San Francisco-based drummer Robin Roth has earned her reputation as an in-the-pocket drummer, versatile in many styles. Robin's drumming is creative and she is skilled in polyrhythms. She anchors the bands with the strong sense of a deep, steady groove and is always interested in experimenting with new ideas. She is playful yet professional, with a transfixing stage presence.
At the age of ten, Robin started playing drums in symphonic and marching bands, including the California State Honor Band and the Stockton Drum and Bugle Corp. After a few short years on the snare, she was able to persuade her parents to splurge on a full drum set by using the line, "Please can I have a drum set? I could be famous someday!"
Robin came from a long lineage of German musicians. As fate would have it, her uncle's drummer had a heart attack and his band needed a drummer asap for their upcoming Moose Lodge gig. Having just gotten her drums a week prior to the unfortunate news, Robin had to figure out which drums to hit and when to hit them. Luckily, her "musical" family came to the rescue. Between her organ-playing sister, spoon-playing mother and accordian-playing father, it the blind leading the blind. Still at age fourteen, Robin was on her way with her first real gig in her uncle's Polka band.
After high school, rather than pursuing a psychology degree, she went on to pursue her passion in music. She was lucky enough to study with some of the greats. It was Chuck Brown who helped her master her chops through a methodical and disciplined approach. Her favorite was David Garibaldi, who taught her how to create polyrythms incorporating his 2 level sound concept. She came away with much, much more than just a "cookbook" of gooves.
Robin is drawn to many styles of music, playing rock, Top-40, reggae, funk, jazz, blues, and country. Local bands include Me Jane (Sluggo Records), Johnny Nitro, Monica Pasqual (of Blame Sally), Jill Knight (WobiMusik), Kitty Rose, Soul Drivers (toured Europe), Papa's Culture (Elektra), and Table Talk (winner of MTV Beach House Contest). National artists include Angela Strehli (Rounder Records), Shana Morrison (Vanguard Records), and Garth Webber (Red Rooster Records).
