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B i o g r a p h y
The Short Version
Hi, I'm Alex Rockwell. I'm a guitarist. This is where I'm supposed to write a long, self-aggrandizing bio that no one cares to read. Let's be real, I wouldn't read it either.
I write music. Mainly instrumental guitar-centric music. I do this because it gives me emotional and spiritual fulfillment, and I want people who hear it to feel something - that indescribable feeling music gives you when you immerse yourself in it.
I teach guitar. I used to be an adjunct professor in a university music program. Now I teach privately, pretty much exclusively over Zoom since Covid happened. More on that here.
I write guitar exercise and practice books and have a few compositions and arrangements for sale. You can find those here.
For booking, lesson inquiries, or anything else, contact me here.
The Long Version
Alex Rockwell is a guitarist, composer, and teacher based in Nashville, Tennessee. He began learning the guitar at age 14, self-taught, learning all the rock and metal music he loved as a teenager. Archie Anderson, his first guitar teacher, broadened his musical tastes and interests by introducing him to a wider variety of music, past and present, and largely influenced his decision to pursue music professionally.
Alex went on to pursue an Associate's Degree in Music from SUNY Adirondack under the instruction of Micah Scoville, a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from SUNY Fredonia under the instruction of James Piorkowski, and a Master's Degree in Music Performance from Austin Peay State University under the instruction of Stanley Yates. During his time at university, Alex received numerous academic awards and honors. At SUNY Adirondack, he was a recipient of the Parnassus Award for Excellence in Music Performance. At SUNY Fredonia, he was a three-time recipient of the Trinity Guitars Guitarist of the Month Award, and was chosen fellow for the Craig Einhorn Fellowship. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Austin Peay, he taught music courses, private lessons, directed Guitar Ensemble, flipped copies, and performed at various university functions. He was also a winner of the APSU Concerto Competition.
Alex taught as an adjunct music professor at Austin Peay from 2017 to 2019 following the completion of his studies, teaching courses such as Intro to Music, Intro to Music Technology, Individual Guitar Instruction, and Guitar Ensemble. After a period of career uncertainty owed in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic, he worked to develop an online guitar and music teaching business instructing students from all over the world. He also has numerous videos available on YouTube and his social media platforms pertaining to guitar and music theory, and he has a number of original guitar exercise books, compositions, and arrangements that he regularly sells to viewers and supporters.
As an artist, Alex primarily composes instrumental guitar-centric music, drawing inspiration from his extensive classical guitar studies, jazz and fusion music he was introduced to as a student, and the rock and metal music he enjoyed in his teenage years. He is currently working towards the release of his debut album of original compositions.