Teacher Profile: Santos Salazar

About Santos Salazar

Santos Salazar is a guitar and piano instructor in the Washington, D.C. area. Well-versed in multiple genres, he believes versatility is key to a comprehensive musical experience. Above all, he is excited to help his students achieve their goals and musical aspirations in order to preserve music in the younger generations.

Santos’ first musical instrument was the piano, and he also learned violin and cello at a young age. At 13, he picked up the guitar and it was love at first strum. He studied Jazz Guitar Performance at Montgomery College for 2 years, and transferred to Coastal Carolina University where he completed his Bachelor’s in Classical Guitar Performance at Coastal Carolina University. He is currently finishing his Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance at Towson University.

Santos enjoys playing a wide variety of genres including Metal, Classical, and Blues. He has performed as a solo artist, a singer-songwriter, and a classical guitarist locally in the D.C and Baltimore regions. He has also performed as a duet, trio, and full band, and has experience with collaborating with others; whether on stage, during rehearsals or in the recording studio. In addition to performing, he has been composing instrumental, singer-songwriter, and full rock band music since he began playing the guitar. Among others, he quotes Joe Pass, Slash, Chopin, Debussy, and Linkin Park as influences on his music.

A teacher who has experience with all ages and many different backgrounds, Santos first began teaching guitar among his friends and family before graduating to his own private students. He encourages students to choose the music they most want to learn and modifies the path to best suit their needs. He is very passionate about teaching music and getting the message across.

In addition to guitar, Santos also teaches piano, which he continued to study throughout his life. He believes it has the ability to provide a foundation for many musical avenues, and enjoys teaching students from beginner through intermediate levels.

Believing that music truly is universal, Santos loves that there is a song or musical theme that is relevant to every situation. The impact of being able to communicate with others in a language that anyone can understand inspires him, and he strives to ignite that same spark in his students.