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Rob Brandon
Adjunct Music Faculty
Rob Brandon
rbrandon@worcester.edu
Faculty Office
Office Hours:
Virtual by appointment only

Bio

I began playing music in 1995 when he was six years old. I studied piano for six years at Indian Hill Music School in Littleton, Massachusetts and switched to drum set when I was 12 years old.

I graduated in the spring of 2016 from The University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Music degree with a double major in Afro-Cuban Percussion Performance and Recording Arts. In August 2023, I graduated from Boston University with a Master’s Degree in Music Education. 

In September 2024, I began teaching here at Worcester State University! I teach African Drumming I and II, Afro-Cuban Applied Music Lessons, and Digital Music Creation I and II.

MU-222 African Drumming I

This course introduces a selection of drumming styles from the Ewe (Eh-weh) people of Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Students will learn how to play African drums and auxiliary percussion instruments in a collaborative environment and participate in a performance at the end of the semester. Students will concomitantly be introduced to Ewe life and culture. Prior musical training is not required and there are no prerequisites for this course.
3 credits LASC Categories: GP or CA

MU-223 African Drumming II

This course is a continuation of the material covered in African Drumming I and First Year Seminar African Drumming. Students will enhance their African drumming and auxiliary percussion skills in a collaborative environment and participate in a performance at the end of the semester. Students will concomitantly be introduced to Ewe life and culture. African Drumming I or First Year Seminar African Drumming are prerequisites for this course.
3 credits LASC Categories: GP or CA

MU-102 Afro-Cuban Percussion Applied Lessons

This course focuses on bongo, congas, and/or timbales. Students will work in a one-on-one (or small group) setting to establish fundamental skills that can be used in an Afro-Cuban ensemble and applied to other genres of music. Students will concomitantly be introduced to Afro-Cuban culture. Prior musical training is not required and there are no prerequisites for this course.
1 credit LASC Categories: ICW

MU-275 Digital Music Creation I

This course introduces core concepts and tools for creating music with computers and electronic technologies. Students gain foundational knowledge of acoustics, sound perception, and MIDI while developing hands-on skills in audio mixing, digital signal processing, and basic sound synthesis. Emphasis is placed on technical proficiency, critical listening, and the use of digital audio workstations in contemporary music production and composition.
3 Credits LASC Categories: CA or NSP

MU-375 Digital Music Creation II

This course is a continuation of the material covered in Digital Music Creation I, building upon previously acquired skills to further explore techniques using computers and electronic technologies. Students will learn additional elements of signal processing, sound synthesis, enhance their perception of sound, and learn how to mix a multitrack session. Digital Music I is a prerequisite for this course.
3 Credits LASC Categories: CA or NSP
2023
MA Music Education
Boston University
2015
BSA Afro-Cuban Percussion Performance and Recording Arts
University of Colorado Denver
2007
High School Diploma
Concord Carlisle High School