"Pursue my passion or bust"... we don't know who said it, but it might as well have been Ian.  A Seattle native, Ian is currently finishing his Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance at the University of Washington. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College (Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Washington. He also attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and has studied music in many locations around the globe, including India, where he studied tabla, and Portugal.  Ian grew up at ground zero of the nascent Seattle grunge scene, but his interests have always lay more with jazz and world music than rock.

Ian has studied privately with Tom Collier, Ray Holman, Moise Lucas, Hal Rees, Matthew Kocmieroski, Mike Carusoe, Ed Hartman, and Michael Rosen, among others.  This distinguished list of teachers represent some of the top percussionists in the country and includes individuals who have worked with the Seattle Symphony, the Jackson Five, countless movie and TV soundtracks, Frank Zappa, Freddy Hubbard, George Michael, Diana Ross, and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, just to name a few.

Ian performs with, arranges for, and manages the Ian Dobson Globe Band and the Pan Leggo Steel Drum Band. He has jammed, performed, toured and recorded with many bands, orchestras, and theater companies including: French Guitarist Patrick Sua?, Members of Pearl Django, Magdalen Hsu-Li, Arne Livingston and Dale Fanning of the Living Daylights, Stone Gossart of Pearl Jam, Jason Fyn of the Presidents of the United States of America, world renown pan player Ray Holman, Andy O, Scott Law, Arturo Rodgriquez, University of Washington’s prestigious #1 Studio Jazz Ensemble (Roy Cummings, director), Rufus Reid, Eva Ybarra, Edmonia Jarrett, Ponticello and Chris Murphy, the Seattle Repertoire Jazz Orchestra, Jackson Berkey of Mannheim Steamroller, and  others too numerous to mention.  He has also worked as a recording session musician at top local studious such as Bear Creek.

Ian has also performed internationally in such places as Venezuela, Chile, Thailand, Holland, and Germany.  Ian frequently plays outside of Washington State, from Los Angeles to New York and beyond.

Currently Ian makes his living as a performer (bandleader and side man), composer/sound Designer, and as a clincian and teacher in world music and jazz.  He strives to combine his love of travel, culture, and language with his passion for music and technology.  His vision is to bring the world together in a small way through music and technology.

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