Guitarist, composer and producer, Steve Ouimette started making music at age 5 when his parents bought an organ for the family and offered lessons to both he and his sister. Intrigued with the sound of the organ distorting when the bass pedals kicked in, Steve was instantly hooked on the possibilities it offered. Several years and many Kiss, Van Halen and Zeppelin records later he added drums to the mix, but by age 12 it was the guitar that became his lifelong passion. When he was 19 he made his first appearance in Guitar Player Magazine, a magazine he would return to years later as an established artist. Torn between rock and classical music he decided to split his education by playing and recording with local bands while getting his degree in Classical Performance and Composition from California State University, East Bay. After graduating college he signed with a major label for a brief stint before moving into the computer games and music industry. Holding both creative and technical positions at a variety of music and game companies, including 5 years at Microsoft he ran a recording studio and creatied original music for games and other media. Needing the stimulation of fulltime creative work, Steve formed his own music production company in late 2005. By early 2007 he began his long-standing association with Activision on their highly successful Guitar Hero series. Since Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock, he has participated in every release of the game, contributing exacting re-created cover tracks to original compositions and sound design. Steve is also a full time contributor to Premier Guitar Magazine where he writes a monthly column, articles and reviews of guitar-related equipment.