EDUCATION TEAM
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
AJ Vega
Battery & Staff Coordinator
AJ Vega is an Orlando-born percussionist who grew up in the Tampa Bay area. After graduating from Pinellas Park HS in 2015, he joined the US Marines as a Marine Musician and served from 2016 to 2020. After the service, AJ returned to the Tampa Bay area where he began teaching and arranging for multiple local programs. He is currently the Battery Coordinator at Tarpon Springs HS.
AJ is also an active performer, playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “Buc-Beat” Line, and the Tampa Bay Lightning Drumline. AJ is thrilled to step into the role of Staff Coordinator and returning Battery Coordinator at Siege Percussion. He is looking forward to continuing to build a great culture and educational experience for the students.
Connor Coles
Visual Coordinator
Connor began his marching career in South Florida marching snare for the inaugural season of Stryke Percussion 2 in 2016. After receiving the PIA Gold medal that year at WGI Finals, Connor took a 3 year Hiatus from WGI, while marching for THE Florida State University Big 8 Drumline. He returned to WGI in 2019 marching Snare for Stryke Percussion, and aged out with the group in 2022.
Since his ageout, Connor has directed, composed and choreographed for Multimillion dollar stage shows at amusement parks around the world including Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, Dorney Park, Kings Island and many more. Connor currently is a Green Army Drummer at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, a drum captain for Universal’s Mega Movie Parade as well as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Drumline and the Tampa Bay Lightning Drumline.
Outside of the marching world, Connor is a Physical Therapy Assistant in the Tampa Bay Area, professional videographer/photographer as well as a social media marketer/manager for several restaurants and companies.
Andrew Smalling
Front Ensemble Coordinator
Andrew is a percussion educator and performer based in the Naples area. As a performer, he was a member of STRYKE Percussion for the 2014-2017 season. Currently, he shares his passion for music by teaching at Ave Maria University and playing drum set for various gigs throughout South Florida.
EDUCATIONAL TEAM
Zack Hoening
Assistant Battery Coordinator/Snare Tech
Born and raised in Florida, Zack Hoening is an Orlando-based percussion educator, performer, producer, and aspiring composer. Zack is a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida, finishing with a Bachelor of Music degree with the percussion studio, and having performed with the UCF Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble.
He is a past member of the UCF Drumline and has experience competing with various independent ensembles including Infinity Percussion and Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. Zack is currently working with multiple high school percussion programs in the Orlando area and now performs with Universal’s new “Mega Movie Parade” drumline.
Maité Cintrón Aguiló
Snare/Visual Tech
Maité began drumming shortly after moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2011. After graduating from Lake Howell High School, Maité marched with Infinity III, Atlas Percussion, and Infinity II, and earned a percussion performance BA from the Rollins College School of Music. Since then she has gone back to teach percussion at Lake Howell as well as teaching private lessons. Maité is currently performing with the Mega Movie Parade at Universal Studios Florida and the Orlando Magic Beatz Line.
Brad Gorske
Snare Tech
Brad Gorske is a performer and educator who is originally from the Gainesville area. Since a young age, Brad has had a passion for drumming and music as a whole since a young age, playing both the drum set and saxophone in the past. He has six seasons of WGI experience, first performing with Unity Percussion, then later moving on to march with both Infinity 2 and Infinity Percussion.
Since moving to Orlando, he has taught the Lake Howell High School drumline for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He is currently studying Sports Media Production at the University of Central Florida.
Alec Brownell
Tenor Tech
Alec is a passionate drummer and educator who has been immersed in the world of percussion for years. With a background that includes performing with top-tier ensembles like Ancient City Ensemble (2015-2017) and Infinity 2 (2018-2019), Alec has honed his skills and developed a deep love for drumming.
In addition to his performance experience, Alec has had the privilege of teaching at Astronaut High School as the full battery instructor, guiding students from 2022 to 2024. He has also enjoyed volunteering at Titusville High School, helping their drumline during rehearsals from 2015 to 2016.
