Sample Biography

At age 12, Joel Wanasek picked up a guitar and “fell in love with it.” Already an accomplished violinist with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Joel soon discovered his true musical gift was his passion for playing the guitar. As a teen, Joel immersed himself in studying the guitar, and it was not uncommon for him to practice 16 hours a day. His knowledge and abilities rapidly expanded, and he accumulated hidden tips from experts in the field. Joel knew then that he would be dedicating his life to becoming a guitar virtuoso.

Following some brief stints with other bands, Joel joined forces with a group of heavy metal musicians in 2000 to form Dark Shift. In addition, Joel has managed to run a flourishing website that exploded onto the internet during the same time period. InsaneGuitar.com receives over 5,000 hits a month and has served over 350,000 individuals worldwide since its inception 6 years ago. The cutting-edge site has been recognized as a leader in its field and earned the Free Sheet Music Appreciation Award and the Best Instructional Site Award from Troy Stetina, top-selling author for worldwide guitar instruction. Joel explains, “I’ve met thousands of great people from everywhere in the world because of this site and gained many unique insights into guitar mastery.” He is determined to persevere and is fueled by the positive influence he has had on others. “I am driven by inspiring people. I’ve always been a natural performer and music is my passion. It is very gratifying for me to use that passion to impact people’s lives,” he said.

As the band soars in popularity, the members of Dark Shift have recently released their second CD, Gaining Ground, signed a record deal with Astral Records/Blue Pie Productions, and are planning their first East Coast tour. It didn’t all happen overnight. Through hard work, fierce dedication, and maniacal determination, Joel set out to learn the fundamentals of the recording industry and successfully produced Dark Shift’s first CD in 2003. He went on to develop his own successful recording studio, JTW Music LLC. Focused diligence has obviously paid off for Joel, whose band has already been honored with the New York International Music Award for Best Metal Band. He’s had the opportunity to perform with renowned rock sensations, such as Megadeath, Dream Theater, Damage Plan, and Testament. With his dynamic, lightning speed guitar playing, mind-blowing stage presence, and outstanding engineering and production skills, Joel Wanasek has high expectations for becoming a big name in the music industry. “I will never rest, relent, or stall until I’ve attained my dreams,” he concluded.

 

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