Randy Ellefson has been a composer and guitarist since 1984, when he saw someone play guitar for the first time. This triggered an intense desire to know how it's done and led to a life of writing and recording his own rock and acoustic guitar music at home in what eventually became The Firebard Studios. He also built two electric guitars in 1985 and 1987 and hasn't owned a manufactured one since.

After high school, Rand attempted to form the twin guitar metal band he'd been writing songs for, but the shortlived project ended in 1991 amid the arrival of grunge music, which largely eliminated opportunities for guitarists like him. That same year, Rand became a serious music composition major in college, but it's hard to follow those rules when you haven't taken the courses for them yet. In 1993, he switched majors to classical guitar but now needed to acquire four years of playing skill in only two years. Practicing as much as ten hours a day, he succeeded, earning a Bachelors of Music, Magna Cum Laude, in 1995.

A few weeks later, in November of 1995, he recorded 19 classical guitar pieces at home, never knowing that 15 years later, he'd release all but one as The Lost Art album. The remaining piece, "Fantasia Etude" is an original composition he included on the Serenade of Strings album.

During the degree, Rand succeeded in merging classical theory into his rock and acoustic compositions, making him a much better lead guitarist and composer. One result was a string of rock instrumentals that would eventually become the Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid album, written from 1993-1995. By mid-1996, Rand had 29 rock instrumentals and a half dozen acoustic ones, the latter inspiring an idea for an all-acoustic album, but all his plans came to an abrupt end in August 1996.

All of that classical guitar practice caught up with him when he developed severe tendinitis in both arms, losing all of his guitar and piano playing, plus the rest of his life. Temporarily crippled, he was unable to work or do much else. A full year passed with no guitar, and when he resumed, it was with severe limitations so that another four years went by before he could play all of his own music again.

In the meantime, he started a new career as a software developer using a special footmouse and dictation program to control the computer, though he no longer needs them today. The devices gave his arms time to rest while letting him earn a living - a better one than his intended career as a college professor of music. By 2001, he upgraded The Firebard Studios and began recording the debut album, The Firebard, which took a long time to record due to restrictions on his playing time from tendonitis.

The album was finally released in 2004 to good reviews and endorsements with Peavey, Alvarez Guitars, and Morley Pedals. More career details can be found on the career biography page, but this album was followed by the Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid album in 2007 and some local concerts.

After ten years of being unable to play acoustic guitar due to the extra strength required and his weak arms, Rand returned to it in 2007, writing and recording the remaining songs needed for the all-acoustic Serenade of Strings album, which he'd never forgotten about. It was released along with The Lost Art in 2010.

Today Rand has recovered both his rock and acoustic playing and actually does both better than before tendonitis, but classical guitar and even classical composition are things of the past, mostly due to time constraints. The injury is permanent but manageable now and mostly a minor nuisance. He's even gotten away with playing slow-pitch softball for several years, as a pitcher no less! He's already hard at work on a fifth album, this one including a singer, and looking forward to improving his career reach.