Hello, thanks for checking out my brief bio stuff...I was born in WI but raised in the south (FL & GA) and currently reside in the metro Atlanta area. I come from a musician loaded family and began playing the guitar around the age of eight. My fathers guitar playing was my first source of inspiration, but later, hearing guy's like Rhoads, Van Halen and Schon had me hooked and motivated to play, and as the years went by, it became the likes of Jason Becker, Macalpine, Vinnie Moore, etc. Fully becoming interested in technical/advanced/shred type playing, but not necessarily a fan of the 'neo-classical' genre, I started getting into players like Greg Howe, Michael Lee Firkins, Paul Gilbert, The Go Go's (just checking), Satriani, Vai, etc, basically players who like to rip, but also keep the music lighthearted, lively and fun.
In more recent years, the positive feedback from friends, students and other players finally inspired me to record an album of instrumental guitar tunes. The goal was to create music with an upbeat and catchy feel to it while hopefully revealing some nifty fretwork along the way. Creating my first CD was one of the more rewarding experiences of my life thus far, I'm grateful to now be sharing that with others and look forward to doing another real soon.
Thanks for stopping by,
-Derek
CD available now:
"Halfway Home features ten instrumental tracks in an intense shred rock style. Having mastered a sizable number of the advanced techniques favored by today's shredders, Schils puts those techniques to work on his nine original compositions, and one cover, Go Speed Racer, from the cartoon of the same name. Occasionally delving into the seriously intense and dissonant (Asweep At The Wheel), Schils proves he can also rein it in a little on a ballad tempo number. Fans of intense rock and shred can check out Schils' work for near-maximum NPM and heaviness." -
Guitar 9.com
"Bluntly stated, this release ranks in the top five of the best, independent guitar instrumental releases of the year 2006. Let’s hope someone signs him to a major label and allows him to record a release with a full band behind him!" - Scott Jeslis, Metal Express Radio
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