Patrick Dugan

Patrick Dugan aims to inspire others with the gift of music, his teaching method empowers students to discover their musical voice and express their artistic vision.

Patrick’s musical journey began at a garage sale where he purchased his first guitar from childhood friend, Dustin Drenk. Making rapid progress early on, Patrick was performing in bands almost immediately. After cycling through several local teachers, he was introduced to guitar instructor Tom Castonzo and they connected over their shared passion for Jimi Hendrix and the blues. Following several years of mentorship, Tom helped Patrick audition to the Berklee College of Music World Scholarship Tour and gain admittance to the prestigious music school in Boston, MA.

At Berklee, Patrick focused on a wide array of musical styles including jazz, blues, bluegrass, reggae, and funk. He had the privilege of studying with Richie Heart, Julien Kasper, and Marty Walsh, in addition to other luminaries. In 2006, he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's in Professional Music and returned to the Chicago area to teach and explore opportunities. His days consisted of teaching music classes in the afternoons and attending jam sessions in the evenings at venues such as Kingston Mines and BLUES on Halsted, that’s where Patrick met local artist Chainsaw Dupont and joined his band as the rhythm guitarist and keyboardist. Chainsaw Dupont and The Blues Warriors recorded several albums during Patrick’s tenure, including Ghost Kings of Beale Street at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, TN, and a live album titled The Real Guitar Hero.

After The Blues Warriors, Patrick began a new project to showcase some of his original compositions. Coined by vocalist Amanda Riva, Harlan Flo was a blues-driven rock band with a rotating cast of female vocalists. Their freshman album, Wheels of Time, was recorded at Rax Trax Recording Studios in Chicago, IL, and released on Fuzz Junker Records in 2008. They recorded and released a second album, Strategy in 2012. The band’s early momentum led to radio play on WXRT’s local anesthetic, a sponsorship from Axe Body Spray, and music video placements with Comcast OnDemand. Their progress started to wain however with personnel changes and they pivoted to an acoustic lineup to focus on smaller gigs around the Chicago area cover band scene.

Patrick met vocalist Lauren Wolf through an online posting in 2011 and together they became The Lauren Wolf Band. Early efforts paved the way for performances at the House of Blues, City Winery, and WGN morning show. They won the Live Nation Battle of the Bands in 2012 and recorded their second original album, Rise Up, with Chicago Acoustic Underground (CAU Dog) Records in 2012. The band has gradually slowed since the departure of percussionist Mervin Dimailig but a third album is in the works, the release date of which is yet to be determined.

Patrick also produced two children’s music albums for local artist Amy Peters, entitled Super Star and Come And Swim With Me. This was a step into the role of producer and engineer for Patrick as he performed the instrumental parts, guided the arrangements, and mixed the sessions. Patrick continues to seek out collaborations with independent artists and songwriters.

Outside of performing, Patrick has been a faculty member at Musical Expressions Teaching Studio in Naperville, IL, Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL, and online platforms such as Take Lessons, Wyzant, and Thumbtack. He specializes in private music lessons, performances, and recording projects.

Patrick holds firm to his personal philosophies that Black Lives Matter, women’s rights are human rights, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, science is real, and truth matters. He also believes that music and the arts are a vital cornerstone for the betterment of society and a gift to be shared and celebrated by all!