Raised in Boulder, Colorado, guitarist, composer, and educator Wade McClung began playing guitar at age 7. By 16, Wade was fully immersed in the Boulder/Denver Jazz scene, joining the Colorado Conservatory of Jazz Arts, and playing in small groups led by Mark Simon and Brad Goode, while also studying Jazz and Brazilian music with Bill Kopper, of the University of Colorado - Denver, as well as Brazilian virtuoso guitarist Alessandro Penezzi. 

In 2018, Wade was selected to attend the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy, where he learned from jazz heavyweights like Marcus Printup, Helen Sung, Rodney Whitaker, and James Chirillo, working with each faculty artist in small groups, big bands, and private instruction.  

In 2022, Wade earned a bachelor's degree in jazz performance from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied primarily with guitarist Bob Sneider, though he also continued his pursuit of Brazilian and classical music with the classical guitar department, led by Nicholas Goluses. 

While at Eastman, Wade played with the award-winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble for two years under the direction of Bill Dobbins and performed in small groups led by Gary Versace, Clay Jenkins, and Jeff Campbell. He has also studied with the distinguished New York City-based guitarist Peter Mazza.