About Rob
Rob Hirons is a drummer, drum teacher, and recording musician. His vast playing experience includes performances, tours and albums with St Christopher, The Rob Donnelly Band, Watcha Clan, Rona Hartner, Jean Michel Kajdan, Therese Themlin, Nasser Ben Dadou and Hofmann Family Blues Experience to name but a few. As well as these projects, Rob has played with the busiest gigging bands in the region including The Page, and more recently Plan B with over 60 live dates in 2023 alone. Never one to slow down, Rob has also recently founded his own powerful jazz fusion trio Isnard – Tomi – Hirons.
Rob started out his drumming career studying with teachers Ray Payne, Ronnie Bottomley, Dave Hassell and Tony Faulkner in England and then later with Dom Famularo in New York. He graduated at the City of Leeds College of Music in 1996 gaining his Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Jazz Studies, before moving on to teach at the college during the following year.
In parallel with his work as a performing and recording musician, Rob has also heavily dedicated his career to drumming education. Rob is Course Director, drum teacher and music theory teacher at the acclaimed music school MLC Marseille. He teaches on the Drum Course throughout the year and directs the school’s week long intensive courses for drums, guitar, bass and vocals during each holiday period.
As well as teaching sessions with students, Rob has regularly performed at larger educational events such as drum clinics, camps and masterclasses both in Europe and in the USA. Working in partnership with Gretsch Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Promark Sticks and Evans Drumheads, he has performed alongside such drummers as Carmine Appice, Damien Schmitt, Mike Terrana, Dave Lombardo, George Kollias, Dirk Brand, Dom Famularo, Aquiles Preister, Gabor Dornyei, and Pete Lockett. Rob gave a dynamic drum clinic performance alongside John Favicchia at the prestigious Drummers Collective in New York City and also performed at many of the renowned Sam Ash retails stores on the East Coast of the USA.
Having this constant desire to share modern drum techniques with others, Rob wrote the book Groove Facility with Dom Famularo. Distributed by Alfred Publishing, Groove Facility sells worldwide and has gained excellent reviews throughout the drumming community and press.