MB Redfined

Quint Starkie (GIT '87)

|    Jan 01, 2005

Guitarist Quint Starkie made the decision to leave his native England to attend GIT in 1986. After returning to Europe, he resumed a career that has since branched out to include far more than guitar playing. Here is his story:

“I was born in Blackburn, England and I spent my formative years touring England and Europe playing guitar with various bands. After seeing an advert for MI whilst on tour, I sold my house to finance my year at GIT, a move I have never regretted! I got to play and learn from the best musicians in the world. After graduation I moved to Sweden, where I started doing sessions, playing on records and film soundtracks, joined Elektra recording artists "On the Rox" and started a company that writes and produces music for commercials. I have written and produced Sweden's most recognized jingle to date, a McDonalds ad that ran for eight years, winning seven gold awards and one silver. I have an extensive commercial client list that includes Toyota, Renault, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Ericsson, Juicy Fruit, Nescafe, etc. In 2001 I was the most played composer in the Swedish media! Over the years, I have worked with some great musicians here in Sweden, including Max Martin (Britney, Backstreet Boys) and Anders Bagge (J-Lo, Janet Jackson).

”Lately, since signing a publishing deal with EMI, I have been writing and producing pop songs and have so far achieved sales of over 2.5 million units, including the #14 Billboard Top100 song "Always You" from the soundtrack to the Julia Roberts film My Best Friend’s Wedding, which I co-wrote with Sophie Zelmani. I have achieved gold and platinum status in countries as diverse as Taiwan, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, and China, and I have also appeared in numerous publications including Guitar Player, Guitar World, Guitarist, and Sound on Sound.”

The years since graduation have given Quint a sense of perspective on his experience at GIT, and he also offers some advice to current and future students:
”For me, success has always been about being able to both support my family and keep making music, and ever since graduation from GIT that's what I have been lucky enough to do. I do remember practicing like mad at GIT, something I don't have time to do now, so my advice to new students is to use up every second of their year at MI and sleep when you get back home! The teachers go above and beyond the call of duty and are some of the finest players in the world!”

To learn more about Quint’s commercial composing credits, check out www.quintstarkie.com. For more about his songwriting, see www.nowinstereo.com.

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“More and more of the auditions I’m having for recording artists are turning out to be MI class reunions. The graduates of MI have been dominating the new, young music scene in LA”.

- Barry Squire
  Music Industry Talent Coordinator
  MI Hiring Hall Manager



MI alumni are working on stage, in the studio and behind the scenes around the world, with new stories arriving nearly every day. A sample of former MI students who have achieved industry recognition also includes:




Alessandro Cortini
Nine Inch Nails

Kalen Chase
Korn

Dave Kushner
Velvet Revolver

Rafael Moreira
Pink, Christina Aguilera,
Rock Star: Supernova

Mike Ward
Wallflowers, School of Fish

Kevin Hastings
Liz Phair

Pete Griffin
Hanson

Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell,
Scott Shriner
Weezer

Curt Bisquera
Elton John, Mick Jagger,
Bonnie Raitt

Pete Anderson
guitarist, producer

Paul Gilbert
Mr.Big, Racer X

Norman Brown
recording artist

Scott Henderson
recording artist

Oscar Cartaya
Jennifer Lopez, Spyro Gyra

Alex Al
Tupac Shakur, Stevie Wonder

Keb’ Mo’
recording artist

Fred Clark
Chaka Khan, Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder

Dave Weiner
Steve Vai

Jennifer Batten
recording artist, Jeff Beck,
Michael Jackson

Toss Panos
Steve Vai, Mike Landau,
Robben Ford

Frank Gambale
recording artist, Chick Corea

Kevin Dukes
Don Henley, Boz Scaggs,
Jackson Browne

Chad Smith,
John Frusciante
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Clayton Gibb, Les Falconer
Keb’ Mo’

John Shanks
Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt

Allen Hinds
Randy Crawford, Natalie Cole,
Crusaders

Jeff Buckley
recording artist

Ray Luzier
Korn, STP, Army of Anyone,
David Lee Roth

Matt Laug
Alanis Morissette, Slash

Ash Sood
Sarah McLachlan

Joacim Cans
Hammerfall

Leah Andreone
recording artist

Irene Gutierrez (DJ Irene)
DJ/producer/remixer/recording artist

T.J. Guger
Göla

Valerie Vega
Zomba/JIVE recording artist (France)

Ernest Tibbs
Alan Holdsworth, Natalie Cole

Toshi Hiketa
David Lee Roth

Travis Johnson
Dickies, TSOL

Jimmy Herring
Allman Brothers, The Other Ones,
ARU, Widespread Panic

Josh Sklair
Etta James, Jeffrey Osborne

Dan Caron
Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown

Jimmy Scott
Little Milton, Solomon Burke

Steve Kerscznic
Tom Jones

Brian Allen
Virgil Donati, Greg Adams

Meja
recording artist

Jesse Gress
music editor, Guitar Player Magazine

Sarah Hudson
recording artist

Chris Maloney
Dweezil Zappa, Lisa Loeb