Forrest Robinson

My name is Forrest Robinson. For as long as I can remember, music has been a major part of my life. I guess it's safe to say that ever since I was a kid, I've always known that being a musician is what I've wanted to do. I realized right away, however, how certain people felt about that. Yes, even a child can understand what adults mean when he or she hears them talking about "musicians who get strung out on drugs and hanging out in the gutter; sleeping around and whatnot"- which brings me to another thing: I was made aware from a very early age, of the trap that something like drugs, alcohol, and addictions in general can put a person in. By faith, there is always hope in this situation, though it's not easy. However, "not trying it" is the best way for me to quit doing it. This is something that I try to always stay conscious of because in this life today, and in this industry, these things sometimes have a way of being hard to avoid.

So I try my best to keep clear of these "distractions", Lord willing. But back to what I was saying, thank GOD, I was too young to know to get discouraged from all that I was hearing people say about musicians and the life of a musician. I loved it too much and was having WAY too much fun. I loved the place that music and arts took me. Simply put (without detail), music saved my life.

I started playing drums when I was 4 years old and haven't stopped since. I just fell in love with something about it; I'm still not quite sure what it is, except for how it made me feel. But it wasn't just drumming that I felt a calling for. Ironically, music without drums is something that I've also loved since the onset of my love for drumming. As a matter of fact, my love for this type of music preceded my love for drums and drumming. This love, I believe was a premonition of my path. This particular type of music ultimately wound up being coined as "New Age" music.
When I was 11 years old, I learned of a record label called Windham Hill, which was formed by William Ackerman who was the CEO. He was also an artist on the Windham Hill label as guitarist and composer and has released a number of albums on Windham Hill as well as succeeding labels: Gang Of Seven and Imaginary Road Records. It wasn't until I heard William Ackerman that I felt myself bursting at the seams to get what I was feeling out into the open and hopefully into the ears of others. I would hear so much beautiful music on the radio and then suddenly drums would come in and "intrude the vision and direction". Out of frustration of wanting to hear more of the beautiful sounds that Will Ackerman and other artists on his label like Liz Story, Alex DeGrassi, Mark Isham and Michael Hedges created I felt like I had no choice but to start writing music somehow.
So just as I had done with drums, I decided to try my hand at the piano, learning by ear. I usually say to folks that I don't take requests. I only play what I write. I love to write my own music. I believe in it, and it is my passion. So that's really all that matters to me because if nothing else, it's honest. It's safe for me to say that I love this as at least as much as the percussive world. I feel truly blessed to do what I do. I draw inspiration from many different types of people both musically, and in life in general by their missions, talents, gifts and purposes. It's all one love as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for letting me entertain you with a bit of my background. Many blessings to you!
Forrest Robinson