Biography

Robert's career has spanned both music and visual arts, creating award-winning work in both fields. Born in Louisiana and raised in New York City’s Greenwich Village by parents who were active in the arts, he was immersed in music, theater, literature, and the visual arts from an early age. His experience includes working for a number of years as a guitarist and composer in New York City, producing as well as performing on many recordings of jazz, blues, and popular music. He has composed for both theater and film.

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Robert served as Program Director (Dean), of a new online Bachelors degree in music Music Production at Full Sail University in Orlando. He was responsible for building and managing a program to teach music composition, theory, and production online.

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He's an active composer and educator, bringing to both endeavors his trademark enthusiasm and appreciation for artists and students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. He has composed a sizeable body of art music, released several CDs of original compositions, and toured the United States and Europe. Robert is well versed in the latest music computer technologies and maintains a state-of-the-art recording studio.

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Robert has taught university level courses in theory and composition and has received a number of prestigious awards and commissions for his compositions.

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Robert is the author of "Composition in the Digital World: Conversations with 21st Century American Composers", Published by Oxford University Press.
In this series of personal interviews with some of the most prominent composers of art music currently working on the American music scene, composer and educator Robert Raines leads the intimate conversations through subjects ranging from the source of inspiration to work habits, the realities of the business of music, and the impact of technology on music and life in the 21st century.

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EDUCATION

MAJOR PROFESSORS AND MASTER CLASSES:
William Averitt, Gary Burton, Martin Bresnick, Gil Evans,

B.B. King, Ladislav Kubik, Krzysztof Penderecki, Michael Torke, Chen Yi, and Ellen Taffee Zwilich. 

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Doctor of Music, Theory and Composition
Florida State University College of Music
Master of Music, Composition
Shenandoah University Conservatory of Music
Graduate studies, Orchestration and Conducting
Julliard School of Music
Bachelor of Music, Composition and Electronic Music
Berklee College of Music

 

AFFILIATIONS

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
The American Music Center, The College Music Society
The Golden Key International Honor Society
The International Society for Music Education
The International Society for Contemporary Music
The Society of Composers