Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Robertson.
Hi Brandon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m originally from Tampa, FL, where I was born and raised. I started my musical journey in 5th grade when I decided to pick up the double bass. I started playing in the orchestra my first year in high school, then that same year , I was introduced to jazz. I began perfecting my craft and eventually got accepted into the FSU Jazz Studies program. After graduating, I started touring, working with Bobby Sevaggio, Marcus Roberts, Dr. Zach Bartholomew, and other Florida musicians for about 5 years. Then, I went back and received my master’s degree from FSU in 2014. Currently, I am the director of jazz studies at the Bower School of Music at Florida Gulf Coast University. I’m also the director of Artis Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra (Naples, FL) and the Gulf Coast Youth Jazz Orchestra (Fort Myers, FL). I’ve also secured a 1.5-million-dollar endowment to further jazz studies at FGCU.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been several ups and downs, for sure. One thing that’s been a struggle is building a program from scratch. Many factors go into building a jazz program from scratch. Even though it’s a slow process, the goal will be reached one day. Without struggle, you don’t know how to grow and become the best version of yourself. I’ve had to sacrifice so much to get to where I am now, and I enjoyed the struggle because it’s truly made me a stronger individual today.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As stated before, I’m the director of jazz studies at FGCU; I teach all the jazz courses offered at the Bower School of Music. I teach Jazz Combo, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Appreciation, and Jazz Methods and Techniques. The jazz ensemble is one of the premiere ensembles at Bower. I take pride in being able to teach my students how to be professional musicians and also the business aspects of the music industry. One of the things I’m proud of is the Emmy nomination my jazz ensemble scored back in 2018. This was a nomination not expected at all. My jazz students have enjoyed working with Benny Benack III, Laila Biali, Jalen Baker, Jason Marsalis, and the late Dan Miller.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Honestly, I hit up Adventure Islands with my cousins every other weekend growing up!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonrobertsonmusic/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100001907273505
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@brandonrobertson5089?si=Nt7YFjSbtbL7S42X
