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About Eric

 

Bio

Eric Peterson's musical journey began at the age of 7, but it wasn't until he received his first electric guitar at 15 that his passion truly ignited. Inspired by iconic bands like Van Halen, Dokken, AC/DC, and Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric quickly immersed himself in the world of rock music. After just three months of playing, he joined his first band and started teaching guitar a year later.

Over the years, Eric has been part of various bands but has primarily focused on his work as a solo artist and studio musician. He has released an impressive 29 CDs, mostly featuring solo instrumental compositions. His influences span a wide range of guitar legends, including Tony MacAlpine, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Neal Schon, Michael Hedges, and Ewan Dobson, as well as other talented artists from the Candy Rat Records label. Today, his musical tastes are eclectic, encompassing solo instrumental piano, epic film scores, and diverse vocalists found on Spotify.

Beyond music, Eric is an avid road cyclist, balancing his outdoor pursuits with a career in cyber security. He holds M.S. and B.S. degrees in IT Security, as well as certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CISA, CCSP, and many others. He works by day as part of a vCISO team for a large MSSP. He has published 10 cybersecurity and online safety guides for various verticals, including Legal, SMB, Realtors, and others. Music is an important and vital creative outlet for him, allowing expression and relaxation away from the demands of cyber incident response and technical topics.

Eric no longer teaches guitar formally but has self-published seven instructional guitar books over nearly three decades, often transcribing other instruments like violin, flute, and clarinet for the electric guitar. His current endeavors include writing about cyber safety and blogging at cybertipsguide.com. Despite his busy schedule, Eric remains prolific in his music, always finding inspiration to create new instrumental pieces and collaborate with fellow musicians. As of 2025, he's working on his 30th full-length CD of instrumental guitar music.


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