George Robinson

Based in Keene, New Hampshire, George Robinson has gained a reputation as one of the area's top musicians and educators.

Since arriving in Keene in August 2008, George has immersed himself in the local music community and is actively involved in a variety of musical and educational organizations. In addition to leading jazz, rock, funk, and cover bands that perform across the region, he has served as the drummer of the Keene Jazz Orchestra since 2009. With the KJO, a 501c-3 nonprofit organization whose mission is performing and perpetuating American Big Band music and promoting jazz education in the region, he has performed with world-class musicians such as Gordon Goodwin, Gary Smulyan, Frank Greene, Steve Davis, Bill Prince and Matt Glaser.

George has coordinated and hosted weekly live jazz series and other music performances in several locations in the Keene NH and Brattleboro VT area, and frequently plays with local big bands including the KJO, The Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, The Amherst Jazz Orchestra, The Jeff Holmes Big Band, and the Compaq Big Band. He currently records and performs with several musical projects, including Bay-Area jazz vocalist Rebecca Holtz, Jay Frigoletto and the Diplomats of Funk, indie rock band The 123’s, and progressive metal duo Colors and Patterns. George served as the house drummer at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH for three years and has performed with touring productions from Las Vegas, including “The Rat Pack Is Back” and “Barbra and Frank: The Concert That Never Was”. He has performed with renowned Boston musicians Scott Mullett, Bruce Gertz, Russell Hoffmann, Steve Hunt, Mark Pinto, Rick Hammett, Dave Landoni, Jay Daly, Christine Fawson, Amanda Carr, and Larry Pyatt.

George graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Masters of Music Degree in Drum Set Performance in 2018. At UMass, George performed with the Downbeat-Award-winning Jazz Ensemble I and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and played with internationally-touring jazz musicians Theo Croker and Chris Potter. Since earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Keene State College in 2012, George has gone on to study privately with some of the premier drummers in New England and New York, including Joe Farnsworth, Clarence Penn, Francisco Mela, Bob Gullotti, John DiSanto, and Tom Giampietro.

As an educator, George has worked with students of all abilities and ages, covering everything from basic skills and techniques to All-State and college audition materials. He serves as the Jazz Artist in Residence and Assistant Marching Band Instructor at Keene Middle School, works with jazz students at Keene High School, directs the Pep Band at Franklin Pierce University, and currently teaches private lessons at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT, at Keene State College, and at his home studio in Keene, NH. Though his main focus is on the drum set, George works with students of all instruments and abilities, teaching fundamental techniques, music theory and jazz improvisation on a variety of instruments including piano, vibraphone, trumpet, guitar, bass and saxophone. On the collegiate level, George served as a teaching assistant for jazz history classes at UMass Amherst, and has substituted for music theory and music improvisation classes, as well as jazz combo and jazz ensemble rehearsals at Keene State College.

George proudly plays Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Regal Tip brushes, Ludwig, Slingerland and Yamaha drums, Yamaha and Gibraltar hardware, DW pedals, Reflexx practice pads,  Remo heads and LP & Gope percussion.