Robert Simmons

Robert Simmons is a young, upcoming musician from Antigua and Barbuda. He started playing the steel pan at the age of three at the House of Culture with the National Youth Steel Orchestra under the tutelage of Victor “Babu” Samuel; it has been eighteen years since he first started playing.

Since then he has expanded his musical abilities by learning to play other instruments such as the drums, guitar and other percussion instruments. After a few years of being at the House of Culture Simmons also attended the Gemonites Steel Orchestra’s School of Pan and the Le Chateau D’or Music Academy (LCDMA), which had the greatest impact on his musical development. There he learnt steel pan, piano and guitar.

During Simmons’ high school years, he participated the choir, glee club, marching band and steel orchestra; over time he began to help arrange various beats and became captain. In 2010, he participated in a community talent show and played in his first National Panorama with the Flow Hells Gate Steel Orchestra, after which he saw a drastic improvement of his skills and began to take pan as more of a serious career choice than a hobby.

By 2011 he started arranging his own pieces. Simmons’ role model, Khan Cordice, inspired him and with this drive, in 2015 he became the youngest arranger for the National Panorama Competition at 19 for the Originals Steel Orchestra. He has also arranged for the All Saints Secondary School for the National Junior Panorama.

Presently, Simmons is attending the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, pursuing his Certificate in Music with hopes of furthering his level of education to a BA in Musical Arts.