TERRY SYREK
TERRY SYREK is among the most technically refined and sophisticated progressive rock guitar players out there, but what makes him really stand out beyond the technique and the speed are his unusually strong compositional skills and his unmistakably unique guitar sound, which make him identifiable after listening to only a few notes of his playing (and of his passionate solos in particular).
Terry is known internationally in the instrumental progressive rock circles and is highly respected by his peers for his impressive/virtuosic command of the instrument, his work ethic, and his overall abilities and sensibility as a musician. As noted in the 1995 publication “The Modern Guitarist” (by author Matt Williams, who was also Head of the now-defunct instrumental guitar label “Liquid Note Records”), Terry was already a name to remember in the early 90s among the emerging second wave of instrumental rock guitar players (sometimes referred to as “shredders”) who pushed the boundaries of technical prowess and expression in the instrumental guitar domain.
Since graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1992, Terry has kept busy as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, session musician, producer, instructor, and author. He has now more than 30 years of guitar teaching experience under his belt. Over time, he has published several instructional courses through various companies, has been invited to contribute to many compilation and tribute albums alongside universally recognized guitar players, has recorded and released 3 full-length albums of his own (in the process of releasing the 4th!), and has produced original music in session work for commercials and TV series.
Terry has performed with many household names in the rock/metal guitar world, and he has been interviewed and featured in a number of national guitar magazines. (For those who are interested in full name-dropping and more information about these achievements please see the biography details!)
Terry currently resides and teaches in the Pittsburgh, PA area and is available for private lessons at his studio or via Skype lessons online. Limited positions available; for more information, please email contact@terrysyrek.com.
BIOGRAPHY DETAILS:
EDUCATION
Terry received his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in 1992. Although Terry doesn’t believe speed to be the cornerstone of what defines and makes a good musician, some faculty and students alike at Berklee have publicly stated that Terry was widely considered the fastest guitarist at the school at the time (See Berklee teacher Jon Finn’s article about picking in the June 1998 edition of Guitar Magazine), and that he stood out as an inspiration for others in the elite environment of that world-renowned top-tier music school.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Terry has over 30 years of private and classroom guitar teaching experience. He was a senior faculty instructor at the National Guitar Workshop, where he taught for more than 23 years. His credits include the creation of numerous week-long advanced seminars, including: "Shred,” "Rock Fusion," "The Big Fat Guitar Extravaganza of Doom," "Rock Star," and the "Art of Metal".
PUBLISHED WRITING/ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
Terry’s writing credits include the Alfred Publishing video “Shred Is Not Dead,” followed by a book of the same title. He also released an instructional course for www.ChopsFromHell.com entitled “Unearthed Arcana.” In 2012, he contributed a monthly column entitled “Diary of a So-Called Shredder” for Premier Guitar magazine. Terry is also a Truefire online artist with the “Lord of the Strings” instructional course.
ORIGINAL MUSIC RECORDINGS
As a recording artist, Terry has released three full-length CDs: Obscura (2001), Aum (2005), and Machine Elves (2012). His 2005 release Aum debuted on the Guitar Nine sales charts as the top seller in all four categories in which it was placed, including Best Overall Sales. Terry’s compositions have also appeared on numerous compilation CDs, alongside such respected guitarists as Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Guthrie Govan and Bumblefoot. He was notably invited to contribute songs to tribute albums to Joe Satriani and Jason Becker. Terry is in the process of releasing his 4th full-length album, a concept titled “Story”.
Terry’s session work includes numerous television commercials (Dairy Queen, Disney, ESPN, Kool Aid, Max Factor Cosmetics, Olive Garden) and shows (Highlander, PBS programming).
PERFORMANCE
Terry has performed and/or worked with such esteemed artists as: Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X), Allan Holdsworth, John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Marty Friedman (Megadeth), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns’n’Roses), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne), Brett Garsed, Alex Skolnick (Testament), Reb Beach (Dokken, Whitesnake, Winger), Vinnie Moore (UFO), Ty Tabor (King’s X), Jon Finn (Boston Pops, Berklee Faculty) and the multi-platinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
PRESS AND MEDIA FEATURES
Over the years, Terry has been featured in Axe, Guitar, Guitar One, Guitar Player, Guitar for the Practicing Musician, Guitar Techniques, and Premier Guitar magazines, as well as the New York Times newspaper. He was also the subject of an interview episode for the popular online instructional video series “Cracking the Code”, which dissects and focuses in detail on various renowned guitar players’ technique.