Mac McDonough
Jeffrey "Mac" McDonough started studying classical violin at the age of nine, but his destiny changed significantly after he plugged an electric guitar into a distortion pedal for the first time — a Pandora’s box that his parents probably wish he hadn’t opened. Mac was bitten by the recording bug in the late 1980s, while experimenting with a TASCAM Portastudio and a malfunctioning Shure SM58. He interned in several pro studios throughout the 1990s, after which he began tracking and mixing in an ADAT-based project studio. Aside from writing about gear, Mac currently works on freelance recording projects in his home studio, affectionately named “Mac’s Playpen.”
Sarah Senseny
Bitten by the British Invasion bug at the age of seven after discovering the Beatles, Sarah Senseny developed an addiction to classic rock and never looked back. This brought about an insatiable desire to learn about music gear, songwriting, and music theory that, combined with her degree in English and love of literature, has only grown in ferocity over the past years. A pianist for over 17 years, she can also be found with Jazz Bass in hand or engaging the occasional ukulele and violin foray. Currently, she also writes book reviews for the American Microreviews and Interviews website. At home you can find her making art, writing poetry, watching classic films, and being a general nuisance to her orange tabby.
Aidan VandeStadt
Aidan VandeStadt’s self-immersion into the universe of writing and musical experimentation has been an ongoing journey since he could hold a pencil and hum a tune. His enthusiasm led him to the Ohio University English Department and School of Music which earned him his BA in Writing with a Minor in Music, where he also sang and toured with the Singing Men of Ohio men’s choir and worked with Athens Ohio’s WOUB radio station as a Music Director and DJ. Aidan is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in both percussion and guitar, and he has enjoyed playing in several bands over the years while writing, recording, and producing musical projects on his own and for his friends.
Cameron Day
Cameron Day began his gear obsession at the early age of 14, shortly after receiving, then subsequently dismantling, his first Telecaster. As a copywriter at Sweetwater, he spends his days researching and writing about the world of music—which is convenient, considering he does much of the same off the clock. When he’s not watching gear reviews or hunting down Gear Exchange listings of old acoustic guitars, he likes to play old jazz standards and Beatles tunes on his D18.
Jacob Fehlhaber
Jacob Fehlhaber is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical odyssey began with the piano around age five, picking up the drums and the guitar by 14, culminating in a full-circle cross-section of synthesizers, virtual instruments, and samplers, by 18. Raised on an assemblage of '70s and '80s rock, coupled with a personal foray into funk, hip-hop, R&B, metal, and numerous subgenres of dance music, his preferred form of musicking is what could be called "heavy metal disco." He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in fashion design. Following a brief stint in fashion marketing in Los Angeles, he obtained an MA from New York University, focusing on ethnomusicology. Off the clock, he enjoys reading, writing, video games, and cooking with his significant other.
Thom Koester
A lifelong music fanatic with a Prince obsession, Thom Koester started his musical journey in the back of his parents' minivan, singing along to local pop radio. Fast-forward to college, and he jumped headfirst into teaching himself guitar, piano, bass, and ukulele and entertaining friends with spur-of-the-moment songs. Soon, Thom transitioned into making low-quality demos and working with music-related nonprofit organizations before starting his writing career at Sweetwater. When he's not sharing fun facts with his friends and fellow Sweetwater copywriters, Thom writes poetry, crafts new songs, and makes loop-based indie rock in his bedroom studio.
Nathan Marona
Nathan Marona's first lyrical masterpiece was "Antarctic Hobos," penned at age eight. Though he couldn't play any instruments yet, the song's road-hungry lyrics about moving to the South Pole with a penguin named Jake foreshadowed his musician's path. By age 16, Nathan purchased a used bass guitar and studied genre fundamentals through the Internet. Later he picked up the six-string and began crafting songs of his own while studying English at the University of West Florida. Nathan ultimately landed not in Antarctica with a penguin but in Fort Wayne with his cat, Phoebe, which is probably a better destination for a Florida man who's never driven in snow.
Tim McPhate
Tim McPhate is a graduate of the prestigious GIT program at Musicians Institute, where he studied rock, jazz, and classical guitar. When he isn’t woodshedding Paul Gilbert alternate-picking licks, Ted Greene chordal etudes, or solo guitar pieces, Tim is looking to add to his collection of Ibanez guitars, which spans the 1970s “lawsuit” era to early-1990s RG and S series instruments and beyond. Aside from guitar, Tim’s other passion is writing — and editing — anything relating to music, gear, and the creative process. He has interviewed more than 100 artists and music professionals, and he is the co-author of Odyssey, the definitive examination of Kiss’s cult-classic concept album, 1981’s Music from the Elder.
Maddie Wischerath
Born into a family of wind instrumentalists and classic rock lovers, Maddie’s musical journey began before she even knew it. But her passion for performing began 13 years ago when she first picked up the horn — around the same time she realized she loved writing! Naturally, Maddie decided to pursue both interests at Syracuse University, where she earned her BA in writing and rhetoric with a minor in music, playing her horn in various ensembles and the mellophone in the Syracuse University Marching Band. When she’s not writing about band and orchestra gear, Maddie enjoys visiting local food spots, curating Spotify playlists, watching Arrested Development, and spending time with her “yello” labsky pup, Mello, who is affectionately named after — you guessed it — the mellophone.
Nathan Gulley
Nathan Gulley started his music career as a toddler, singing along to his parents’ cassette tapes in the living room. Though he may be an adult now, his cassette-collecting addiction never faltered through multiple years of playing guitar and maniacally experimenting with synthesizers. When he’s not listening to his coveted Morrissey, The Smiths, and Ozzy Osbourne tapes, Nathan retreats to his “synth dungeon,” where all his guitars and keyboards are stuffed into a tiny corner of his apartment. Here, Nathan plays and records ambient dungeon synth tunes, an electronic genre born from early death-metal solo artists featuring drawn-out soundscapes and medieval melodies. He has already released two cassette albums with venerable dungeon synth label Ancient Meadow Records — and he’s not stopping anytime soon.
Sean Rollins
Sean Rollins (née Rollins) started casually playing drums at 11, which turned into an obsession after hearing Neil Peart for the first time. Nearly 30 years later, Sean still spends much of his free time devouring the discography of any prog rock, metal, or jazz artist he can get his sticks on. Sean’s love for all things music and audio is rivaled only by his love for video games, which he not only plays with his son, but also helps create. He’s currently working with the engineering manager from Roblox on developing an audio-only game engine that would enable disabled individuals to play text-based interactive fiction games. Other fun facts about Sean include the following: taught English in China for six years, is a current committee member of the Audio Engineering Society’s Indiana Chapter, spent time playing drums in a legendary Fort Wayne comedy metal band, and has wrangled an emu.
