Education
Education is a central pillar of Ulysses’ career. He has been fortunate to hold several roles that allow him to make a meaningful impact within jazz and performing arts education.
Ulysses is in demand as a lecturer, clinician, and consultant, and is the Founding Artistic Director of his family nonprofit organization, Don’t Miss a Beat, based in Jacksonville, Florida. He also serves as Small Ensemble Director in the Jazz Studies Department at The Juilliard School and is a Jazz Drumset Instructor for Drumeo, where he teaches online courses to more than 5,000 students globally.
Don’t Miss A Beat
Founded in 2008 by Ulysses Owens Jr. and his family, Don’t Miss a Beat has been in existence for over 18 years. Rooted in heart, arts, and community, the organization is dedicated to creating life-changing experiences for at-hope youth in Jacksonville, Florida.
Through its Broadway Experience after-school and summer programs, as well as its musical theatre productions, Don’t Miss a Beat empowers young people through arts education and performance.
The Juilliard School
Returning to The Juilliard School as a faculty member has been a full-circle moment for Ulysses. He has served as Small Ensemble Director in the Jazz Studies Department for over ten years and has collaborated with the Alan D. Marks Center for Career Services and Entrepreneurship.
During the 2021–22 academic year, Ulysses also served on Juilliard’s EDIB Committee (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging), working alongside faculty, students, and administrators to help foster a more equitable environment for the entire Juilliard community.
Drumeo
Drumeo is an online platform offering an organized drum curriculum, artist-led courses on popular topics, over 5,000 songs transcribed note for note, and a supportive global community of students and teachers.
In November 2023, Ulysses’ first Drumeo LIVE introduced him to Drumeo’s audience of over five million subscribers and fans through a series titled How to Play Jazz on the Drums. That same month, his video Ulysses Hears Nirvana for the First Time garnered over six million views and counting. He also successfully launched his course 30 Day Jazz Drummer in November, teaching more than 5,000 enrolled students, and created an accompanying e-book as an educational resource for participants.
Ulysses has also partnered with Musora, Drumeo’s parent company, creating several videos with his Generation Y Band titled Jazz Meets Nirvana, which have collectively garnered over seven million views and counting.