Born(2002) in Jamaica, Ivan has always had a love for music. Ivan grew up playing drums in church, but throughout high school and college he branched out into exploring even more genres such as Jazz, Rock, Pop, and others. Ivan served as the drummer for Moonflower, a student-led cover band that played varied repertoire in and around Geneva NY, and since then has been hired by other bands in Central New York such as Project: LOCKSLEY, Jobi and Friends, The Lock Trio, Leaky Faucet and more.
His writing is heavily influenced by the Jamaican Gospel tradition and the Hip-Hop Genre, but also by jazz composers like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Phillip Glass. Due to this influence, his works range from melodic and harmonic soundscapes, to contrapuntal, rhythmic and upbeat.
Ivan started his creative journey in high school as a producer and songwriter. Still in high school, Ivan wrote and co-produced a song that was chosen to be performed on Broadway for the cast of “Hamilton,” as a part of a program done by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (2019). As an undergraduate, he has been commissioned twice by the Society for New Music in Syracuse NY, for their annual “Vision of Sound” festival, a show of live music and dance by living artists and composers, which lead to him serving as a Student Rep. Intern for the society while pursuing his graduate degree.
He graduated cum laude at Hobart and William Smith Colleges with his Bachelor of Arts in Music and Educational Studies, receiving honors in music. He then earned his Master of Music degree in music composition from Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music. Ivan is currently certified to teach k-12 in New York State, as well as certified in university teaching by Syracuse University’s Future Professoriate Program.