Album Notes

GARRETT was the AMERICAN STRING TEACHERS ASSOC. NATIONAL CHAMPION classical guitarist at the age of 15.Garrett was four years old when he began taking classical guitar lessons with the Betty Haag Suzuki Talent Education Institute.

By the time Garrett was seven years old he had met the world renowned classical guitarist, Christopher Parkening. In 1994, at age 8, Garrett was invited by Mr. Parkening to play for the American Academy of Achievement Awards in Las Vegas. He was a solo performer for an audience of 1,500 including celebrities such as Frances Ford Coppola, David Foster, Quincy Jones, Tom Selleck, and many more. Also in 1994 he was accepted to Christopher Parkening's Master Class in Bozeman, Montana. He was the youngest classical guitarist ever to be invited. This class is comprised of college students and veteran guitarists of past master classes. He has retuned to this master class (as a performing student) in 1995, 1999 and 2001. All four years Garrett was chosen from 24 students to be one of eight selected to perform for a public recital at Montana State University. Other master classes include: Antigoni Goni, Javier Calderon, Julian Grey, L.A. Guitar Quartet, Ricardo Iznaola, Ricardo Cobo, Ronald Pearl and Jeffrey Van.

Garrett is the American String Teachers Association National Champion and MTNA State Champion. At nine years old Garrett was the youngest guitarist to ever enter and win (competed against four adults) the Illinois Guitar League Solo Olympic Division. This is the highest award offered at this competition. For two years prior he competed in the solo and duet divisions and received "outstanding" awards. In May, 2001 Garrett won Guitar Centers' " Guitarmaggedon" Regional Finals. At the National Finals in Seattle he was the only classical guitarist among the eight finalists (out of 3,000 contestants). During the summer of 2001 he was also a scholarship recipient to the National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut, given by Benjamin Verdery of Yale University.

Garrett has been the opening performer for Jose Soto in Chicago. He has been featured on Chicago's WLS-TV Harry Porterfield's "Someone You Should Know"; WGN-AM Spike O'Dell Morning Radio Show as well as KBZ-TV in Bozeman, Montana. In 1998 Garrett was the featured artist on the PBS-TV series "Musical Encounters" (produced out of Hollywood). He recently performed on a national radio show, "From the Top" (produced out of Boston) and was awarded "audience's favorite pick". Garrett has performed for Arlington Park Race Track's Millionaires Club and Winner's Circle in Illinois.

Garrett also performed with the Metropolis Youth Symphony at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia, and performed live on Australia's ABC Radio in Sydney and Perth.

Garrett has just recently completed his first CD, recorded at Ippolito Studios in Dixon, Illinois by Vince Ippolito.