John Petrucci (born on July 12, 1967), is an American guitarist known as a former member of progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is also a producer (along with fellow band Mike Portnoy) all Dream Theater albums since the release of the album Scenes From A Memory, in the year 1999

Petrucci grew up in Long Island, Kings Park exactly where Petrucci with John Myung and Kevin Moore in the same school. Petrucci playing the first guitar at the age of 8 years. And started playing with a band at the age of 12 years. Bands and guitarists who influenced his guitar playing is Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, Iron Maiden, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Yes, Rush etc.. Since it is growing and thrash metal rhythms, Petrucci added impact on the music of Metallica and Queensryche.

Petrucci grew up in a family that loved music. This can be seen from all over the brother who became a musician. While Petrucci himself finally choose the guitar as the instrument of choice. Petrucci began playing guitar since the age of 12 years. He spent about six hours in one day to practice guitar. No different from other children, Petrucci also has a small idol. He was heavily influenced by guitarists play like Yngwie Malmstein, Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Di Meola, Alex Lifeson and Allan Holdsworth. He speaks of the idol with the title “the Steves and the Als”. He was also influenced by the bands – bands like Rush, Yes, Iron Maiden, The Dregs, so Metallica. As a child, Petrucci ever make a band with his friend, Kevin Moore. After graduating from high school, Petrucci chose to go to a music school, Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Petrucci career journey began when she was in college in Barklee. Petrucci and his best friend in high school, John Ro Myung, had the idea to form a band to fill in the gaps in college. They met drummer Michael “Mike” Stephen Portnoy in one of the rehearsal space at Berklee, and after two days of negotiations finally Mike agreed to join. Keyboard position occupied by his friend as a child, Kevin Moore. While Chris Collins was elected as a vocalist. Formed a band named Majesty. Majesty himself had made a demo album. But apparently Majesty did not last long. Flow of music for different reasons, Chris Collins resigned. The place was replaced by Charlie Dominici. It turns out the name of Majesty-has also been used by other bands. By that reason, Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, Moore and Dominici, agreed to rename their band to be Dream Theater. Dream Theater was taken from the name of a favorite movie theater his father named Mike Portnoy Dream Theatre. American spelling is different making the word theater turned into a theater.

Joint Petrucci Dream Theater released their first album When Dream and Day Unite in 1987. Petrucci’s name began to be known a lot of people when the second album, Dream Theater, Images and Words, which was released in 1992, received a good response by the American public. Video clips Pull Me Under song appeared on MTV and playing on the radio. The album also spawned hits such as Another Day and Take the Time, which makes Dream Theater is increasingly recognized. Then followed by a concert – Dream Theater concert from domestic to overseas. Until now, Dream Theater has released nine studio albums, five live recordings, albums and 7 singles. But Dream Theater is also not free from problems. From the start of internal conflict, repeatedly – change of personnel, until the problem has been faced with a record label. Finally, the formation is formed from 1999 until today is John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Together with a new label, Road Runner, Dream Theater released their 9th album in 2007 entitled Systematic Chaos.

Year 1995, Petruuci make an instructional video, titled Rock Discipline. In the video, Petrucci explains techniques – techniques to play guitar for beginners. In the same year, Petrucci was also involved as a columnist on the issue of Guitar World magazine, Wild Stringdom Series. A book with the same title was also eventually published as a collection of lessons contained in the magazine.

