The Tactical Guitarist

A conversation with old friends about the passing of time, how life affects the paths we're on and the wisdom we've learned from it.

Hailed as one of today’s most loved composers for classical guitar and a performer of international stature, Andrew York blends the styles of ancient eras with modern musical directions, creating music that is at once vital, multi-leveled and accessible.York is a GRAMMY-award nominee and winner, earning that accolade during his tenure as a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.His compositions have been featured on GRAMMY-winning recordings by Jason Vieaux and Sharon Isbin along with recordings by other legendary guitarists such as John Williams and Christopher Parkening.He’s released albums on Sony-U.S., Sony-Japan, King Records (Japan), Telarc, GSP and Delos labels, as well as inclusion on Rhino Records “Legends of Guitar” and numerous other compilations.His authenticity has inspired a worldwide following, with his touring schedule spanning more than thirty countries including Rome, Lima, Beijing, Ankara, Munich, Manhattan, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Japan.Generations of younger guitarists have made Andrew’s music a staple of their repertoire in their performances and studies. His works appear in print worldwide through Majian Music, Alfred Publications, Hal Leonard, Mel Bay Publications, Guitar Solo Publications, Doberman-Yppan in Canada, Ricordi in London, and Gendai in Japan.His extensive background as a jazz and even rock guitarist has allowed him to cross over stylistic boundaries with an unusual authority.Andrew has recently launched a new guitar lesson series called Andrew’s Den. We talk about this new venture along with his history, creativity, his love of mathematics and the impact it’s had on his musicianship and compositions, and much more. It was an honor to speak with him and I hope you all enjoy.Featured tracks: RideEquations of Beauty: 1 and 4Homewww.andrewyork.netwww.andrewsden.com

John W. Warren is a classical guitarist, composer, and publisher, originally from based in the Washington DC area. He specializes in Latin American classical guitar and performs his own compositions as well music by many other composers. Warren performs frequently and in 2016 released the solo classical guitar CD Serenata de la Sirena, featuring nine original compositions as well as music from Brazil and Latin America.He’s a regular contributor to Classical Guitar magazine, on topics such as the guitar makers of Madrid, practical matters of composing for classical guitar, improvisation and classical guitar, and on amplification for classical guitar, interviewing world-class guitarists and composers such as Roland Dyens, Andrew York, Manuel Barrueco, Benjamin Verdery, and Dušan Bogdanovic, among others.A publishing professional, Warren is Director and Associate Professor of the Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program at the George Washington University. A veteran of more than twenty-eight years in the publishing industry, he has held positions including Director of the George Mason University Press, Marketing and Sales Director of Georgetown University Press, Marketing Director, Publications, at the RAND Corporation, and Marketing Manager at Fondo de Cultura Económica. He is also a translator, a frequent speaker at international publishing conferences, and has written and published several articles about publishing, including “Innovation and the Future of E-Books”, for which he was the winner of the International Award for Excellence in the development of the book.In this episode we discuss:HistoryWorking with Richard StoverFull-time music careers vs. part-timeWriting for Classical Guitar MagazineGoal SettingDeveloping Your Own StyleComposingRecordingWriting and Publishing For GuitarFind out more about John at:www.johnwwarren.com

My guest in this episode is a successful musician, actor and author. We talk about his book “How To Make It In The New Music Business”. Guitarists will want to pay close attention to the things Ari has to say. You can find the book here:New Music Business BookMore about Ari can be found here:https://ariherstand.com

My guest, Kris Yates, is the founder of Mobius Guitars. Kris has some innovative features and intriguing ideas around ergonomics and design. We talk about his background, how he got into building guitars, the features of his current line-up, and the challenges and benefits of being a guitar maker. You can find out more about Mobius Guitars at: http://www.mobiusguitars.com

I started reading “Performance Success” last fall and quickly realized I needed to have Don on the show. Don is a renowned sports and performance psychologist who has helped thousands of musicians overcome their weaknesses on stage. We discuss his book and cover topics including:StressPerformance LevelsRight Brain vs. Left BrainCenteringVisualizationand much more….Find out more about his work at: https://www.winningonstage.com/Mentioned in the show: “How To Practice Effectively”:https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-practice-effectively-for-just-about-anything-annie-bosler-and-don-greene

In this episode, I give some reasons why networking is so important to our careers as guitarists and layout a few ways to be good at it.

