ABOUT

Autobiography | Musical Journey | Formal Education | Non-Formal Education | Specialties

|YOCELYN GEA

Hey Everybody! My name is Yocelyn Gea, with a Y, not J, please. I am a drummer, educator, arranger, & composer. My childhood dream was actually to become a basketball player, but my height had other plans for me : ) My professor once told me that music has to be something that you’re grateful for and that became my foundation. I’ve always try o create music like I’m grateful for it.

| Autobiography

I was born in Tangerang, Indonesia, on May 19, 2005. Although I grew up in Tangerang, I have a strong Sumatran heritage through my parents. From them, I learned the values of resilience, independence, and perseverance. The ability to navigate uncertain and unexpected situations with confidence.

My family does not come from a professional musical background. Both of my parents work outside the arts, but music was always present in our home. Like many Sumatran families, they loved singing karaoke and would enthusiastically sing their favorite songs, “Sai Anju Ma Au” over and over again. My older brother took piano lessons when he was young, I remember vividly I was usually running around the room and causing a little bit of chaos while he was learning scales and pieces. My sister also enjoys singing, although I think she was mostly inspired by the musical interests of her siblings.

Growing up, I tended to enjoy activities that were traditionally considered more “for boys” than “for girls.” (All blame goes to my brother). He said, whenever my parents bought me Barbies or dolls, he would secretly hide them and hand me a soccer ball instead. He wanted me to play with him and not with my dolls. Yup, I got into his trap :D. Well, it later became the main reason that led me to choose the drums as my first instrument.

|My Musical Journey

I started playing drums when I was in third grade. It happened completely by accident. My school had just introduced a new extracurricular music program where students could take private lessons with the music teacher. We were given three options: guitar, piano, or drums. As you can probably guess, I chose drums. Why? Well, at the time, I thought drums were something boys played, while piano and guitar felt like instruments girls would choose. I was very much a “go against the current” kind of girl. Right after school ended, I ran to my mom and excitedly told her that I wanted to take drum lessons. She looked a little confused and paused for a moment. But when she saw how brightly my eyes lit up as I talked about it, she didn’t ask any more questions. She simply smiled and said yes.

Long story short, I had my first lesson. I brought my rolling drumstick that my mom bought for me, I walked into the music room. I was beyond excited. For the first time I saw a real drum kit in front of my eyes. I immediately ran to it and started examining every piece, amazed by how large it was compared to my tiny body. At the time, It was HUGE. One of the first things my teacher taught me was the names of the different parts of the drum kit. I clearly remember him pointing at the toms and telling me that Tom 1 was Tom 2, and Tom 2 was Tom 1. I was completely confused. Why wouldn’t they just number the toms clockwise? I believed that for almost two years before realizing that my teacher had been joking the entire time. A few months after my first lesson, I had my very first drum performance at school. I played “Hatiku Percaya” by JPCC Worship. It was the first time I had ever performed in front of hundreds of people with all eyes focused directly on me. Instead of feeling nervous, my confidence boost up, I nailed my first performance.

When I was in 5th grade, my mom enrolled me in a more professional music school: Purwa Caraka Music Studio. At the time, I had no idea that it was founded by the legendary Indonesian musician, Purwa Tjaraka. Looking back, this was the place where many of the experiences that shaped me as a musician truly began. Not long after I started taking lessons there, I told my mom that I wanted to quit. I claimed that I needed to focus on studying for my final exams and prepare for middle school. It sounded like a reasonable excuse, yet I just made things up.

By 8th grade, I decided to return to music school. This time, something had changed. I was no longer taking drum lessons just because they were fun, I had become genuinely interested in learning the instrument and improving my skills. I started performing more often and gradually gained enough confidence to enter drum competitions. Then, in 2019, I was offered the opportunity to participate in an international competition in Singapore called the Asia Pacific Arts Festival. To this day, I still do not know what gave me the courage to say yes. With only one month to prepare, I learned two repertoires and flew to Singapore with my mom and little sister, who came to support me. Everything felt exciting until I saw the venue. The stage was much larger than I had imagined, and the reality of performing on an international stage suddenly hit me. I spent the days leading up to my performance feeling nervous and overwhelmed. To calm myself down, I lowered my expectations and told myself that earning a regular medal would already be enough. When competition day arrived, I walked onto the stage carrying two pairs of drumsticks, one in my hands and another tucked into my back pocket as a backup. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a terrible idea. As soon as I started playing, the spare pair slipped out of my pocket and fell onto the stage. I ignored it and continued performing, focusing on the music and trying to express myself through every note. Then disaster struck. One of the drumsticks I was using flew out of my hand. Suddenly, I was left playing with only one stick. Panic immediately took over, but stopping was not an option. I continued playing with one hand while signaling to the stage staff to help me take the fallen stick. Everything felt chaotic. My nerves went up, my mind was racing. Somehow, I managed to finish the performance. When I walked off the stage, I smiled and acted as if everything was fine in front of my family and friends, but inside, my heart was pounding. I felt disappointed, embarrassed, and convinced that my performance had been ruined. By the end of the day, I was not hoping for a ranking anymore, I was not even expecting to receive a regular gold medal.

