A percussionist and composer that synthesizes styles from the numerous ensembles she has been a part of, Ayana Cummings creates and performs music that is misleadingly complex and tragically beautiful. With her work, she aims to produce music that always has a section where a listener could nod their head or tap their foot. The wide array of influences she uses reveals her zeal for experimentation and discovery. She refuses to categorize herself as any single genre musician, and her full, layered sound in wind and percussion compositions, popular music productions, and film scores reflect this. When listening to her music, there is something new to be heard with each time it is repeated.  

 

Being a percussionist is a fundamental element of all the music Ayana composes. She writes with an intent to highlight rhythm and meter equally with that of tonality. Her full band piece The Road Ahead was commissioned by a colleague who is a middle school band director in Georgia. Her String Quartet 0 was recorded in a live rehearsal by the SORA String Quartet in Brooklyn, New York. In 2018, she ventured into music production and has produced tracks that are now available on all streaming platforms. She has collaborated with YouTube creators as well to create theme songs for their channel. The focus of Ayana’s career is film scoring. She curated the music for a short film as part of an international film festival and has composed music for an online marketing campaign. 

 

As a percussionist, Ayana has performed at many venues with various ensembles. She has been a leader in the majority of the groups she’s played with. She was featured at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, DING Percussion Event, Honda Battle of the Bands, Alabama Intercollegiate Band, Queen City Battle of the Bands, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, and Alabama State Honors Recital. She is currently a member of the Atlanta Drum Line and frequently performs at celebrity events and music video shoots in the metro Atlanta area. 

 

Ayana was featured in a February 2021 issue of VoyageATL magazine as part of their Inspiring Artists series where she was interviewed about her journey with music thus far. She discussed her unabridged process of writing music that has literal depth in its sound and in its purpose for being created.  

 

An Atlanta native, Ayana graduated Summa Cum Laude from Alabama State University with her Bachelors in Music Performance in 2018. Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York City for her residency with the NY Arts Program. Ayana currently lives in Atlanta and is actively working to excel as a composer in the film industry. She loves to travel and eat food from different cultures. Her love of eating has developed into a like for cooking.