Susan Mazer

Philadelphia-born Susan Mazer now calls Connecticut her home where her life is defined by her passion for music. She is a well respected educator, author, and performer known especially for her intricate fingerstyle guitar playing. Through her unique hands-on approach to teaching, learners quickly acquire practical and personalized skills to advance from absolute beginner to professional guitarists.

While still in high school, Susan studied with Benji Aronoff, a protégé of Doc Watson. She received her Bachelor of Music degree at Hartt School of Music and Masters in Music at Boston University. Her insatiable thirst for learning inspires her to seek out new trends in music and music education.

As the author of twelve popular instructional books, DVDs, and CDs for Alfred Publishing, Susan is most recognized for her book “Guitar for the Absolute Beginner” which sold over a quarter of a million copies. Helping to pave the way for the next generation of women guitarists, she was also the first female guitar instructor at the renowned National Guitar Workshop. In addition, Susan is on the faculty of Sacred Heart University where she teaches Musicianship and Women in Music, and continues to teach guitar privately. You can find her lessons online through both www.truefire.com and www.workshoplive.com. For seventeen years, Susan was both the Dean of Students and a Music Theory Instructor at the Hartford Conservatory. She currently serves as the director of the Hartford All-City Youth Orchestra.

Susan has been featured on many CDs including a special bonus track in Guitar Player Magazine which highlighted her original composition, “Burghers of Calais.” For more than 20 years, Susan has traveled extensively playing and singing with various acoustic duos including Laura Coyle, Tracy Blackman, and Anne Donohue. She currently performs with Megan and David Keith of “Eight to the Bar” in the “Keith and Mazer Trio”, playing an eclectic mix of blues, swing, pop, and rock. (www.keithandmazertrio.com).

Susan’s passion for teaching is as strong as her passion for playing. She continues to advocate for arts education for all so that every person can experience the joy of music!