Vin Downes began studying guitar at the age of eleven. His early interests were in electric guitar, but this all changed when he heard the opening notes of David Cullen’s “Along the Way” on a Windham Hill Records guitar sampler. He immediately immersed himself in the fingerstyle music of Will Ackerman, Michael Hedges, Alex deGrassi, and David Cullen.
Greatly influenced by the music of artists on Windham Hill Records in the late 1980's, Downes furthered his interest of fingerstyle guitar technique and music composition by earning a degree in classical performance/music education from William Paterson University in New Jersey.
After college, he studied guitar with NJ guitarist, John Sheehan. Sheehan introduced Downes to roots music through the stylings of guitarists John Fahey, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Blake, Reverend Gary Davis, Davey Graham, John Renbourn, and Bert Jansch.
Greatly inspired by his mentor, Will Ackerman, Vin Downes has has developed his own unique voice as a composer and guitarist. His focus is to write music that is always contemplative and deeply emotional.
Vin Downes has released eight studio albums and has performed nationally as a soloist and as Will Ackerman's touring partner. He was also a member of the group Four Guitars, alongside Will Ackerman, Trevor Gordon Hall, and Todd Mosby. He currently plays in an improvisational ambient trio with Tom Eaton and Jeff Oster.
He has written, recorded, and performed music with Will Ackerman, David Crosby, Tom Eaton, Eugene Friesen, Michael Gulezian, Trevor Gordon Hall, Mai Leisz, Tony Levin, Michael Manring, Todd Mosby, Jeff Oster, James Raymond, David Watson, and Kenny Withrow.
Vin Downes is a public school music teacher in New Jersey, where he currently teaches an award winning classical guitar program at Bayonne High School.
