Meet Rob Labig

 
 

Hello there!  I am the owner and principal instructor at RL Drum Studio. Thank you for checking out my website. What follows is a little background info about myself and why I do what I do. 

As a full-time music educator and performing musician, I began operating RL Drum Studio in Grand Junction, CO in 2001. Shortly after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Colorado Mesa University in 1997, I knew I had a passion and a special ability to pass on my knowledge and skills. Even though I toured nationally and internationally (which I loved) and been a part of innumerable studio recordings over the years (also passionate about), it became my mission to enable learners of all ages to achieve their dreams of being able to play and perform drums or percussion far above their present ability.

I grew up in Western Colorado. When I was young, I had this massive, compelling desire to play drums with excellence. But pre-YouTube and other avenues we have today, I had to teach myself, learn, practice and perfect those skills necessary to play well in the various ensembles I was in. You can imagine this was a slow process. And that was extremely frustrating for me since I knew there were amazing things I had the potential to do but lacked the training or skill.

I began teaching because there was no one else offering private lessons for drum set. I knew first hand the tremendous need for someone to provide drum set instruction. What has followed is years of growth, knowledge and lots of young children, teenagers and even adults in this region learning and growing in their skills on drum set or even percussion.

I live in Grand Junction, Colorado with my wife, Jennifer, and our four children. In addition to operating RL Drum Studio, I'm also a drum-line coach, competition judge, and clinician. I am the musical director of Talking Rhythms, a percussion ensemble which provides interactive musical education in schools and the greater community. I have worked with innumerable artists and ensembles / bands all over Western Colorado, and I have performed with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra since 1992 and the Western Colorado Jazz Orchestra since 2003.

Here's the most important part - it's my objective to reach the individual - show them they have the potential, ability, to learn and play great. Sometimes that includes correction, but mostly it takes support, encouragement, and lots of “doing it!”

I currently use a thorough curriculum covering rudimentary studies, reading, and drum set styles spanning about 5 years, depending on amount of practice and age of the student.

I look forward to helping you or your student achieve their dream of playing drums or percussion. 

 
“Rob has been my drum & percussion instructor for two years. I have only been playing drum set for one year. In that time, Rob helped me to become a better drummer and percussionist. I did not have any musical background until I started band in middle school and having Rob as my teacher. With Rob’s help, I was able to make the Jazz Band as a drummer and also received a Superior rating in my solo and ensemble performance. I would not have been able to achieve either of these accomplishments without Rob’s help. Rob is an amazing teacher. He is patient, he is nice, and a lot of fun. He gets to know his students and their personalities. He asks about school and my personal life. He makes me want to practice and he is very motivating. He works on proper techniques and helps to perfect the little things needed to become a master drummer. He models how to play correctly and inspires me to become a better drummer and musician.

Johnathan Cain – age 13
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“Our son Johnathan has been taking drum lessons from Rob Labig for almost two years. Johnathan began with no musical background and in that short amount of time, Rob has turned Johnathan into a musician. More importantly, Rob has made Johnathan LOVE music. Rob’s teaching style is what makes him such a phenomenal instructor. Rob gets to know his students on a personal level. He is patient, kind, funny, and has a magical quality of pushing a student to reach beyond their limits in a safe, caring environment. Rob takes time out of his personal schedule to visit his students when performing in other arenas, such as the CMU music camp, middle school and high school band performances, solo and ensemble, as well as musical festivals in the valley. It is these personal touches that make Rob stand out from other teachers. We feel blessed that our son is able to take lessons from Rob Labig. He is an icon in this valley and is well-respected not only for his musical talent and teaching abilities, but also through his impeccable character. Rob Labig is truly one of a kind.

Paul and Debbie Cain

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