Meet the Directors
Kelsey Bradberry - Director of Bands
Kelsey Bradberry is the Director of Bands at Klein Cain High School in Klein, Texas. Ms. Bradberry has been an active educator at the intermediate and high school level in Georgia and Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Georgia State University and a Masters in Music Education degree from Boston University. While at Georgia State University, Ms. Bradberry studied Clarinet with Dr. Kenneth Long. She also participated in multiple ensembles led by Mr. Robert Ambrose, Mr. Chester Phillips, Mr. David Vandewalker, and Mr. Michael Palmer including: the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Wind Orchestra, the University Orchestra, Chamber Ensembles, and Clarinet Choir. She also participated in the Georgia State University Marching Band and was the clarinet section leader during the marching band’s inaugural year.
Ms. Bradberry has previously served as the Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Jazz Band, Director of the Symphonic Band, and Visual Caption Head of the Marching Band at Klein Cain. The Symphonic Band has earned Superior ratings since the building opened in 2017, and most recently received the UIL Concert & Sight Reading Sweepstakes award performing a grade 4-5 program. The Jazz Band has flourished and most recently performed at the University of Houston Jazz Festival. The Marching Band has consistently earned Superior ratings at the UIL Region and Area contests, and was most recently named Grand Champion of the USBands Houston Regional in November of 2022. The Marching Band also advanced to the 6A State UIL Marching Contest in the Fall of 2021. Ms. Bradberry develops the curriculum for student leadership training and development, and has led all student leadership training to develop the student culture since the building opened. Additionally, Ms. Bradberry has directed the pit orchestra for the school musical several times. Under her direction, the pit orchestra won “Best Pit Orchestra” for A Chorus Line in the Spring of 2021.
Ms. Bradberry serves as the Klein ISD High School Band Fine Arts Facilitator which is a supervisory role of the district’s high school band directors. She is also responsible for actively working with the KISD Fine Arts Office to oversee and plan professional development. Furthermore, she assisted in a curriculum refresh project for KISD in 2022 - 2023 to reconsider, update, and finalize the district approach to high school band. Ms. Bradberry was selected to be in the first cohort of the Klein ISD Teacher Leadership Academy during the 2022 - 2023 school year.
Ms. Bradberry’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the National Band Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Jazz Educators Association, and Women Band Directors International.
Ryan Diefenderfer - Associate Director of Bands
Ryan Diefenderfer just completed his tenth year of teaching band and orchestra. Over the course of the past ten years, Mr. Diefenderfer has served as the Director of Bands and Orchestras at Paradise Valley High School, Director of Bands and Orchestras at Greenway Middle School, and Adjunct Brass and Jazz Faculty Member at Paradise Valley Community College where he led the Brass Choir and Jazz Combo. Mr. Diefenderfer is the proud recipient of the 2021 Silver Apple Arizona Teaching Award and Quarterfinalist for the 2024 Grammy Award in Music Education.
Mr. Diefenderfer graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2013, where he studied music education, music composition, trombone, and jazz studies. Mr. Diefenderfer grew up in Mundelein, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, and moved to Bloomington, Indiana in 2009 to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Indiana University. Mr. Diefenderfer completed his student teaching at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. Currently, Mr. Diefenderfer is finishing his Master’s Degree in Music Teaching and Learning from Arizona State University. While at ASU, Mr. Diefenderfer’s focus has been on music curriculum development with a focus on student-centered practices.
Mr. Diefenderfer is a classical and jazz trombonist, some of his personal highlights including: performing Arthur Pryor's "Fantastic Polka" as an international soloist, giving concerts in Denmark, Poland and Germany with the 2014 Blue Lake International Northern Wind Ensemble, winning 2nd place in the 2010 Southeast Trombone Symposium National Solo Competition, and most recently playing principal trombone with the North Valley Symphony Orchestra and Arizona Winds Wind Ensemble in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Diefenderfer is also a composer, having had his compositions played by wind ensembles and other musical groups at: Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, University of Kansas, and Indiana University.
Mr. Diefenderfer believes a life is fullest when filled with hobbies, so in his spare time, Mr. Diefenderfer loves to: cook, hike, exercise, read, keep up with the latest in movies and streaming, and watch and play basketball. One of Mr. Diefenderfer’s other passions is traveling, including embarking on an ambitious 28-day backpacking trip through Europe in 2023. Mr. Diefenderfer identifies as a foodie, and is excited to explore all of the food that Houston has to offer!
Katherine Zolvinski - Assistant Director of Bands
Katherine Zolvinski is originally from the Chicago area and is very excited to be a part of the Klein Cain Team! She has been teaching since 2012 across Indiana, Nevada, and now Texas! Ensembles under Ms. Zolvinski’s direction have received consistent superior ratings earning them sweepstakes in UIL and NMEA concert band festivals. While in Indiana Ms. Zolvinski led Madison Consolidated High School Marching Cubs to their first state finals appearance in 2018. In 2019 the Marching Cubs placed 2nd in music and 3rd overall, the highest in the school's history. The Madison band also saw exponential growth by 50% in the course of just two years.
Ms. Zolvinski is a woodwind specialist and an active oboe and English Horn player and currently plays with the Houston Pride Band. Her past performance affiliations have included the Sam Houston State University Wind Ensemble, Huntsville, TX, the Twin Cities Concert Band, South Bend, IN, The University of Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra, Las Vegas, NV, The Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble & Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington, IN and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, La Crosse, WI.
Ms. Zolvinski received her Bachelors of Science in Music Education from Ball State University and her Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Sam Houston State University. In her free time she enjoys traveling, exploring new coffee shops around Houston, and playing with her orange Tabby Cat, Nacho!
Zach Harston - Percussion Director
Zach Harston is an active educator, clinician, and performer in the Houston metro area. He has served most recently on the percussion staff at The Woodlands High School, and also served as a private lessons teacher for The Woodlands High School percussion section. Previously, he held the position of Percussion Assistant at Tomball High School. In his spare time, Mr. H has offered his services as a percussion clinician across Texas, teaching multiple high school percussion camps each summer. In addition to the scholastic realm, He has also found success in the Drum Corps International and Winter Guard International circuits, having been on the percussion staff at The Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps (DCI Open Class), Monarch Independent(WGI World Class), Imperial Percussion Theater (WGI World Class), and Imperial Percussion Theater A (WGI A Class) He has had private students earn placements in the Texas All-State bands and orchestras, as well as go on to pursue music at the college level. Mr. Harston is excited to share his knowledge and passion for music with any and all that are willing to learn!
Andrew Seebaran - Color Guard Director
Andrew Seebaran, a North Texas native, began his color guard career teaching at Allen High School and Liberty High School as a technician and choreographer. During that time he spent 4 summers on tour with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in Rosemont, Illinois. In 2018 after his age-out, he returned home to be on staff with his friends and family at The Cavaliers where he is currently a weapon technician. Andrew has also spent his winter seasons as a performer and also a staff member at Color Guard Theatre (CGT) Dallas and Denton since 2016.