It all started when…

I had a plastic guitar at age 11, and thought it was a real guitar. I took my first lesson with my step-father, and to my extraordinary surprise my mother and step-father gave me a REAL nylon string guitar made out of actual wood at that first lesson! From then on, guitar pretty much became my life. 44 years later I can’t believe how many amazing journeys playing guitar has taken me on!

A bit about me….

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and after living in Virginia and Georgia for a while, my family moved to Minnesota. I started playing guitar at age 11. I began my professional career playing at age 15, and teaching at age 16. I have played in about a dozen bands over the years (original bands and cover bands), playing over 3,000 rock, blues, funk, and fusion gigs throughout parts of the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Cuba for crowds up to 10,000 people.  

Musicians Institute

I graduated from Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California in 1990. What a cool experience to study at GIT. I remember flipping through the catalog, seeing guitarists such as Paul Gilbert who had attended GIT, hoping that I could go there for years. And then I did. I am so grateful for the education I received there!

St. Paul School of Music

I own a music school in St. Paul, Minnesota called St. Paul School of Music. We hit 17 years being open in February of 2024! Music education is such an important and valued part of my life, so I count myself as truly lucky to be able to have a music school be such a big part of my life!

Guitar Teaching

I have taught an average of 50 students a week for over 39 years. I have been teaching more and more online and it has been a blast! So cool to meet people from all over the world! If you are interested in online guitar lessons with me fill out the form and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

The Stuff

In 1993 I recorded the album The Stuff, which later went on to be a collectors item among indie CD collectors. It sold for $1,125.01 on eBay! https://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/ebay-madness-the-stuff-st-1993-cd-sells-for-112501/ So wild and crazy!

My solo album

I released my first solo album, Reconstruction, in 2010. My album is blend of rock, funk, and jazz with influences from Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin music. As much as I absolutely love rock such as Van Halen, Rush, and Led Zeppelin, I also love the blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford, music from all over the world, and jazz artists like Miles Davis, John Scofield, and Bill Frisell. The result is that I am most happy combining musical styles!

My books

I have written and published four books that are available on Amazon and Google Play called ‘Secrets of The Electric Guitarist,’ ‘Teach Guitar,’ ‘Follow Your Excitement,’ and ‘The Half-Sized Santa Maria.’ Writing has been one of the most fun and fulfilling things I have done in my life. To explore a 2nd art form has been truly amazing. I hope you enjoy my books if you check them out!

What I am working on now…

The main new project I have been working on for the last year are YouTube guitar lessons. I was hoping to get my second solo album out, but alas, there is only so much time in the day! Working on my YouTube channel has been a ton of fun. I will continue to do that and see where it goes!

I am also still writing music and books. I published my first work of fiction recently. It’s a Novella called “The Half-Sized Santa Maria.” It was published in December of 2023. It was SO fun writing fiction, so I am really happy to have it out now!

All the best!

Rick