Jazz Drummer
Sergio Arocha
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Professional Jazz Drummer. Outstandingly versatile with extreme coordination, fast chops, impeccable technique & great sound. Drum-Set Performance Berklee alum. Longy Full Scholarship awardee. Drum Channel 2023 ‘Beats & Fills’ contest first place winner.Dave DiCenso & Jazz Drummer legend Ralph Peterson’s protégé.Creative innovator, Double Pedal Master turned Jazz purist.
About Me
1
Artist Statement
I’m a versatile Jazz Drummer specialized in West African & Latin-American Rhythms, Rock & Pop, as well as R&B, Soul & backbeat music with years in the making, and constantly pushing to overcome barriers and gain more experience from following the Jazz way.
My compromise in this craft is to concatenate different styles and ideas and get them to work together, different languages moving along and functioning as a whole.
I will continue to pursue knowledge of the tradition of the drums and expand my skills and technical abilities to be an example of personal growth and teach others interested.
2
Teaching Statement
Teaching & demystifying drumming as a melodic instrument when playing as a soloist or performing as an accompanist thru the study of rhythmical theory that engages body percussion “pattin-jubba” like, feet stepping, counting, technique, strong basics and understanding of rhythm concatenating multi-coordinational linear and non-linear 4- way hand/foot combination phrasing on different note rates morphing pulse thru polyrhythms and bending time superimposing polymetric patterns; all while engaging in organized deep listening -therefore studying- of Jazz and World Music Styles and rhythms to comprehend music in an ethnomusicologist way, while transcribing in the moment. To teach freedom within the parameters of time.
3
DEIB Statement
Being a white Colombian that has been continously learning the tradition of Black American Music as well as African Rhythms through the studying of the Drum-Set, or basically, being a foreigner myself to the heritage of Jazz and attempting to immerse myself in this tradition and belonging to it has been quite a challenge and an adventure. I long for representing Colombia in the North American Jazz circuit through dedication, devotion, practice & discipline and setting up the bar to the highest of my abilities while expressing myself through this improvisational art form in a virtuoso and exquisitely musical way.
Sergio Arocha
Jazz Drummer
^ Right click above for downloadable headshot
Berklee College of Music alum (2014-2020) Bachelor of Music in Performance (drum-set), most recently was granted a Full Scholarship at Longy School of Music for the Masters program in Jazz & Contemporary Music and the Graduate Fellowship as a Music Ensemble Percussionist.
Sergio has studied for many years with the Great Masters of the instrument such as Ralph Peterson Jr.(R.I.P.), Dave DiCenso, Neal Smith, Bob Gullotti(R.I.P.) Jerry Leake, Marco Djorjevic, Kim Plainfield(R.I.P.), Henry Cole, Yoron Israel, just to name a few. He has been an invited drummer in the biggest drum festival in Colombia in two occasions where Eric Moore, James Murphy & Dom Famularo participated.
He has performed in venues the likes of Berklee Performance Center, The Palladium in Worcester, ArtBeat Festival in Somerville, the exclusive Regattabar in Cambridge, MA & Pickman Hall, to name a few. Most recently he won First Place in the “Beats & Fills” Contest held by The Drum Channel judged by Thomas Lang, Terry Bozzio, Greg Bissonette & Chad Wackerman.
Sergio has played with North American Jazz Legends such as Kevin Harris, Charlie Kohlhase, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dr. Bill Banfield & his Imagine Orchestra, Chris Klaxton, Bill Lowe & opened for 4 times Grammy Award Winner Paquito D’Rivera.
MEDIA
Live Events
1
St. Paul Cathedral
Where: 138 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02111
When: Thursdays, 7:00pm
2
Awaken City Church
Where: 184 Hyde Park Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
When: Sundays, 10:00am
Contact Me
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