Staff

Isaiah Sterling is an educator, percussionist, and performer based in Northwest Arkansas. He serves as the Director of Percussion for Fayetteville Public Schools where he teaches all the high school and junior high percussion classes, coordinates the FHS drumline, directs the percussion ensembles, and leads the steel pan band. Isaiah holds a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Missouri Western State University.

Previously, Isaiah was the Percussion Director at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas. During his time at Blue Valley Southwest, the program received several state-wide and regional accolades, such as winning the 2024 KBA State Championships. He has also worked with several prominent high school programs across the Midwest—including Blue Springs, Olathe Northwest, and Shawnee Mission South—and served as Assistant Director of the Kansas City Youth Percussion Ensemble while completing his master's degree. 

In addition to teaching, Isaiah is also an active performer and soloist. He won both the NABBA Percussion Solo Competition (2022) and the Missouri Percussive Arts Society Solo Marimba Competition (2022), earned 2nd place in the Mid-Missouri Percussive Arts Trophy Solo Competition (2022), and performed at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy (2022). He serves as the principal drumset player for the Fountain City Brass Band, appearing frequently as a featured soloist (2021–2026), and is an alumnus of The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps (2021–2022 front ensemble). His performance credits also include the newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, the 2023 MMEA All-Collegiate Jazz Band, the 2024 and 2025 Kansas Percussive Arts Ensembles, and many more.

Isaiah is passionate about helping students grow as both musicians and people, striving to inspire others as his teachers inspired him.

Meme Walton joined the Fayetteville HS Band staff in July of 2026 as a percussion instructor. She is a music educator and percussionist from Saint Simons Island, GA. She attended the University of Georgia for her undergraduate degree in music education and graduated in May of 2026. During her time there she marched as a quad player and front ensemble member in the university’s marching band and studied percussion under Tim and Kim Adams. Meme worked with several Georgia high schools as a drumline/front ensemble tech in addition to being a private lesson instructor.

Meme is now a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas where she is studying instrumental performance with Fernando Valencia. She is also on staff with the Razorback Marching Band and serves their drumline and front ensemble.