Meet Marty Schwartz | Guitar Teacher & YouTuber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marty Schwartz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marty, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Man, 2008 was rough, with the economy tanking and all. Being a guitar teacher and gigging musician, I took a real hit work-wise. I had to think on my feet to keep things afloat for my family, so I started looking for more guitar students.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. I had a YouTube channel, right? Nothing fancy, just videos of family stuff, like my daughter taking her first steps, to show the relatives. But then, bam! This little channel turned into a game-changer for my career.

I figured, why not use YouTube to show off my guitar teaching skills? It wasn’t about making any money, just about finding a few more students. But then I posted these videos where I’m teaching a famous guitar riff, and guess what? People from all over started watching, not just my students. Suddenly, I’ve got this growing audience.

Again, at the time it wasn’t making me any money or anything, but it got me thinking, “Hey, maybe there’s more to this.” So, I decided to go for it and started making these instructional guitar DVDs. And just like that, I went from just teaching tunes to actually running my own business. That little nudge into YouTube, just trying to snag a few more students, turned into this whole new gig for me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Looking back at the last 16 years of my work life, I gotta say that it wasn’t like I had it all mapped out from day one. It kind of just happened, bit by bit. It kind of pieced itself together as I went along, learning new stuff and trying out different things.

One big thing I’ve picked up along the way is how you’ve gotta be able to adapt in business. Being ready to switch things up and tweak your plans is super important. During all those shifts, I wasn’t really thinking about the grand scheme of things. Only now do I get how all those little moves added up to something pretty cool.

It all kicked off with me as a full-on touring guitarist, giving out a ton of lessons. Music was my life, and playing guitar paid the bills. Sure, I had big dreams, but the day-to-day was just me being a regular musician, hustling from one show to the next.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Red Rocks is awesome, no doubt, but hey, don’t overlook Gerald Ford Amphitheatre in Vail, CO. It’s such a cool spot. Oh, and guess what? I’m running a guitar clinic there in June. If you’re up for it, come and check it out. Just hit up bit.ly/martyvip for the details. See you there, maybe?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hey, just gotta give a huge shoutout to Chris Sherland, a seriously awesome guitar teacher who really changed my life. It all started back in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was there for film school, but then I met Chris in the music department, and man, did things take a turn!

Chris lit this fire in me for music. It’s crazy how much that changed everything for me – school, career, you name it. He wasn’t just a teacher; he was like this guide that steered me into becoming super serious about music. I’m really grateful for that even now.

And Chris, now a Denver veteran for over thirty years, he’s just gotta be recognized for all that he’s done. Major props to him!

Website: https://www.martymusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martyschwartz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/martyschwartz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartySchwartzofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/martymusic

Other: https://linktr.ee/martyschwartz