Jaye Foucher was born into a musical family and has been playing one instrument or another ever since she can remember. Her mother tells stories of when Jaye Foucher was barely able to reach the keys on the piano and would pick out melodies that she heard on the radio. Jaye Foucher spent many years studying Jazz, Pop and Classical piano. At the age of 17, she picked up the guitar; it was instant magnetism and she was totally hooked. Within two years, Jaye Foucher was performing and recording with a local Boston band, as well as practicing six to eight hours a day. She then decided to quit college and focus all of her time and energy on the music she so desired to create. She was determined to accomplish something no woman, at the time, had ever done before, which was to become a guitar virtuoso in the rock genre. Foucher tried a number of private instructors for the first few years of playing guitar but felt that progress was slow. In 1986, she found what she needed in a teacher; Gary Hoey was the first instructor that truly challenged her. He saw that Foucher was absorbing all of the information that he passed on to her, so he gave her as much work as he could, always encouraging her abilities. He believed in her and encouraged her to pursue her dream. Part of her dream was to attend GIT, the Guitar Institute of Technology, and she did exactly that in 1988. Upon arrival at the school, much to her surprise, she was placed with the most advanced group of students. She was one of the top 20 guitarist in a class of over 200 students. Following graduation from GIT in 1989, Foucher returned to Boston to play with the progressive metal band, Lord Bane. During this period, she also did some private teaching. She began receiving attention by appearing in industry magazines like Guitar Player's "Spotlight" column. She was also selected as a finalist in three guitar competitions and landed the first of many endorsements during this period. Upon leaving Lord Bane, Foucher went on to form the progressive metal band, Plaid Dragon, in 1993. In 1994, she was asked to perform at the Winter NAMM show in L.A. for Celestion Industries. From that period, things began to progress quickly, appearing in 130-plus magazines and fanzines across the globe, performing at seven NAMM shows, two Muzik Messes in Switzerland, and a similar convention in Spain. Plaid Dragon disbanded in 1995, leaving Foucher to write and record her own instrumental music. Her first independent release came in 1997, Infectious Licks, receiving rave reviews and regular rotation on a number of progressive rock and guitar-based radio stations across the globe. In January 2000, Foucher released her second solo CD, Contagious Grooves. Some of the endorsements she has received are from Jackson Guitars, DiMarzio pickups, GHS Strings, and Rocktron Technology. Foucher is also one of the founders and forces behind Guitarpalooza, a web-based 'zine that focuses on instrumental guitar music. Incidentally, in 1998 Foucher read a newsletter that included a description of herself, which much to her delight referred to her as a virtuoso rock guitarist. Dreams can and do come true, and Jaye Foucher is a truly inspirational example of what determination and talent can achieve. ~ Larry Belanger