Meet the team behind modulation z!
Ryan treasure - director, design teamRyan Treasure has been the Director of Modulation Z since he started it in 2013. He has also served as Director of Percussion at Fort Zumwalt North High School for 18 years, Assistant Band Director/Percussion Director at Fort Zumwalt East High School for the past 11 years, and was the Director of Marching Percussion at Lindenwood University for 2 years.
Ryan has worked with, written for and consulted with many fine percussion programs in the St. Louis area and throughout the Midwest as well as schools in Louisiana, California, and Colorado. His percussion programs are highly regarded throughout the state of Missouri. He has written percussion for several original shows with Blue Devils Brass Caption Head John Meehan, nationally recognized Visual Consultant Keith “Ping” Dawson, and composer Don Barrett. Ryan has been a featured speaker at the Missouri Choir Directors Association State Convention. Ryan began his percussion performance career as a member and later Captain/Principal of the Truman State University Marching Gamblers, Wind Symphony, and Percussion Ensemble. He has studied with Dr. Mike Hooley and Jim Chapin. Ryan has and continues to tour and perform throughout the United States and has opened for several national acts including Jefferson Starship, Bow Wow, Johnnie Johnson, and Chris Duarte to name a few. Ryan graduated from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts (Music) and received his Master of Arts Degree in Education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. Ryan resides in Wentzville, Missouri with his wife, Tanya and their son, Teagan. 
chad schaedler - Design TeamChad is returning for his fourth year with Modulation Z serving again on the design team as battery arranger. Before joining ModZ Chad spent over a decade (2005-2016) with the WGI PIW group Gateway Indoor Percussion.
During his tenure with Gateway he served in many roles: Battery Caption Head, Battery Arranger, Program Coordinator and Education Director. Chad has been fortunate enough to also be a part of a number of different DCI staffs over the years including The Cavaliers, The Crossmen, The Bluecoats, and The Colts. Chad graduated from Missouri State University and continues to assist the Pride of MSU marching percussion section. He currently resides in O'Fallon, Missouri with his wife Kim and their four children Cameron, Dalen, Ella, and Gannon. 
Ben paul - education teamBen Paul was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. His marching career started at Fort Zumwalt South high school where he played the snare drum for all four years in the marching band program. Ben was a founding member of Modulation Z and was a part of the group for three seasons, 2011-2013. In 2014, he was a member of Freedom Indoor Percussion (PIO), and he marched Gateway Indoor (PIW) for two seasons, 2015 and 2016.
Ben marched three years of Drum Corps on snare drum. His first year was with The Colts Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015, and he then went on to march snare for The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps for two seasons in 2016 and 2017. Ben taught as the battery coordinator at Hickman high school in Columbia, Missouri for two seasons (2015 and 2016). He was on staff at Modulation Z in 2019 and is returning for his second year in 2020. In May, he graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri with a degree in Business Administration, and is currently living in St. Peter’s, Missouri. |
Rob Gatewood - assistant directorRob is entering his 7th full year with Modulation Z as their Assistant Director. Rob was formerly the front ensemble coordinator and now services as a technician. Over the last year, Rob has been a front ensemble coordinator for multiple high schools, including Wright City, Ft. Zumwalt North, and most recently Ft. Zumwalt East. He has also served on the board for Mid Continent Color Guard Association (MCCGA) and is a founding board member for Central States Percussion Association (CSPA).
Rob has been on staff since Modulation Z first went to World Championships in 2013, and that time includes 3 top-5 PIA finishes, a promotion to PIO in 2018, and Missouri’s first world champion in 2017. Rob graduated in 2011 from University of Missouri – St. Louis with a Bachelors in Accounting and currently works for Washington University in St. Louis. He resides in St. Peters, Missouri with his wife Sarah and daughters Amelia and Scarlett. 
Joshua link - Design & Education teamJoshua Link is a composer, educator, and designer from the St. Louis area. This is his fourth year with Modulation Z, and his second year on the design team. He played in the front ensembles at Gateway Percussion and the Madison Scouts from 2009 to 2013, and has taught front ensemble and done audio engineering and consultation at many of the midwest’s most competitive programs. He is currently the sound designer, audio engineer and front ensemble staff for the O’Fallon Marching Panthers.
A native of the St. Louis area, Joshua studied Music Composition at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, and has been composing and doing sound design for various media since 2012. He has written marching music — winds, percussion, and sound design — for schools across the United States. 
john steinbruegge - design teamJohn is entering his 4th season on staff with Modulation Z. He has served as an instructor for the battery and visual captions for the duration of his time at Modulation Z, and is in his 2nd season as the Visual Designer for the ensemble. In addition to his work with Modulation Z, John also serves on the percussion staff for Missouri State University. He is currently the Director of Bands at the Winfield R-IV School District in Winfield, MO.
John is a graduate of (Southwest) Missouri State University, where directed the percussion section for the SMSU Pride Marching Band for 5 years. During his time there, he founded and directed the two-time WGI Independent Open Silver Medalist Pride of SMSU Percussion (2001, 2004). John then served as the Music Arranger, Visual Designer and Program Coordinator for the WGI Independent World Finalist Gateway Indoor. He is an alum of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, where he marched on the bass drum line. John resides in O'Fallon, MO with his wife Meredith, his sons Colin and Ben and his ridiculously lazy beagle Lily. |
Nicholas Brakeman - EDUCATION TEAMNick is a freelance cymbal clinician and visual designer for marching music programs. He has worked with various high schools, colleges, and drum corps including Rockwood Summit, Spirit of Atlanta, and the University of Kentucky. This will be Nick’s fourth year with Modulation Z after a 2019 season hiatus.
