Rob Cournoyer's Educational Background

Born and raised in Houma, Louisiana, Rob did all of the school band programs done by most future professional musicians. Knowing at a young age exactly what he wanted to do with his life, he spent his high school years playing drums in bars and nightclubs around the tri-parish area. “Drinking age was 18 at the time but nobody seemed to care that I was too young”, Rob remembers. “Nobody asked and I didn’t tell.” While playing every weekend with the cover bands Wyzard and Fully Loaded, Rob learned and performed many songs. It was during this early period that he developed a serious approach to practicing. “When I was in the tenth grade my goal was to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In order to be prepared for the entrance audition I had to learn many aspects of drumming that weren't used in the rock and pop music I was playing. I called Berklee’s percussion department and inquired about method books and techniques I should be familiar with, then I went to work.” Jazz and Latin techniques, reading and writing drum charts and learning to play the marimba were the types of studies Rob pursued. His efforts paid off when, in 1986, Rob was admitted into Berklee College of Music.

Concentrating in both the Professional Music and Performance programs, Rob immersed himself into the Berklee environment. “While a big part of the Berklee curriculum is concentrated on the student’s primary instrument, it wasn’t only about becoming a better player. I also learned about how the industry works. That knowledge helped when I moved to New York City after college.”