Richy Stano. Musician. Teacher. Composer. Performer. Producer. If you ask those that have known Richy to describe him in one word, you would get those answers, and more. Music has been the focal point of Richy's life since his teenage years, and professionally for decades. His mastery has enabled him to become accomplished in many facets of an art form that goes beyond just playing an instrument. His understanding of the language and being of music, making it understandable to those that want to learn, has made him invaluable to the beginner, and to those that have accomplished much in music, but need help getting to the next level.

He is currently a guitar professor at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. Formerly he was a guitar clinician for the National Guitar Workshop, guitar instructor for the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), and the curriculum coordinator for the Musicians Institute (MI) in Hollywood, CA. For over 30 years, Richy has provided private guitar instruction for everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals. He is known as a guitar player's guitar player, and has helped many professionals reach new levels of accomplishment when they find themselves in a rut that they can't overcome.

RECORDING – Currently, he is recording new CD using Omar Hakim (Miles Davis/Weather Report/Daft Punk), Richard Hilton (MD for Nile Rodgers/Chic/ David Bowie), Chieli Minucci, Tom Hurst (Carrie Underwood) Elio Piedra and Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean). In addition he has worked on other projects with Farhad Humayun, Tony Levin, Michael Lington, Stan Lynch, David Torn, Mike Campbell, Drew Copeland, Boney James, Benmont Tench, Luis Conte, and Bernard Purdie. In the past, Richy has been a guitarist/composer for TV commercials for many of the country's largest companies and brands, including: Target, AT&T, Budweiser, Nissan trucks, ABC Television, Priceline.com, Coors, Nintendo, Pep Boys, 3M, Ernst & Young, Nickelodeon, USA Today, Fox-TV, CNN, ESPN, Paramount Studios, Coca Cola, CBS Sports, and many more.

TOURING – Richy has performed or toured internationally with Mary Wilson (of the Supremes/Dreamgirls), Bo Diddley, Curb Records recording artist Amy Dalley, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Trisha Yearwood, Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, and opened for acts such as Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood, Clint Black, Diamond Rio, Lonestar, Randy Travis and several others. Performance venues include The Grand Ole Opry, CMT Music Fest, Buck Owens' Crystal Palace, SunFest, Jacksonville Jazz Fest, Pleasure Island Jazz Fest, and more.

THEATRE – In theater, Richy has performed as the pit band guitarist for The Groundlings Theater in Hollywood, CA (Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Cheri Oteri, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Griffin, Julia Sweeney, Phil Hartman) as well as musical productions such as Hedwig & the Angry Inch, Beehive, Batboy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Damn Yankees, Great American Trailer Park Musical, Honky Tonk Angels, and Grease.

BANDLEADER – Richy has his own contemporary jazz band, Mindwalk, that has released two CDs of music for which he has written or co-written all the songs, and have been critically acclaimed. As noted by reviewers: "Mindwalk makes music for the body and the mind." - Robert Silverstein. 20th Century Guitar Magazine. "A tight unit with impressive solo chops all around." - JAZZIZ Magazine. “The unit is incredibly tight with extended rippin’ solos.” - Curtis H. Hayes, Editor, Jam Magazine. Mindwalk has opened for many other bands, including Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters, Maceo Parker, Acoustic Alchemy, The Yellowjackets, The Rippingtons, Jon Secada, BB King, Bill Frisell, Less Than Jake, Steve Morse Band, Steel Pulse, Richard Elliott, Larry Coryell, Widespread Panic, Col. Bruce Hampton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Roots, Sister Hazel, Greg Karukas, Les Dudek, Pat Travers, Aquarium Rescue Unit and Spyro Gyra.