performing arts with dance at a young age, then combined her love of movement with playing trumpet later with Blue Devils B. She has been on the visual team at Blue Devils B since 2022 as a visual tech and was on the visual team at Mandarins from 2023 to 2025. Apart from drum corps, Brianna has worked with various high school bands in Northern California since 2017. She is currently the visual caption head and a designer at Foothill High School. Brianna has worked with multiple indoor programs, including Thesis World Percussion, Leigh High School, and Tri City Percussion, but found a home at Red Wave Indoor.
Andrew Ziehm
Design Consultant
Andrew is a percussion educator, composer, and designer based in California’s Central Valley. With over 15 years of experience in the marching arts, he has worked extensively in percussion instruction, composition, arranging, drill writing, and visual design. While percussion remains his primary specialty, Andrew also composes and arranges full productions, developing cohesive musical and visual content across winds, battery, and front ensemble.
His performance experience includes Blue Devils and Blue Devils B (2012–2015), as well as Pulse Percussion (2016) and Vanguard Winter Percussion. Andrew is entering his fourth year with Red Wave, where he contributes to the program’s instructional and design process. His work includes developing the technique program and helping shape the larger musical and production direction of the ensemble.
Outside of the marching arts, Andrew teaches high school English and holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. His background in both performance and education informs his approach to teaching and design.
INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM
Ariane Ortiz
Snare Drum Instructor
Ariane graduated in 2016 from Clovis High School. While there, she was involved in their marching and concert studios. She had the opportunity to participate in WGI Championships with them. After graduation, Ariane continued her marching career with several groups: Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band, Orange County Independent, Vessel Percussion, Red Wave Indoor, and Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corp.
During her marching endeavors, she also began her teaching career. She has taught at Edison High School and Clark Intermediate. She currently works at Clovis High School as a Snare Tech. She’s been on staff with Clovis High School for the past two years.
Tyler Ortiz
Tenor Drums Instructor
Tyler Ortiz has been with Red Wave Indoor for three seasons. He is from the Central Valley and is an alumnus of Fresno State. He has taught at various schools in the Central Valley and is currently teaching at Clovis High School. Tyler’s performance experience includes Red Wave Indoor (2017), Vessel Indoor (2018-2020), and Mandarins (2019).
Outside of music Tyler is currently working as an American Sign Language Interpreter at Fresno State.
Zach Larsen
Tenor Drums Instructor
Zach is a Red Wave Indoor alumnus from the 2020 season, and has also performed with other DCI and WGI groups such as Blue Devils B, Thesis, and the Blue Stars. He is excited to join the Red Wave Indoor staff for his first year and broaden his teaching experience, as for the past five years he has taught at various east bay high schools, and currently teaches the percussion program at Dublin High School.
Antonio Jimenez
Tenor Drums Instructor
Antonio Jimenez is joining the Red Wave Indoor staff for the first time this season, and is a former tenor drums player with Red Wave Indoor from 2020-2024. Antonio is a graduate of Washington Union High School. He is currently teaching at Hanford West High School and has previously taught at Edison High School and Washington Union High School.
Kevin Kingkham
Bass Drums Instructor
Kevin Kingham will be returning for his 3rd year on staff with Red Wave Indoor. Kevin graduated from Clovis East High School in 2017. Kevin began teaching at Clovis North High School as a Bass Drum Technician from 2017-2019. He has worked clinics with Buchanan High School from 2019-2021. Kevin is currently teaching at Clovis High as a Bass Drum Technician. Kevin marched Red Wave Indoor from 2018-2022.
Kevin graduated from California State University, Northridge and has a B.A. in Liberal Studies with specialization in history/social science. In the near future, Kevin intends to further his education by studying TESOL in a graduate program.
Zack Potter
Bass Drums Instructor
Zack Potter joins us for his sixth season on staff at Red Wave Indoor. Alongside his work with Red Wave Indoor, Zack also serves as a percussion instructor for the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band and teaches as a bass technician at Clovis High School. He is a Vic Firth Educator.
Zack’s performance history includes Pulse Percussion, Orange County Independent, Valley Independent Percussion, and Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps.
Outside of marching percussion, Zack is an IT Project Manager at Fresno State.
Alex Perez
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Matt Spencer
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Alec Post
Front Ensemble Instructor
Alec Post (he/him) has been a part of the Red Wave Indoor program since 2019 as a performer and educator. In addition to Red Wave Indoor, he has been teaching at the high school level for the past 5 years.
Alec is a Fresno native and attends Fresno State. He is excited to be a part of this next season of Red Wave Indoor!
SUPPORT TEAM
Travis McDonald
Sound Engineer
Travis McDonald is an active percussion educator in the Fresno/Clovis area. Travis is currently a front ensemble tech for Clovis HS (PSW) and is excited to return to Red Wave Indoor for his fourth season on staff. Travis’ previous education experience includes serving roles as both front ensemble technician and audio engineer for ensembles including Clovis West HS, Clovis East HS and Selma HS, along with their respective feeder programs.
After graduating from Clovis East HS, Travis was a charter member in the front ensemble for Red Wave Indoor’s inaugural season. In addition to his time with Red Wave Indoor, Travis was also a member of Dark Sky Percussion. Outside of the marching arts, Travis also has a background in concert percussion, having performed with the Fresno City College Percussion Ensemble and Wind Ensemble, and the Fresno State University Percussion Ensemble, while earning his A.S. in Commercial Music Studies from Fresno City College.