Otura Mun's music is definitely eclectic -- combining the improvisational styles of jazz music and the rigidness of electronica, and inspired by the rumba music of his residence of Puerto Rico. His unique mix of music with the band ÌFÉ has been featured on NPR and the NBC News website. And it was heavily influenced by his time at UNT, where he was a member of the UNT drumline.

"I'm using traditional African and Afro Cuban rhythms to make a modern African American statement," says Mun, who attended UNT from 1993 to 1998 under the name of Mark Underwood. "Our story as human beings is one of interconnectedness and historic precedent."

UNT's drumline was a frequent winner of the Percussion Arts Society International Competition in the 1980s and 1990s. Mun says percussion teachers Paul Rennick ('94 M.M.) and Robert Schietroma, who is now retired, helped shape his musical trajectory. His UNT connections stay strong today. Mike Duffy, his drumline teammate who attended UNT from 1993 to 1997, introduced him to executives at LP Percussion, which signed Mun to an endorsement deal.

"There's nothing else like UNT out there," Mun says.