Jose Hernandez

Spain:
I was born in Valladolid and raised in Salamanca, a gorgeous city in Spain. When I was eleven, I started playing guitar and since then my life revolves around it. Shortly after I started taking lessons with the best teachers I could find in my city, like Victor Chimpen who invited me to join the heavy metal band “Kuasar.” With them I played my first shows, recorded two albums (“Kuasar” and “Tercera Opcion”) and toured in France and Spain with “Kuasar” at the young age of 17. Simultaneously, I continued to pursue classical guitar studies at the Conservatory of Music of Salamanca with Professor Marcos Martin, who became my mentor. and is by far, one of the best teachers, musicians and human beings I have ever met.
In 2000, I received my Bachelors of Arts degree in Musicology from the University of Salamanca, Spain. That same year, I attended the prestigious 20th Century Music School in Madrid, owned and managed by Jaume Pla. It was there where I took Jazz and Improvisation lessons with Joaquin Chacon and Jorge Mora. I played and sang with bands like EBOW, an amazing rock band where I had the opportunity to play with Dani Garcia, Miguel Angel Sanchez, and Superdavid.I also played with “Lowblast”, “The Irish Rover Band” , and over a 160 shows with “Colores”
In 2003 I was honored to participate in “Festival de Guitarra” at the Conservatory of Salamanca, where I taught a clinic about electric guitar, playing distinctive covers of Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, to name a few. That was one of the first electric guitar performances at the typically traditional, Conservatory in Spain. In that same Festival I was honored to play with guitar legend Juan Cerro ( www.myspace.com/juancerro ) who has worked with some of the most important Spanish artists of the last two decades. That same year, 2003, I decided to move to Los Angeles to study guitar and vocals at the Musicians Institute of Hollywood.
Los Angeles :
I came to Los Angeles to further my studies of electric guitar. While attending MI, I had the distinct privilege to study under the tutelage of amazing teachers and performers like Dan Gilbert, David Hill, Ross Bolton, Allen Hinds, Scott Henderson, Jean Marc Belkadi, David Oakes, Paul Gilbert, Marcelo Berestovoy, Keith Wyatt, Sid Jacobs, Pathik Desai, Evan Hirschelman, Carl Verheyen, Dale Turner, and attended workshops taught by Robben Ford, Derek Trucks, Tommy Emmanuel, Derek Sheridian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol) , Albert Lee, Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Morse, Mike Stern, The Yellowjackets.
In 2004 I graduated from MI with Vocational Honors, and immediiatly after started playing with a lot of different bands in Los Angeles, like “Vynil dogs”, “Pixel”, "Tommy Mora" and “Vie”.
In 2005 I was awarded “Best Male Guitarist in Alternative Music” (All Access Magazine ) and I recorded Vie's “Black Market Prophecy”, and joined another projects like Justin Lanning's Band ( www.myspace.com/justinlanning ) where I worked with top musicians like Dave Schulz (Goo goo dolls, Berlin, English Beat www.myspace.com/daveschulz ), Justin Avery (Population Game www.myspace.com/populationgame ) , Matt Oloffson (People www.myspace.com/peoplerock ). Additionally,I toured in California and Louisiana, taped a MTV commercial and played showcases for Radio and acoustic shows. That same year I was honored to work with Latin American singer “Julien” ( www.myspace.com/julienmusic ) opening for Savage Garden's Darren Haynes, which gave me the chance to work and play with other up and coming musicians like Demian Arriaga (Richie Kotzen, Gary Cherone, RBD www.myspace.com/demianarriagamusic ), Christopher Ciccone (Madonna) , Felipe Cano (west8five) and Niki Haris (Madonna).
In 2007, I joined Sonsoles ( www.myspace.com/sonsolesmusic ), my current Latin Fusion Rock Band. In our first year of playing, we won “Latina Magazine Battle of the Bands” and “Fiesta Broadway Battle of the Bands”.
In 2008 we recorded our first CD, in which I sang and played acoustic, classical and electric guitars. Our band had the privilege to work with incredible violin player Reiko Nakano ( www.myspace.com/reikonakano ) and Jose Luis Campos ( www.myspace.com/joseluiscampos ) and it's planning to record our first full lenght this summer 2009. I recently joined Multi Awarded Russian Singer Irene Nelson's Band, which whom i'll be touring in the summer of 2009. She just released her first single .“Sunrise".
"Throughout my musical career, I've always been drawn to challenging projects that allow me to grow as a musician and a person. I'm convinced that great music is a combination and result of talented musical work and the dynamic relationship between the people making the music. For that reason, I always bring the best of my talent and personality to the show."
I hope you enjoy my music.
Jose Hernandez:

Trayectoria en España:

Naci en Valladolid, pero creci en Salamanca (Castilla-Leon, España). A los 11 años me cruce con la guitarra y fue un flechazo. Desde entonces mi vida gira en torno a ella y a la musica. Empece a tomar clases con los mejores profesores de mi ciudad, destacando Victor Chimpen, quien me ofrecio la posibilidad de formar parte de su banda de Heavy Metal, “Kuasar”, con quien toque mis primeros shows, grabe dos discos e hice un tour a Francia y Marcos Martin, mi profesor de Guitarra Clasica en el Conservartorio a quien considero mi mentor y uno de los mejores docentes y musicos que he conocido.

