Meet Your Teachers

Marty Schwartz

Man with glasses and gray beard smiling, wearing brown hat and denim shirt, holding a red electric guitar against a gray background.

Marty Schwartz, or as he’s better known on the Internet, Marty Music has been the face of guitar education on the Internet for the last decade and a half.

With over 4 million YouTube subscribers, over two billion video views, and a career longer than most rock bands, Marty has arguably taught more people how to play guitar than anyone else in the world.

If the guitar is the “people’s instrument” then Marty is the “people’s instructor.” Marty has been a school music teacher, a private guitar instructor, and has cut his teeth touring in some serious rock bands. As a result, his approach to teaching guitar is far from formal. 

His love for the guitar is undeniable and he infuses every pupil with that same fire. 

Beginning his career early in YouTube’s history, Marty’s impact has grown as the platform has grown. As the role of the guitar has shifted in music throughout the years, Marty has remained a core voice of the culture. It’s clear that Marty has found his true calling as a guitar educator and he’ll undoubtedly continue to cultivate new and surprising guitar talents.

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Eric Gales

A man with dreadlocks, wearing glasses, a black quilted jacket, and gold jewelry, holding an electric guitar against a black background.

Eric Gales is a blues firebrand. Over 30 years and 18 albums, his passion for the music and his boundless desire to keep it vital has never waned, even when his own light dimmed due to his substance struggles. Throughout it all, he continued to reinvigorate the art form with personal revelation in his lyrics and bold stylistic twists in his guitar playing and songwriting.

  • Five years sober, creatively rejuvenated, and sagely insightful, Eric is ready for the fight of his career. Aptly, he calls his masterful new album, out January 2022 on Provogue/Mascot label Group, Crown. Here, Eric opens like never before, sharing his struggles with substance abuse, his hopes about a new era of sobriety and unbridled creativity, and his personal reflections on racism. The songs are delivered with clarity and feature Eric's personal experiences and hope for positive change. In addition, the 16-track collection boasts his finest singing, songwriting, and his signature guitar playing that burns throughout. Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, this is Eric at his most boldly vulnerable, uncompromisingly political, and unflinchingly confident.

    Crown was forged in tragedy but rises triumphantly. The day before Eric left Greensboro, North Carolina to Los Angeles, California to work with Joe and Josh, he heard the news about the George Floyd murder. As a Black man in America, he had a lot on his mind when he touched down in Music City to write songs for Crown.

    “What made George Floyd any different than me?,” Eric asks. “As I began to chat about this to Joe and Josh during preproduction, raw and unnerved emotion came out of me, and Joe furiously scribbled down notes about it all. These songs came from those outpourings. They’re about my life, and what’s happening in the world right now. When it came time to sing, I had to take breaks between vocals to cry and let it out. I was sharing my experiences as a Black man, and my private struggles. This is me letting the world know what I’ve been through.”

    Since 1991, the Memphis-born guitarist has blazed a path reinvigorating the blues with a virtuosity and rock swagger that have him being heralded as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix. He was a child prodigy with bottomless talent and fierce determination, and at just 16 years-old released his debut, The Eric Gales Band, on Elektra Records. He’s earned high praise by guitarists’ guitarist and household name axe men such as Joe Bonamassa, Carlos Santana, Dave Navarro, and Mark Tremonti. In addition, he has held his own with some of the greatest guitarists in the world, including Carlos Santana at Woodstock 1994, Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, and a posse of others as a featured guest touring with the Experience Hendrix Tour.

    The story behind Crown dates back to the early 1990s when as teenagers Eric and Joe were both hailed as blues wunderkinds and torchbearers. Eric is three years older than Joe, and Joe used to open for Eric. The pair went on to very different lives and careers, but Eric’s full potential was hampered by his substance abuse issues. “While I was dealing with my affliction, Joe’s career skyrocketed. I put myself in the backseat through my drug addiction. The world knows me, but the world doesn’t know me,” he says. In 2009, Eric hit bottom and served jail time at Shelby County Correction Center for possession of drugs and a weapon.

    Eric and Joe reconnected grandly in 2019 when Joe invited Eric to play with him onstage at a blues cruise encore performance. It was the first time the guys had played live together onstage in 25 years, and it has since been named one of the most explosive guitar duels ever, amassing over 3 million plays on YouTube.

