Aaron Serfaty was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began playing drum set at the age of fifteen and started to play professionally at seventeen. He did extensive work as a session and touring drummer from 1980 until 1991 with local and international artists such as Frank Quintero, Ilan Chester, Guillermo Carrasco, Carlos Mata, Guillermo Davila, Soledad Bravo, Elisa Rego, and El Trabuco Venezolano. He was also busy doing jingle sessions for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7-up, Bubbilicious, Toyota, Renault, Fiat, and several regional products.
In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles to study Jazz and African American studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Aaron has also taken lessons with Peter Erskine, Joe LaBarbera, Jeff Hamilton, Jerry Steinholz, and Juan Oliva. Since his move to the US he has played with artists like Stan Kenton’s 100th birthday celebration orchestra at The Hollywood Bowl (on percussion), Arturo Sandoval, Sergio Mendes, Jon Anderson, Oscar Hernandez, Otmaro Ruiz, Dori Caymmi, Rique Pantoja, Teka, Oscar Castro-Neves, Denise Donatelli, Kristin Korb, Kathleen Grace, Bill Cunliffe, Shelly Berg, Justo Almario, and Alan Pasqua among many others.
He has done sessions on drums and/or percussion for many artists, among them Jon Anderson, Arturo Sandoval Larry Williams, Joe LaBarbera, Juan Carlos Quintero, Juan Gabriel, Eddie Reyes, Brian Swartz, Todd Hunter, a song for the movie Rio, Angry Birds Samba, Along Came Poly, and other independent releases - see “Albums” page for more! Aaron has also recorded jingles for Viceroy (worldwide campaign, 2001) and EA Sports MLB (2001).
Tours have included Arturo Sandoval’s European, Asian, and Latin American tours between 1991 and 1996, and Australian tour 1997. Jon Anderson’s 1993 Latin American tour, Larry Williams’ Japan tour 2003, Shelly Berg with the Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar, Caracas 2009.
He has done clinics and master classes at the Lima Jazz Festival in Peru (2006), First Latin American Drummers Festival in Caracas, Venezuela (2004), French Polynesia Conservatory of Music in Papeete, Tahiti (2005), Conservatorium Van Amsterdam (March 2018), and Amherst College (April 2018).
As a teacher he has taught at Los Angeles College of Music (1997-2014), at The California Institute of the Arts (2000-2014) and is currently on faculty at the University of Southern California (1997-present) where he conducts the Latin Jazz Ensemble, teaches drum set, and a Latin Percussion class.
"Remo has set the standard for how a drumhead should sound." "Every drum out there sounds better when a Remo drumhead is on it!"
"Remo percussion is the most innovative instrument out there."
Photo courtesy of Hannah Arista.