derek kelly - Education TeamDerek Kelly was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. and attended Missouri State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
During his DCI/WGI marching career Derek was a marching member of Gateway Indoor (2012-2014) and The Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (2013). He had the opportunity to learn the marching arts from Ralph Hardimon, Mike McIntosh, Sean Knuth, Brian Graham and many others. Currently Derek resides in St. Louis, MO and has worked with multiple award winning ensembles in the area from PIW to PSA. This is Derek's 3rd season with Modulation Z. 
scott goodmundson - EDUCATION TEAMScott Goodmundson grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa where he developed a strong passion for percussion and music. He marched multiple seasons of marching band and indoor percussion in high school, and then later moved to Iowa City, Iowa where he attended the University of Iowa. During his time there, he marched snare drum in the Hawkeye Marching Band, serving as section leader in 2010 and 2011. He also taught percussion at Iowa City High School from 2009 to 2012. He graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and minor in Religious Studies.
Scott was a member of the front ensemble with Gateway Indoor Percussion 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also performed in the front ensemble with the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps in 2011. After aging out from WGI in 2013, Scott moved to St. Louis where he served on the administration team with Gateway as the social media and marketing coordinator, from 2013 to 2017. He also taught front ensemble at St. Charles West High School from 2013 to 2016, and then later joined the front ensemble educational team at Modulation Z for the 2019 season. He is very excited to enter his second year with the group in 2020. Scott currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri and works in digital marketing. In his free time, he enjoys reading, discovering new music, exploring hiking trails in Missouri, and spending time with his beautiful wife, Precious, and their pitbull, Vega. 
Josh cooper - education teamJosh Cooper has specialized in bass drum since he began his marching career in high school at Desoto Central in Southaven, MS. He then went on to march WGI with Gateway Indoor during the 2012, 2013, and 2015 seasons on bass drum. Josh was also involved in Drum Corps International. Completing one season with the Madison Scouts drum & bugle corps in 2012 and two seasons with The Cavaliers drum & bugle corps (2013 & 2014).
Josh has taught percussion at his Alma mater, Desoto Central High School, Arlington High School, and Gateway Indoor during the 2016 season. Josh is excited to be back teaching the bass drums at Modulation Z for the second year in a row. |
derek pleplaw - EDUCATION TEAMDerek Peplaw was born and raised in the St. Louis area and discovered his passion for the marching arts and music at Francis Howell HS (2009-2013) where he marched for 8 seasons. In WGI and DCI, he marched 7 seasons of snare drum with Freedom Percussion (2014-2015), Gateway Percussion (2016-2017), Gold Drum and Bugle Corps (2014-2015), and Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (2016).
He received an Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis in instrumental music from Saint Charles Community College (SCCC) and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Derek's prior teaching experience includes Washington HS (2014-2017), Gateway Percussion (2017-2018), Fort Zumwalt North HS (2019-present), and Timberland HS (2016-present). He is currently is the battery instructor at Fort Zumwalt North HS, Percussion Director/Arranger at Timberland High School, battery technician at Freedom Percussion, and a freelance private percussion lessons instructor. This is Derek's first season working with Modulation Z. 
samantha thompson - EDUCATION TEAMSamantha first discovered her passion for the marching arts at Northwest High School (2009-2012) where she marched for 8 consecutive seasons (4 seasons through WGI). She marched 1 season of Saxophone, 3 seasons of Bass Drum, 2 seasons of Tenors, and 2 seasons of Snare Drum.
Samantha graduated Lindenwood University with a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology and a minor in music (specializing on Saxophone and French Horn) and education. She is also a certified personal trainer (CPT) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, specializing in Weight Loss (WLS) and Behavior Change (BCS). Samantha's prior music teaching experience includes being a Percussion and Visual Technician at Wright City High School and a Percussion Technician at Fort Zumwalt East High School. Samantha currently resides in St. Peters, Missouri. She teaches at Fort Zumwalt East High School as a Percussion Technician, as well as teaching private lessons on Saxophone, French Horn, and Percussion at Music & Arts. This is Samantha's first season working with Modulation Z. 
rob elston - EDUCATION TEAMRob Elston has been involved in the pageantry arts for over twenty years. During his time as a member he marched in the snare line of Capital Sound in 2001 and 2003. He then aged out as the front ensemble section leader of Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps in 2004. Elston was a member of Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps percussion staff from 2005-2007, Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps 2015, Madison Scouts 2016, and Pioneer Indoor from 2015 through 2017. Rob has earned a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from Eastern Illinois University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in multi-focus percussion from the California Institute of the Arts.
Prior to relocating to St. Louis in 2010, Elston lived in Los Angeles where he maintained a career as an active freelance musician, and collegiate educator. As a performer Elston combined a vast knowledge of percussion with an innate musical ability to create a powerful voice throughout multiple modalities of percussion. His focus was centered around experimental music, tabla, and Brazilian percussion, in particular the pandeiro. Rob has studied/performed in Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Canada, and throughout all of the lower 48 contiguous states. Since relocating, Rob has been an active arranger, clinician, and educator in the St. Louis area where he serves as the percussion coordinator/arranger for Edwardsville High School. Elston has also been a member of the percussion staff at Rockwood Summit and O’fallon Township High Schools, as well as the SIUE Summer Percussion Institute from 2015 through 2018. At the collegiate level Rob has been a faculty member at Ventura College, and provided clinics at Cal Arts, UCLA, McKendree University, Chapman University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Cal State Long Beach, and Machine Project. He was a member of the PAS Percussion Ensemble committee from 2013-2019, and has adjudicated for IMEA, MPC, and PAS. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree at SIUE, and this is Rob’s third season with Mod Z. |
