Born and raised in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Jose has been performing on percussion instruments since he was five years old. At age 11, he began formal music lessons with Professor Jose “Tito” Rivera at the Escuela Libre De Música de Humacao. At 12 years of age, Jose started performing with Humacao Symphonic Band under the direction of Professor German Peña Plaza. With the Humacao Symphonic Band, Jose traveled to Venezuela, New York, Costa Rica, Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. At age 14, Jose received formal percussion lessons from Professor Jose "Pepe" Torres at the Escuela Libre de Música de Caguas. Under Torres direction, Jose performed with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico State Band, and also with a variety of local bands.
By the age of 17, Jose was accepted into the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music where he studied percussion with Professor Jose Alicea. Under Alicea's direction, Jose played for the America Youth Symphony Orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1994, Jose moved to Miami, where he attended the University of Miami and Florida International University. Later moving to Orlando, FL where he worked with many local bands and had a Full Time Job at Walt Disney World. After earning a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Central Florida, he pursued a Master of Music in Music Technology and Game Audio Production at Southern Utah University, graduating in 2022, and then a Doctoral of Education in Applied Learning Science from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fl.
Throughout the course of his life, Jose has had the opportunity to perform with renowned artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Tito Puente, Marcos Barrientos, Gerson Kelly, Danilo Montero, Mike Orta, Bobby Cruz Jose "Papo" Rivera, “Tapping Ninja” Mike Guerrero, Charlene Stewart, Gypsy Kings, Martin Valverde, Nestor Torres, “Steel Pan virtuoso” Liam Teague, Giovanni Hidalgo, Greg Bissonette among many others. He has also performed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom “Tarzan Rocks” and “The Village Beatniks” shows and at Universal Studios Florida’s “The I Love Lucy tribute show!”, among many others. Jose divides his time between New York and San Jose, Costa Rica where the “Contemporary Drums and Percussion Certificate Program” is held.
Additionally, Jose is proudly associated with Pearl Drums and Percussion, Paiste Cymbals, Remo Drum Heads, Pro-Mark Drum Sticks and Mallets, Purecussion Percussion, and Cympad, endorsing their products in his musical endeavors.