First he worked on his master's degree in jazz piano performance from 2001 to 2003 in the studio of Vince Maggio (a student of pianist Oscar Peterson).

[9] His doctoral essay was titled Americana Suite: A Composition for Full Orchestra, Big Band, and Jazz Chamber Ensembles Inspired by American Master Paintings, and was published by the ProQuest Learning Company.

The album was "dedicated to the great Brazilian pianist Manfredo Fest, mentor and friend, who selflessly taught me the timeless art of jazz piano.

With respect to instruments Routenberg contributed the found sound sampling, the drum machine, vocal percussion, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, and piano, with guest artists such as Billy Contreras on violin and Patrick Lopez on trumpet.

[10] According to The Island Packet in 2004, in Lots of Pulp Routenberg "utilizes hundreds of effects that punctuate his original songs, such as the liquid sound of orange juice being poured into a glass.

"[11] In 2006 he won in the Downbeat Student Music Awards for "The Dove",[1] and in the 2006 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition he was one of the top 18 pianists.

[1] After having participated in the Television and Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis in 2007, he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation David Rose Scholarship.

His orchestral pops arrangements have been performed by American symphony orchestras including those of Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Naples.

It premiered in Lviv, Ukraine on June 21, 2014, by American jazz violinist Christian Howes, on invitation from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv as part of a "cultural diplomacy mission."

"[6] In 2016 Routenberg was chosen as the recipient of the second annual ASCAP Foundation/Symphonic Jazz Orchestra Commissioning Prize, which honors the legacy of George Duke.

Routenberg has released two jazz piano trio albums on Summit Records with bassist Nick Tucker and drummer Cassius Goens III—Every End is a Beginning (2017)[18] and Supermoon (2018).

[19] Routenberg is associate professor of Jazz Piano at Ball State University School of Music in Muncie, Indiana, where he teaches a variety of performance, theory, and history classes.

"[2] He has stated that influences on his work in jazz piano include Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Benny Green.