I am a self-taught classical guitarist and have been inspired by some of the great masters of Europe. I grew up in Berlin, Germany and came to the United States in 1969. My European heritage and family history are part of the reason for my becoming a musician. My grandfather was an organist and composer. Unfortunately, only a photograph showing him holding a manuscript survived in our family album.
I first became interested in music when at the age of five I collected my father's wooden cigar boxes, strung rubber bands around them, and made my first musical instrument. When I was nine, my parents bought me an old beat up banjo guitar with strings that could hardly be pressed down by my small fingers. Noting how much time I spent trying to master even this old worn-out instrument, they gave me my first new guitar the following Christmas.
I quickly began to excel, and at the age of 13, I started to arrange simple folk tunes such as "Greensleeves". I explored new horizons by joining a rock band "The Earls " and various folk groups. I began to develop my own unique guitar style. In 1969 I immigrated to the United States and shortly after taught Guitar for beginners. In the year 1972 I owned and operated a music store in Brooklyn, NY where I taught the classical guitar. In 1974, after acquiring many more skills in repairing and evaluating acoustic as well as electric guitars I joined "M.Hohner', Inc." as a guitar consultant.
For many years I perfo