Music is at the center of student life at Ramaz, from the school’s clubs to its performances. GO President and senior Ben Abayev ‘27 is a core member of the Percussion Ensemble and one of the school’s most dedicated young musicians. 

Ben’s love for music began at a young age. He grew up in a household where his mother played piano and ‘90s music filled the living room. Although he always had a love for music, he didn’t formally start playing until his freshman year of high school, when Percussion Ensemble director Mr. Ehran Elisha came up to him after an ordinary music class and asked him to attend one of the Percussion Ensemble’s Thursday rehearsals. As a freshman, Ben said he felt a little intimidated by the invitation but reluctantly agreed to go.

Abayev admits he was surprised by how much he enjoyed the rehearsal and eventually decided to stick around for the rest of his four years of high school. During his time in the ensemble, he has developed a self-proclaimed, “near-perfect sense of rhythm,” and has begun to master instruments he hadn’t even heard of before stepping into room 702. From where Abayev sits, “Being in the music room for an hour and a half every week for four years just naturally trains your abilities.”

Despite having picked up many instruments in his time in the Percussion Ensemble, Abayev’s favorite drum is called the floor tom. It’s a drum that sits on the floor, and as Abayev put it, “you can just whack away at.” He also says its authentic sound makes him feel like “some sort of tribal warrior.”

His advice to the next generation of musicians is to simply keep practicing and improving every day no matter what. “Music is a talent like all others,” he said. “Some might be naturally better at it, but practice is crucial to development.”

Outside of his time in the Percussion Ensemble, Ben enjoys playing electric guitar at home for about thirty minutes almost every day, which he says helps strengthen his skills on his other instruments as well. While Ben humbly insisted that, “I wouldn’t call myself a musical genius,” he does believe that his time playing music at Ramaz has clearly made a lasting impact, giving him new skills, new interests and most importantly a meaningful connection to music.

Abayev in the center holding a tambourine, with his fellow members of the Percussion Ensemble and maestro Mr. Elisha during the Ramaz dinner in 2025.