Cameron Day
Cameron Day began his gear obsession at the early age of 14, shortly after receiving, then subsequently dismantling, his first Telecaster. As a copywriter at Sweetwater, he spends his days researching and writing about the world of music—which is convenient, considering he does much of the same off the clock. When he’s not watching gear reviews or hunting down Gear Exchange listings of old acoustic guitars, he likes to play old jazz standards and Beatles tunes on his D18.
Jacob Fehlhaber
Jacob Fehlhaber is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical odyssey began with the piano around age five, picking up the drums and the guitar by 14, culminating in a full-circle cross-section of synthesizers, virtual instruments, and samplers, by 18. Raised on an assemblage of '70s and '80s rock, coupled with a personal foray into funk, hip-hop, R&B, metal, and numerous subgenres of dance music, his preferred form of musicking is what could be called "heavy metal disco." He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in fashion design. Following a brief stint in fashion marketing in Los Angeles, he obtained an MA from New York University, focusing on ethnomusicology. Off the clock, he enjoys reading, writing, video games, and cooking with his significant other.
Nathan Gulley
Nathan Gulley started his music career as a toddler, singing along to his parents’ cassette tapes in the living room. Though he may be an adult now, his cassette-collecting addiction never faltered through multiple years of playing guitar and maniacally experimenting with synthesizers. When he’s not listening to his coveted Morrissey, The Smiths, and Ozzy Osbourne tapes, Nathan retreats to his “synth dungeon,” where all his guitars and keyboards are stuffed into a tiny corner of his apartment. Here, Nathan plays and records ambient dungeon synth tunes, an electronic genre born from early death-metal solo artists featuring drawn-out soundscapes and medieval melodies. He has already released two cassette albums with venerable dungeon synth label Ancient Meadow Records — and he’s not stopping anytime soon.
Jon Lennon
Jon Lennon began his musical journey in middle school when he joined the school band. Soon after, he discovered bands like AC/DC and System of a Down, and the guitar quickly became his instrument of choice. During college, he immersed himself in the fine arts, studying music theory and guitar technique for two years before switching to theater, where he trained in lighting, sound, and stagecraft. After scriptwriting for a play festival, he caught the writing bug and transferred to the English department, refining his skills and pursuing a career in that field. These days, when he’s not writing, he enjoys playing everything from blues to metal, building and rebuilding guitars to suit his musical needs, and spending time with his wife and daughter.
Ryan Looper
Ryan Looper embarked on his musical journey more than 20 years ago when he picked up a saxophone and never wanted to put it back down. He obtained a BM in music business from Northwestern State University, where he also caught the audio engineering bug, which led him to attend the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences and dive further into professional audio. Later, Ryan earned an MA in media industry studies from the University of North Texas before teaching media courses at the university, high school, and middle school levels. Ryan honed his professional skills through a rock-band internship in Rome, Italy; studio work in Austin, Texas; saxophone performances across Louisiana and Texas, short-film and audiobook ADR projects; and work as a professional engineer for marching bands all over Texas. Outside of Sweetwater, Ryan enjoys playing video games, transcribing sax features from genre-blending bands such as Bilmuri, Dreamwake, and Shrezzers, and dabbling in guitar.
Mac McDonough
Jeffrey "Mac" McDonough started studying classical violin at the age of nine, but his destiny changed significantly after he plugged an electric guitar into a distortion pedal for the first time — a Pandora’s box that his parents probably wish he hadn’t opened. Mac was bitten by the recording bug in the late 1980s, while experimenting with a TASCAM Portastudio and a malfunctioning Shure SM58. He interned in several pro studios throughout the 1990s, after which he began tracking and mixing in an ADAT-based project studio. Aside from writing about gear, Mac currently works on freelance recording projects in his home studio, affectionately named “Mac’s Playpen.”
Dustin Mitchell
Dustin Mitchell’s musical roots began pre-birth when his parents attended a Sammy Hagar concert a few weeks before his birth. His musical performance journey started at age 10 with double bass in his schools’ orchestras and guitar. While orchestra only lasted through high school, his love for electric guitar and music persisted. He played in various short-lived original bands and tribute bands dedicated to Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, and Metallica in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area in Texas. Dustin also previously worked as a repair technician at Tone Shop Guitars in Addison, Texas, which included operating a Plek machine. Outside of Sweetwater, Dustin enjoys playing instruments in his massive gear collection, writing new music, grilling, working out, and spending time with family.
Sean Rollins
Sean Rollins (née Rollins) started casually playing drums at 11, which turned into an obsession after hearing Neil Peart for the first time. Nearly 30 years later, Sean still spends much of his free time devouring the discography of any prog rock, metal, or jazz artist he can get his sticks on. Sean’s love for all things music and audio is rivaled only by his love for video games, which he not only plays with his son, but also helps create. He’s currently working with the engineering manager from Roblox on developing an audio-only game engine that would enable disabled individuals to play text-based interactive fiction games. Other fun facts about Sean include the following: taught English in China for six years, is a current committee member of the Audio Engineering Society’s Indiana Chapter, spent time playing drums in a legendary Fort Wayne comedy metal band, and has wrangled an emu.
Blake Smith
Blake Smith is originally from Tampa, Florida, where he earned his BA in English from the University of Tampa with a concentration in literature studies and creative writing. Blake grew up listening to everything from Muddy Waters to Slayer and first picked up the guitar at age 12. With over 20 years of experience in playing, writing, recording, and production, Blake now calls Fort Wayne, Indiana, home, where he continues to work on both literary and musical projects.
Aidan VandeStadt
Aidan VandeStadt’s self-immersion into the universe of writing and musical experimentation has been an ongoing journey since he could hold a pencil and hum a tune. His enthusiasm led him to the Ohio University English Department and School of Music which earned him his BA in Writing with a Minor in Music, where he also sang and toured with the Singing Men of Ohio men’s choir and worked with Athens Ohio’s WOUB radio station as a Music Director and DJ. Aidan is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in both percussion and guitar, and he has enjoyed playing in several bands over the years while writing, recording, and producing musical projects on his own and for his friends.