Dr. Michelle Cleere is an elite performance expert, helping top athletes, musicians, and executives in competitive fields unlock the power of the mind and create the mental toughness to be their best. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a Masters in Sports Psychology, and years of hands on research, she is well grounded in theory and expert knowledge. Dr. Cleere has become known for helping her clients release performance anxiety, gain more confidence, and build resilience. She has a successful blog and several publications all which can be found on her website.I spoke with her recently about the topic of performance anxiety and how we can do better at managing it. She had some really interesting and helpful things to say.www.drmichellecleere.com

Being successful at landing gigs, management, new fans, and other important facets of a music career all rely on how robust your artist profile is. So, I highlight some critical areas that you need to be cultivating regularly.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Aaron Larget-Caplan when he brought his group Con Fuego to Portland for a string of performances in the Pacific Northwest. We didn’t have time to do an interview then, but we agreed to follow up over the web and knock it out when there was a little more space. Aaron is another example of hard-working, consistent guitarists who are successfully making careers for themselves. Aaron’s resumé is impressive and his energy and capacity for work is inspiring. He was generous with his time and details as we got into our conversation.

Marketing has traditionally been defined as promoting and selling goods and services including market research and advertising. The “market” is a regular gathering of people for the purchase of those goods and services.In this episode, I tackle the basic concept of marketing and some general things to do and not do in today’s sphere of social media and networking.

Classical guitarist Rupert Boyd has been described by The Washington Post as “truly evocative”, by Gramophone as “a very fine musician”, and by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a player who deserves to be heard”. He has performed across four continents, from New York’s Carnegie Hall, to festivals in Europe, China, India, Nepal, the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia. Active as both a soloist and chamber musician, Boyd regularly performs throughout the world as part of the Australian Guitar Duo with guitarist Jacob Cordover, and in Boyd Meets Girl, with cellist Laura Metcalf.Rupert has five commercially released albums. His most recent solo CD, The Guitar (Sono Luminus), was called “a must-have album of 2019” by This Is Classical Guitar, and received the following praise in The Weekend Australian: “Instantly one’s ears are perked up by Boyd’s interpretive directness and a sparkling technique.”I caught up with Rupert last month to chat about his career. We talk about a lot of great stuff including his early days in Australia, coming to the states, surviving in New York, recording, performing at Carnegie Hall, and much much more.www.rupertboyd.com

Self-reliance dictates independent action in whatever you set out to accomplish. This does not mean we have to skirt help or assistance when it comes our way. But there are a few reasons why being self-reliant is important.Check out this episode to learn more. www.tacticalguitaracademy.comwww.tacticalguitarist.com

www.kristenwaligora.comhttps://duotenebroso.com/Book Mentioned: Playing With Ease by David Leisner

I expand on a post that I published a couple of months ago titled “This One Goes To 11: Tips for guitarists Venturing Into Business for Themselves.”Many of us at one point or another will be working for ourselves through teaching, performing, recording session work, publishing and licensing, composing, etc. It’s important to have some concrete ideas regarding organization, vision, consistency and support in place. This episode highlights the things that have worked for me and countless others as they navigate working for themselves. After listening, join our conversation in the Facebook Group.Find out more about episodes like this at:www.tacticalguitarist.comANDwww.tacticalguitaracademy.com

Scott Tennant is a founding member of the the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the GRAMMY-winning ensemble composed of alumni of the USC Thornton School of Music, and is himself considered to be one of the world’s top classical guitarists. During his student years at USC (1980-1986), he studied with Pepe Romero, James Smith and was a chosen performer in the USC Segovia Masterclasses of 1981 and 1986. He has authored several books and articles on guitar technique, including the best-seller Pumping Nylon, which has attained a “cult” classic status. It has become a standard text in conservatory and university guitar programs around the world.Tennant has made numerous recordings as a soloist on the GHA, Delos and GSP labels, and with the LAGQ he has recorded for GHA, Delos, Sony Classical, Windham Hill, Deutsche Grammophon and Telarc labels. Their Telarc release LAGQ Latin was nominated for a Grammy award, and it was their current Telarc title LAGQ’s Guitar Heroes that won a Grammy as the best classical crossover recording of 2005. Tennant is best known for his performances of Spanish music, and his recordings of the music of Joaquín Rodrigo.Due to a technical glitch, the conversation enters mid-stream as we were talking about the way classical guitar playing levels have changed over the years. We go on to discuss his injury that nearly ended his playing, his recordings, we talk about traveling and balancing a teaching schedule, the state of the recording business these days and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, I discuss strategies and tactics for keeping a winning mindset or attitude. I look at sections from the book “The Champion’s Mind” by Dr. Jim Afremow and give tips on keeping a frame of mind optimized for success.www.tacticalguitaracademy.comGet The Champion’s Mind here: https://amzn.to/2lTeWVP

