San Francisco Native Nick Montes is a professional guitarist with over two decades of performance and educational experience. Son of professional drummer, Bob Montes (The Hues Corporation and many others) Nick has been playing the guitar since 2000 and performing professionally since 2003. 
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After building up his chops working with many local Bay Area bands and performing through out California for several years, Nick sought to become a top-tier player and attended an intense course of study at the highly-regarded and competitive Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) at the world-renowned music school Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA . While at GIT, Nick had a unique opportunity to focus on music theory, performance, and composition under many professional studio session and touring musicians, including Scott Henderson, Carl Verheyen, Allen Hinds, Sid Jacobs, Bruce Buckingham, Jinshi Ozaki, Vadim Zilberstein, Keith Wyatt, Dan Gilbert, Dave Hill, Ross Bolton, Jamie Findlay and Dale Turner. Though only a few are able to complete the program, Nick was able to claim the achievement of graduating from GIT with a Degree in Music Performance-Guitar. Upon returning to the Bay Area, Nick brought his passion for Music to Lafayette by opening his own lesson studio and offering private lessons.
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Prior to receiving his degree from the Musician's Institute, Nick was a student at Diablo Valley College where he was mentored by Steve Sage, a well-regarded guitar player, professor, GIT Alumnus in the Bay Area.  He began teaching in 2007 privately as well for Bradley School of Music and Music Time Academy before deciding to further his craft, and follow in his mentor's footsteps by attending GIT. A life long dream of his to study guitar with the best guitarists in the world.

As a performer Nick has performed with and/or members of Tower of Power, Santana, Malo, Sly and the Family Stone, Booker T and the M.G.'s, John Lee Hooker Jr, The Nick Montes Group, Tortilla Soup, West Grand Blvd, Gokart Mozart, Kaye Bohler Band, Six Peace, and F.L.O. the Funky Latin Orchestra. He continues to perform and record in the Bay Area as a sideman and a soloist. During the day Nick can be found teaching in his Lafayette California studio, Montes Music Academy.