Studio Faculty - Guitar
Biography
An Irvine, California native, Donovan Raitt started his musical career with the piano at the age of 5. At the age of 11, Donovan fell in love with the electric guitar and started taking private lessons. Unaware of his family's history with the electric guitar (Donovan's cousin is Grammy winning blues guitarist Bonnie Raitt), Donovan's love for the guitar grew as he started to perform regularly in a wide variety of styles. By the age of 18, Donovan had performed in many rock, blues, and top 40 bands and was a featured soloist with the University High school Jazz ensemble, performing at the Anaheim convention center, The Irvine Jazz Festival and Disneyland.
At the age of 18, Donovan started to teach private lessons in performance and composition in a wide variety of styles to aspiring guitarists of all ages. Donovan continues to further his love for teaching by holding teaching studios in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. Donovan is an adjunct faculty member at Concordia University in Irvine, specializing in contemporary Christian music for the guitar. He also maintains a teaching studio at Jim's Music Center, the largest independent music store in California, and teaches beginning guitar classes in public schools with Excelsus Music Collaborators, a non-profit music education program. Donovan has also written, edited and published several online guitar lessons for www.zapguitar.com, www.strum-n-comfort.com and www.guitarschool.net. Donovan has also written his first guitar instruction book, "The practical guide to the guitar."
In 2001 Donovan was admitted to the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in the Studio/Jazz guitar program, and was the recipient of the Paul LaRose memorial scholarship for guitar. While at USC, Donovan studied jazz and contemporary guitar styles with Steve Trovato, Richard Smith, Frank Potenza, and Pat Kelley, as well as classical, flamenco and fingerstyle guitar with David Oakes and James Smith. Donovan graduated from the studio guitar program with honors from USC in 2005. Donovan is currently working twoards his master's degree in Jazz Studies from California State Unversity, Long Beach under the direction of Ron Eschete.
Donovan works regularly as a performing guitarist in both solo performance as well as with several groups and ensembles. Some of Donovan's clients include Princess Cruise Lines, The Orange County Financial Society, Congressman John Campbell (R-California), Considerate Done Entertainment, the Embassy Suites Hotel, In Good Company Entertainment, and many more.
Donovan is currently endorsed by Strum-N-Comfort thumb picks as well as Line 6 guitars and effects and continues to perform regularly in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Donovan is currently working on a cd of original music for solo guitar, which he hopes to finish by the end of the year.