In this episode, I’m speaking with London-based guitarist and composer Laura Snowden.Hailed a ‘string sensation’ by BBC Music Magazine, British-French guitarist and composer Laura Snowden is acclaimed for her ‘poise and intensity’ (Guardian) and playing of ‘extraordinary depth’ (Strings, Classical Music Magazine). The first guitarist to graduate from the Yehudi Menuhin School, made possible by the Rolling Stones, she was invited by guitarist Julian Bream to premiere his latest commissions at Wigmore Hall in 2015 and 2017. Laura’s international appearances have since built rapidly, with festival debuts across Europe, China and the US, as well as concerto debuts with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Münchener Kammerorchester, and a recording of Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto Augenlider with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester.Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘linking guitar’s past, present and future’, Laura’s eclectic musical output has ranged from producing arrangements for Noah and the Whale frontman Charlie Fink to giving dozens of world premieres by composers including Julian Anderson, Errollyn Wallen and Olli Mustonen. She has also collaborated closely with her folk band Tir Eolas, appearing with them at Shakespeare’s Globe at the invitation of guitarist John Williams. As a composer, Laura’s music has been performed at Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Sadlers Wells, commissioned by the Park Lane Group, Birmingham Symphony Hall and International Guitar Foundation, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Hong Kong Radio 4.Laura currently teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and has given classes alongside performances at venues including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, Brussels Conservatoire, Uppsala International Guitar Festival, Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium, the Volterra Project in Italy and the Guitar and Lute Festival in Sweden.Laura’s principal teachers were Julian Bream, Richard Wright (Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School) and Gary Ryan (Royal College of Music).Laura and I cover a lot of topics. We talk about her history, working with Bream, composing, teaching, we get into the topic of expression and interpreting music, how she handles challenging things like self-doubt and those pesky existential questions like “what am I doing?”, and so much more. We had a great time over these two different interviews and I hope you enjoy. Featured clip from her composition titled Light Perpetuum, which was commissioned by VIDA Guitar Quartet, performed by them and saxophonist Amy Green, and appears on their latest album Bachianas.https://www.vidagq.com/http://www.laurasnowden.co.uk/

In this mini-lesson, I discuss a few reasons why self-discipline is so important along with some tips on how to be better at it. For more on this topic, visit our Facebook group or join the Tactical Guitar Academy at www.tacitcalguitaracademy.com

This episode features L.A. based electric guitarist Tracy Lambertucci. Born in 1990 in Caracas- Venezuela, Tracy Lambertucci began playing guitar at 15 and started performing just a year later. Her early studies in guitar were done at the Conservatory Lino Gallardo and the Taller de Jazz Caracas.During that time, Tracy had the opportunity to study with some of the best jazz players in her country including Oscar Fanega, Abelardo Bolano, Gabriel Davila, among others.In 2011 she moved to Los Angeles, CA, to continue pursuing her dream to be a musician. She was accepted in to the Musician’s Institute and graduated Cum Laude in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance and a minor in Audio Engineering.Tracy has been working ever since as a session guitarist, teacher, and hired by numerous touring acts to perform live. She’s performed with artists including Honey County, The Suffragettes, Fair Avenue, Mustang Sally, and the list goes on and on. She has toured all over the U.S and South America gaining recognition and getting featured in magazines and radio/ TV shows like Classic Rock Magazine, LA Talk Radio “Troy’s Room”, Buzz Bands LA, Pop Vulture Entertainment , Music Industry News Network, and Sin Flash Venezuela, among others.You can find out more about her at her website tracylambertucci.com and more so on Instragram at @tracy_lambertucci.We talk about her career, what kinds of challenges she’s overcome, how she gets work, her view on social media, being a woman guitarist in the field, wellness, and a lot more.It was a pleasure to speak with Tracy and I hope you enjoy. There’s a lot to take away here. Enjoy!More Links:www.tacticalguitaracademy.comwww.tacticalguitarist.com

