Clinicians

Carlos Botello holds a B.A. in Music Education from New Mexico Highlands University. He has instructed and arranged for many groups and has over 20 years of DCI experience. Aside from teaching, Botello creates electronic music, arranges percussion for various high schools and has 11 books under the Left Hand Path Drumbook series. 

Kari Klier, originally from Fredericksburg, Texas received performance degrees from Texas Tech University and the University of Colorado. Professor Klier is a senior lecturer at Texas State University, has a very active percussion studio in Austin, and performs regularly with the Austin Symphony.

Her previous performance experiences include the San Antonio Symphony; the San Antonio Opera; the Mid-Texas Symphony; Chix with Stix, Atlanta, GA; the Denver Ballet; the Boulder Philharmonic; the Roswell Symphony Orchestra; the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra; the Santa Clara Vanguard and the Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps.

She has served on the Percussive Arts Society 50^th Anniversary Marimba Orchestra committee and the International Competition committee.

Professor Klier’s teaching experiences include Walton High School, Marietta, GA; Lassiter High School, Marietta, GA; the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band; percussion specialist for the Judson Independent School District; the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps; and the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps.  She judges solo and ensemble competitions at the local and state levels.

Kari Klier is an artist/educational clinician for the Vic Firth Company, Remo Percussion, and Zildjian Cymbals.

Robert (Bobby) Lopez is currently Senior Lecturer and Marching Percussion Coordinator at Texas State University. His duties include teaching applied percussion, percussion ensemble, percussion methods, Bobcat Marching Band drumline and is responsible for the maintenance and inventory for the percussion area of the School of Music. 

Mr. Lopez is an active educator, clinician, performer and adjudicator throughout the United States. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Texas State University. His teachers include Dr. Norman Weinberg, Dr. Paul Bissell, Genaro Gonzalez, Jim Casella, Murray Gusseck, Dave Sankus, Jeff Lee and Scott Johnson. Alumnus of the DCI High Percussion recipient, 1998 Santa Clara Vanguard, and the 1999 DCI World Champion Concord Blue Devils, he was awarded first prize for his composition Two Days in the 1998 DCI multi-percussion solo competition (published by Tapspace Publications). 

Mr. Lopez also maintains a private percussion studio focusing on the development of young percussionists. His private students have earned chairs in the Texas All-State bands, earned Outstanding Soloist at the Texas UIL Solo & Ensemble competition, earned chairs in the middle school region bands in the central Texas area, and have participated in music festivals such as the Interlochen Summer Music Festival.

Aside from his duties at Texas State University, Bobby performs as a regular extra in the Austin Symphony. He has also performed with the Mid-Texas Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera and Ballet Austin. He is published by Tapspace Publications and is an endorser for Innovative Percussion, Inc., SABIAN Cymbals and Grover Pro Percussion, Inc

Ryan Pride grew up in Pflugerville, TX outside of Austin, where as a kid he would sneak into the garage to play on his dad's drum set when no one was home. Eventually, he began his open focus on music when he started band in the 6th grade. Deciding to do this for a living, Ryan graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Music Education and looked for adventure by moving to Atlanta, where he taught at Lassiter High School, Allatoona High School, Mabry Middle School, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2012, life brought him back to Texas where he took up being a full time band director at Katy High School, laid down roots, and started a family. However, the desire to perform lead Ryan to completing a Master's degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Colorado - Boulder in 2019 with certificates in Music Theory and College Teaching. He currently serves as the Percussion Director and Assistant Band Director at McCallum High School and Fine Arts Academy in Austin.

Ryan has worked with groups across the spectrum of the marching arts, including many drum and bugle corps such as the Glassmen (2011-12), Crossmen (2007), and Phantom Regiment (2015-2020) as well as indoor percussion units like Rise Percussion (2018-2019), Odyssey Percussion Theatre(2010-2012), and Gateway Independent (2012). A bit of a chameleon, Ryan filled positions for these groups ranging from front ensemble instructor to battery coordinator and caption head. As an arranger and founder of Off the Left Productions, he's been fortunate to arrange and work with groups from around the country, having experience with over 75 marching band, drum corps, and indoor drumline productions. Currently, Ryan serves as the battery coordinator for the WGI world class percussion ensemble Rhythmic Force.
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As a performer, Ryan has been fortunate to create music with the Boulder Symphony, Longmont Symphony, Boulder Bach Festival, multiple ensembles at the University of Colorado and Texas State University, as well as the Falcons Drumline and Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps. He's toured the US and Europe as both a performer and educator, and greatly enjoys collaborating with other musicians outside of percussion to create unique and interesting performances.
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​Favorite composers are Stravinsky, Debussy, Steve Reich, Radiohead, Alt-J, and Snarky Puppy. In his free time, Ryan is an avid runner, rock climber, and enjoys spending time with his wife, Dr. Katie Harper, their son Emerson, and dogs Rachmaninoff and Charlie.