    “There was always a brotherhood with us. When we reconnected, Joe said to me, ‘You’re a badass guitarist; it’s your turn to get your seat at the table to wear your crown’,” Eric recalls. Shortly after their iconic face-melting jam, Eric approached Joe to produce him. Eric reveals: “We cried when we talked about it, he said ‘you have no idea how long I waited for you, now I am going to do my part to lift you where you’re supposed to be.’” Crown finds Eric stepping up to receive his due.

Jared James Nichols

A man with long curly blond hair wearing a black leather jacket over a denim shirt, standing against a plain white background.

It really doesn’t take much…With nothing more than a Gibson Les Paul slung over his shoulder, a warm amp turned all the way up, and a hot microphone on and ready, Jared James Nichols churns out the kind of rock that rips, roars, and rolls without filter or apology. The Wisconsin-born and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist delivers a one-two punch of gritty vocals straight from the gut and incendiary fret fireworks.

  • After earning widespread acclaim from the likes of American Songwriter, Guitar World, Relix, and more, tallying millions of streams, and packing houses at countless shows, he showcases every side of himself on these newly recorded and unreleased tracks. These songs reflect “JJN Mach II”. Reflecting on all the experiences of touring post pandemic while also settling into his new hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Maturing as a singer and taking his guitar playing one step over the cliff to “11”. Don’t be scared there are still some mellow moments especially courtesy of Maggie Rose lending a hand to a heartfelt but scary retelling of his 2020 single “Threw Me to the Wolves” and a very southern influenced re-record of “Saint or Fool” from his last self titled studio album.

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Paul McDonald

A person with long hair and a beard playing an acoustic guitar on stage during a performance, with stage lights and other musicians in the background.

There’s a peculiar kind of hush before the roar returns — and for Paul Mcdonald, the quiet has lasted far too long. Once the golden boy of the southern circuit, this rakish troubadour with a rasp like polished gravel caught fire in the public eye during American Idol’s 2011 run, flashing a crooked grin and a wardrobe born of velvet thrift. But the bright lights blurred, the cameras turned, and the man behind the voice slipped into the shadows — where he did what real artists do: he lived, he lost, and he wrote.

  • Born in Alabama and baptized in the dive bars of the southeast, Mcdonald first made noise with the grand magnolias, a roots-rock outfit with gasoline in its veins. Post-idol, he chased something shinier in Los Angeles, paired up with Hollywood actress (yes, that Nikki Reed), and dabbled in the sort of sun-drenched pop alchemy that never quite fit the soul of a man raised on petty, parsons, and pain. After the spotlight soured, he retreated to Nashville, that holy city of reinvention, where he went underground for a while — emerging to jump on a stage here and there before stitching himself back together with worn boots, hard songs, and a new band called the mourning doves.

    Now, in 2025, the giant has stirred. His new single, “dark side,” crackles with the urgency of a man who’s seen hell and hums like a resurrection hymn. But it’s just one flame in the fire. The full album — so long to the dark side, arriving this july — is a gospel-tinged reckoning wrapped in cosmic americana, lit with songs that sound like they were scribbled on the edge of a breakdown and sung back from the brink. “unwind” glows like a front-porch benediction on letting go of the grind and grabbing hold of grace, while “what’s the point?” dives headlong into existential freefall, landing with the only answer that matters: love. The record doesn’t flinch from darkness — but it refuses to live there.

    He’s not chasing trends; Paul Mcdonald is conjuring something older and truer, bending Americana into a sound that sways like gospel and hits like a train. His one big love festival has quietly become a Nashville institution, and his live shows — equal parts revival and rock séance — prove the man’s heart beats louder than ever.

    Paul Mcdonald isn’t a comeback story. He’s a continuation. A sleeping giant who’s finally awake — and singing louder than ever.

Trey Hensley

Man sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitar, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a black leather jacket, and brown boots, against a wooden wall background.

GRAMMY® Award-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist and 2023 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Guitar Player of the Year Trey Hensley has been called a “musical phenom” by NPR, “a guitar-slinging superhero” by Bluegrass Today and “Nashville's hottest young player" by Acoustic Guitar magazine. A multiple GRAMMY® nominee widely recognized for his world class musicianship and guitar prowess (Rolling Stone observes “Trey Hensley shreds”), Hensley was invited to perform alongside many of the world’s greatest guitarists at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023 in Los Angeles.

  • That same year, Hensley was a featured player in a Guitar World magazine piece titled “6 Blazing Bluegrass Guitarists You Need To Hear.” But with Hensley it's not just the guitar that does the talking—he’s also well known for his rich, soulful and powerful baritone vocals with echoes of Merle Haggard and George Jones (as Holler put it: “Hensley possesses a strikingly resonate, emotional voice, one that makes him a potent singer outside of his superb finger-picking ability.”)