Regarded for her beautiful tone and lyrical playing, Maryland-based classical guitarist Candice Mowbray shares the expressive and communicative qualities of her playing through programs of modern and classic works. From playful acrobatics in works by French guitar virtuoso Ida Presti to the elegance and solemnity of Fernando Sor's Fantaisie élégiaque, listeners enjoy her artful programming and thoughtful interpretations.Appearing as a soloist, chamber musician and guest lecturer, Mowbray has been a featured artist for festivals and concerts series in Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington DC, Baltimore and Los Angeles. She has performed with ensembles such as Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, National String Symphonia and Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington. Her recent solo CD, Reverie, has been featured on radio shows such as In Tune (BBC Radio 3), The Intimate Guitar (Dayton, OH), G-Strings with Tom Cole (Washington D.C.) and Musica Mundi (Boulder, CO). Classical Guitar Magazine called the release "A revelation!" and one of the Top 10 CD picks of the year.Mowbray earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Classical Guitar Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia and has taught courses in music and appreciation of the broader humanities at Shenandoah Conservatory, Hagerstown Community College and several other colleges and schools of music in the mid-Atlantic region. She also enjoys research and giving talks about music, which have been described as enthusiastic and insightful.You’re gonna want to take notes on this one. We cover a lot of angles regarding career choices including scholarly work and working at festivals. Candice is a tactical guitarist through and through and you’ll hear how throughout this entire episode.www.candicemowbray.comwww.tacticalguitaracademy.com

Today I’m speaking with French guitar phenomenon Thomas Viloteau who’s approach to the instrument, its repertoire and its technique is reshaping the term ‘classical’ guitar, into something new, alive and forward thinking.Viloteau began studying guitar at the age of 12 and worked with with some the most prolific guitarists and teachers in Europe including Alvaro Pierri, Roland Dyens and Judacael.He won first prize at the GFA convention in 2006 and the Francisco Tarrega Competition in 2012 among others. After completing a doctorate at Eastman, his prestige and talent landed him a position at the Peabody Conservatory where he sits among the great guitarists and teachers, Manuel Barrueco and Julian Gray.Thomas is featured on Tonebase and GSI and is one of many younger guitarists who have embraced the technological advantages of the web and social media.We talk about his journey with guitar including his teachers, the need to take a break, his return to the guitar and school, working and surviving as a musician in this day and age, and a lot more.https://www.tigadorecords.com/https://www.tacticalguitaracademy.com/https://www.tacticalguitarist.com/

Today I’m speaking with the inspiring and very talented guitarist, Jiji.Applauded by the Calgary Herald as “…talented, sensitive…brilliant,” JIJI is an adventurous artist on both classical and electric guitar, playing a wide range of music from traditional and contemporary classical to free improvisation. Her impeccable musicianship combined with compelling stage presence and fascinating repertoire earned her First Prize at the 2016 Concert Artists Guild International Competition.JIJI’s performances have been featured on PBS (On Stage at Curtis series), NPR’s From the Top, WHYY-TV and Hong Kong broadcast station RTHK’s The Works, among others. Her EP recording, Underglow, was released in May 2018, featuring music by Bach, Albeniz, Ginastera and Dyens, in addition to her own composition for electric guitar and electronics.A passionate advocate of new music, JIJI has premiered a duo piece Talking Guitars by renowned composer, Paul Lansky, and recently commissioned Nina C. Young to write a new guitar piece scheduled for premiere during 2018-19.She has also premiered works by many emerging composers including Gabriella Smith, Gulli Björnsson, and Andrew McIntosh.In 2018 she accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Guitar at Arizona State University.Find out more about her http://jijiguitar.com/

