Joe Pinnavaia

Joe Pinnavaia is a guitarist, composer and instructor from the Western New York area who has taught hundreds of students over the last 12 years both privately and at area music stores. 

His musical style ranges from progressive rock with elements of orchestration and electronica to melodic instrumental rock. Joe completed his musical education at Villa Maria College of Buffalo and at the University at Buffalo where he studied with Joanne Castellani from the world renowned Castellani/Andriaccio Duo and also studied locally with guitar virtuoso Tony Scozzaro.

He has also performed with James Kurzdorfer (original bassist for Spyro Gyra) as well as Cosmic Stepping Stones and the trio BREAKERBOX who has worked with Corey Lowery of Dark New Day, as producer, releasing the single "Soul to Life". After being in mostly vocal orientated projects Joe decided to go into a new direction and focus more on his composition and released his first solo effort entitled "InVitro" under the name Test Tune Rhino.

This experimental project has now turned into a fullfilling venture and the follow up release "Fragile X" is to be released early 2010. A track from this upcoming release titled "Night at the Carnival" will feature a guest performance by Art Kalenda - Joe's first guitar instructor that inspired him to become the guitar player that he is today.

To further improve his musical skills and to advance his music career, Joe started taking online guitar lessons with Tom Hess and joined Tom's Music Careers Mentoring Program.  Joe remains convinced that Tom will help him propel his playing and music career to greater heights.

Joe's guitar influences include: Gary Moore, George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Buckethead, Eric Johnson, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane, Steve Morse, Greg Howe, Alex Skolnick, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Larry Carlton, Randy Rhoads, Dimebag Darrell, Scott Henderson, Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, John Petrucci, Vernon Reid, Terje Rypdal, Pat Metheny, Joe Stump, Bumblefoot, Meshuggah, Michael Brecker, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Samuel Barber, Anton Bruckner, Beethoven, Bach, Bartok, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Haydn, Mahler, Palestrina, Carlo Gesualdo
 
"I'm always looking for new material to learn and I have enjoyed reading and listening to what Tom has to say. His concepts are well thought out and make perfect sense to me. I'm looking forward to learning and improving upon my guitar playing."  - Joe Pinnavaia
 
"His playing breathes the lyrical melodic phrasing of Joe Satriani with elements of Buckethead’s acoustic mastery and articulation of the brilliant Paul Gilbert. For guitar instrumental lovers, InVitro is everything you could ask for."
- Alex Jasperse , musesmuse.com (Oct 15, 2008)

"TTR is his project for launching “selfish” guitar madness. Lucky us. His liquid tone, melodic lines, and tendency to break out savage note flurries are delightful."
- Mike Molenda, Guitar Player (Aug 01, 2006)

"All instrumental, the sound is a pure sonic guitar feast in the timeless musical spirit of Robert Fripp and even Norwegian guitar god Terje Rypdal."
- Robert Silverstein, Music Web Express 3000 (Mar 23, 2009)
 

• 2010 - Compilation CD Emerging Artists - Into Existence
• 2009 - BREAKERBOX "From The Hooks" - Guitar on "Nobody Gets Me"
• 2008 - Test Tube Rhino - "In Vitro" - Digital Nations
• 2008 - BREAKERBOX EP - Unreleased
• 2004 - Jeff "Todd" Plewinski Solo CD "Ten Feet Tall" - Unreleased
• 2003 - Guest Performance On Mandolin With The Dreaming On Their New Release: "Shadow Days"
• 2002 - Cosmic Stepping Stones "Cosmic Stepping Stones" - Independent
• 1998 - Cosmic Stepping Stones "Garden" - Independent
• 1996 - Cosmic Stepping Stones "Symbiotica" - Independent
• 1994 - Cosmic Stepping Stones (As Muse) "No Moss - A Rolling Stones Tribute" - Siberia Records"
• 1994 - Cosmic Stepping Stones "Muse" - Independent
• 1993 - Toxic Love "Some Assembly Required"  - Independent

Endorsements:

• FJA Mods - fjamods.com
• Jet City Amplification - jetcityamplification.com/artists
• Music City - musiccitybuffalo.com

• Modal Theory - The Basics And Beyond Part 1
  
• Bending And Vibrato
  
• Understanding Intervals
  
• Shred This III - Solo Transcription

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