Biography

Robbie Bryant is an active professional musician and bandleader with many national and regional credits. He plays piano, keyboards, guitar, and electric(Fender) bass.

Robbie Bryant was born in New Orleans. He began performing in public at age 5, and by the age of ten he was singing in a relative's night club. He attended school in South Carolina, formed his first band, Psyclone, at the age of 16. Graduating from Greenville Senior High School in 1971, he then studied music at the University of South Carolina, majoring in composition and theory. By 1975, Robbie had moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he formed the jazz/rock ensemble Silver Shadow. He worked as a studio musician, writing and performing for regional radio and television jingles. He also toured the Southeast and Northeast, playing bass for several regional and national acts.

In 1976, Robbie moved to Los Angeles, California. In the years between 1976 and 1985, he continued his songwriting with the band Delta Star, perfoming in many local LA original music venues including The Troubador and The Central. He continued to work as a bass player in both Atlanta and Los Angeles. Credits include The Drifters, Chuck Berry, the Hollywood Argyles("Alley Oop") and more. His band Silver Shadow was a favorite on the local club scene.

Although he had played piano and keyboard on recording sessions for years, Robbie formally began piano studies in 1985 in the music department of Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California. He continued studies of jazz and pop piano styles at Dick Grove School of Music in Studio City, California. Private piano study included classical piano with Janice Bierman, pianist with the orchestra at Pepperdine University, and jazz piano with Ronnie Harris.

In 1995, Robbie began Upbeat Music Studio in Encinitas, California, where he teaches today.

Robbie continues to study, and is currently working on a piano recital presentation of French Impressionist Claude Debussy. He has recently made some local appearances playing bass, guitar and keyboard. With his broad background in performance and recording of commercial music, Robbie brings a unique quality to his teaching of all styles of music, combining classical pedagogy with a modern ear. Emphasis is placed on practical music theory as it relates to understanding, memorization and performance. Most important of all, students are encouraged to learn the music they enjoy and to have fun learning, listening and playing!

Robbie Bryant has appeared and/or recorded with Zorro de Piano, Moondance, the Mojo Brothers, Joseph Angelastro, Jeff Bishop, the Santa Claus Blues Band, the Cee Cee James Band, the Rockits, the Chromatic Cats, Julie Jeffries and Sea Horse, the Texas Twisters,Dead Flowers,the Clients, Lauren Morris, the Rolling Clones, Chuck Berry, Cimarron, the Hollywood Argyles, the Drifters, Gary Puckett, Silver Shadow, Pam Clark, Jackie Lomax, Ray Charles, Tony Contreras, John Jordan and Delta Star, Bobby Howard, Muddy Waters, the Diamond Lil Show and the R Bryant Band(Atlanta).

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