In this episode, Blake interviews Marty Schwartz, a renowned guitar teacher and one of the first music instructors on YouTube. Marty shares his journey of becoming a successful guitar teacher and the early adoption of YouTube for teaching guitar lessons. He discusses the impact of Guitar Hero on teaching classic rock songs and the benefits of video lessons for students. We also get into using YouTube to enhance private lessons, and the challenges he faced during the 2008 economic crash. We also get into his experience creating lesson courses and DVDs and how he started working with music brands. He discusses the process of getting a signature guitar and building relationships with brands like D'Addario and Gibson. Marty also mentions his involvement in Gibson's G3 mentorship program and his collaborations with the brand. Takeaways Marty Schwartz became a successful guitar teacher by seizing opportunities and working hard. YouTube provided a platform for Marty to teach guitar lessons at scale and reach a wider audience. The popularity of Guitar Hero helped introduce classic rock songs to a new generation of guitar students. Video lessons offer students the flexibility to learn at their own pace and review material as needed. Marty's success on YouTube was a result of timing, preparation, and embracing new technology. Creating videos for specific songs and optimizing video titles for search engine optimization (SEO) helped Marty attract more viewers. Marty's commitment to daily YouTube videos and using YouTube as a referral tool contributed to his success as a guitar teacher. Learning from other music YouTubers can provide valuable insights and inspiration. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and The False Episode 500 Celebration 01:16 Marty's Journey as a Guitar Teacher 03:15 Timing and Preparation for YouTube Success 04:14 The Impact of Guitar Hero on Teaching Classic Rock Songs 05:10 Benefits of Video Lessons for Students 06:08 Transitioning to Full-Time YouTube Guitar Teacher 07:12 Teaching Music at an Elementary School 08:11 Using YouTube to Enhance Private Guitar Lessons 09:08 The Impact of the 2008 Economic Crash 10:07 Focusing on YouTube Videos During Challenging Times 11:06 The Evolution of Marty's YouTube Channel 12:19 Discovering the Importance of SEO for Video Titles 13:14 Creating Videos for Specific Songs 15:16 Teaching Classic Rock Songs to Kids 18:28 Doubling Down on YouTube as a Referral Tool 19:05 The Early Days of YouTube and Monetization 20:01 Using YouTube as a Marketing Tool 22:29 Learning from Other Music YouTubers 23:23 Transitioning from Private Lessons to YouTube 25:26 Creating Lesson Courses and DVDs 27:21 Working with Music Brands 29:16 Getting a Signature Guitar 31:57 Building Relationships with Brands 34:00 Working with D'Addario 35:25 Participating in Gibson's G3 Mentorship Program 39:44 Collaborating with Gibson 00:00 Introduction and Signature Guitar 02:58 The Reality of Touring 06:03 The Connection with Fans 08:58 The Realities of Touring 13:01 Dealing with Scams and Fake Videos Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices