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Abraham's
short Bio
Abraham (or Abe) was born in March 1983 in the U.S. territory of Guam. His father, a U.S.
Navy sailor and semi-pro musician, moved the family all over the Pacific Rim
eventually settling in Hawaii. It was here that Abraham began playing
drums at the age 4. Along with his two older brothers Eric and Glenn (also
musicians), they formed a band playing mostly hard rock and heavy metal music.
Within a few months, the power trio began showcasing their music at community events
and private parties all over Hawaii.
At the
age of
10, he started private studies on drums and continued for a year and a
half. Now with a deeper understanding of the various styles of
contemporary drumming, Abe began expanding his musical palate. In
middle school, he excelled in the concert band and was an integral part of the
school's first jazz ensemble. In 1996, at the age of 13, Abe was the Grand Prize winner in an international drumming competition sponsored by
Modern Drummer Magazine and New York City's premier drum school, The
Drummer's Collective. He was awarded a scholarship to their 4-week summer
program. There, he gained valuable insight and instruction from top New York
City drummers Ian Froman, Michael Lauren, Memo Acevido and Sandy Genarro.
In 1999, another scholarship led him to Berklee College
Of Music's summer performance program. In addition to studying and
performing with Berklee's acclaimed faculty, the highlight of the program was
studying advanced jazz theory with trumpeter Tiger Okoshi. The following year, in
2000, Abe was one of the youngest musicians chosen to participate in Betty
Carter's Jazz Ahead Residency Program located at Washington D.C.'s
Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts. Not only did this program showcase the
world's finest up-and-coming jazz artists, but also each participant's talent as
jazz composers as well. Under the tutelage of Terrance Blanchard, John
Patitucci, Wynard Harper, Nathan Davis, and George Cables, Abraham's original composition, "Headache",
was chosen for its national debut at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.
While still in high school, Abe received endorsement deals from major
drum manufacturers (Paiste Cymbals and Vic Firth Drumsticks) and earned a
reputation as one of Hawaii's elite musicians. Over the years, he's
participated in tours of the U.S. Midwest, Japan and South Korea. As the
house drummer for the Hawaii International Jazz Festival, Abe's performed with
saxophonist Eric Marienthal, Hollywood film composer Lalo Schifrin, Santana's bassist Benny
Reitveld, Brian Setzer Orchestra's Matt Zebley, among many others. Aside
from his drumming and composition skills, Abe is equally proficient in other
instruments such as the vibraphone, piano, guitar and ukulele. His ukulele
playing was recently showcased at New York City's Carnegie Hall with the
"Hawaii Calls" performance group.
In 2005, his jazz group PRELUDE signed with SonyBMG in Korea. Abe, the
group's drummer, is the only non-Korean. Their debut release
"Croissant" became an instant hit considering the fact that jazz
groups in Korea are pretty rare. He has also released several independent
recordings on his own label Pass Out Records.
Abe is a 2005 graduate of Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor's of Music
Degree in Music Education. He was a recipient of the school's prestigious North American World Tour
Scholarship which is awarded to students who excel in performance in their
respective instruments.
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Abraham's short list of
awards/recognitions
Berklee College
of Music World Tour Scholarship
Berklee College of Music Dean's List
National Foundation For Arts Advancement Award
Vice Admiral E.P. Travers Scholarship
Hawaii Community Foundation Arts Scholarship
Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead Residency Program
Modern Drummer/Drummers Collective Grand Prize Winner
Berklee College of Music Summer Performance Scholarship
Japan Senior High School Cultural Festival - U.S. Delegate
Oahu Band Director's Association (OBDA)
Outstanding Soloist, OBDA Select Jazz Ensemble
Principal Percussionist, OBDA Select Concert Band
OBDA Solo/Ensemble Competition:
Blue Gold Award - Drum Set Performance 1995-2000
Blue Gold Award - Snare Drum Solo 1995-2000
Blue Gold Award - Drum Ensemble 1995-2000
Waipahu High School Outstanding Musician 1997-2001
Uta Matsuri Student Orchestra
NCAA All Star Hula Bowl Band
Instrument endorsements:
Ko'olau Ukulele endorsement
Vic Firth Drumsticks endorsement
Paiste Cymbals endorsement
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