Our Staff

Brenda Myers
Founder & Managing Director

Brenda Myers, a Music Performance degree holder from CSU Fresno (1981), became a skilled percussionist and teacher. Her career included freelancing, orchestra performances, and teaching in Fresno and Clovis Unified School Districts. Inspired by Afro-Cuban and Brazilian drumming, she earned a Masters in West African/Caribbean Music (2006). Founding We Got the Beat Youth Percussion Band in 2000, Brenda’s innovative aural teaching style earned them recognition. They performed at numerous events and adapted to virtual teaching during the pandemic. Now boasting an all-WGTB teaching staff, Brenda’s passion continues to inspire students, leaving a lasting impact on the music community.

Read more about Brenda…

Agustin Roman Rivera
Artistic / Executive Director

Roman Rivera is a multifaceted musician and devoted music educator whose journey began at the age of 7 when they first embraced the drums. As a former member of We Got the Beat under Brenda Myers, Roman’s musical aspirations soared, leading them to achieve numerous awards and accolades.

A magna cum laude graduate of CSU Fresno with a BA in Music Education, Roman achieved notable accolades, including 2nd place Multi Percussion Soloist and 3rd place Marimba Soloist in California PAS competitions. Other noteworthy triumphs include being named the 2016 SJVCGPR snare drum solo champion and attaining the prestigious DCI Open Class gold medalist distinction in 2015. 

After being a touring drummer for various musical projects in their late teens and early twenties, Roman started “roman around” and made a significant impact with their debut singles, receiving premieres on the esteemed KCRW “Morning Becomes Eclectic” radio show. Additionally, their music gained recognition on Spotify Fresh Finds’ editorial playlists and garnered critical acclaim from tastemaker sites like Dummy, Ones To Watch, and Grimy Goods. With two critically acclaimed albums released, their song “Comes with Age” was sync-selected to be on Hulu’s Good Trouble.

Beyond their performances, Roman remains deeply committed to supporting fellow artists in the Fresno community and actively contributing to various music projects, solidifying their influence as a versatile and dedicated musician. They also teach songwriting, live sound, and audio technology at Clovis Community College. Lastly, Roman advises the Clovis Crush Records club dedicated to providing material artistic support for local artists. 

Brandy Ruelas Moore
Mallet Specialist

Brandy Ruelas Moore began her musical training at the age of nine and continued her studies in jazz and world music with a focus on percussion and vibraphone. Brandy is a Fresno native, but lived in Brooklyn for several years working as a musician and private music teacher with Blue Balloon School for Songwriting. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Music from Hunter College in Manhattan and earned a California teaching credential at the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at CSUF, graduating as an outstanding credential. Brandy has toured, recorded and collaborated nationwide, in Central America, and in Europe, with many artists in various musical styles. Having an extremely positive musical education, Brandy enjoys pushing boundaries. She has a passion for teaching and believes in a creative approach to music education and is constantly exploring new ways to innovate her teaching style. Currently, Brandy is a music teacher at Fresno Unified and a teaching assistant with We Got The Beat.

Mckenna Reeve
Summer Camp Ensemble Teacher

Mckenna Reeve (she/her) is a versatile drummer/percussionist, award-winning composer, and accomplished educator based in Los Angeles. She serves as a percussionist and board member for the Los Angeles Brass Alliance and as the Assistant Director for the Gay Freedom Band of LA’s Jazz Band. Reeve has toured the US as a sideman and can be heard on recent releases by Benjamin Boone, Julie Koenig, the No Hands Brass Band, and her own “Live From Greeley” and “Lavender Skies, Golden Plains.” Her compositions have been performed by the UNC Jazz Festival All-Star Band, their Spectrum Studio Orchestra, all 3 UNC Lab Bands, the Los Angeles Brass Alliance, and the UNO Metropolitan Area Jazz Orchestra. Her original works span from small group jazz to concert band, studio orchestra, big band, and percussion ensemble with an emphasis on compositions meant for educational level ensembles.

Originally from California’s Central Valley, Reeve grew up surrounded by kind and passionate music educators and performers whose mentorship shaped her musical growth. As a result, working as an educator as well as a performer and composer is a priority–she loves presenting and teaching at conferences, adjudicating jazz festivals, working with local schools, and teaching privately. Reeve received her B.M. in Jazz Studies and M.M. in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado. She can be found teaching, writing, and performing in the Southern California area, where she currently resides. More information and original charts for purchase can be found at www.mckennareevemusic.com

Jeron Schapansky
Drumset Camp Teacher

Jeron started playing drums in 2007, and joined We Got the Beat in 2008. He performed with the group for three years, and went on to perform in school band and jazz band.

After high school, Jeron began playing in covers bands, playing lots of different events nearly every weekend.

In 2017, Jeron joined California progressive metal outfit Artificial Language. Artificial Language continues to write and record their own music, as well as play live shows in the US and internationally.

Jeron started teaching private drum lessons at Bentley’s Drum Shop in 2019.

Abrianna Gomez
Beyond the Beat Camp Teacher

Abrianna Gomez is a passionate teacher and performer from Fresno, California. She earned her Bachelor’s of Music in Performance at Oregon State University, where she served as principal percussionist. While attending OSU, she was a featured soloist with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra and performed Marimba Concerto No. 1 by Ney Rosauro. Ms. Gomez is currently the Director of Percussion and Musicianship I teacher at University High School. She had the honor of taking the Advanced Percussion Ensemble to CASMEC 2024 as a featured guest artist and the first ever percussion ensemble to receive this accolade. Aside from UHS, she is a member of the California PAS Committee and a member of The Polynesian Club of Fresno. As a professional Tahitian drummer, she actively performs throughout the Central Valley and travels to teach Tahitian drum clinics to programs all around California.

Charley Vonberg
Summer Camp Hand Percussion Teacher

Charley has been a member of We Got The Beat for 11 years, making her one of the longest-serving students of the program. She loves singing, soloing, and playing the congas.

Charley was active in every WGTB program in her time with WGTB, so she knows the program inside and out! She has performed gigs all over Fresno with her school’s band, with family, and with WGTB. She teaches in the hand drum room during summer camp while helping the We Got The Beat rookie group throughout the year.

Robert Ollech
Summer Camp Mallet Percussion Teacher

Robert was a member of We Got The Beat for 10 years, making him one of the longest-serving students of the program. He loves playing jazz, playing the vibraphone, and soloing.

Robert was active in every WGTB program in his time with WGTB, so she knows the program inside and out! He has been the mallet room teacher for several years. Robert recently completed his Bachelor’s in Music Education at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. He is still located in Southern California, completing his credentials to become a classroom music teacher/band director.

Landon Peckham
Drum Set

Landon Peckham is a percussionist who enjoys wide-ranging genres of music. He has performed with California All-State Honor Bands multiple times along with other honor groups. His interests include music composition, arranging, and audio engineering. He has been performing, teaching, and arranging with We Got The Beat for over 10 years. His first love is drum set, but he is equally at home in percussion ensembles and orchestras. When not performing with various jazz combos, jam sessions, progressive rock/metal bands, or orchestras, he is working on music production and covers of a wide variety of music.

Cade Peckham
Bass Player

Cade Peckham is a multi-instrumentalist performer who enjoys a wide variety of musical styles. He has been around the We Got The Beat programs for a decade. After starting with piano, then percussion, he was led to the double bass. He has performed with a number of musical groups including We Got The Beat, Milestones Youth Jazz Workshop, Youth Orchestras of Fresno, Fresno State Orchestra Summer Academy, and various jazz combos. He enjoys performing jazz and orchestral styles, participating in music festivals and camps, and performing in various solo opportunities.