About

Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS)

When I entered Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS) in 2020, I began to focus seriously on jazz, studying under Xavier Lecouturier. 

During my freshman year, I was selected for Jazz Band I, the school’s most advanced jazz ensemble, directed by Seattle saxophonist Stuart MacDonald, who studied at Cornish College of the Arts and Berklee. He has performed professionally with Inversion Therapy and internationally-recognized artists.

With Jazz Band I, I have performed at The Royal Room in Seattle (2024, 2025), as well as Bellevue Community College (2024, 2025, 2026). The Royal Room is a regular professional performance venue for SAAS Jazz Band I.

Together with my bandmates, I travelled to participate in The Reno Jazz Festival in April of 2024, 2025, 2026, In 2025, I was recognized with a certificate for “Exceptional Performance” both in a small combo and in the Big Band.

I also performed with Jazz Band I at SAAS’s fund raising event “SAAS in the City” (March 28th, 2026) under Stuart MacDonald’s conducting.

Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend

In the summer of 2024, I was selected by audition to attend Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington, under the artistic direction of John Clayton. The weeklong intensive consisted of small ensembles, master classes, and direct study with professional jazz artists. I studied drums with Jeff Hamilton, and performed in a combo directed by Gary Smulyan. Drum faculty included Ignacio Berroa, Jeremy Dutton, and Matt Wilson. 

Stanford Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Institute

I continued intensive work over the summer at Stanford Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Institute on the Stanford University campus in 2025 and 2026. Mentors came from Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and Berklee College of Music, as well as international programs and winning bands such as Essentially Ellington. In 2025, I studied drums under Nate Wood and Savannah Harris and played in ensembles directed by Taylor Eigsti and Carlos Henriquez. For the 2026 session, the Jazz Institute drum faculty included Obed Calvaire, Max Jaffe, and Parker Sibley. The full faculty roster included Taylor Eigsti, George Cables, Carlos Henriquez, Kalia Vandever, Carmen Staaf, Ben Williams, and Mark Turner. For my final performances, I played drums for "Evidence" by Thelonious Monk and "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson at the Showcase Performance on August 31, 2026. 

Open Jam Sessions

Beginning my sophomore year, I also began playing at open jam sessions around Seattle. I met other musicians at jams and gigs in Seattle, playing with students from other established high-school programs, as well as with professional musicians from the Seattle jazz community. I have played monthly at Seattle Fellowship, The Rabbit Box, and Black and Tan Hall, including sessions led by or featuring Alexey Nikolaev (May 17th, 2026) and Jay Thomas (March 22, 2026) to audiences of up to 100.

Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s Fellowship Futures 

In May, 2026, I was selected as the drummer for Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s Fellowship Futures. The five-member working band consists of Margot Cox, bass; Bryan Emmanuel Abuda, alto saxophone; Jonathan Yang, piano; Luke Myhre, trumpet; and me on drums. Seattle Jazz Fellowship is led by trumpeter and Executive Director Thomas Marriott, a longtime Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra soloist who has performed and recorded with artists including Maynard Ferguson, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Locke, Roy McCurdy, and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. 

Through Fellowship Futures, I also work and perform with Seattle drummer D’Vonne Lewis, a multiple Earshot Golden Ear Award winner and three-time Essentially Ellington drum soloist, who has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, John Clayton, George Cables, Wycliffe Gordon, and Julian Priester.

With Fellowship Futures, I have performed at Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s Pioneer Square venue at 103 S. Main Street and at its All-Ages Jam Sessions with D’Vonne Lewis on June 9, July 14, and August 11, 2026.

On August 11, 2026, the Fellowship Futures All-Ages Jam was guest-hosted by Seattle-born drummer, producer, and composer Kassa Overall, following his workshop on the making and release of CREAM.