Noah Robertson

Noah Edward Lee Robertson (born July 28th, 1983)

Noah Robertson is the energetic, drumming power-house behind the eccentric Dallas, Texas based metal band Surrealism. His technical prowess and raw aggression have earned him the name, "The Shark", and like the instinctively predatory shark, every ounce of his mind and body is dedicated to a single objective - only in Robertson's case it's not stalking prey - but making music. He states, "I have always had an intense fascination and admiration for these creatures, as far back as I can remember. The look in a shark's eye when it's in hunt mode, so focused on it's target...It just reminds me of when I'm up there on stage, feeling the music. When I'm really in the zone and there's nothing that can distract me or pull me away from that moment." It's these moments he describes that are drawing attention to himself and his drumming, which brings a level of intelligence and creativity to the music that is unparalleled by many of his peers, all while constantly pushing metal drumming's trifecta of power, precision, and speed to new levels.

Born in Oregon, but raised in Texas, his love for everything rhythmic and musical was present early in life. "I can't explain it, it's like I was born to do
this! Music has always been a huge part of my entire life and I've just always had a deep connection with music." He goes on to explain, "My mother claims she held a tape player to her stomach every night and she would play Beethoven and Mozart and stuff like that.
She believed that it stimulated your child's brain and made them smarter. I think I might have to try that
with my kids!" He began harnessing his percussive powers in the sixth grade by joining the school band
in his hometown of Lampasas, Texas. It would seem he was doomed from the start, however, when the band director informed Noah's mother that he should consider an alternative extracurricular activity,
because he would never progress in the school music program. He recollects, " The school band director
told my mother that I wouldn't ever be any good, because while everyone else was memorizing the music
he assigned, I would always be doing my own thing.

I guess I've just always been that way, I've always wanted to put my own stamp on music, you know? " His rebellious nature would prove to be a conflict many teachers thereafter, would learn to accept. Also, unlike many of his young classmates who seemed to find comfort in a primary instrument, Noah's hunger for musical exploration would lead him to experiment with a wide variety of instruments including orchestral drums, marching drums; marimba, xylophone, and various other mallet instruments, auxiliary percussion; piano, keyboard, guitar, bass and the list goes on. He remained in the school music program through high school, where he eventually joined marching band and was introduced to the instrument that would become the corner-stone of his style and technique on the drum-set; the tenor drums, or most commonly referred to as quads. Unlike the marching bass-drum and marching snare-drum, which both seemed to have limited melodic capabilities, Noah was drawn to the tenors because they featured four different drums of varying size and pitch; and therefore possessed far more rhythmic "voice". He remarks, " I went to a high school football game and saw the drum-line having a blast bashing away on these huge drums strapped to harnesses which allowed them to move around and play the drums. I loved how all the different parts weaved together to create cadences and grooves. It inspired me a lot! I practiced and practiced playing on four books spread out on the floor in front of me, trying to simulate the quads. Eventually I was good enough to try out." He marched the quads for three years, honing his rudimental chops, and eventually became the Drum-line Captain and Tenor Section-Leader. During this time, Noah was notorious for altering and re-writing the drum and percussion parts assigned to the drum section, without the band director even knowing. He comments, "Sometimes the director would hand us the most boring drum parts. Everyone on the drum-line would just look around at each other, so I'd make the parts way more interesting and complex."

It was also around this time that he purchased his first drum set from a friend who was quitting a small
garage metal band, and desperately needed a replacement. "My first kit was this thrashed, silver CB-700 kit I bought for 300 dollars...it had duck-tape on it and drumheads that looked like they hadn't been
changed in years and broken cymbals! Me and my buddies, we called ourselves Pendulum. We had a few
originals and played some shows in the local bars and school talent show and we just thought we were going to be the next Pantera!" Noah dove head-first into the heavy metal and rock realms of drumming and never looked back - absorbing drumming influences from many different artists from all different styles of music - from the infectious and powerful grooves of Vinnie Paul of Pantera and Igor Cavalera of Sepultura - to the intelligent and progressive stylings of Josh Freese of A Perfect Circle and Danny Carey of Tool.
Noah continued his music education onto college receiving a music education scholarship to McLennan
Community College in Waco, TX where he studied percussion and drumset under Jonathan Kutz and later
received a music education scholarship to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. It was there
that Noah met the core unit of musicians that would eventually drop out of music college together to
pursue their musical ambitions and relocate to the bigger and more opportune Dallas, Texas. He recalls,
"We all felt we needed to get away from the small town, conservative way of thinking we grew up
surrounded by. Just take a risk and go and make this happen! We literally gave up everything!" Surrealism
- or sometimes Srlsm - have been unleashing their distinctive blend of “Trip-Metal” upon the masses
since late 2005 and are rapidly gaining fans and garnering attention from the music and entertainment
industry.

When "The Shark" isn't attacking drums on stage with the ferocity of a Great White, he can be found
teaching private lessons to students of all ages or running his concert promotions and booking company,
Swimming with Sharks Entertainment - which started as a live radio show he created in college. Noah plays
Dream Cymbals, Tama Drums, Aquarian and Evans Drumheads, and Pro-Mark Sticks.

www.srlsm.com
www.myspace.com/srlsm
www.myspace.com/sharkdrummer

Surrealism - Texas Trip Metal
www.myspace.com/srlsm
www.srlsm.com