En 2000 obtengo mi "Licenciatura en Historia y Ciencias de la Musica" en 2000 al mismo tiempo que acudia a clases de guitarra electrica en la Escuela "20 th Century Music” de Madrid, dirigida por otro gran maestro, Jaume Pla, recibiendo clases de Jazz e Improvisacion con Joaquin Chacon y Jorge Mora, al tiempo que tuve la oportunidad de tocar en grupos como “EBOW”, tremenda banda de rock donde tuve el placer de compartir escenario con Superdavid, Miguel Angel Sanchez y Dani Garcia, “Low Blast”, “La Banda del Irish Rover” y la “Orquesta Colores” de Peñaranda, con quien hice mas de 160 conciertos.

En 2003 tuve el honor de participar en el “Festival de Guitarra” del Conservatorio de Salamanca, tocando temas de Steve Vai**, Eric Johnson etc... en lo que fue uno de los primeros shows de guitarra electrica en un Conservatorio de Musica en España, y donde tuve el honor de tocar junto al maestro Juan Cerro ( www.myspace.com/juancerro ), que es la Guitarra que esta detras de los musicos mas importantes de España desde los 80 hasta hoy en dia.

En 2003 decido viajar a Los Angeles, California, para estudiar en el Musicians Institute of Hollywood

Trayectoria en Los Angeles:

Comienzo mis estudios de guitarra y voz en el Musicians Institute of Hollywood, donde tuve la suerte de estudiar con algunos de los mejores guitarristas que he conocido, destacando Dan Gilbert, David Hill, Ross Bolton, Allen Hinds, Scott Henderson, Jean Marc Belkadi, David Oakes, Paul Gilbert, Marcelo Berestovoy, Keith Wyatt, Sid Jacobs, Pathik Desai, Evan Hirschelman, Carl Verheyen, Dale Turner y donde asisti a clinics de musicos de la talla de Robben Ford, Derek Trucks, Tommy Emmanuel, Derek Sheridian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol) , Albert Lee, Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Morse, Mike Stern, The Yellowjackets.

En 2004 obtengo el Graduado con Premio Honorifico en el Musicians Institute y comienzo a tocar en distintas bandas de Los Angeles, como “Vinyl Dogs”, "Pixel", "VIE", "Tommy Mora"

En 2005 la revista All Access Magazine me otorga el premio al “Mejor Guitarrista de Musica Alternativa en Los Angeles” por mi trabajo con la banda VIE , con quienes grabo el disco “Black Market Prophecy”** en 2006.

En 2007 entro a formar parte de la banda de “Justin Lanning” ( www.myspace.com/justinlanning ) con quien toco junto con miembros de bandas como “Goo-goo Dolls” “Berlin”,”Population Game”,”London After Midnight” y con quien hice shows en California y Louisiana, ademas de grabar un video comercial para MTV, distintas presentaciones en Radio y shows acusticos. **

Ese mismo año tengo la suerte de trabajar con “Julien” ( www.myspace.com/julienmusic) gran cantante latino, con el que toque varios shows, y en cuyo proyecto tuve el honor de trabajar con Demian Arriaga (Richie Kotzen, Gary Cherone, RBD www.myspace.com/demianarriagamusic), Christopher Ciccone (Madonna), Felipe Cano (West8five) y Niki Harris (Madonna).

En 2007 entro a tocar con Sonsoles ( www.myspace.com/sonsolesmusic ), mi banda de Rock Latino, y ese mismo año ganamos el concurso “Latina Magazine” y “Fiesta Broadway”. Gracias a Sonsoles he tenido la suerte de trabajar con grandes musicos como Reiko Nakano ( www.myspace.com/reikonakano ) y Jose Luis Campos. ( www.myspace.com/joseluiscampos ).
En 2008 grabe como cantante y guitarrista de Sonsoles nuestro primer CD y actualmente estamos en proceso de grabar nuestro segundo CD.. Actualmente compagino mi trabajo con Sonsoles con las clases que imparto en “Alhambra School of Music” ( http://www.alhambraschoolofmusic.com ) y distintos trabajos de estudio y directo con bandas y cantantes. En el verano de 2009 estare de gira con Irene Nelson, promocionando su primer sencillo Sunrise. Otros cantantes con los que he colaborado son “Izzy and the Vibe”, “Odette Diaz” …