WHEN music buffs hear the name Robert Lansing, the titles guitarist / singer-songwriter / music producer readily come to mind.But if you ask them where is he now, only the really informed ones will be able to answer: "He's the guitar teacher at the Bermuda Guitar Institute."

After years of travelling the highways of the US, Rob has played with Stash Wagner, Fraternity of Man and the Carl Dante Band. He has also enjoyed stints with Dancer, Mongo Santamaria, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, in addition to being the film soundtrack composer who worked on the music for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Rob has also made his mark on the small screen by supplying the music for such TV classics as General Hospital, MacGuyver and Stargate. Among his music contributions for film work, he joined forces with Terry Susan Smith for the cult film Basket Case.

A music teacher since the age of 17, performing has been in Rob's blood for nearly three decades.

"I first took guitar lessons at age nine, mainly a lot of classical stuff, but I had learned to play the drums first.

"I was thinking of returning to school and earning a degree and engaging in a different profession but I had placed an ad in one of the magazines and Nick (Wadson) had answered it and said, 'You have the job, come on down'!"

Rob's mom, Emily McLaughlin, enjoyed a 28-year run on the soap opera General Hospital and his father was an amateur drummer.

"He taught me the rudiments," Rob said. "In teaching music, it pushes me out of a comfort zone. I try to stay ahead of my students,"

He loved The Beatles. "Watching them (as a 14-year-old kid) made me want to improve and learn with technique."

During a five-year run with the band, The Dickies (1987-1992), Rob saw the band gain and lose members, including himself. He appeared under the pseudonym Enoch Hain with internationally famous punk rock groups including members of the bands Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fear.

Originally from White Plains, New York, Rob moved across the country after his parents landed jobs in Hollywood and his family moved to Van Nuys. Soon Rob grew weary of the drugs and decadent lifestyle of the West Coast entertainment scene.

"I got sick of the LA scene, the drink and drugs," he explained.

His next project is to get back into the studio and 'drop another CD'. When it comes to teaching, Rob said: "There is something about females. I wish they got more into music outside of classical music when starting out.

"It is easier to teach young female students as they have a greater attention span compared to young male students the same age. One thing I like about being here is the old people do not snub the younger people and the young ones think it's cool to play with an older person."

A non-conformist in his own right, Rob said if he had to offer a catch-phrase or piece of advice it would be: "If it feels good, question it. Since if it feels good we tend to go with it without question, but if we take the time to look deep and find out why it feels good then we would have a greater undersanding."

Nick Wadson, obviously elated with the latest instructor at the Bermuda Guitar Academy, said: "I struck gold by having Rob on board — this guy is impressive, totally awesome!"