Doug started playing guitar at the age of 15 after several years of listening to Metallica, Slayer and Guns N' Roses. After a couple of years of playing with local rock bands he attended Bournemouth college and studied for a BTEC Music Diploma, achieving a triple distinction. In 2007 he relocated to London and studied at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, graduating their BMus Pop. Music Performance Degree course. During this time his tastes and experience widened extensively, studying and performing genres from blues and funk to jazz and fusion.
Doug has gigged extensively with rock and blues bands, as well as played sessions for several up-and-coming pop and r n' b singers. Recently he contributed guitar tracks to an album by UK shock rocker Al B Damned, and continued to gig regularly in London with his rock band Hellcat Molly. He has also gained production credits for rock, pop and UK grime recordings and contributed guitars to the soundtrack of a theater production. In 2010 he became a featured artist for Patrick Hufschmid guitars, a Swiss guitar luthier, and has recorded numerous product demonstrations since which are available on his YouTube channel (69,000 views and counting!).
Dougs primary musical focus is his progressive metal band, Beneath Dead Waves (which also features Rhythm Studio tutor Leigh Costanza on drums). After several years of composition, recording and refinement, the bands debut album will be released in 2012, with a full UK tour in support of the album.
Doug started teaching guitar at the age of 17 after a member of the audience asked for lessons. At 19 he started work for his tutors company, the Canned Performance Company, teaching guitar and acting as a workshop assistant at events in Poole Arts Centre and in schools for Dorset Music Service. After moving to London, he established a busy private tuition service before joining the Rhythm Studio faculty. In 2010, Doug wrote and taught a syllabus for the International Guitar Foundation. The course, entitled 'Rock Apprentice', was delivered at the internationally-attended Rock Camp held at ICMP, and featured a comprehensive introduction to the modern rock guitar styles. In 2011 Doug completed a level 6 teaching qualification featuring a complete dissection of the Rock School grading system, assessed by Rock School themselves (Doug actually studied the Rock School grades while at school!).
Doug enjoys teaching students of all levels and abilities, and is a specialist in advanced rock and contemporary metal techniques, composition and theory. His website will soon be online with a full section of free guitar lessons across a range of styles and subjects.