When the award ceremony finally arrived, I lined up with the other participants to receive my medal and certificate. By then, my heart was no longer pounding. I had already accepted what had happened on stage and was convinced that I would probably receive a silver medal. Then my name was called: “Yocelyn Gea, Distinction Gold Medal.” I was happy, but also completely confused. At the time, my English was not very good, so I had no idea what a Distinction Gold Medal meant. All I understood was that I had received a gold medal instead of the silver medal I had expected. Standing there with my medal, I turned to the friend beside me and asked, “What is a Distinction Gold Medal?” He looked at me and said, “Bro, you’re in the finals.” I was shocked. A few moments earlier, I had been convinced that I had ruined my performance. Now I had somehow advanced to the final round of an international competition. I did not know how to react. Inside, I was screaming with excitement, but on the outside, I simply smiled, posed for photos, and acted as if I had expected this to happen all along.

The next day was the Grand Final. I had not prepared any additional repertoire, so I simply chose one of the two pieces I had already prepared for the competition. Honestly, I was already happy just to be there. Making it to the finals had exceeded all of my expectations, so I did not see any reason to hope for more. The routine was familiar, I walked onto the stage, played my piece, took a bow, and walked off. As I watched the other finalists perform, I became even more convinced that I would finish in either second or third place. Their performances were incredible. At that point, all I could do was thank God for bringing me this far and trust that whatever happened next was meant to happen.

When the award ceremony began, I stood there waiting for the results. Then came the announcement that completely changed my life. I was named the Grand Champion of the Asia Pacific Arts Festival. First place. I was speechless. Even today, I still wonder how I got there. How could a kid who had dropped a drumstick in the middle of her performance and spent part of the song playing with only one hand end up winning an international competition? It did not make sense to me, but I chose not to question it too much and instead be grateful for the opportunity and the outcome. That competition became a turning point in my musical journey. After returning home, I began receiving invitations to perform at larger festivals, including Fruit Tea World Festival and Futuristik Festival by SMAN 8 Tangerang. I also continued competing and earned several awards, including Second Place in the Purwa Caraka Virtual Music Competition and Third Place in Indonesian Talent Week organized by Yayasan Musik Jakarta (YMJ). In addition, I was invited as a guest speaker on the talk show “Berani Berisik: Anak Muda Berprestasi.” Looking back, that competition taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life, perfection is not what defines a performance. Sometimes, what matters most is having the courage to keep going when everything seems to be falling apart.

|Formal Education

A. UPH College (High School) | 2020 – 2023

Music Pathway, 2022-2023

Before pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I studied at UPH College Music Pathway, a two-year music foundation program that follows the curriculum of Universitas Pelita Harapan Conservatory of Music. The program provided a university level music education and allowed me to develop strong fundamental skills through courses such as Classical Music Theory, Solfeggio (rhythm, melody, interval, and harmony), Contemporary Ensemble, Private Lessons, Artistic Interpretation, and Music History. These experiences shaped my musicianship and prepared me for the next stage of my musical journey.

Experiences & Achievements (Music)

  • Elective Band (2020 – 2023), studied with Novia Arifin & Debora Jemadu
  • UPH College Music Team as a drummer (2020 – 2023)
  • Speaker at Youth Conference: Music Pathway (2021)
  • Music Pathway (2022 – 2023), studied with Daniel Winardi, Ratna Nur Salim, Novia Arifin, Febe Charista, Chelsea
  • Drummer at Commencement Ceremony (2022 & 2023)
  • Young Musician Awards at UPHC Awards (2022 & 2023)
  • Drummer at Alumni Networking Day (2022)
  • 1st Place Canisius Band Competition with UPH College Band (2022)
  • Internship: Music Teacher at Purwa Caraka Music Studio (2022)
  • 1st Place Xpress on Stage talent competition with The Funky Chocolate (2023)
  • Internship: Music Teacher at Royal Music & Arts (2023)
  • “Under The Current”, Yocelyn Gea’s Senior Recital (2023)
  • Guest Performer at UPH College Awards with The Funky Chocolate (2024)

Experiences & Achievements (Non-Music)

B. Berklee College of Music | 2023 – 2026

Bachelor of Music: Performance & Contemporary Writing & Production

Performance at Berklee helped me develop both my technical abilities and my approach to practicing the drums. I learned how to build complex rhythms from fundamental rudiments while expanding my musical vocabulary across a wide range of styles. Although I entered Berklee as a Funk drummer, my studies introduced me to Jazz, R&B, Brazilian, Latin, and other world music traditions. Through three years of exploration, I discovered that R&B, Funk, and Jazz are the genres that best represent my musical voice. Under the mentorship of Neal Smith, Billy Kilson, and Marko Djordjevic, I built a strong foundation through methods such as Syncopation, the Alan Dawson Rudimental Ritual, and the Marvin “Smitty” Smith Rudimental Ritual. These studies not only strengthened my performance skills but also equipped me to create effective learning materials for my own students.

Contemporary Writing & Production is a versatile major that equipped me with skills in arranging, composing, producing, scoring, and music notation. I studied writing for a variety of ensembles, from vocals and rhythm sections to horns, strings, and full orchestra. My projects have included R&B, Fusion, Funk, Orchestra Pieces and works inspired by Indonesian traditional music. I also learned how to professionally communicate musical ideas through notation.
Through the program, I developed my ability to create original compositions, including music for film and advertisements.

Experiences & Achievements:

|Non-Formal Education

Purwa Caraka Music Studio | 2015 – 2021

Experience & Achievements:

|Specialties

Drummer

Arranger

Media Composer

Music Educator

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