SARATOGA SPRINGS — Rich Ortiz has been groomed for one thing — performing. The son of a choreographer and fourth generation singer and songwriter, he was acting, singing and dancing at age 3. By the time he was 13, he was performing off-Broadway, dancing in competitions and appearing in commercials.

At 17, he picked up the acoustic guitar, and that was it. He played guitar for four to eight hours a day, and, at age 30, has yet to put it down.

“I just love the feeling of playing the guitar,” said Ortiz.

The New Jersey native and resident of Lake George sings and plays his folk/funk songs in 300 shows a year. Putting 35,000 miles annually on his car, he travels throughout the Capital Region and New England and appears regularly at The Red Lion in New York City.

Named the “Best Acoustic Solo/Duo Act” in the area for two consecutive years by the Glens Falls Post Star, he is a one-man band, strumming his guitar, blowing on his harmonica and pounding with his feet on the pedal bass.

His first album, “Let It Be Life,” was released in the fall of 2006. A solo effort, representing Ortiz’s live show, it reached the Top 40 on CD Baby in his genre.

His second, to be released this fall, will include an ensemble with flute and keyboard.

Q: When did you start performing music professionally?

A: I went right straight out of the gates at 17. The summer of my junior year in high school was my first gig.

Q: You were an experienced performer. How did that help you?

A: My home was onstage. That was the only thing I had going for me. I had to learn a lot about the business end. That was the school of hard knocks. Luckily, I didn’t make any major mistakes and lose any rights to my music. I dodged those bullets. I was offered a lot of record deals that I, ultimately, did not take and I’m happy about that. When I started out 13 years ago, music was not as independent. Now, music is such an independent thing with computers, MySpace, CD and MP3 distribution. You can run your own business.

Q: You were always playing solo?

A: Yeah, always solo. Recently, I’ve been playing with a trio in Saratoga. I work with Sarah Pedinotti’s guitar player and drummer, Chris Kyle and Chris Carey. It’s fun and inspirational. It’s very unique and very full. It’s more improv; so there is more of a jam feel.

But we don’t have a solid name for the trio. Sometimes, we are called the Rich Ortiz Trio. But we are thinking about RC2.

It’s not that I don’t like playing with other musicians, it’s just that I found it was the only way to sustain a career. It’s easier to find a market.

Q: As a soloist, how do you keep your and the crowd’s energy up?

A: For me, music is such an outlet for my everyday life. I always have energy to express myself through my music. I try to really take what’s in the room and feed off of that. I try to build from there and make it a positive thing. Sometimes, I get unexpected, amazing evenings. The next night could be really quiet. Because I’m by myself, I can go in any direction I want.

Q: How did you come up with the idea of being a one-man band?

A: I started playing acoustic guitar and I had a drum machine. I couldn’t stand the drum machine. It was too fake for me. So I started making beats off my guitar. I started developing this percussion with a pedal bass organ. I come from a dancing background. So I quickly developed that in my act. I played with two feet, 17 notes, standing up or sitting down. Through modern technology, I bought a looper. In real time, I can make a beat off my guitar so it repeats. And then I use brushes to make cymbal parts and high hat sounds. I build a loop and play acoustic and bass at the same time.

Also, I added the harmonica for some of the songs.

Originally, I played cover songs. I added a few of my own and people enjoyed the originals more than the covers.

Q: As a choreographer and your dance teacher, was your mother disappointed you became a musician?

A: No. I originally played drums. My mother always said, ‘Why don’t you play acoustic guitar?’ Being that my father died, I was always with my mother’s side of the family. But she told me the background — my father was a singer/songwriter; my grandfather is a singer/songwriter. She bought me a guitar. Being a young kid, I fought my mom’s opinion. But as soon as I started playing it, I started gigging from there.

Q: What is your hope for your career?

A: I’m hoping to license some of my music for television. But every time I go to [Saratoga Performing Arts Center] and see artists play in my genre, I just feel like I hope to do the same. It’s a dream of mine to go in front of a large audience. It’s nice to be under the radar. You can still feel free. But the larger the audience, the happier I am.