Beyond drumming, Alec is an aspiring visually impaired solo game developer. He loves creating 3D models and making beats and is dedicated to passing on the discipline and creativity of drumming to anyone eager to learn. Joining the Siege Percussion team is an exciting opportunity for Alec to inspire and educate the next generation of percussionists.
Cam Anderson
Tenor Tech
Cameron is a performer and educator from Tampa, Florida with lots of experience within the marching community. He started out his career marching tenor drums in notable WGI ensembles like Ancient City Ensemble (PIO) then transitioned to Atlanta Quest (PIW). He also marched DCI at Crossmen and Boston Crusaders. He studied business at the University of South Florida where he also was a member of the Herd of Thunder Marching Band and became Drum Captain during his tenure.
Currently, he is teaching at various high schools across Tampa and is excited to share his knowledge with Siege Percussion!
David Rivera
Tenor Tech
Bio Coming Soon!
Jacob Barber
Bass/Visual Tech
Jacob is a talented percussionist hailing from the Tampa Area. He has studied at the University of South Florida’s percussion studio and performed with the USF Herd of Thunder Marching Band. During his tenure at the USF Heard of Thunder Marching Band, Jacob served as a bass drum section leader. Over the past five years, Jacob has been actively involved in the world of indoor percussion, both as a performer and a teacher.
“Since leaving USF, I have made it my mission to educate young percussionists and give them an even better education than I was fortunate to have. Things are cooking up at Siege Percussion, and I can’t wait to be a part of something truly special.”
Brian Bissonnette
Bass/Visual Tech
Brian has been a percussionist for as long as he can remember and started learning all about it in 2002 after joining middle school band. From then on, he enjoyed every bit of it as a member of various concert, marching, and indoor ensembles. Brian has nearly fifteen years experience teaching for multiple outdoor and indoor groups across different cities and states as a Snare, Front Ensemble, Bass Line, or Visual Tech.
He was also one of the founding staff members of Heat Wave Drum & Bugle Corps and worked with them for three seasons as a Bass Tech. Brian was part of Siege Percussion’s inaugural year as a Bass Tech and is looking forward to returning and continuing to grow the legacy that has been started.
Alex Schultheis
Bass/Visual Tech
Alex is a passionate musician, educator, and experienced bass drummer with a deep-rooted background in the marching arts. He has played bass drum for four seasons in WGI, performing with Connexus (OH) from 2017 to 2018 and Infinity (FL) from 2019 to 2020. In addition, Alex marched two seasons with the Crossmen (TX) in DCI from 2017 to 2018. His involvement in the marching arts dates back to 2013.
Currently, Alex is studying at Berklee College of Music while producing and performing various music projects. He also teaches the Lake Howell High School drumline and is excited to begin shredding with Siege Percussion.
Ashley Gilbert
Cymbal/Visual Tech
Ashley is a multi-instrumentalist with a primary focus on percussion. Her journey in the world of percussion led her to two incredible seasons on Cymbals with Infinity Percussion (PIO, PIW). Currently, Ashley is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Music Education at the University of Central Florida. In addition to her studies, she is proud to be a percussion instructor at Lake Mary High School.
Chris Vosburgh
Front Ensemble Tech
Chris has his Music Education degree from UCF and is currently working at East River High School as their Associate Band Director. Chris is originally from Coral Springs, Florida, and has been a part of the local marching band and indoor percussion circuit for many years. In addition to the school he is currently teaching with, he has previously worked with percussion students at Stoneman Douglas HS, Jupiter HS, Flanagan HS and many others in the South Florida Tri-County area. Before moving into a teaching role, he was a front ensemble member with STRYKE PIW from 2013 – 2017 as well as the Madison Scouts in 2015. He was brought back on staff at STRYKE from 2018-2022 where he became the director of STRYKE 2 in 2020 until 2023
Tomas Santana
Front Ensemble Tech
Tomas is a passionate percussion instructor with a strong background in competitive marching and indoor percussion ensembles, with a proven track record. As a skilled performer on timpani and marimba; he has contributed to multiple awards, served the community, mentoring new students and fostering a culture of excellence. Beyond percussion, Tomas is also a proficient vocalist- adding a rich vocal background to his musical expertise.
