Live · Studio · Solo · Lessons
Photo Credit: Capture Core Photography
About
Troy Caruana is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist and performer with well over a decade of live and studio experience across clubs, theaters, and festivals throughout New England. He plays guitar, pedal steel, lap steel, and dobro, working most often in the American roots tradition: country, folk, blues, bluegrass, and Americana.
He performs live with touring and regional acts, records in the studio and remotely, and fronts his own solo sets. His solo material is grounded in classic country, folk, and Americana but ranges into rock, blues, and beyond. He has performed and recorded with artists including Ward Hayden & the Outliers, Lenny Lashley, and Nick Bosse & the Northern Roots, with session credits collected on Spotify.
Live Performance
Touring, residencies & fill-ins
Troy performs well over 100 shows a year on pedal steel, guitar, lap steel, and dobro, covering everything from honky-tonk and classic country to folk, Americana, blues, reggae, and rock. He’ll cover the steel parts, switch to guitar for a set, or bring dobro and lap steel to fill out the sound, whatever the set calls for.
He’s a reliable hire when you need a player ready to go: he reads charts fluently (including Nashville Number System), learns setlists fast, locks in with the band, and steps into a date on short notice without missing a beat. Whether it’s a full set learned in advance or a last-minute sub, Troy comes prepared.
Available across New England for touring, regular dates, and subs. Get in touch below for availability.
Solo PERFORMANCE
Country, Folk & Americana
As a solo act, Troy builds his shows around classic country, folk, and Americana, reaching into rock, blues, and beyond. The selection suits a wide range of rooms and audiences, with a repertoire that covers a full night of music. Each performance is shaped to the room, whether that’s a laid-back set or a featured spot.
He’s played solo across New England for years, in listening rooms, restaurants, breweries, clubs, and private events, reading each room and adjusting to the crowd and the occasion. His solo take on John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” is on Spotify.
Available for solo dates across Greater Boston and New England. Get in touch below to check availability and book a date.
Studio & Tracking
Remote & in-studio sessions on pedal steel, guitar, lap steel & dobro
Troy offers remote pedal steel, guitar, lap steel, and dobro for artists, producers, and songwriters, recorded from his own rig or tracked in the studio with you. Remote parts come two ways: the amped, finished tone shaped to the track, plus the raw DI for reamping or further editing. When it helps, he’ll send multiple passes or alternate takes, so you have options to choose from in the mix.
Several instruments, one player. Pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, and guitar from a single session means an arrangement can move between textures without coordinating multiple players. The approach is restraint over flash: the part that serves the song, dropped in without fighting for space.
His playing appears on releases for several New-England artists and beyond, many of which are available on Spotify & other major streaming platforms. In addition to studio sessions, Troy regularly tracks from his home studio. Standard turnaround is about a week, with rush work available. Just send a rough mix and a note on what you’re after.
Lessons
In-person & Virtual
Troy teaches guitar, pedal steel, lap steel, and dobro to students of all ages and experience levels, from first-timers to experienced players sharpening specific skills. Lessons are available online and in person around the Greater Boston area. Curriculum is tailored to each student’s goals, interests, and the music they want to play.
His approach emphasizes strong fundamentals, musical understanding, improvisation, and the practical skills that build steady progress and the confidence to play with others. Pedal steel instruction covers E9 fundamentals: blocking, bar control, volume pedal technique, and copedent basics.
Troy also teaches Certano and Duesenberg-style hand-bender setups on guitar and lap steel, a practical path to pedal-steel-style playing without a full pedal steel rig, and a natural next step for guitarists curious about steel.
A patient teacher and an active live and studio musician throughout New England, Troy connects every lesson to real playing, whether the goal is the stage, the studio, or simply enjoying the instrument more. One-on-one instruction, structured around the music you want to play.
Get in touch below for rates and availability.
Upcoming Shows
Catch Troy playing with a variety of great New England artists
| Date | Time | Group | Venue | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 04 | 5 PM | Lonesome Steve & The Fugitives | Sally O'Brien's | Somerville, MA | |
| Oct 06 | 2 PM | Troy Caruana | Private Event | Brookline, MA | |
| Oct 09 | 1 PM | Troy Caruana | Private Event | Brighton, MA | |
| Oct 17 | TBD | Ben Durand | Private Event | Lowell, MA | |
| Oct 18 | 1 PM | Kylie Harris | Lilac Hedge Farm | Rutland, MA | |
| Nov 03 | 2 PM | Troy Caruana | Private Event | Brookline, MA | |
| Nov 06 | 7 PM | Sun Fisher | Burren, The | Somerville, MA | |
| Nov 18 | 8 PM | Ben Wetherbee Band | Remnant Brewing - Satellite | Cambridge, MA |
Watch & Listen
Select recordings featuring Troy’s work on guitar, vocals, pedal steel, and dobro across various projects.
Let’s Work Together
Questions, availability, rates, or project ideas — get in touch below.
Photo Credit: Anchor and Hope Photography