John Tinger

Music has always been a major part of my life, ever since first being introduced to the guitar at 8 years old by a young lady who lived across the street from me. I heard her play, and i was hooked. Don't ask me what she played, but well enough to inspire me to desire my own guitar, and shortly after that moment, my parents bought me one. By the time I had reached early adulthood,my abilities were such that i was able to enter into collaboration with likeminded musicians, eventually leading to the creation of a band focusing ..ting edge experimental rock and heavy metal, and years later getting HEAVIER and HEAVIER, till i was playing thrash and death metal,along with my studies in classical guitar,while attending college.After many well received live engagements and promising recording sessions, my disillusionment with the commercial music scene began to grow.This eventually led to my putting aside my beloved instrument, a hiatus lasting some nine years. During that time,I grew personally,explored other methods of artistic expression, and put my music career in perspective. I began to realize just how important music was to me. It was becoming more apparent each passing year that the genuine expression of my musical soul might best be articulated in acoustic styles rather than the more provocative and energetic electric ,medium I had confined myself to in earlier years.Fingerstyle composers such as Alex Degrassi,Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Ed Gerhard, Eric Tingstad,Billy Mclaughlin, Will Ackerman,Chet Atkins,Daniel Hecht,spoke to me in ways that other guitar virtuosos had not. It was their commanding influence that brought me back to music, this time focusing on the acoustic medium exclusively. Update added! I have evolved currently with my musical preferences to the musical expressions of the ECM label artists. You will find Pat Metheny, Ralph Towner, and so many more amazing artists that create an awesome atmosphere with a lot of improvisation and storytelling with their instrumental music! in my early days I love the Windham Hill artists and I still do but the more Jazz and classical infused influence of ECM music is what I'm drawn to now as influential!

Athens, AL