John Petrucci Plays to Huge Crowd in Toronto, Canada Over 300 Fans Gather at Healey's Nightclub for Music, Demos and Laughs with Guitar Legend

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (April 07, 2006) — Dream Theater guitarist and signature Music Man artist John Petrucci took the spotlight on March 21, wowing fans of all ages at a free music seminar in Toronto, Ontario. Presented by Long and McQuade (Canada’s largest music store chain) and Ernie Ball, the seminar was held at Healey’s Nightclub and drew over 300 attendees.

                Petrucci treated fans to 90 minutes of entertainment during which he joked with the crowd, played several tracks from both his new, solo album and Dream Theater albums, and answered plenty of questions—many of which revolved around his namesake Music Man guitar. Always one to show appreciation for his fans, Petrucci also devoted an extra two hours after the clinic to signing autographs, shaking hands and chatting—ultimately wrapping up the fantastic evening by ensuring that everyone was personally greeted.

“John puts on a fun clinic with a good balance of humor, music demonstrations and question-answer time,” said Glen Booth, Ontario sales manager for M.O.L. Marketing Solutions (Music Man’s Canadian distributor). “The club atmosphere really added to the whole rock ambience, and the crowd was in great spirits. The general consensus following the event was incredibly positive. Attendees said that John seemed like a cool guy, and they appreciated the opportunity to hear him speak and play free of charge. It was great!”

Originally from Kings Park, Long Island, Petrucci began playing guitar at the age of 12. Though primarily self-taught, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston in the 1980’s, where he learned jazz composition and harmony. While at Berklee, John hooked up with John Myung and Mike Portnoy, forming a band called Majesty, which would later be renamed Dream Theater. Dream Theater has since recorded 13 albums and is currently on a worldwide tour promoting their latest release, Octavarium, available on the WEA/Elektra label. Petrucci has also recently participated in the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai and has just released a solo CD, Suspended Animation. His 2003 release, Rock Discipline, is available on DVD.

Ernie Ball was the first to offer rock strings with the creation of Slinkys, and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge single strings. The Ernie Ball Company also produces Music Man guitars and basses, volume pedals, and other accessories. The company's strings and accessories are available in more than 6,000 music stores throughout the U.S. The company also exports to 82 countries. For more information, contact the Ernie Ball company at (800) 543-2255, or visit their website at www.ernieball.com.

These products are Ernie Ball trademarks registered in the USA and many foreign countries:

ERNIE BALL®     CUSTOM GAUGE®     SLINKY®     EARTHWOOD®
MUSICMAN®
STINGRAY®     SILHOUETTE®     AXIS®
STERLING®     4+2®     3+1®

Trademark ownership is indicated by the symbol ®, however, for the sake of brevity it is omitted during the story.

Contact:
Derek Brooks
Ernie Ball, Inc.
(800) 543-2255

Media Contact:
Keith Negrin
MORSEKODE
(952) 853-9555