Tim Stewart
Tim is a Los Angeles-based guitarist, producer and writer. He is an exceptionally versatile musician whose work spans a wide variety of genres including pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, punk, thrash, classical and jazz. Perpetually in demand, Tim currently plays for Lady Gaga, Rihanna and his own project, TheBandKnives.
He has performed and recorded with a long list of stars including Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, Frank Ocean, Jessica Simpson, Infectious Grooves, J-lo, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora, Rodney Jerkins, Tiziano Ferro and Tricky Stewart.
Grade 5 Rock Guitar Book
Tim Stewart is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 5 Rock Guitar Book.
Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend is a highly innovative guitarist, singer, composer, producer, arranger and bandleader. Best known for the Devin Townsend Project and metal band Strapping Lad, he has released 23 studio albums and four live albums across all his bands and solo projects.
Devin’s earliest recordings were as a vocalist with Steve Vai’s band, after which he worked with Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy. His earth-shatteringly progressive music project, The Devin Townsend Project, explored genres including ambient, progressive rock, hard rock, arena rock and glam metal. Devin’s most recent project is an ambient double-release, The Puzzle and Snuggles.
Grade 8 Rock Guitar Book
Devin Townsend is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 8 Rock Guitar Book.
Francesca Simone
Francesca Simone is a phenomenally talented LA-based guitarist and singer-songwriter. As well as playing guitar for Beyonce, Queen Bey and Kehlani, she also writes her own music and has forged a very distinctive style, fusing pop, rock, jazz, latin and Californian cool.
Francesca recently released her first two singles – Still, a vital and stirring guitar instrumental, and Longer Than Summer which showcases her joyful pop-infused vocals alongside her unique guitar style. We’re excited to see where she takes her music next!
Grade 1 Rock Guitar Book
Francesca Simone is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 1 Rock Guitar Book.
El Amir
El Amir is a German-Spanish multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, musical director, producer and maestro. He is considered one of flamenco’s best concert guitarists, with a stage career spanning 30 years. He is not only a virtuoso guitarist but also an accomplished player of the Arabic oud, the Greek bouzouki and the Turkish saz.
El Amir has worked with musicians all over the world including Tarifa, Chambao, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Juno Reactor and Hans Zimmer.
Grade 2 Rock Guitar Book
El Amir is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 2 Rock Guitar Book.
Raquel Lily
Atlanta-based Raquel Lily is an independent guitarist, singer, songwriter, streamer and producer. Known for her popular streamed performances and videos on Twitch and YouTube, Raquel has grown a devoted community of fans on social media. As well as online, the rising star has an impressive following offline and regularly performs live.
Raquel’s unique soulful sound is a beautifully crafted combination of styles and her own infectious individuality. Her music is infused with luxurious strands of jazz, R&B, pop, soul, funk and the sound of classic love songs of old.
Grade 4 Rock Guitar Book
Raquel Lily is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 4 Rock Guitar Book.
Charlie Robbins
Innovative prog metal guitarist and songwriter Charlie Robbins is a founding member of the band Artificial Language. He also has his own solo project called Syncatto. Charlie’s impeccable and highly inventive guitar technique is utterly spellbinding and he effortlessly combines flamenco guitar with complex metal playing styles. This distinctive, technical style has captivated guitar fans all over the world and gained Charlie recognition from many of prog metal’s top guitarists.
Charlie cites his main influences as Guthrie Govan, Synyster and Danny Elfman.
Debut Rock Guitar Book
Charlie Robbins is an Orange Ambassador for our Debut Rock Guitar Book.
Andy Powell
Andy Powell is a legendary English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was one of the founding members of the hard rock band Wishbone Ash, known for their influential use of twin lead guitars.
As well as his skills as a guitarist and singer, Andy is also known for bringing a folk sound to Wishbone Ash through his songwriting in the early 70s and for moving the band in a more bluesy direction in the early 90s. Andy also played with blues band Blue Law in the mid 90’s.
Grade 3 Rock Guitar Book
Andy Powell is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 3 Rock Guitar Book.
Isaiah Mitchell
Isaiah Mitchell is a guitarist, singer and key figure on the California music scene. He is the guitar player for Earthless, a psychedelic rock trio from San Diego that combines its signature psychedelia with punk, jazz, heavy rock, experimental rock. He also plays with The Black Crowes and was a member of Golden Void.
A highly creative and versatile musician, Isaiah has worked with some of the top psych rock, stoner rock and blues musicians in Southern California and the Bay Area.
Grade 7 Rock Guitar Book
Isaiah Mitchell is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 7 Rock Guitar Book.
Susan Santos
Award-winning guitarist and singer Susan Santos is an inspiring and deeply driven musician who taught herself to play guitar and sing from an early age. Her early guitar explorations led her to learn Spanish guitar and she discovered blues soon after. Both styles have been major influences throughout her career.
After playing with several bands and working in TV and theatre, Susan moved to Madrid and formed her self-titled band which mixes blues, rock and American roots music. She has toured Europe, the US and Mexico, and has released five albums. Susan’s current influences include Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Tom Petty and The Beatles.
Grade 6 Rock Guitar Book
Susan Santos is an Orange Ambassador for our Grade 6 Rock Guitar Book.
Nik West
Nik West is a multi-talented bassist, singer, producer and composer. As well as her far-reaching musical skills and distinctive funky style, she is known for her explosive stage shows and presence.
Nik has worked with Prince, Glee, Quincy Jones, John Mayer, Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics, ESPN and Disney. Her influences include David Bowie, Prince, Larry Graham, Tina Turner. Esperanza Spalding, Sting and Paul McCartney.
Nik’s expressive cover of AC/DC’s Back In Black is a favourite of Steven Tyler and Lenny Kravitz!
Vocal Performance Exams
Nik West is an Orange Ambassador for our Vocal Performance Exams