About Me
Robert Jerome's Reverb Nation Page
Robert Paul Jerome DOB 12/07/1990
Singer-Songwriter Swing-Performer Pianist
Robert’s music career started when he was first was spotted (on film) playing piano at play school when he was nearly four years old! By the age of seven Robert had taught himself to play keyboards and piano by ear.
Having attended many piano lessons over his early years, it is fair to say Robert was never comfortable reading music, and has always preferred to play by ear. None of his then piano teachers could understand how he played so well, especially when he had no music in front of him!
In the end, his teachers suggested Robert should seek a piano teacher who was a jazz improvisationist.
On the singing front, Robert joined "Choirwood", in 2000. This is the school children choir group, based in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, who perform at various venues across the county.
When Robert was 12 years old he composed "Love for You". Robert's parents contacted Simon Baldock of BBC Radio Essex, who invited Robert in to perform his songs live on air.
The following year Simon Baldock re-invited Robert to BBC Radio Essex, to perform "Never Leave us Alone", a song Robert wrote solely for the BBC Children in Need event. This song was broadcast several times and played at various venues, part of the proceeds of the sale of the CD were donated to the charity. Robert promotes the CD each year and now shares the proceeds raised with Children In Need and with the Red Nose Day Charities, taking a small amount out himself, to cover his production costs and expenses.
It was at the Rayleigh Hall in December 2001 that Robert became ill with influenza. He then contracted a second virus, and his health seriously declined. He was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME). This illness lasted for several painful and frustrating years. The illness crossed with Roberts' important stages of his educational development, requiring Robert to have to be educated at home. This continued until he eventually returned to full time education in September 2005.
Having missed four years of full time education, Robert still managed to attain an A grade in GCSE music as well as five further decent grades in his core subjects. He will be completing his AS levels before joining The BRIT School in August this year, when he will be 17 years old, where he will be studying a BTEC course in Music for the next two years.
Robert says he motivated himself throughout his illness with his love of music and his ongoing desire to compose songs and to perform again. Today he does all of this, with much greater determination !
Whilst Roberts’ music and writing are wide in genre, he has always had a first love of swing, inspired by The Ratpack. His own style and compositions have been described by music industry decision makers, as "a writer and performer of pop ballads with a feel good factor, whilst being very commercial in appeal." Robert's has managed to attract audiences ranging across all age groups.
Being a versatile performer and songwriter, Robert is as comfortable singing and playing the Rat Pack Swing genre of Sinatra and Dean Martin or a Cole Porter number, as he is singing songs in the style of Elton John, Jamie Cullum and Michael Buble, Neil Sedaka, Ronan Keating. Paul McCartney and of course, his own compositions.
Robert's father, Philip, co-writes lyrics for most of his compositions, and helps maintain Roberts' websites. He also co-manages Roberts' London and UK performances, and assists with in-house recordings for privately commissioned work of Roberts' compositions.
Robert has also recently collaborated with lyricist "Lauren John" and composed a Rock Fusion style song called "Mosaic" which you can find on Robert's Myspace site on the Reverb Nation music player and on Lauren's Myspace by clicking here .
Robert entered the 2007 UK Songwriting competition, with five of his own compositions under both the Pop and Lyrics headings.
These are Summer Feeling, Out Of This World, Mosaic, Once Again and Sandra's Song. Only the Lyrics for Mosaic were written by Lauren John, and they reached the semi finals as did Roberts' music arrangement and composition for the song.
Under the Pop genre, the following songs were judged this year, and Robert is a semi-finallist for: Once Again, Out Of This World, Sandra's Song and Mosaic.
The following Lyrics written by Roberts' Dad, Philip also made it to the semi finals: Once Again, and Summer Feeling.
The song, Summer Feeling was judged and rated as Highly Commended for Robert. His Dad, Philip's Lyrics for Out of this World and Sandra's Song were both rated as Highly Commended.
That made a total of seven Semi-Finallist and three Highly Commended scores this year out of the total of ten entries Robert made in total.
We hope you enjoy all of the material sung on this site, and would appreciate your candid comments on any aspect of Roberts' work, either at this site or at www.robertjerome.co.uka target="