His performance career includes time with the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and STRYKE, as well as moonlighting as an auxiliary percussionist and drum set player when needed. Returning after a hiatus as an instructor and performer, Tomas is excited to inspire and educate musicians, specifically within Central Florida; sharing his deep understanding of rhythm, technique, and drive for excellence.
Josh Melnick
Front Ensemble Tech
Josh is an experienced performer and educator with a strong background in the marching arts. His performance career includes marching with STRYKE Percussion from 2015 to 2019, River City Rhythm in 2017, and the Blue Devils in 2018 and 2019. After aging out of WGI and DCI, he transitioned to working as a photographer and consulting with high school marching bands whenever possible.
Now, Josh is excited to dedicate more time to teaching and is looking forward to being a part of the Siege Percussion team this season!
Luis Small
Front Ensemble Tech
Luis “Cito” Small is an enthusiastic music educator from Palm Beach County. He has 11 years of teaching experience ranging from elementary through collegiate and world-class WGI students. He has a degree in music education and has marched for 4 years at STRYKE World. He has brought several ensembles to FMBC finals and won accolades with his performance throughout his career. His foundational expertise is in mallet percussion and he values pristine technique and harnessing the enjoyment of music to fuel his student’s steps towards perfection.
Ben Tomlin
Front Ensemble Intern
Ben Tomlin is a graphic designer from Tampa. A graduate of The University of Alabama, he now works for the Straz Center for Performing Arts as a designer and designs for various clients all around the world.
With many years working within the musical arts, he also continues to develop Countryside high school’s percussion and hopes to expand on his love of teaching working with Siege.
Tomlin’s creative approach—no matter the medium—is to find what you enjoy creating and create more of it.
Logan Gale
Front Ensemble Intern
Logan is an experienced performer and educator currently residing in the Tampa Bay Area. His marching experience includes Infinity 3, Infinity 2, and Heat Wave Drum and Bugle Corps. Upon aging out, he has chosen to continue his passion for both education and performance. In addition to working with Siege, Logan is entering his fourth season as the Front Ensemble Coordinator for Largo High School’s front ensemble. He is excited to join the Siege family and share his love for the activity with those around him.
Adam Zapf
Visual Tech
Adam Zapf is a music educator and professional trumpet player in the Orlando area. He currently studies trumpet performance at The University of Central Florida. Adam has been a marching member of numerous DCI groups, such as Spirit of Atlanta, The Cavaliers, The Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, and The Blue Devils. He currently teaches at Windermere High School as a musical/visual technician and choreographer, teaches individual marching and playing lessons in his studio, and helps clinic marching programs across the state of Florida.
“I am super excited to be joining the Siege Percussion team! It’s an exciting and new experience, and I’m so thankful to be doing it with such great friends and colleagues. I can’t wait to see how far this program can go!”
Alex Simon
Visual Tech
Originally from Boynton Beach, FL, Alex is a performer and educator based in the Tallahassee area, currently performing with the Florida State University Marching Chiefs. Currently in his 5th year with the Chiefs, Alex has performed previously with Atlantic HS (Delray Beach), STRYKE Percussion 2 (’20), Raiders DBC (’22, ’23), and Infinity Percussion 3 (’24). He also is serving as the Battery Director for Wakulla HS in Crawfordville, FL.
Outside of the performing arts, Alex has received two Bachelor’s degrees from FSU, one in Psychology, and the other in Political Science, and is currently working as a Paraprofessional in an ESE classroom at Ft. Braden K-8 School in Tallahassee. He is so excited to be joining Siege for the 2025 season!
Ray Dickens
Visual Tech
Consultants
Ethan Levin
Battery Consultant
Ethan is an experienced snare drum performer and educator, having performed with Infinity (PIW) in WGI and The Academy and the Bluecoats in DCI. He has taught high school percussion as a tech and a percussion director for 7 years and taught Ancient City Ensemble (PIO) in 2020 as a Music Coordinator.
