Ken Goltsberg

Ken Goltsberg is a dynamic and versatile jazz musician based in New York City. A graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz Composition, he is a masterful guitarist who also excels on the bass and piano. His compositional prowess spans a broad spectrum of genres, from big band and small band jazz to metal, hip-hop, classical, and electronic music.

His career is a testament to his adaptability and creative spirit. He is a sought-after performer in both the bustling NYC jazz scene and the New England area, bringing his innovative sound to a diverse array of venues. His performances range from intimate club gigs to larger concert settings, and his musical journey has even taken him on tour, captivating audiences with his eclectic style and profound musicality.

Beyond performance, he is a dedicated educator with nearly a decade of teaching experience. He imparts his extensive knowledge to students of all skill levels, nurturing the next generation of musicians with the same passion and dedication that defines his own career.

Whether on stage or in the classroom, Ken Goltsberg continues to push the boundaries of jazz and beyond, leaving a lasting impact on both the musical landscape and his students. He is currently working under a stage name - Ken Maletkova.

Ken's Online Teaching Style: Dynamic Zoom Lessons for All Levels

Ken brings his dynamic, genre-spanning expertise directly to students around the world through engaging and personalized Zoom lessons. Whether you're just picking up an instrument or already gigging and composing, his virtual teaching style makes advanced concepts accessible, interactive, and tailored to each student’s goals.

For Beginners: Ken creates a relaxed and welcoming virtual space where beginners feel comfortable exploring music from the ground up. Lessons are paced to the individual, blending technique and creativity right from the start. Even over Zoom, he emphasizes listening, groove, and expression—often playing along live, screen-sharing charts and diagrams, and using interactive tools like slow-down apps or loopers.

Expect to walk away from your first few lessons playing real music, not just exercises. Whether it's a simple 12-bar blues, a familiar pop tune, or your own melody, Ken makes sure it’s fun, tangible, and inspiring.

For Intermediate Players: Ken helps intermediate students bridge the gap between learning and playing with confidence. Through screen-shared transcriptions, real-time feedback, and play-along sessions, students build their harmonic vocabulary, improve phrasing, and sharpen improvisation chops.

Zoom features like multi-camera angles and shared Google Docs let students see fingerings, annotate concepts live, and stay organized with customized practice plans. Ken may even record short video clips after lessons to reinforce tricky concepts or solo ideas.

For Advanced Players: Advanced Zoom lessons with Ken are highly personalized and often resemble one-on-one coaching sessions. Students can share recordings, bring in original compositions, or even workshop live gigs or arrangements in real time.

Topics often include complex harmonic concepts, hybrid genre exploration, deep transcription analysis, or advanced solo construction. Ken also mentors students on the professional side of music—offering insight on performance setup, networking, online content creation, and creative direction.

He uses DAW screen shares, notation software, and even collaborative tools like Soundtrap or Musescore to bridge the physical gap of remote learning.