Paul Cesarczyk, guitar D.M.A., State University of New York at Stony Brook M.M., Manhattan School of Music B.M., Manhattan School of Music "As a teacher I try to identify the individual needs of my students and build trust by being encouraging and setting realistic goals." A native of Poland, guitarist Paul Cesarczyk moved to New York at age eight and has lived in Brooklyn ever since. His music studies began at age six with piano lessons, but two years later he began taking guitar lessons with his father, a classical guitarist. “My father being a guitarist meant free lessons and endless encouragement. I grew up listening to two pieces played religiously between 8 and 10 p.m.: Bach’s Fugue from the first violin sonata and an arrangement of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata. I loved how those pieces sounded on the instrument—the guitar has an unlimited amount of color and expressive possibilities.” Comfortable teaching children age six and above as well as adults, Paul works with all his students on reading music, organizing and implementing an effective practice routine, correct posture, rhythm, and producing a good sound. With children Paul tries to develop total musicianship and to engage their minds and ears in a creative process “without ever letting them forget that what they are doing is fun. As a teacher I try to identify the individual needs of my students and build trust by being encouraging and setting realistic goals.” Paul is extremely supportive of adult students believing that “there is no wrong time to start learning an instrument. The people who decide to take up playing guitar in adult life do it for a simple reason—they love it and are intellectually curious, I find that inspiring and try to channel that energy into their learning process.” While classically trained, Paul is able to teach a variety of styles including folk and rock. He also teaches electric bass, lute, banjo, and mandolin. His range is reflected in his musical preferences—Paul cites his favorite composers as “anyone from the Renaissance, Fernando Sor, George Gershwin, George Crumb, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney.” As a performer he enjoys solo, chamber, and orchestral ensembles equally. “I enjoy discovering music that is obscure or forgotten and composers that are underappreciated. I also love taking guitar, banjo, or mandolin parts in orchestral or large chamber pieces.” In his free time, Paul enjoys adding to his DVD collection of classic American TV shows and cinema and “following the greatest team in the world—the New York Mets.”