This year’s GearFest features an incredible lineup of music industry professionals — from performers that have rocked stadiums to the engineers and producers responsible for some of the most influential albums of all time. Over the course of two days at GearFest Online, you’ll have a chance to see panels, workshops, and clinics from these legends and rising stars. Topics range from making your break in music to pro tips and tricks on the latest software to live performances. Here are just a few of the amazing presenters we’re featuring.
Peter Frampton
Grammy-winning musician, singer, songwriter, producer – George Harrison, Ringo Starr, David Bowie
Peter Frampton is among the most celebrated guitarists in rock history. At 18, he co-founded one of the first supergroups, Humble Pie. By 22, he was touring year-round and making use of the talk box, which would become his signature guitar effect. He’s collaborated with such legendary artists as George Harrison, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, and many others and has toured with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Gregg Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, and the Steve Miller Band. In 2014, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Grammy- and American Music Award-winning musician and producer – Solo artist, Will Smith
DJ Jazzy Jeff was born in West Philadelphia and developed a love of music at an early age. Jeff was just 10 years old when he started spinning records at parties, using his family’s basement as a training ground for his expert mixing. From the success of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince with partner Will Smith to the critical acclaim of his production company, A Touch of Jazz, Jeff proved time and time again that he would always be a force to be reckoned with. Over the course of his career, DJ Jazzy Jeff has achieved many awards, including a DMC Championship and multiple Grammy and American Music Award wins.
Ian Hill
Bassist – Judas Priest
Ian Hill is the bassist behind the thunderous sound of British metal legends Judas Priest. Ian and Judas Priest have been rocking stages for 50 years, selling more than 50 million albums worldwide. While the band has seen lots of band-member turnover, Hill has remained as the musician with the longest tenure. Judas Priest has achieved success since it was formed in the late ’60s, especially after the release of their album British Steel in 1980. The metal band previously won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of Judas Priest’s songs have even been featured in iconic video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. With their latest album, Firepower, released in 2018, Judas Priest has recorded and released 18 studio albums over the past 50 years.
Chris Lord-Alge
Grammy-winning mix engineer – Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Prince, James Brown, Tina Turner, Madonna, Carly Simon
Chris Lord-Alge is a five-time Grammy Award–winning American mix engineer known for his use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions. Chris Lord-Alge gained notoriety while working at Unique Recording Studios, New York City, in the 1980s for his mixing on James Brown’s Gravity album (which included the hit song “Living in America”), the Rocky IV soundtrack, Prince’s Batman soundtrack, Joe Cocker’s Unchain My Heart album, Chaka Khan’s Destiny album, Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again album, Tina Turner’s Foreign Affair album, and 12-inch remixes of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita,” the Rolling Stones’ “Too Much Blood,” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” “Cover Me,” and “Born in the U.S.A.” While working in Japan, he worked with Tetsuya Komuro, No!Galers, Namie Amuro, and Hitomi. Chris is known inside the music industry for crafting mixes with an abundant use of compression tools for molding mixes that play well on small speakers and FM radio.
Steve Vai
Grammy-winning guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, producer – Solo artist, Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, G3, Whitesnake
A virtuoso guitarist, visionary composer, and consummate producer who sculpts musical sound with infinite creativity and technical mastery, Steve Vai has awed fans of all genres with his exceptional guitar skills and musicianship for decades. More than three decades, over $15 million in album sales, and three Grammy Awards later, Vai has proven himself to be one of music’s true originals. Vai’s work has been recognized with a long list of awards and honors including over 15 from Guitar Player magazine alone, honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute, the prestigious Les Paul Award, and consistently landing among the best in various lists of the top guitarists of all time.
Phil X
Guitarist, songwriter – Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Kelly Clarkson, Tommy Lee
Before Phil Xenidis, a.k.a. Phil X, relocated to Los Angeles from Toronto, Canada, in 1997, he had recorded and toured with Triumph, Aldo Nova, and Frozen Ghost until the “big break” happened in 1999, when Phil started working with producer Scott Humphrey on Tommy Lee’s Methods of Mayhem. Through other producers such as Raine Maida and Howard Benson, the list of artists he worked with grew to include Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, and, later down the road, Phil’s personal hero, Chris Cornell. As Phil’s name got around as a sought-after guitar player in the LA session scene, he co-founded a big production band called Powder and a power trio called Phil X & The Drills, whose videos collectively hit 50 million views. In 2011, Phil received a call from Jon Bon Jovi regarding filling in for Richie Sambora and eventually became a member and recorded with the band.
Lisa Loeb
Grammy-winning musician, singer, songwriter, actor – Solo artist
Lisa Loeb is a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, touring musician, and philanthropist who began her career with the 1994 Reality Bites song “Stay (I Missed You),” the first song to go #1 by an unsigned artist, leading to a major recording contract. She’s released 15 studio albums, including five children’s albums and two illustrated children’s books with music. Lisa founded The Camp Lisa Foundation, which sends underserved kids to summer camp, and she oversees the business and design of Lisa Loeb Eyewear, an ever-growing collection available at optical shops and Costco. Lisa provides voice talent for the animated series Creative Galaxy and composes the original songs for the Emmy-nominated If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. Lisa’s recent film and TV credits include Fuller House, A.P. Bio, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, About a Boy, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, and Sprout’s Sunny Side Up.
Plus More . . .
And here’s just a sneak peek at some of the other presenters we’re bringing you:
- Divinity Roxx — Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, bassist – Solo artist, Beyoncé, Victor Wooten, Jay-Z, will.i.am, Gladys Knight
- Women’s Audio Mission — Training, career counseling, and job placement for women and girls in creative technology for music
- Lynette Williams — Keyboardist, organist – Childish Gambino, Lalah Hathaway, will.i.am, Mariah Carey
- Carmen Vandenberg — Lead guitarist for Grammy-nominated London rock band – Bones UK, Jeff Beck
- Yvette Young — Guitarist – Covet, San Holo, Scale the Summit, Polyphia, Natalie Evans
- Bianca Richardson — Drummer and producer – Marcus Miller, Conan Gray, Willow Smith, Madison Beer, Diana Gordon, Cory Wong
- Doyle Dykes — Legendary guitarist – Solo artist
- Joe Barresi — Producer, mixer, engineer, musician – Tool, Slipknot, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age
- Quentin Gilkey — Producer, engineer, mixer, musician – Dr. Dre, Eminem, Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar
- Paul Reed Smith — PRS founder and luthier – PRS Guitars
- Tim Pierce — Session guitarist and YouTube personality