I had a chance to speak with grammy award winning guitarist, Jason Vieaux a couple of weeks ago in light of his upcoming release with the Escher String Quartet. Our interview was not quite as long as some of the others, but we were able to cover several really interest topics. Grammy winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. His most recent solo album, Play, won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.Jason Vieaux has performed as soloist with over 100 orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Additional recent and future highlights include performances at Caramoor Festival as Artist in Residence, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society the National Gallery of Art, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, New York's 92Y, Ravinia Festival, and many other distinguished series. A first rate chamber musician and programmer, he frequently collaborates with artists such as the Escher Quartet, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis,accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro, and violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. His passion for new music has fostered premieres by Jonathan Leshnoff, Avner Dorman, Jeff Beal, Dan Visconti, David Ludwig, Vivian Fung, José Luis Merlin, and more.Vieaux’s latest CD release is a performance of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (Naxos). He has two upcoming releases on Azica Records: a new album, Dance, with the Escher String Quartet (July 19, 2019), featuring works byBoccherini, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Aaron Jay Kernis; as well as a new solo Bach album. Recent recordings include Jeff Beal’s “Six Sixteen” Guitar Concerto with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (BIS); Infusion (Azica) with accordionist/bandoneonist Julien Labro; Ginastera’s Guitar Sonata, which is featured on Ginastera: One Hundred (Oberlin Music) produced by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis; and Together (Azica), a duo album with Kondonassis. In 2012, the Jason Vieaux School of Classical Guitar was launched with ArtistWorks Inc., an interface that provides one on one online study with Vieaux for guitar students around the world. In 2011, he cofounded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music, and in 2015 was invited to inaugurate the guitar program at the Eastern Music Festival. Vieaux has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music since1997, heading the guitar department since 2001. He has received a Naumburg Foundation top prize, a Cleveland Institute of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, GFA International Guitar Competition FirstPrize, and a Salon di Virtuosi Career Grant. His primary teachers were Jeremy Sparks and John Holmquist. Vieaux was also the first classical musician to be featured on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series.You can find out more about his upcoming performances, appearances and recordings at jasonvieaux.comI caught up with Jason in between his busy family schedule. He was gracious with his time and we were able to chat about his upcoming releases, and some other really good things like how his approach to recording has changed over the years, his teaching career, balancing family life with performing, and much more.

Today I’m speaking with Gerald Klickstein. Gerald Klickstein works at the leading edge of music and arts entrepreneurship education. Author of celebrated book The Musician's Way (Oxford) and publisher of the website MusiciansWay.com, he appears internationally at prominent universities, conservatories and conferences, where he translates contemporary research into practical actions for artists to build thriving careers. In 2012, he founded the Music Entrepreneurship Center at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where he served as Director until 2016. Previously, from 1992-2012, he was a member of the distinguished artist-faculty of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; before that, he was a faculty member at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Michigan State University. An accomplished guitarist, he has appeared widely as a solo and collaborative performer. We discuss:PracticingRecordingPerformance practiceSolving problemsPerformance anxietyWellness for musicians …and much much more!www.musiciansway.com

Hailed by Classical Guitar Magazine as "one of the bright lights of the younger generation of classical musicians, a player of tremendous skill and sensitivity," Russian-American guitarist, Piotr Pakhomkin has extensively performed and given masterclasses in Europe, Central America, and the U.S. Based in Washington, D.C., he was the only guitarist to be featured at Strathmore, Kennedy Center, and Phillips Collection series in the span of a single concert season in 2014.After finishing his studies with Manuel Barrueco at Peabody, Piotr won First Prize in the 2012 Mexican International Guitar Competition and has taken top prizes at the 2012 Boston GuitarFest International Guitar Competition, Great Lakes Guitar Competition, Montreal International Guitar Competition, and the European International Guitar Competition in Italy. After finishing the prestigious Strathmore Artist-in-Residence program in 2014, he returned to serve as a faculty member and mentor in their Institute for Artistic Development.As the winner of the 2016 Respighi International Soloist Competition, he made his concerto and solo debut at Carnegie Hall in the Chamber Orchestra of New York's "Masterwork Series" in June 2018.Piotr is a great example of next generation guitarists out there working and doing their best to sustain a career as a guitarist, in many capacities. I chatted with Piotr about his career, his unique start with the guitar, his latest album, how he has made his way so far, and so much more.

