Gretchen menn biography

Apart from demolishing her mother’s violin with Pete Townshend-like vehemence at age three, Gretchen’s passion for all things gitarr didn't fully surface until her early teenage years. It was under the tutelage of classical guitarist Phillip DeFremery, a lärling of Andrés Segovia, that Gretchen began her path on the instrument. Her father, noted writer and former editor-in-chief of gitarr Player magazine, Don Menn, was quick to point her in the direction of the greats as soon as she expressed interest in guitar.

While earning a grad in music at Smith College, Gretchen’s adventurous approach to her education would foreshadow her approach to the gitarr. She convinced a professor to allow her to launch a special studies project on the intricate and unclassifiable music of Frank Zappa. Her analyses of “The Sheik Yerbouti Tango” and “The Girl in the Magnesium Dress” showed a love for epic, melodisk, genre-shattering rock and roll composition that would manifest later in her ursprung

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gretchen menn

Rapidly gaining praise in the world of instrumental rock and beyond, Gretchen Menn isn’t your average guitar hero on the rise. She once flew regional jets to support her six-string habit. She has studied, in equal parts, the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Steve Morse, Frank Zappa, and Jimmy Page. (Regarding the latter composer, she performs the music of Led Zeppelin all over the U.S. with Zepparella.) Perhaps Michael Molenda, Guitar Player Magazine’s editor-in-chief, described Gretchen’s solo music best when he said that she “seeks the unknown by blending disparate jazz, prog, and world-music influences into a tasty, guitaristic thrill ride.”

Gretchen’s second solo album, Abandon All Hope, was just released in December, 2016. A concept album based on Dante’s Inferno, it marks a significant evolution in her compositions as well as guitar playing. Since the release of her first solo album, Hale Souls, in July of 2011, Gretchen immersed herself in study to expand her s

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Gretchen Menn: Whole Lotta Guitar

As seen in
Guitar Girl Magazine Issue 22 – Winter 2022

Exploring Gretchen Menn’s love for music, how she keeps a healthy state of mind, her thoughts on musical “imitation,” and her huge appreciation for Jimmy Page, Angus Young, and many other guitar greats.

The Zepparella guitarist has a lot to say about music, performing, literature, and the human experience in general. One of today’s most respected players, having been included on many prestigious guitar lists, Menn plays in the all-female tribute band Zepparella but is also a classically trained musician with a beautiful soul that permeates her music and performances. Like the lyrics in “Tangerine” (Led Zeppelin), she’s a “living reflection from a dream,” whether it’s her solo work or capturing the essence of Jimmy Page’s mastery.

It’s no surprise her guitar journey started off courageously — one of the first guitar instrumentals to capture her attention was the arpeggiated beauty