Born and raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts, Andrew Friedrich began performing weekly at church at the age of fourteen. Determined to develop his sound and vocabulary as an improviser, Andrew studied first at Berklee College of music under the guidance of Jon Damian and John Babaion. From Boston, he moved to Austin, Texas to finish his undergraduate degree in music at the University of Texas where he studied with guitarists Joseph Williams, Mitch Watkins and Bruce Saunders. While in Austin, he taught at Temple College and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. After seven years of performing multiple shows a week in the Austin music scene, Andrew moved to Northern Colorado and began a guitar program at Colorado Academy. During this time, he also composed and released “Human Resource”, his first album as a leader with bassist Richard Mikel and drummer Daniel Dufour. Currently, Andrew is finishing his master’s degree in Jazz/Improvised Music studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also serves as a teaching assistant in the jazz Appreciation and American popular song courses.

Andrew’s teaching style is dynamic and empathic. He stresses the importance of musicianship skills - reading, ear training, theory, technique and rhythm, while also helping students cultivate their own voice through composition and improvisation. Through working with a diverse group of students, Andrew believes that all people are capable of being lifelong guitarists and musicians and knows that developing a long-term rapport with a teacher is critical to that goal.