Hello!

My name is Bernd Beusmann, I was born in 1953 in Gifhorn, a small town near Hannover, Germany. I learned to play the guitar at the age of 12 by listening to records, mostly by German songwriters. One year later I began giving lessons. I had my first gig at the age of 16 with a rock band. This continued with folk-, jazz- , and free-jazz groups and also solo concerts. Since it was not possible to study jazz in German high schools at that time, I had to learn it from several private teachers. In addition, I studied classical guitar.

From 1969 to 1975 I studied Fine Arts in Duesseldorf and Braunschweig and became a teacher for this subject in a Berlin high school. However, making music was what I wanted, so I quit.

Since 1976 I have been a teacher for guitar improvisation and jazz ensembles at the Musicschool of Kreuzberg in Berlin, Germany. I have performed many gigs on stage, TV and radio over the years. Of course, I´ve done a lot of recording. I prefer the guitar improvisations that I recorded with classical guitar. (Go to the "Recordings" page to learn more about it.)

I have had many experiences teaching jazz and improvisation as leader of several music school-ensembles including the "Naxos Jazz Workshop" that took place six times in Naxos, Greece.

Since 1990, when the Berlin wall was torn down, my wife Silke and I had a daughter, Laura (who wants to be called "Lucy"). Since that time, I don't jam so much in Berlin nightclubs anymore. Instead, I enjoy making records, playing some solo concerts and working on my internet site.