Connie performed for our PSU Guitar Series this spring, and we were able to meet for an interview. She gave an incredible performance that included some great music most of us had never heard before. We discuss her repertoire choices, her decision to follow the path of guitar, her role as a Suzuki instructor, women in guitar, her work with the GFA convention, begin a parent, and so much more.

My guest today is the powerful and expressive guitarist Isaac Bustos.I spoke with Isaac recently via Skype just after his appearance as a featured performer at the 2019 Northwest Guitar Festival. We cover a lot of great topics including his history, making decisions about a career in guitar, studying with great teachers, performance techniques and much more. It was a pleasure to speak with him, such a friendly and insightful person. Enjoy!

My guest today is the phenomenal classical guitarist Gohar Vardanyan. I first met Gohar when I performed a split concert with her way back in 2010 in Sacramento. I, and I think everyone else in the room, was just floored by her performance. We’ve kept in touch over the years and I always planned on having her on the show, so I was excited to get to speak with her sooner than I expected.Widely admired for her technique, artistry, and passionate performances Gohar has performed throughout the United States and internationally performing for numerous guitar societies, universities, and arts organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and guitar societies in Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Miami, and New York City to name a few.She has appeared on National Public Radio in the United States and Radio Nacional in Argentina. Ms. Vardanyan has performed with the Juilliard Opera Center and as a soloist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra and Panama National Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a guest artist at International Guitar Festivals in Canada, Panama, Italy, and Mexico. She has been featured on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine and Guitar International Magazine has described her as “the complete package,” “with musicality and emotional quality . . . that one would expect from someone much older than the young wunderkind. Not only is she able to draw you into her performances with engaging musical interpretations, but she has the technical facility that is required of any concert level guitarist.”Her playing has been described as “passionate,” “evocative,” and “virtuosic.”Gohar is also an avid teacher maintaining a private studio in New York City and frequently teaches master classes and guitar technique workshops during her concert travels. She is an author of four books from Mel Bay Publications with a fifth one of its way. And she has a very extensive list of instructional guitar videos on both her own channel and the Strings by Mail channel.She began studying the guitar in her native Armenia at the age of five under the careful guidance of her father. At the age of eight, she gave her first public performance and also appeared on Armenian National Television. She went on to study with Antigoni Goni at the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School. In 2001, Ms. Vardanyan studied with John Wunsch at the Interlochen Arts Academy. She was awarded the Young Artist’s Certificate from Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Harold Randolph Prize in performance from the Peabody Conservatory.Gohar holds a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School where she studied with Sharon Isbin and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music where she studied with Manuel Barrueco. She is also an alumna of the Aspen Music Festival and School.In addition to these accolades, Gohar is sponsored by Strings by Mail and plays on Royal Classics Recital strings.I caught up with Gohar over Skype a couple weeks ago. She was very generous with her time and we were able to cover a lot of topics including how she got started with guitar, studying at prestigious schools, touring, booking and promoting as a first time performer, recording, teaching, and much more.

Simon Tam is best known as the founder and bassist of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band. He has been a keynote speaker, performer, and presenter at TEDx, SXSW, Comic-Con, The Department of Defense, Stanford University, and over 1,200 events across four continents. He has set a world record by appearing on the TEDx stage 13 times. His work has been highlighted in over 3,000 media features across 150 countries including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, NPR, BBC, New York Times, and Rolling Stone.He was named a champion of diverse issues by the White House and worked with President Barack Obama’s campaign to fight bullying. He recently helped expand freedom of speech through winning a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court of the United States for a landmark case, Matal v. Tam.Tam designed one of the first college-accredited social media and digital marketing certificates in the United States. His approach to cultural competency in marketing has been taught to hundreds of Fortune 500 companies.He has received many accolades for his work, including: The Mark T. Banner award from the American Bar Association, the Hugh M Hefner First Amendment Award, Milestone Case of the Year from Managing IP Magazine, and Distinguished Alum Award from Marylhurst University. In addition, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, a Freedom Fighter by the Roosevelt Freedom Fighters, and a Portland Rising Star from the Light a Fire Awards.In 2018, he founded The Slants Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships and mentorship to artists combining activism and community engagement into their work.We chatted via Skype about one of his books titled Music Business Hacks - it’s like a recipe book for music business success. Every section is broken down into short bites with specific actions that you can take to begin taking control of your music career right away. Crammed with over 2,000 tips and idea-generators, this book will let you hack your way through the music business. Also, it features advice from A&R reps, label owners, publicists, attorneys, artists, and much more.Simon’s a very busy guy, but he was gracious with his time - even though he’s on the road pretty much full time right now. I think you’re going to get a lot out of what he had to say. After listening, check out the book and his podcast.

