Rob Coonrod

Rob Coonrod, son of classical musicians Michael and Jean Coonrod, was born and raised in Interlochen, Michigan. He completed 4 years at Interlochen Arts Academy as a guitar and theatre major, studying guitar with John Wunsch, and graduated in 2002. After traveling solo with his guitar to Europe, busking in Ireland and Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic, he then spent a year in Bolivia as a volunteer ESL teacher for a United Methodist sponsored agricultural school called Rio Colorado in 2003. Rob then attended CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) for jazz guitar and composition/songwriting, studying under guitar greats Miroslav Tadic and Larry Koonse. During this time he spent over 3 weeks in Cuba playing music with local musicians, after which he returned to Bolivia to travel and visit old friends and students. Rob then returned to live in Los Angeles, California playing with his band Three Trees, and in 2013 went on his first solo tour for his album “Unidentified Funk Objective”, playing shows all over the contiguous US and driving over 14,000 miles in 2 months. Rob has since moved back to Traverse City, MI and has started a gourmet mushroom farm and medicinal tincture company called MoonGarden Mushrooms with his wife Tara, they have been happily married since 2019. In the evenings Rob plays several shows a week either as a solo act or with his band, Jazz Cabbage, around TC and Michigan, and has been a featured singer/guitarist with Blues Traveler at Little River Casino in Manistee. In February 2020, Rob recorded a collaborative album of original and cover songs with a studio band called Smokehowl(with producer Matt Koeplin, Chelsea Marsh, Shane Brigham, Zeke Clemons, Brian Arnold, recorded at Studio Anatomy). Smokehowl released several more songs with the group in 2021. Jazz Cabbage released 5 singles in 2022, and will soon start recording their self-titled album to be released in the fall.
2023 has already had a busy start! In February 2023, Rob spent a month playing Key West and throughout the Florida Keys. You can find him playing events and local venues this summer all over Northern Michigan, he also hosts an open mic every Monday evening at The Barrel Room, next to and owned by Left Foot Charley at the Grand Traverse Commons.

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