Ruel Morales is a seasoned performer, educator, producer, and YouTuber with over 20 years of professional expertise.
His early foray into music began at the age of four with classical piano lessons at The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). Ten years later, Ruel taught himself the guitar and the drums, exploring rock and metal genres. He ventured into classical music and jazz with his formal training at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2003. At Kwantlen, Ruel was awarded a first-year scholarship and later held the position of Principal Percussionist in the Wind Ensemble.
Eager to express himself beyond academia, Ruel was a guitarist and songwriter for his former progressive rock group, Drasis, which released their self-titled EP in 2005. He also studied under the world-renowned drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen to further develop his progressive drumming techniques and approaches.
Ruel continued his studies at the University of British Columbia, where he earned a B. Mus. in Classical Guitar Performance with a minor in Composition. While at UBC, he studied guitar under Michael Strutt and composition with Dr. Stephen Chatman and Dorothy Chang.
Ruel’s professional acts are diverse, ranging from Spanish guitar to 7 string fingerstyle to elaborate live looping. He performs for weddings, celebrations, and corporate functions. As a dedicated educator, his teaching blends classical discipline along with studies in blues, jazz, rock, pop, fingerstyle, and folk. He takes a balanced approach to teaching kids, finding songs the student can connect to, and blending a foundation of technique with a dose of fun to help them develop music appreciation and expression.
Ruel helps build music appreciation and fluency for students of all ages and abilities, having supported students in all stages of their musical journey: from the first lesson to mentorship in professional careers. Ruel has guided students to eight regional/national gold medal awards from the RCM and has successfully prepared students for university guitar entrance, focusing on pinpointing audition requirements, theory exam preparation, and effective practice routines. Ruel’s commitment to personalized instruction fosters a transformative experience, inspiring students to discover their unique musical voice.
Student testimonials:
Ruel is a very welcoming and genuine teacher. He is the Sensai of my musical journey because he’s relatable, an amazing listener and he can shred a 7-string guitar like nobody’s business. Ruel is a true lover of music and I look forward to many years of learning and becoming a better musician with him. -S. Basi
I’ve had Ruel as my guitar teacher for 8 years. I went from knowing absolutely nothing on guitar to graduating with a bachelor degree in music under his tutelage. His approach to teaching and methodology is efficient and specific to the students needs. He is also very dedicated to the students’ growth and is very encouraging. During my years with Ruel, I have learned and discovered many different types of music and ways of playing that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Highly recommend. -J. Flores
