Abraham Lagrimas, Jr. is drummer extraordinaire, jazz composer, and multi-instrumentalist.
Abraham 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, Abraham 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, Abraham 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. Outside of class, he was selected to perform with the prestigious Hawaii Youth Symphony. In 1996, at the age of 13, Abraham was the Grand Prize winner in a world-wide 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 Tiger Okoshi. The following year, in 2000, Abraham 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 reworked his original composition "Headache" for its national debut at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.
While still in high school, Abraham received two 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. In summer 2004, he recently performed with Eric Marienthal and Lalo Schifrin at the Hawaii International Jazz Festival. Aside from his drumming and composition skills, Abraham is equally proficient in other instruments such as the vibraphone, piano, guitar and ukulele.
He is currently a Music Education major at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he was awarded their North American World Tour Scholarship. Working with renown artist/teachers such as Victor Mendoza, Kenwood Dennard and Rod Morgenstein, Abraham continues to expand his reaches in the contemporary music market.
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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
Ko'olau Ukulele endorsement
Vic Firth Drumsticks endorsement
Paiste Cymbals endorsement
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
