ABOUT ME

Behind the kit.

I've been fascinated by drums for about as long as I can remember. When I was around three years old, toy drums, pots and pans, or pretty much anything I could hit became my first drum kit.

Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that fascination only became stronger through the concert band at my church. I remember feeling the bass drum in my chest, hearing the attack of the snare and the sound of the cymbals and knowing I wanted to be part of it.

When I was 10, my parents surprised me with my first real drum: a Dixon maple piccolo snare that, more than 20 years later, is still part of my setup today.

Learning to Play

A few months later, I began formally studying drums through my church's music academy, where I learned the fundamentals of drumming, percussion and music notation. Eventually, I earned a spot in the same concert band that had inspired me in the first place.

Over the years I played in concert and marching bands, school bands, jazz groups, church ensembles, pop groups and alongside string, choir and other musical ensembles. Working with so many musicians taught me that being a drummer isn't only about playing your part. It's about listening, communicating and understanding how your playing fits with everyone around you. I eventually became co-section leader of our concert band's percussion section.

In 2011, I participated in a Berklee College of Music summer program held in Puerto Rico, where I had the opportunity to learn from and interact with music industry professionals.

Finding My Way Back

Music took a bit of a back seat when I moved from Puerto Rico to Cleveland, Ohio in search of new personal and professional opportunities. I still played occasionally, but I missed having music as a regular part of my life.

Eventually I returned to Puerto Rico, right around the beginning of the COVID pandemic. That period pushed me back toward music. I started practicing seriously again, bought another kit and finally learned some guitar after putting it off for years.

In 2021, I relocated to the DMV and brought my instruments with me. In 2022, I found Flashband through 7DrumCity and signed up to meet other musicians and perform a show in DC. Several of us decided to keep playing together and eventually formed Sidechip.

That community eventually led me to Incubator and to Sparrøws. Today, Sparrøws is the project I'm most active with, while I continue to play with Sidechip as well.

Where I Am Today

After more than 20 years of playing, learning and performing, I'm ready to share more of what music has given me. I want to help new and developing drummers experience that same excitement I felt hearing those drums as a kid in Puerto Rico. Age doesn't matter to me. If you genuinely want to learn, I want to help you become a better drummer and enjoy the process along the way.

I also work with musicians who need a drummer to help bring a song, recording or project to life. My background across rock, progressive music, metal, pop, funk, Latin music and other styles has taught me to listen first and figure out what the music actually needs.

And yes, I'm a bit of a gear nerd. I've spent years setting up, tuning, cleaning and maintaining my own drums, and I've helped friends and other musicians with their kits along the way. I'm now bringing that experience into local drum tech work, focusing on the same kind of setup, tuning and care I've always enjoyed doing.

Drumming has never really felt like just a hobby to me. It's been part of my life since I was a kid hitting pots and pans around the house, and after all these years, I still get that same feeling when I sit behind a kit. Now I want to share some of that with other people.