continued…

When I was twenty-six I got an opportunity to play in the orchestra for a local production of the musical “Chess”. During the next three years I was hired to play guitar (and sometimes banjo) in several more musicals by two amazingly talented musical directors: Rick Bogner and Michael Sebastian. I am indebted to these men for opening new horizons for me. Using some of the money I earned from these shows I bought a computer, sequencer and keyboard.

By age twenty-eight I stopped playing in bands on a regular basis in order to focus on serious composition. I got Walter Piston’s book “Orchestration”, several Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and other classical scores and started to study intensely.

I was a completely self-taught musician and composer. I was then fortunate enough to spend some private lesson study time with Professor John Fannin of Murray State University in Kentucky. He helped me get a better handle on many finer details of musical composition.

Between 1999-2005 I worked at Bethel University as their Library IT Technician. I created and maintained their websites, built and maintained their digital catalogs, academic databases & resources. As a full-time employee I was able to pursue and in August 2005 acquire a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music under the guidance of Dr. Alan Cross, Danny Ray Martin & Dr. Kui-Im Lee.

Since 2005 I’ve worked full time as the self-employed owner of my own Schlegel Entertainment Company. I am an instructor at www.GuitarTricks.com. I am grateful to owner of GuitarTricks, Jon Broderick, for the opportunity to work with him.

I earned an endorsement with Gibson-Epiphone Guitars in 2007. They gave me a Joe Pass model Epiphone Emperor II in exchange for doing jazz guitar video lessons in the style of jazz guitar genius Joe Pass for Gibson.com. I am very proud to be able say I am doing my small part to carry the torch of beautiful, solo, chord melody jazz guitar with the guitar named for one of my heroes.

The music that I am selling on this website is the culmination of all my talent. Glorious romantic symphonies, piano concertos, solo piano waltzes, guitar sonatas, string quartets, short orchestral pieces, electric guitar instrumentals, pop, rock, jazz, and fusion songs. Please take the time to listen to a few audio samples of my works, or videos of my teaching or performing. I hope you enjoy them!

On July 24th, 2002 Rena gave birth to our first child: our son, Ethan Aaron Schlegel. Our happy, little family lives out in the sticks of Tennessee. I am an Objectivist, and will continue to play and teach guitar, and create music for as long as my exciting and fantastic life lasts.