The Tactical Guitarist podcast brings you interviews with guitarist, composers, teachers, and anyone else who can share their wisdom, advice and stories on surviving a career in music.My guest for this episode is renowned composer Stephen Goss.Stephen Goss’s music receives hundreds of performances worldwide each year. It has been recorded on over 80 CDs by more than a dozen record labels, including EMI, Decca, Telarc, Virgin Classics, Naxos, and Deutsche Grammophon. His output embraces multiple genres: orchestral and choral works, chamber music, and solo pieces.Goss’s work is marked by a fascination with time and place – both immediate and remote – and the musical styles that evoke them. In many of his compositions, contrasting styles are juxtaposed through abrupt changes of gear. His compositional voice is shaped by his parallel career as a guitarist – that is to say, as a performer, transcriber, arranger, improviser and collaborator with other composers and performers. Not surprisingly, his music often tests the boundaries between all these activities and original composition.Several of Goss’s recent projects have involved the legendary guitarist John Williams, including his Guitar Concerto, which Williams recorded and played on tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Some of the world’s leading orchestras to have performed his works include The Russian National Orchestra, The China National Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The State Symphony Orchestra ‘New Russia’, The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.Commissions have come from guitarists David Russell and Xuefei Yang (including chamber works with cellist Natalie Clein and tenor Ian Bostridge). Goss has also collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alt-J, and Avi Avital. As a guitarist, he has worked with Takemitsu, Henze, Peter Maxwell Davies and Elliott Carter, and toured and recorded extensively with the Tetra Guitar Quartet, various other ensembles, and as a soloist.Stephen Goss is Chair of Composition at the University of Surrey (UK), Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, and a Professor of Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He was born in Wales on 2nd February 1964.Stephen was in Portland for a three day performance of his Albeniz Concerto by renowned guitarist Pablo Villegas and the Oregon Symphony. I was given a unique opportunity to chat briefly with him, so we sat down at Bryan Johanson’s home this past week to talk a little about his accomplishments, some of his history and some great words of wisdom to musicians.

Interview with guitarist, teacher and entrepreneur, Allen Mathews. We cover his history and ingenuity at developing one of the most successful online classical guitar instructional services out there.Find out more about what he does at www.classicalguitarshed.com

In this episode I tackle some tough but good questions from several tactical guitarists. We touch on making money as a musician, recording, making and submitting videos, traveling with guitars and having the right mindset to tackle being a musician.

This episode features a very informative interview with my colleague Lisa Marsh about the subject known as Body Mapping. She is the Director of the Coordinate Movement Program at Portland State University, specializing in wellness for musicians. Her courses focus on injury prevention, health and well being for musicians and mind-body connections for increased artistry and creativity. She is one of five teachers designated internationally to license teachers in the somatic music education field of Body Mapping. I met with Lisa on campus to discuss her background and learn more about the benefits of Body Mapping.

A brief lesson on determining and accepting limits. By reflecting on a chapter from “Zen Guitar” by Philip Toshido Sudo, I discuss how we can turn our attention to the positive aspects of our playing after accepting our limits.

I sat down with legendary guitar maker, Jeff Elliott, at his home for a discussion about his history, philosophy, and stories about his 50 year career.

A brief guide on establishing a schedule and routines to help you get better at guitar.

My conversation with Portland based classical guitarist, Scott Kritzer. Scott is a veteran performer and teacher. He and I sat down this past August at his studio in his home where he shared a ton of great stories and wisdom. Enjoy!

An interview with the talented Michael Partington. We sat down in my hotel room in Spokane during the 2018 Northwest Guitar Festival to talk a little history and approaches to playing and commissioning new music.

My interview with the world renowned classical guitarist, Xeufei Yang. We have a conversation about her early years, artistry, teaching, arranging and collaboration. A great one!

Interview with renowned composer Bryan Johanson