MY HOME MUSIC SCHOOL - ONLINE MUSIC LESSONS
EDUCATION and PERFORMING BIO
Robert received his education in Trumpet Performance and Composition/Music Theory at The Boston Conservatory where he received a Bachelor of Music Degree. He also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Music at UNH. Throughout his 26 year career as a professional musician, he was a founding member, business manager and performer for three music groups. The first was the Granite State Brass (1998-2005), a classical chamber group specializing in recitals, wedding ceremonies and summer bandstand/gazebo performances. The second was the New Hampshire Wind Ensemble (2002-2005), a community wind ensemble made up of professional performers, music teachers and non-professional community musicians. The third was The Cookie Combo (2007-2013), a jazz combo that performed various types of engagements including wedding receptions and dances. In addition to his own groups, Robert was a member of the Moe Breton Big Band (1996-1999) and the Freese Brothers Big Band (2005-2008). As a freelancer, he performed throughout Northern New England performing in weddings, swing bands, orchestras, musical theatre productions and church services.
Examples of Robert's playing and composing can be heard on his MySpace site: https://myspace.com/bobcouturiermusic/music/albums
ROBERT'S TEACHING and STUDENTS
As a private lesson instructor since 1995, Robert is comfortable teaching students of all ages and levels of interest and is accomplished at teaching in the genres of classical and jazz music. Many of his students have gone on to major in music as a career. They have been selected into the following honor groups and festivals: MA All-State, MMEA Senior and Junior District Festivals, NH All-State, NH Jazz All-State, All-New England Band Festival, NHBDA Middle School Honors Band, NH Middle School Festival. In addition, they have performed at elite venues such as Boston Symphony Hall, the Newport Jazz Festival and the House of Blues-Boston and participated in student honor groups such as: Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble (MYWI), Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras (NMYO), Concord Community Music School's Scholarship Jazz Ensemble, NH Youth Symphony Orchestra (formally GYMSO) and NH Youth Jazz Ensemble. They have also attended the following summer music programs: the Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, MA, Jamey Aebersold's Jazz Camp in Louisville, KY, the Berklee Summer Performance Program in Boston, MA, the New England Music Camp (NEMC) in Sidney, Maine and the Summer Youth Music School (SYMS) at UNH.
In addition to performing, private teaching, arranging and composing throughout his career, Robert has coached chamber music ensembles, presented workshops and master-classes and served as the Jazz Program Director for the Ted Herbert Student Jazz Program (2008-2012). He is a former faculty member of the Ted Herbert Music School in Manchester, NH (1996-2015), the Concord Community Music School in Concord, NH (1999-2010) and the Georgetown Middle/High School in Georgetown, MA (2009-2015). In addition, he was an Elementary School Band Director in Nashua, NH for 11 years (2000-2011) and is currently teaching band and strings at the Christa McAuliffe School in Concord, NH.