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About

David Rossiter

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"David is the BEST. He taught my daughter guitar and songwriting via Zoom during the pandemic, then in person. Last year she made her stage debut at The Ark. HIGHLY recommend!"
- Heidi A.

Following the sudden death of a close friend, David Rossiter picked up the guitar after a twenty-five year hiatus. Now, after more than two decades of intensive songwriting, recording, and performing, David is sharing everything he's learned about crafting indelible songs that move audiences and musicians alike. 

Drawing on his experience as founder and leader of the eclectic Americana band, Hoodang, as well as ongoing work as a sought after songwriting* and guitar teacher, David brings a dynamic perspective and passion to each lesson.

Two years in development, David's songwriting curriculum is designed to accelerate your process of becoming a powerful and productive songwriter by teaching what matters most while helping you avoid the pitfalls that line the path to success. 

*David is a multi-year member of the teaching staff at the Above The Bridge Songwriting Workshop working with over 60 students of all levels and interests.

Some Songs by David Rossiter

BarricadesHoodang
00:00 / 03:52
You Oughta KnowHoodang
00:00 / 02:47
Joplin Sunday MorningHoodang
00:00 / 03:17
Falling AwayHoodang
00:00 / 04:52

The latest release from David Rossiter and Hoodang

Reviews

"Rossiter is a storyteller first and foremost. If you like the parade of ornery hard-luck characters who have wound their way through Steve Earle's albums, or the tough, edgy romantic characterizations of the grassroots Ontario iconoclast Fred Eaglesmith, be aware that there's a local figure who can play in their league. And he's got a dry leather strap of a voice to go with his songs." 

Tex M. Manheim, WCBN

"Sometimes all a country song needs is a plucky mandolin and a melancholy banjo, and this Ann Arbor trio makes the most of its simple, catchy ramblers. Frontman David Rossiter has a tinder-dry voice tailor-made for pensive road maxims; gleaming steel only adds to his authority." 

Download.com

"Fine Morning is one of those so-good-they're-scary tunes that force you to hit the repeat button just to make sure that you really heard what you just heard. Then it lingers in your head for a long, long time." 

W. Kim Heron, Metrotimes

"David has been teaching my daughter Ava since spring and I am amazed at her progress. She started as a complete beginner and has learned several songs; she loves her lessons and thoroughly enjoys working with David. She told me he tailors the instruction to her and his easy-going manner has alleviated her performance anxiety. He even helped her pick out a guitar which she saved up to buy. Highly recommend!!!" 

Heidi A.

"I've been meaning to “up” my guitar playing skills for a while. I'm retired with extra time on my hands and own a nice guitar, but needed a teacher to make it happen. David has been the answer to my needs. Weekly lessons, with follow-up videos to enhance at-home practice, have done the trick. David quickly figured out my deficits and got a plan established and implemented to address my needs and goals. David’s approach includes clear instructional communication, excellent visual examples, and efforts made to break things down which, when all said and done, contribute to a good learning arrangement. "

John C.

"With excellent musicianship, thoughtful songwriting, and a natural aptitude for Americana, the quartet does justice to the genre. In a town where folk is a lot bigger than country, and at a time when the label 'country' itself refers primarily to an inauthentic corporate product, Hoodang's thoughtful, accomplished Americana is truly valuable. We're fortunate to have them this side of the Mason-Dixon Line."

Patrick Dunn, Ann Arbor Observer

"They're making some of the toughest, smartest country music anywhere in the Midwest." 

The Ark

"One of the most skilled and smartest songwriters around these days. His lyrics really talk to me. His music is authentic. I have received lots of inspiration from it."

 

Christoph Mueller, Comic Artist

"Blissfield” is a sonic “Last Picture Show,” an aural Walker Evans photograph. It’s a remarkable record and it re-establishes Hoodang as the standard bearer for dignified Americana music in southeast Michigan." 

Will Stewart, Rubber Soul Records

I started lessons with David in December 2020, working with an old guitar and Zoom. David’s patience and flair for keeping the lessons interesting really helped overcome the challenges of learning remotely. As an older learner, I appreciate him sending videos of the lesson’s key points and fingering charts for the chords to help while I practice. I highly recommend David to anyone interested in learning to play the guitar."

Joe A.

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