Guitar Studio of Christopher Gotzen-Berg

  • Massapequa, NY 11758 (map)

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  • Hey fellow guitar/music instructors! I just discovered Thumbtack.com which is a free service posting site (similar to craigslist). I'm trying it out to see how it works, but the profile set up is easy and you can upload pics/music/video. Check it out! – Jul 07, 2011 at 7:49 pm

Guitar Instructor

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Guitar Studio of Christopher Gotzen-BergMassapequa, NY$60-100 per hour

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For nearly 20 years, Savage Classical Guitar sponsored artist Christopher Gotzen-Berg has shared his passion for the guitar through his performances, teaching, and original compositions. His concert programs include masterpieces from various Spanish composers, original compositions, and flamenco transcriptions. The Times Union newspaper (Albany, NY) complemented Christopher for his “sparkling original compositions”.

Christopher has performed throughout New York State including, 1st Night Binghamton, The Palace Theater (Albany, NY), Adirondack County Community College, Schenectady County Community College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Albany, The College at St. Rose, The Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York, The Long Island Classical Guitar Society, and the Linda Morris Auditorium (National Public Radio). Christopher’s debut recording “The Lingering Look” (Wepa Records) gained an award for its original compositions from ASCAP.

As a highly sought after guitar instructor, Christopher has taught and performed master classes at such locations as Adirondack County Community College, Blue Sky Studios (Delmar, NY), Mars Music of Albany, Burnt Hills Music Academy, and The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. His private students have performed in master classes with artists such as Thomas Viloteau, and have been to accepted to such institutions as Schenectady County Community College and Florida State University, as well as participating in competitions including The Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the Ithaca College Classical Guitar Competition.

Christopher began his classical guitar instruction at Schenectady County Community College as a student of Sten Isachsen. In 1999, he then went on to complete a B.M. in Guitar Performance at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam as a student of Dr. Douglas Rubio. Christopher returned to Crane in 2003 to complete a M.M. in Guitar Performance, and served as an adjunct instructor of “Functional Guitar”, teaching music education students how to incorporate the guitar into classroom music instruction. He has also performed in numerous master classes including, Sharon Isbin, Jason Vieux, Dennis Koster, Matthew Ardizzone, and David Tannenbaum.

During the summer of 2000, Christopher studied Spanish at La Academia Hispanola in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It was there that he met Flamenco Guitarist Sergio Basuerto and formed a deep passion for Flamenco music.

In the summer of 2011, Christopher became officially sponsored by Savage Classical Guitar, and received a Kenny Hill "Signature" model guitar.

Always looking for diverse opportunities to perform, Christopher is also an active chamber musician. He has worked with Soprano Holly McCormack, Pianist Vincent Loccisano, Violinist Paul Little, and is also the founding member of The Miriam Duo (Violin/Guitar). Recently, Christopher has also had the opportunity to perform in musical productions including "Ring of Fire" and "Annie".

Hours

Mon-Thu: 12:00pm-7:00pm
Fri: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Sat: 6:00am-10:00am

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Question and answer

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. My advice for customers looking for a guitar instructor for either themselves or a family member is, BE PICKY! (No pun intended). There are many people out there who claim to teach guitar lessons, so be sure to find someone with a strong education and lots of experience. Do not be afraid to ask for a resume!
Also, be cautious of instructors who are offering deals such as "Free First Lesson", discounts, or very low cost lessons. Always remember, you get what you pay for.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. If I were a customer looking for a guitar/music instructor, I would want to know about their educational background and prior experience. I would have to know if they have had any past students who went on to form a successful musical project (band or the like), did past students go on to college for music, etc.?

Also, customers should know, that for many music instructors, teaching is their livelihood. When a customer cancels lessons often or forgets to make payment for lessons on a timely basis, it truly affects that teachers income. Beings a private music instructor is not a hobby, it a job taken very seriously by those who care about their teaching.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Ask about the instructor's educational background, past experience, and success stories.
Ask if the instructor specializes in any particular music such as rock, blues, jazz, or classical; so you can be sure that he/she is the right fit for you.
Ask about any policies the teacher may have, such as cancellation policies, rescheduling, make-up lessons, rates, payment methods, etc. All of these policies should be very clear and easy to understand and agree too.

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