David M. McLean is an American guitarist, music instructor, producer, and music entrepreneur originally from San Antonio, TX, and based in Lexington, KY. He is best known for Skinny Devil Music Lab, an umbrella organization under which he composes, performs, records, teaches, produces, and mo re.
As a solo performer, band-leader, and sideman, he has also worked with or shared the stage with many notable artists, including Foghat, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Lori Lieberman, Paul Di’Anno of Iron Maiden, Grammy winning bluegrass legend JD Crowe, jazz great Miles Osland, Muriel Anderson, Tom Rush, Michael Johnathon, Grammy winner Suzy Bogguss, Ben Sollee, J.P. Pennington, Rhonda Vincent, blues legend Guy Davis, Steve Wickham, Valerie June, McLain Family Band, and more, on stages, TV (local and national – from MTV to PBS), radio, and the like.
He performs concert sets as well as workshops and clinics on songwriting, improvisation, music business, and more, across the southeastern US, appearing at private venues, music stores, high schools, and universities, and maintains a regular teaching schedule of group and private lessons. David is also a record producer, studio musician, and concert promoter, and is founder and producer of both the Lexington Music Awards and the Lexi-Fest Concert Series.
David also runs Skinny Devil Magazine and conducts the “Guitar Gods” interview series, where he has interviewed over 60 guitar greats, from unknown gurus to Grammy Award winners (like Steve Morse, Muriel Anderson, Steve Lukather, Jennifer Batten, Tommy Emmanuel, Roy Rogers, Steve Stevens, Badi Assad, Phil Keaggy, George Lynch, Nuno Bettencourt, Billy Sheehan, and more).
David is founder of SDML Academy of Guitar and his SDML system is nationally recognized by both the Gibson Foundation and YMCA-USA. The system certifies players and trains/certifies SDML instructors, and his students have shared stages with Norah Jones, Judy Collins, Tommy Emmanuel, Pat Benatar, BB King, Loe Kottke, Ritchie Havens, Amy Grant, JJ Grey, Kenny Loggins, Taj Mahal, Bozz Scaggs, Bela Fleck, Grace Askew, LeeAnn Womack, Lucinda Williams, Gov’T Mule, Mark O’Connor, the Ramones, Jake Shimabukuro, Frank Vignola, Michael Martin Murphy, Black Crows, Craig Morgan, Michelle Shocked, Cindi Lauper, Dustin Lynch, Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul, & Mary), Jefferson Starship, Punch Brothers, Chapin Sisters, Victor Wooten, Exile, Rodney Atkins, Andy McKee, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, and more…..They have studied at major music universities including Morehead State University, NYU, Belmont University, EKU, Vandercook College of Music, WKU, Berklee College of Music….and have appeared on TV shows like The Voice, Woodsongs Oldtime Radio Hour, Chasing Nashville, and more.