    For the past decade, Hensley has been one half of the award-winning, critically-acclaimed powerhouse duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley. With a musical DNA made up of an impressive, eclectic melting pot of artists such as The Allman Brothers Band, Merle Haggard, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, and The Band, it’s no surprise that Hensley’s impressive list of collaborations includes a diverse list of extraordinary artists: Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Taj Mahal, Tommy Emmanuel, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Old Crow Medicine Show, Stone Temple Pilots, Steve Vai, Molly Tuttle, Leftover Salmon and many more. Hensley received his first GRAMMY® Award at the 67th Annual

    Grammy Awards in L.A. on Feb. 2, 2025 as a member of The Taj Mahal Sextet, whose recording Swingin’ Live At The Church In Tulsa won in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. Hensley’s other-worldly guitar playing has resulted in earning more than a third of a million social media followers while attracting many legendary guitar players as fans, including former Deep Purple founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Tommy Emmanuel, CGP.

    "It's comforting to know the real deal still exists." -Marty Stuart

    "Trey Hensley is one of my favorite guitar players." -Tommy Emmanuel, CGP

    "I’m already such a fan...and my songwriting side is truly overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you." -Merle Haggard

    "Hot-shot guitar picking...with all the intensity of rock 'n' roll" -Acoustic Guitar

    "An acoustic firestorm..." -Vintage Guitar

    "The swiss army knife of roots music." -Craig Havighurst | WMOT

    "Trey Hensley is my favorite guitar player." -Ritchie Blackmore

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Michael Palmisano

A man playing an electric guitar on stage during a concert, with stage lights illuminating him and a microphone stand nearby.

Michael Palmisano, YouTuber & founder of Guitargate.com & Teleport.   An early adopter of online education, over the past 12 years Michael has built Guitargate into one of the largest guitar learning communities on the internet, with 200k+ students enrolled from over 185 countries to date.  He is perhaps most well known for the YouTube channel bearing his name where he reviews live performances, with over 650k subscribers. Michael is a GIT graduate and has been sponsored by PRS Guitars since 2015.

Molly Miller

A woman with dark wavy hair sitting on a wooden chair holding a black electric guitar in her lap. She is wearing a black sleeveless top, brown wide-leg pants, and dark ankle boots. The background is plain and grey.

Everything in Molly Miller’s career has come organically. The Los Angeles guitarist and songwriter has followed the path in front of her with a sense of curiosity and openness, proving that if you’re meant to do something, you’ll do it. From creating the Molly Miller Trio with playing and touring with artists like Jason Mraz and Zayn Malik to teaching guitar at the University of Southern California, Molly brings a passion for music and a sophisticated, raw style to everything she does. 

  • Molly’s latest endeavor is The Ballad of Hotspur, Molly Miller Trio’s third album and follow-up to 2021’s St. George. The album, a collection of instrumental Americana jazz songs tinged with folk and Surf Rock vibes, draws the listener on an epic journey as the musicians embrace bold, playful instrumentation alongside moments of quiet reflection.

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Steve Stine

A man standing on a gravel train track, holding a white electric guitar, wearing a black tank top with the text 'Tattooed and Employed', jeans, and tan work boots, with a freight train passing by in the background under a clear sky.

Steve Stine is a globally recognized guitarist, educator, and content creator with over 35 years of teaching experience and over 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. As the lead instructor for GuitarZoom and Professor of Modern Guitar at NDSU, Steve has helped millions of guitarists around the world unlock their musical potential — with a focus on motivation, accessibility, and real-world application.

Moga Family Band

Black and white photo of six diverse people, three in the top row and three in the bottom row, against a black background, looking directly at the camera.

The Moga Family Band is a powerhouse collective blending soulful vocals, jam-band-worthy musicianship, and pop-friendly hooks. They are the new wave and trailblazers of contemporary blues music. Featuring the dynamic talents of sister Emme Cannon (vocals), Uncle Eric Fortaleza (bass), brother Jake Baynes (guitar), cousin Cav Mims (keys), papa Liam Hogan (drums), and baby Owen Fader (vocals and sax), this family-inspired lineup aims to deliver the wildest sensory-overloaded live performance experience. Everyone is welcome to the family! Come join the table and be part of what promises to be the biggest musical feast in history. It takes a village to change the world. We just gave it a name: The Moga Family Band.

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