Birthday: 2/07/86
Instruments in Suspyre:  Guitar, Keyboard

Gear:  Musicman John Petrucci 6 String, ENGL 580 Midi Preamp, Mesa 2:90 Poweramp, Tortex Jazz Picks

Other instruments: Piano, Upright Bass, French Horn

Influences: Al DiMeola, Chick Corea, Frank Gambale, Dream Theater, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Opeth, Kiko Loureiro

Favorite album of all time:  Couldn’t say for sure.

Favorite food: Thai, Jimmy Buff’s

Favorite drink: Milk

Favorite color: Red

Favorite number: 2, 4, 8…Any multiple of 2.

Spare time: Watch the Science Channel, the Food Channel, read books on conspiracies and the paranormal.

Favorite TV shows: Good Eats (Food Network), Beyond Tomorrow (Science Channel), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Family Guy

Favorite movies: Lord of the Rings, Office Space, Stargate, When Harry Met Sally

Favorite books:  Rule By Secrecy, UFO’s and the National Security State, The 12th Planet, The Mix Engineers Handbook

Favorite kind of underwear:  Boxer Briefs

Favorite breed of dog:  Toy Poodle (I’ve had 2, they are awesome)

Favorite Ninja Turtle: Leonardo and Donatello

Favorite Monopoly game piece:  The Thimble

Green or Red Grapes? Green grapes, I haven’t had much experience with the red grapes.

Rich Skibinsky began his foray into the wonderful world of music at a tender, young age. Tender, not unlike a fine slab of kippered beef.  Before taking up guitar, Rich took piano lessons for a number of years, establishing his base knowledge of harmony, melody and rhythm.  During this time Rich was exposed to classical music and loved listening to the sounds of Beethoven and other such standard classical composers.  Rich’s love of rock music began in early middle school when he discovered punk, ska and hardcore music.  This soon led him down a path that exposed him to death metal, black metal, and power metal.  His early metal favorites were bands such as Rhapsody and Labyrinth.  It was also during this time that Rich began to learn how to play guitar.  By 8th grade, Rich was trying to play along with Yngwie solos and Rhapsody riffs.  Throughout highschool, Rich’s musical tastes became ever more varied as the years progressed.  Soon, he had discovered the progressive metal sounds of Dream Theater, as well as the heavy grooves and heady harmonies of Chick Corea and Al DiMeola.  During these years, Rich studied jazz with the NJPAC Jazz For Teens program under the tutelage of musicians such as Ron Jackson and Ralph Peterson.  Since then, he has also studied jazz and fusion guitar privately with Greg Howe (N’Sync, Dennis Chambers), Steve Johnson and Peter Plomchok.  Currently, Rich studies music at Rider University in Princeton, NJ.