Biography - Robin Thornton

Robin Thornton - Teacher

At a young age, I decided that I wanted to be a Musician.  I did not believe that I could support myself with one instrument, so I set about training as a multi-instrumentalist.  To this end, I have specialist knowledge of all styles of Singing, Guitar, Piano, Bass Guitar and Drum Kit.  I have more generalist knowledge of Percussion, Double Bass and Chordophones which are not Guitars - I have given lessons in Mandolin, Banjo and studied a little Lute in University.

I began teaching in 1993 and progressed to owning my own studio with a staff, assisting me.  I found the demand for my teaching grew and decided to reduce the business size.  I now teach from my home in Banchory (Aberdeenshire, Scotland), providing individual, person centred, lessons both in my studio and online.  

My Educational path has taken me through a Teaching Diploma and Undergraduate, which included components in Kodaly and Classroom Teaching.  I also studied my Masters of Music with Dr Phillip Cooke.  

I describe my teaching as, “Teaching classically, although not necessarily Classic”.  Lessons are taught from a classical foundation - not limiting the growth of the student - exploring the music which currently interests the student.

Robin Thornton - Composer

I came to Composition later in life, having established my Teaching Practice, in the North East of Scotland, in 1993.  To begin with, my Performance Career, showed most success with Bands culminating in 144 concerts in 2007.  I then went on to study my Undergraduate Degree - where I had works performed at workshops by The Edinburgh Quartet and the Auriga Quintet - and discovered that Composition was where my heart lay.  Both the Edinburgh Quartet and the Auriga Quintet commented on the intricacy of the inner parts which I wrote.  My background in Bands informs my Compositional Aesthetic.  This may explain my lack of a ‘top down’ approach: favouring an ‘inside out’ approach.

I went on to study under Phillip Cooke for my Masters Degree where I had works by Paul Mead and Sir Michael Berkley.  I established my voice as a Reductionist Composer.  Reductionism is a branch of Post Minimalism.  Reductionism develops in a direction opposed to the Post Minimalist style of Adams and Nyeman.  Post Minimalism uses techniques derived from Minimalism, in a broader lyrical style.  Reductionism is austere.  One motif is composed and all other material in the piece is derived from that material.  Nothing is added. My interest lies in how the smallest material can be reimagined to make large scale works.