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 now currently he is hired by Project Locksley, another cover band that plays in and around Syracuse NY.
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. 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 is currently a graduate student at Syracuse University pursuing his master’s degree in music composition. Upon graduation in May 2026, Ivan will be certified to teach k-12, as well as certified in university teaching by Syracuse University’s Future Professoriate Program.