A B O U T
Hailing from Miami, Florida, and currently based in Boston, Massachusetts, Sam Cruz is a percussionist with a passion for creating community and opportunity through music. Born into a highly musical family, Sam grew up surrounded by many different styles of music from a very young age, and was heavily supported by the presence of the South Florida Center for Percussive Arts, a non-profit organization founded by his father Brandon and mother Wendy, in his life. Over time, Sam has refined a unique personal sound inspired by a variety of diverse musical traditions, such as jazz fusion, classical music, progressive metal, Cuban folkloric music, and the marching arts.
Sam’s career in music has been a multi-faceted experience, with many accolades across different musical worlds. Currently, Sam is pursuing his B.M. at Berklee College of Music, in which he is double-majoring in Music Business and Performance, and studying with world-renowned musicians, such as Francisco Mela, Evan Marien, Dave DiCenso, and many others. Sam also maintains an active working presence in both the Boston and South Florida area as a jazz musician, where he leads multiple ensembles that perform and record his original compositions and arrangements. Additionally, he is also currently an undergraduate student at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, a specialized performance program designed to emphasize the power of music as a tool for the betterment of society. At the Global Jazz Institute, Sam is very fortunate to work alongside some of the most prolific jazz musicians in the modern world, including Danilo Perez, John Pattitucci, and Joe Lovano. Sam has shared the stage with many well-known jazz artists, such as Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood, Tal Cohen, Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere, Brandon Goldberg, Tom Lippincott, Nicole Yarling, and many others. In 2022, Sam performed at the Litchfield Jazz Festival as an opening act for singer Samara Joy, and in 2023, Sam performed with the Jazz Band of America at that year’s Music for All Conference, which was directed by UNT One O’Clock Lab Band Director Alan Baylock. Other notable venues in which Sam has played in a jazz context include Agganis Arena, the Berklee Performance Center, and Pinecrest Gardens.
Sam has also spent years playing, touring, and recording for various alternative DIY bands in the Boston and South Florida areas, such as Brownie Points, Mind State, and Wallower. He has had the opportunity to open for various national touring bands, such as Zeta, State Faults, Dreamwell, ASkySoBlack, and many more.
Sam also has experience as a classical percussionist. He was a member of the 2025 Carolina Crown Front Ensemble, has toured in Italy with the South Florida Youth Symphony, played alongside the New World Symphony as part of the organization’s 2023 Side By Side Competition, played alongside members of the President’s Own Marine Band with Les Art Nouveau Chalumeaux, South Florida’s premiere clarinet choir, and played at the FMEA Annual Professional Development Conference as a member of the Florida All-State Concert and Symphonic Bands.
Some awards Sam has received throughout his life include a full tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music (2023), a full tuition scholarship to the Litchfield Jazz Camp (2022), 1st Place in the WDNA Litchfield Jazz Camp Competition (2021), and Grand Prize in the Young Talents, Big Dreams Talent Competition (2019).