Lee Priddy on Building Priddy Music Academy, Student Bands, Guitar, Family + Community - EP 36

Lee Priddy on Building Priddy Music Academy, Student Bands, Guitar, Family + Community - EP 36

In Episode 36 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with guitarist, teacher, bandleader, and Priddy Music Academy owner Lee Priddy to talk about a life built around music, teaching, family, and community. Lee shares how he first got hooked on guitar after hearing Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio,” how players like Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, and Guthrie Govan shaped his playing, and how years of lessons, gigging, touring, and teaching eventually led him to build one of the area’s most performance-focused music schools.

Lee also breaks down the story behind Priddy Music Academy, from teaching out of smaller spaces to running a full music school in Millersville with private lessons, multiple teachers, student bands, adult bands, showcases, charity events, and real-world performance opportunities. We talk about what students can’t learn from YouTube, why fundamentals matter, how band programs teach confidence and responsibility, what it takes to manage 20-plus bands, and how Lee’s family band Honey Sol grew out of a house full of music.

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Sponsor Thanks
Big thank you to Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, Maryland, for sponsoring this episode. Cult Classic is a local brewery, bar, restaurant, and live music venue on Kent Island, with in-house beer, food, events, and live music.

• Website: https://cultclassicbrewing.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultclassicbrewing/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultclassicbrewing/

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Question for you:
What shift have you experienced in your life?

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In this episode, we talk about:
• Lee Priddy’s early years and first guitar
• Hearing Rush and deciding he wanted to become a musician
• Lee’s guitar influences: Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, and Guthrie Govan
• Teaching at Jason’s Music and meeting Mike as an early guitar student
• The early days and growth of Priddy Music Academy
• Lessons in guitar, bass, drums, voice, piano, keyboard, ukulele, and songwriting
• Building student and adult bands with real performance opportunities
• Helping students overcome nerves, stage fright, and fear of performing
• Why technique, fundamentals, timing, feel, and professionalism still matter
• What YouTube can and can’t teach musicians
• Teaching students how to gig, rehearse, soundcheck, and act professionally
• Managing 20-plus bands, teachers, parents, and student expectations
• Lee’s family, his kids, and the growth of Honey Sol
• PRS guitars, pedalboards, analog gear, tone, and live performance setup
• Charity events, Warrior Music Foundation, and Burgers and Bands for Suicide Prevention
• Running sound, hauling gear, booking bands, and learning through experience
• Building a real music community through Priddy Music Academy

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Connect with Mike & Joe

Image & Sound Media (Joe)
• Website: https://imagesoundmedia.com

Joe Bryan Music
• Website: https://www.joebryanmusic.com

Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)
• Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.com

Michael Waskey Music
• Website: https://www.michaelwaskey.com

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Connect with Lee Priddy / Priddy Music Academy:
Priddy Music Academy: https://priddymusicacademy.com
Lessons & Bands: https://priddymusicacademy.com/music-lessons
About Lee / PMA: https://priddymusicacademy.com/about-priddy-music
Contact: https://priddymusicacademy.com/contact-us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/priddymusicacademy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priddymusicacademy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGWwMyzRK2TML-r0stL_R7A

Lee Priddy Music:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leepriddymusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priddyrockerdad/

Honey Sol:
Website: https://www.honey-sol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeysolband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeysolband/

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Podcast Gear (typical setup)
• Cameras: Sony FX3, Sony A7 IV, Sony A7C II, Sony A7 V
• Lenses: Sony 70–200mm f/2.8 GM II, Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM, Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art, Sigma 24–70mm f/2.8
• Mics: Shure SM7B, condenser for guest
• Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18 into a 14” MacBook Pro
• Audio: Reaper
• Edit/color grade: DaVinci Resolve Studio
• Lights: Amaran

The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media:
https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

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