Our Teachers

Co-founder/Guitar & Bass Instructor

Samantha Russell first began playing the guitar over 20 years ago in her hometown of Gillingham, Kent in the United Kingdom. She began her journey as a self-taught but extremely dedicated student. Her roots began with rock, punk, blues, and metal music. She formed her first band within a few years of playing and this gave her the motivation she needed to get serious about becoming the virtuoso she always dreamed of becoming. While serving in the U.S. Air Force, she sought out and eventually found the perfect mentor to help guide her to that next level. This ultimately became the fuel that drew her to becoming an instructor and a mentor herself. In addition to studying under several influential metal/rock guitarists and instructors, Sam also studied Jazz Guitar/Bass Performance at Portland State University as well as Classical Guitar Performance at the University of Arizona where she competed and became a finalist for the Schaeffer Competition in April 2019. Her diversified background across multiple genres has strongly influenced her own songwriting and teaching approach and has given her a unique skill set to help many types of students.

​

Sam began teaching electric/acoustic guitar and bass over a decade ago and since then has dedicated every year to bettering herself in her craft. She has been a long-term member of an exclusive international guitar instructor community and attends conferences and workshops throughout the year to continue to refine her teaching methods. In 2019, she won the THMC Guitar Player of the Year award and was the first woman to do so in the history of THMC events. Outside of teaching, Samantha is also involved in several bands of which she is the lead guitarist and songwriter: Vela Pulsar and Thirsting Altar. Other projects: Tanagra.