Umar

Umar’s music life began in church at age 5 with his church’s music director starting him in voice before piano, which he started at age 6. After 6 years of music training, Umar started learning percussion in his Junior High concert band and has not looked back. He continued his studies in drumset privately and into college at NYU and Berklee College of Music where he learned his from drumming greats like Kenwood Dennard, Rod Morgenstein, Dave DiCenso and Ed Hunt.

In his progressing music career, Umar has performed and led many ensembles and recording sessions ranging from classical to hip hop performing on a variety percussion instruments. He has also taught rhythm, drumset and percussion privately successfully to students ranging from ages 7-25.

Umar’s teaching goals are to nurture and coach students to interpret rhythm and groove first and foremost. To him, all of the tricks do not mean a thing if the beat does not groove to move people to have fun. He aims to prepare his students to do just that.