Jacob Robinson

B.M., Oberlin Conservatory of Music; M.M., Manhattan School of Music

Drum Set, Buckets & Beats

Faculty since 2011

Whately, Massachusetts

Drummer Jake Robinson has been teaching and performing in the New York area since earning his Masters in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music on scholarship. While in school, he studied under world-renowned drummers Billy Hart and John Riley, and additionally with Gary Bartz, Marcus Belgrave, and Robin Eubanks. A most versatile player, Jake is well versed in many different styles and stays busy performing Jazz, Funk, Pop, and everything in between. He gives clinics and masterclasses throughout NYC and New England, tours nationally and internationally, and has performed at world-class venues including Birdland NYC, Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Canterbury Cathedral in England. At the Conservatory, Jake also serves as Assistant Dean and Director of the Summer Music & Arts Programs.

“My approach to teaching the drums is based on 3 tenets: Building proper fundamentals and technique, introducing a variety of music and styles, and guiding students’ down the musical paths towards which they gravitate. It is important to me that all of my students learn how to read music and play with good technique, but it is equally important to open up their ears to the vast amount of music that pertains to the instrument. Not only does this expand students’ knowledge of the instrument and of music, but it helps them discover which music speaks to them the loudest. When capable enough, I utilize the Alan Dawson method for drum set, which uses several classic percussion texts, such as Syncopation by Ted Reed, and Modern Rudimental Swing Solos by Charley Wilcoxon, to apply rudiments to the drum set, develop limb independence, and discover the challenges and applications of Jazz drumming.”