Chris Mohnacky

Like many New Yorkers, Chris is a recent immigrant. He arrived two years ago from West Virginia in pursuit of a career in education. The son of two public school music educators, Chris earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Marshall University. He is certified by the states of West Virginia and New York to teach English.

Chris learned to play guitar by listening to Jimi Hendrix records and reading Guitar Player magazine. He played classic rock in biker bars and nightclubs for ten years before he began to study classical guitar. His current love is playing music of the Renaissance and of contemporary classical composers such as Leo Brouwer...but, of course, he still knows how to rock!

Chris has nine year’s experience teaching guitar lessons for middle school, high school and adult students and is now certified to work with students as young as age three. In the spring of 2010, he joined the Suzuki Association of the Americas and completed Suzuki Method Book 1 teacher training with Master Teacher Marylou Roberts at the Ann Arbor Suzuki Guitar Institute. Using toys, games, activities, group classes and a positive encouraging approach, Chris now teaches the fundamentals of rhythm and classical guitar technique for students aged 3-12. He looks forward to gaining Book 2 certification in 2011.

As a classical guitarist, Chris has performed with the Appalachian Children’s Chorus and at Judson Memorial Church in the Village.