Extended Bio

The fancy version:
If there is one thing you must know about Sean Gill, it’s that his thirst for the intricacies of music is never ending. Yet it’s the simplicity of his music that brings the listener in. Armed with only an acoustic guitar Sean is able to bring every aspect out of the instrument, from the percussive way he hammers the string to provide the beat to the elegant phrasing of his melodies. One of Sean’s passions is traveling and you feel every foot step, every mile crossed in the matter of minutes through out his albums. It truly is the perfect music to relax and enjoy the ride to.

Sean recently transplanted from his home town of Milwaukee, WI to the scenic landscape of Colorado in hopes to find inspiration for his next record. His musical passion began as most teenage boys do, falling in love with the guitar licks of Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. In the pursuit of of his passion Sean found himself studying Jazz and Classical Guitar under the likes of jazz guitarist Don Linke and composer John Downey at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.

His time at UWM cultivated the amazing guitar styling’s Sean uses today. Sean has released 4 instrumental guitar albums with a 5th on the way in 2014. Each album displays the mastery of the American Fingerstyle. His love of the road gives each album the touch required to transform the listener on his journey through America.

The personal version:
I grew up in southeast Wisconsin, a little college town called Whitewater. A nice place to grow up, but a place you had to leave when you had the chance I think. We had good teachers though, and my tiny senior class of less than 100 produced a number of great musicians (besides myself) including the excellent singer/songwriter Jeffrey Foucault, world-class percussionist and educator Jamie V. Ryan, and the multi-faceted conductor, composer, and teacher Dr. Erika Svanoe. I went to college like I was supposed to. Didn't quite study like I was supposed to. UWM and that region of Wisconsin was a hotbed for fingerstyle guitar, largely due to John Stropes being the the area and involved with my school. I studied jazz and classical rather than fingerstyle, but I absorbed as much as I could from everyone around me. 

Since college I've played all kinds of music, done studio work, and taught. I've been in a prog metal band called Strange Land for 14 years. Sometimes I think I may be unfocused, but I don't think it could be any other way. Thrash metal one minute, lilting classical the next. Seems totally normal to me.

My mother is alive, my father passed before he was 60. I've been divorced. I've since found someone who really understands. I packed my life in a moving van and moved myself to Denver in 2010. I had to leave Wisconsin, and Denver is a good place to come home to. I'm still looking for the place I never want to leave. 

The dry version:

Musician with over 20 years of experience as a performer, published songwriter, studio engineer and teacher. Visual artist with 20 years experience in painting, drawing, digital art, and pre-press design

EDUCATION
1999 University Of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
BA - Music, Guitar Performance (Jazz and Classical)

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
• 23 years playing guitar. Rock, metal, blues, jazz, fingerstyle, classical performance. 
• 20 years playing electric bass. Rock, metal, blues and jazz styles.
• 18 years recording, engineering and mixing
• 14 years experience with computer based music and DAWs
• 20 years performing with various groups including musical pit bands, classical quartets, big band jazz, and 12 years with progressive metal band Strange Land (please see full list below)
• Recorded and mixed over 8 albums of original material with various projects, mastered 5 of those albums
• Studio guitar work including progressive rock and country sessions for Hal Leonard Publishing
• 20 years designing CD artwork, logos, web graphics, illustrations, original paintings, and other graphic design and art work

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1999 - present, Freelance musician, engineer, music engraver, and artist – self employed
2006 - present, Music Engraver/Writer/Artist/Production Tech Plank Road Publishing - Brookfield, WI
• Engrave music for publication in printed products and for recording sessions using Finale notation software
• Write original songs for publication
• Graphic design, layout, and illustration for publication projects
• Miscellaneous pre-press duties including preparing PDFs for digital press
2000 - 2007, 2013-present Music teacher
Self Employed - Milwaukee, WI and Lakewood School of Music, Lakewood, CO • Taught individual lessons in: guitar, bass, music theory, composition, recording technology. All styles, levels and ages

• Emphasis on basic skills and creativity. Many students formed bands and write their own music. A number of students continued with music in college

AWARDS
Progressive Rock Hall Of Fame 2010 Engineer of the year (http://www.progressiverockhalloffame.com)
Progressive Rock Hall Of Fame 2011 Progressive Hard Rock Album of the year for Strange Land – Catharsis (http://www.progressiverockhalloffame.com)

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Music Software
• Multitrack Recording: Cubase, Reaper, ProTools, Logic
• Audio Editing: Bias Peak, Audacity, T-Racks
• Notation: Finale, Sibelius, Notion
• Various plug-ins and virtual instruments including: Amplitube, Alchemy, Kontakt
Music Hardware (Real world use): M-Audio Delta 1010 and Delta 410, ProTools Mbox, Lexicon Omega, Tascam US-2000, various outboard gear
Graphic Design Software: Adobe CS4 and CS6 (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat), Quark Xpress

SELECT BAND LISTING
Trinity Demask (folk - guitar, vocals) 2010 - 2012
Stone Soup Soldiers (world fusion/film score - guitar, bass, synths, programming) 2010 - present
Strange Land (Progressive Metal - guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) 2000 - present Delusionist (technical metal - guitar, vocals) 2010-2012
The Well (Prog/Pop - guitar, vocals) 2008 - 2010
Catherine Scholz (singer/songwriter - bass, percussion, studio engineering) 1999 - 2003
Sean Gill (solo acoustic) 1999 - present
Mr Lucky Swing Syndicate (guitar sub) 1999 - 2002
Les Artiste Big Band (guitar sub) 1999
UW Milwaukee Jazz Band (guitar, bass) 1995 - 1998
Wisconsin Conservatory Of Music Classical Guitar Quartet - 1998

OTHER RECENT NOTABLE WORK
Pit Band – CU Boulder's production of Rent (2011)
Composer, trailer demo for Biohazard, indie zombie movie (2010)
Stone Soup Soldiers tracks featured in Bollywood films Janaleva 555 and Salt and Light; Composed score for UK sci-fi short Never Forget The Brave (2011), Grey State movie trailer (2012)
Recording Engineer - Eric From Philly (July 2013). Engineered full cd for Healing Sounds and tracked extensive demos for additional cd.