Glasgow CREATE was thrilled to welcome internationally acclaimed jazz educator and performer Bethany Robinson to City Halls on 9–10 October for a series of inspiring sessions with pupils and staff ahead of the October holidays.

Bethany — a Yamaha Performing Artist, Grammy Music Educator Award Finalist, and Director of Jazz at Purdue University in the United States — is recognised globally for her work in developing outstanding jazz education programmes. She has led award-winning ensembles, presented at international conferences, and is celebrated for her dynamic and inclusive approach to teaching.

Her visit to Glasgow came about thanks to a connection made by one of our own percussion instructors, Robbie Houston, whose story highlights the power of professional curiosity and collaboration across borders:

“I first discovered Bethany Robinson on a podcast in early 2023, where she was being interviewed about her work with the bands at Noblesville High School, Indiana. The focus of the interview was around how Bethany managed to grow her school’s jazz band programme from its inception with one band, to having six full ensembles playing at the highest standard in the country — an incredible achievement.

At the time I had been thinking about how to enhance performance opportunities in schools for my own pupils, the majority of whom are drum kit students, and given the essence of this instrument is to play with others, I was looking for avenues to explore this in my own work.”

After hearing Bethany discuss the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference — the world’s largest jazz education gathering — Robbie was inspired to attend and reached out to Bethany directly.

“Bethany was very encouraging and generous with information and resources,” Robbie explains. “With support from the team at CREATE, I applied for funding from Creative Scotland to attend the JEN Conference in New Orleans, then travel on to Noblesville, Indiana to visit Bethany’s school. Both the conference and the school visit were inspiring. It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic students of all ages creating jazz together, and to meet some of the world’s leading educators and performers. Bethany introduced me to so many inspiring people whose resources and ideas I’ve since been able to bring home to Glasgow.”

On returning, Robbie launched a new Big Band project with S1 pupils at Bannerman High School — an experiment that saw a full class of beginners learning brass, saxophone and rhythm section instruments, and performing together within just three months. The project has since inspired further collaborative ensemble work across the city.

When Bethany mentioned she would be travelling to Europe in October, CREATE seized the opportunity to bring her to Glasgow for a two-day visit.

During her time here, Bethany spent a day at City Halls working with pupils from the Glasgow Schools’ Big Band and other young musicians, focusing on improvisation, groove, and the joy of collective music-making. The following morning, as part of our INSET day for Instrumental Music Instructors, she delivered a professional learning workshop exploring creative approaches to jazz ensemble teaching, rehearsal strategies, and inclusive musicianship.

Feedback from both pupils and staff was overwhelmingly positive, with many instructors already beginning to incorporate Bethany’s ideas into their own lessons.

“As we continue to grow ensembles in schools and across the city, raise standards of playing, and widen access to music-making,” Robbie reflects, “I’ll remember all I’ve learned from Bethany. Her work ethic and enthusiasm for music education are inspiring — and we’ll definitely keep in touch, because who knows what opportunities might be around the corner for our students and educators alike.”

A huge thank you to Bethany Robinson for sharing her expertise, energy and passion, and to Robbie Houston for helping forge such a valuable connection between Glasgow CREATE and one of the world’s leading voices in jazz education.

You can find out more about Bethany’s work via her website bethanyrobinsonjazz.com or follow her on Instagram at @bassbethany.