Ron Thal (aka “Bumblefoot”) Since the early 90’s as a recording artist, I’ve released 9 CDs, a live DVD, numerous appearances on comp CDs and as a guest performer on other albums. Been on the cover of a few guitar mags over the last 10 years, have done international headlining tours and festivals, and have been my own songwriter, band, studio, engineer, producer, manager, record label, promoter, publisher, publicist, booking agent, accountant… all of it. The latest Bumblefoot albums are “Abnormal” (July 2008) and an acoustic ep “Barefoot” (Dec. 2008). In 2011 I began releasing a song a month, covers and originals, each song including instrumental mixes, lead guitar transcriptions and backing tracks, and multi-track stems to make your own mix.
Been a member of Guns N’ Roses, touring since May 2006. Sold-out shows around the world, headlining festivals with crowds of 150,000. Recording with them since Oct ’06, we released the “Chinese Democracy” album November 2008.
I’ve worked as a songwriter for other artists, for TV jingles, theme songs and background music. I’ve also written for classical instruments and orchestras. I’ve been hired by bands/labels for the past 20 years as a producer. This has included writing, arranging and performing, usually engineering. As a songwriter and producer, I have experience in pop, R&B, hip-hop, funk, disco, electronic, classical, opera, blues, folk, jazz, swing, Latin, Middle-Eastern, new-age, lounge, rock, progressive, industrial, metal, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s retro. Last cool things I did were 24-7 Spyz “Face The Day” CD, Return To Earth’s “Automata” & “Captains Of Industry” CDs (ft. Chris Pennie – drummer of Coheed, formerly Dillinger Escape Plan), and a rock re-mix of rapper Hurricane’s “Abaybay”.
I’ve been hired by Carlin Publishing to write songs for their music library, and I’ve acted as my own publisher pushing songs from my albums, and writing music specifically as theme songs and background music. I wrote the theme song to the SpikeTV show “MXC”, the theme to VH1’s “That Metal Show”, the music for the NY Islanders hockey team 2008/2009 season, I’ve done all the music for a SEGA video game, did a jingle for the Oxygen Network, and in the past year my music has been internationally on Smallville, WWE Raw, Red Bull’s Air Race TV series, and on MTV/VH1’s Hogan Knows Best, Real World, Pimp My Ride, Next, My Super Sweet 16, Osbournes, Made, Date My Mom, Road Rules, Extreme Elimination, You’ve Got A Friend, Clone High, Sausage Factory, Power Girls, and plenty more.
I have my own recording studio in NJ, where I record my own music and other artists I’m working with. I’ve also rented it out and acted solely as an engineer, doing all or any part of the recording process – recording the tracks, mixing the songs, and mastering the album. I’ve been hired solely as a mastering engineer, and as a mixing engineer. The studio has also been rented out as a photo studio, to shoot music videos, webcasts and TV shows. Have a nice analog mastering studio as well. In 2007/2008 I worked for FuseTV’s “Talking Metal on Fuse”, recording/mixing/mastering the audio to live performances on show – recorded Zakk Wylde, Exodus, The Spyderz, and members of Overkill, Dream Theater, Anthrax, Twisted Sister, Iced Earth, In This Moment, God Forbid and Warrior Soul.
Have worked as a hired guitarist, bassist and singer for recordings and live performances. Have been a guest on stage with Joe Satriani, Lita Ford, Nancy Sinatra and Cyndi Lauper (Crobar, NYC), Turkish composer Fahir Atakoglu (Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC), laid guitar tracks for Jessica Simpson (“Irresistible” dance mix), and laid guitar tracks for the music of CNN Turkey (All music – station IDs, program titles, main theme of the station – 1999).
Started studying music at age 7. Began teaching music at age 13, giving private guitar, bass, vocal and music theory instruction. By 19, started teaching at local music stores and schools in NYC and NJ. Early 20’s I worked as a transcriber for instructional video companies, set up and ran the music department at a private school in NJ, included music for children, music history, music theory, gospel choir, jazz band, and instrument lessons (also set up a darkroom and taught photography and film developing.) Since 2003, I’ve been a Professor at SUNY Purchase, teaching music production. Started giving Skype guitar lessons in 2011.
Have taken the teaching on the road as well. Between shows while touring, I’ve arranged clinics and master-classes at schools and venues. Have also done international clinic tours over the past 10 years, and lots of articles and videos for websites and major guitar magazines in the US, Europe, and Japan. Been a guest instructor/performer at schools and music camps – Raleigh Music Academy (NC), Tone Merchants (CA), National Guitar Workshop (FL), Freak Guitar Camp (Sweden), MusicFest (Russia), and a music coach on MTV’s “Made”.
Making music has a greater purpose – anything I can do to help others, I try to do.
MS Research Foundation, Board of Directors – non-profit org that raises money for Multiple Sclerosis research. I help organize and run annual dinner/comedy fundraising shows, have also done benefit concerts to raise MS research money. Released a CD in late 2001, donated 100% profits to the Red Cross. Donated songs and performances to fundraising CDs, often donating autographed CDs, shirts, photos for charitable auctions. Co-organized and performed at a Diabetes fundraiser in Vegas, Aug ’08, put together a band with guys from The Cult, Thin Lizzy, American Idol, Rockstar INXS/Supernova house band, Miley Cyrus.
