Rick Cyge

I've been teaching acoustic fingerstyle guitar for over 40 years! I especially enjoy helping developing guitarists find their own "voice" on the guitar and develop techniques to create their own arrangements of songs and pieces of music as solo fingerstyle guitar pieces. We will explore various tools and techniques for creating your arrangements. For me, teaching at this level is as much about mentoring my students and guiding them on their own journey of exploration and discovery and making sure they are having a good time in that process!

I've been performing and recording professionally for as long as I've been teaching.  My musical influences are broad and range from The Beatles, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and other "Baby Boomer" artists, World music guitarist Pierre Bensusan and New Age Guitarists Michael Hedges and Will Ackerman. Culturally I've drawn inspiration from Celtic, African and Mediterranean influences as well as the classics like Mozart and Bach to form my unique musical identity.

I co-created the group, "Meadowlark", with my wife, flutist Lynn Trombetta and have written over 40 original compositions for acoustic guitar and flute. Meadowlark has released 9 CDs over twenty years of touring, performing and writing. Two of our recordings, "Legend of the Land" and "FreeFall" charted on the International New Age Top 100 Radio Airplay!

I have also released a guitar/vocal duo CD, "Are You Happy Now" with my partner in Seymour & Cyge, Chris Seymour. Most recently, I released my first solo fingerstyle guitar CD, "GUITARtistry", featuring my own arrangements of "Baby Boomer Classics" for acoustic fingerstyle guitar.

I currently perform in Northern Arizona 4-6 nights per week and live in the beautiful setting of Sedona, Arizona!

I have been teaching guitar in private instruction and workshops for most of my life.  During my career as a professional musician, I owned and directed Wood & Strings Music Center in Arlington, Massachusetts for about 10 years where we offered private instruction and workshops on various instruments.  By the time I sold the business in 1988, my staff and I were teaching 250 students per week.  Over the many years I've been performing, composing and recording as well as teaching, I have developed an approach to teaching what I do on acoustic guitar that offers unique insights and a well thought out stepwise breakdown of the process I use to create original fingerstyle arrangements of popular songs.  I consider my process of instruction more of a mentoring than "teaching".  I help the student develop their own skills to give them the tools and independence to create their own arrangements and apply the knowledge throughout their own growth and evolution as a player.  I consider it a priveledge to have the opportunity to impart knowledge and understanding and guide mastery to a student who has chosen me to help them achieve their dreams on guitar.