Besides with Dream Theater, Petrucci also has side projects. Together with Mike Portnoy (drums), Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Tony Levin (bass / Chapman stick), they formed an instrumental band called Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE). LTE produced two fairly successful albums of Liquid Tension Experiment I (1998) and Liquid Tension Experiment II (1999). Petrucci and his wife, Rena Sands, founded a music label themselves with a Sound Mind Music in 2000. The first album released by the label’s albums Petrucci is a duet between John Petrucci (guitar acoustic / electric) and Jordan Rudess (piano / keyboard) with the title An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. In 2001, Petrucci opportunity to participate in the G3 concert in North America together “guitar gods” such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. In concert G3, Petrucci is assisted by Mike Portnoy (drums) and Dave LaRue (bass). Continue Petrucci G3 concert in 2005 in Mexico and Japan with Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai, then in South America, returned with Satriani and Vai. While for the year 2007, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and gathered in the G3 concert in North America. Petrucci is also believed to fill the part guitar album – another album, like the Jordan Rudess keyboard solo album, Feeding the Wheel (2001) and the Czar of Steel on the song’s solo keyboard Sherenian Derek (ex-Dream Theater keyboardist), Blood of the Snake (2006). Also in the album Marty Friedman, Loudspeaker (2007), Petrucci was present as Special Guest Guitarist. Petrucci also never fill the Sega Saturn video game soundtrack: Necronomicon. In that game, Petrucci made two songs and then given the title of Prologue and epilogue. Besides it is also quite active Petrucci guitar clinic held at various places. Petrucci is a voting member of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), which is an academy founder of the prestigious music awards event in the United States, the Grammy Award.

Year 2005, Petrucci guitar solo album was released first by the name of Suspended Animation. This solo album was produced by Petrucci himself and take shelter under the label, Sound Mind Music. In making that takes up to four years, Petrucci is assisted by Dave LaRue (bass), Dave DiCenso (drums) and a re-mixer, Tony Verderosa. This album was also mixed by Kevin Shirley, which is a mix engineer Dream Theater Album. Some of the songs in the album is the song that never brought Petrucci at G3 concert.

In addition to expertly play the guitar, Petrucci is also excellent at making lyrics. The theme, among others, fantasy, philosophy, family, etc.. Issues of religion are also not free from the reach of the lyric. In the song In the Name of God (album Train of Thought), Petrucci criticize religious experts on behalf of God to justify all forms of violence. Petrucci also never made lyrics for a cancerous brain his father in the song Another Day and mededikasikannya in the song Take Away My Pain (album Falling Into Infinty) after his father died. For the song – the theme song in the album’s philosophy there are many Metropolis Part II: Scenes from a Memory like the song The Spirit Carries On and Beyond This Life. Petrucci also highlighted the problems many psychiatric / psychological in song – a song on the album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. In album Systematic Chaos, Petrucci fiction theme like stories about monsters, vampires, spirits / ghosts, in the lyrics – the lyrics are inspired by some of comics from various countries.

As a guitarist the world, Petrucci has received several awards. Year 1992, Petrucci in-endorse the Ibanez Guitar for using their guitar products. By Ibanez, made Petrucci signature model guitar, Ibanez JPM100 namely P1, P2, P3, P4 and JPM 90th Anniversary. Year 1999, Petrucci decided to move from Ibanez Ernie Ball / Music Man. Just as time on the Ibanez, Petrucci guitar back made personally by the name of EB / MM John Petrucci BFR Series. He used this guitar until recently. Petrucci is also believed to wear products from DiMarzio (pickups), Ernie Ball (strings), Axess Electronics (foot controller), Boss (effects), Dunlop (plectrum, wah effect), and Mesa Boogie (cabinets, amplifiers). Guitar solo on the song Under a Glass Moon entered in the 100 best guitar solo of all time. Profile Petrucci been featured in Guitar Player magazine October 2007 edition. Total Guitar magazine named Petrucci as “Guitarist of the Year 2007″. GuitarOne even put John Petrucci in rank to-nine “Greatest Shredder of All Time”.

Petrucci’s personal life is no different with people’s lives as usual. Petrucci has a wife named Rena Sands. Rena Petrucci met in 1989. Rena is a metal band’s guitarist, Meanstreak, whose members include women. They married in 1993. Until now, Petrucci and Rena have been blessed with three kids, twins Samantha and Reny and Kiara. Interestingly, the same as Petrucci, Dream Theater several other personnel also married Meanstreak personnel. Like Mike Portnoy who is married to Marlene Apuzzo and John Myung with Lisa Martens. In her spare time, besides music like mengahabiskan Petrucci jokingly time with his family, vacation, skiing, watching movies and bodybuilding.

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