Josh Robinson is a percussionist who began playing drums at age 5 in Woodstock, NY. He was influenced by his father's music career and radio show. In 1989, he joined a drum and dance ensemble where he was introduced to Latin, Brazilian, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Robinson's musical studies have taken him to places like Cuba and Brazil to learn from masters of percussion. Currently, he performs with several Philadelphia-based groups blending styles from around the world. Robinson also works as a teaching artist using percussion to teach communication, creativity, and cultural awareness.

1. BIO-
Percussionist Josh Robinson grew up around the music business and began drumming
on pots and pans in the basement in his hometown of Woodstock NY at age 5. Early
musical influences include hanging around the Woodstock recording studio for sessions,
sitting in on “Blues Break”, his fathers weekly radio show, and helping out behind the
scenes while his father worked as a sound engineer for “The Band” with whom he toured
the U.S and Japan. In 1989 he joined “Sankofa” drum and dance ensemble where he
was introduced to the instruments and rhythms of Latin, Brazilian, and Afro-Caribbean
music. The rhythmic quest has taken him to places such as Cuba and Brazil where he
has studied with masters of percussion with a strong focus on conga drums. He is
currently a member of "Alo Brasil", a 14-piece Philadelphia based Samba group, and
“Spoken Hand Percussion orchestra” a group that blends drumming traditions from
Cuba, Brazil, Africa, and India. He founded “Rhythms & Roots” Latin Music ensemble in
2000 with wife Giovana, and both were selected to the 2003 & 2004 Philadelphia Music
Project’s Latin Orchestra led by famed bandleader Johnny Pacheco. He performs on the
Philly “scene” with Latin/jazz groups, poets, DJ’s, theatre/ dance groups, and in a variety
of styles as hired “hands“. He attended the ATI (Artist Teacher Institute) through Arts
Horizons at Rutgers University and has worked with children and adults as a teaching
artist facilitating workshops, residencies, professional development, school assemblies,
and after school programs where he uses percussion as a tool for teaching aspects of
communication, teamwork, creativity, leadership, self-expression, and cultural
awareness through music and instrument making. He is affiliated with many
organizations such as Young Audiences (2013 Performing artist of the year), PA and NJ
State Arts Councils, and The Moyer foundation partners where he has facilitated
workshops for children at bereavement camps (Camp Erin) in PA, CA (Modesto
&Orange County), NY, and NE. He was a presenter at the 2015 NAGC (National
Alliance for Grieving Children) Symposium in Portland Oregon where he led the closing
plenary and has since been booking work around the country for centers, camps, and
conferences.