Originally from El Paso, Texas, John Madrid has been immersed in music for over two decades and has intermittently taught music in both Texas and California for the past 16 years. Guided by both self-taught playing and formal training, he developed a well-rounded foundation that spans multiple disciplines. His first experience with music was with the cello at the age of 9 when he joined the elementary orchestra. Later, at age 16, he started playing the guitar at Franklin High School and set a goal to study music at the local university. He obtained a B.A in Commercial Music at the University of Texas at El Paso. Shortly after picking up the guitar he began learning piano, vocals, songwriting, and composition through both self-driven exploration and formal musical training at UTEP. The blend of styles he learned while studying music and different types of music around the world has heavily shaped his current outlook of music and teaching today.