BIOGRAPHY

Carles Pereira is a Spanish drummer and composer from Barcelona, Spain currently based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Although music was always a part of his life since he was only months old, it was when he was one year old that he had his first encounter with a drum set. Shortly after, Carles first heard Phil Collin’s soundtrack from the Disney movie “Tarzan”, birthing his passion for rhythm. Driving his parents crazy playing with chopsticks and pots and pans, it was at that moment that they realized that he didn’t choose drumming – drumming chose him. 

 

Since then, Carles’ father started brainwashing him with the music of U2, Phil Collins, and The Police, and spent countless hours listening and playing along to those records. At the same time, Carles started to hone his performance experience by playing in school recitals, band concerts, and talent shows. However, it was right before moving to Singapore in 2010 that twelve-year-old Carles had another love-at-first-sight moment, but this time, with the electric guitar. 

 

Upon moving to Singapore, he took up drums and guitar lessons at Academy of Rock. Moving to Singapore was a major part of his musical development, as it would allow Carles to take certified exams in both instruments, gain performing experience by joining the school’s flagship band, and reinventing his musical identity by falling in love with new music styles like funk, jazz, and fusion. It was during those years that Carles also deep dived into the drumming world and would discover many drummers, among them Vinnie Colaiuta and Simon Phillips, his two biggest influences that helped mold his true voice as a drummer.

 

By 2015, Carles had already obtained qualifications in both instruments, including a Performance Diploma in Drums from Rockschool UK, and had skyrocketed his performance experience, playing in a large variety of styles and environments, and performing in renown venues in Singapore, The Phillipines, Myanmar, and Malaysia. That same year, Carles started to keep an eye on the Americas, applying for and eventually receiving a scholarship to attend the Five Week Summer Performance Program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It was during the summer of 2015 that Carles spent five weeks in Boston getting a taste of Berklee, and had the opportunity to audition for a scholarship to study full-time at the college, which he would also eventually receive.

 

After graduating from highschool a year later, Carles embarked back to Boston in 2016 to commence his undergraduate studies at Berklee. During his time there, he has received awards from Zildjian and the Percussive Arts Society, including winning the Yamaha Young Performing Artists competition in 2018. Apart from studying with influential teachers like Dave DiCenso, Henrique De Almeida, and many others, he has also had the chance to play with world-class musicians such as Oscar Stagnaro, Simon Shaheen, Sheila E., et al. One special milestone was when Carles joined the Berklee Indonesian Ensemble in 2019, gifting him with the opportunity to play for the Vice President of Indonesia at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the General Assembly in 2019, his biggest opportunity yet. Carles graduated from Berklee in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Magna Cum Laude) and a Minor in Performance Studies in Latin Music (Magna Cum Laude).

 

Since graduating, Carles has kept himself busy practicing, composing, creating educational content, and developing his recording and engineering skills. He has composed examination pieces and technical exercises for Academy of Rock’s contemporary music examination program and has also released his debut EP, “It’s About Time” in March 2021.

 

Carles is currently a student at New England Conservatory, pursuing a Master's Degree in Jazz Composition to continue and further develop his musical education.