Ken is a master percussionist with 30 years of experience in many different styles. He has performed and recorded with artists from Guatemala, Argentina, Spain, Columbia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Brazil, Cuba, The Dominican Republic and Afghanistan. In addition to his many performances with Facing East, he has also been the principal performer at many large festivals including Denpasar University World Music Festival in Bali, Indonesia; Isla de Salsa Latin music Festival in Fukuoka and Nagasaki, Japan; “Animate” in Fukuoka, Japan; Peruvian Festival, Osaka, Japan and the Starwood Festival in New York. Ken has a degree in Percussion and was a professor of music at the University of Maryland for eight years. He was also on the music faculty of Fukuoka School of Music for one year. Ken started out on the drum set and performed for many years in this capacity before discovering the joy of hand percussion and subsequently experimenting with tabla, congas, djembe, bongos, cajon, and African Udu drums. He published a method book for Udu drums in 1995 but has since moved on to perform on the Persian Darabuka. Ken has appeared on 15 CD’s with various artists of distinct genres. He also continues as an active educator, teaching special clinics and drumming workshops for schools, gatherings and special events as well as being a core member of the Facing East Family.

Master Percussionist and Educator