About...

Background and Musical Experience

 

Sam Goffen is musician who revels in variety and can be found playing his guitar in multiple genres or laying down beats using modern computer based instruments like Native Instruments’ Maschine. 

 

He has spent time in lots of different bands honing his skills, from funk to blues to ska to rock to acoustic Americana and even playing with DJs. Combining these influences with the experience of time spent in various studios in London, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, Sam also produces his own work, writing all the music and lyrics as well as recording and mixing all parts.

 

He graduated from the esteemed Falmouth University with a first class honours in Creative Music Performance specialising in guitar. 

 

Current projects include an acoustic duo called 'Dragged South', which delves into the darker side of life within the atmospheric and broad genre of Americana, and another which is an experimental blend of modern hip-hop style beats with more traditional guitar driven funk and blues elements. His lyrics often deal with the immutables of life, such as love, loss and disillusionment and are driven by imagery and emotion.

 

His earliest musical memories were bands from the 60’s and 70’s such as Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols, Meatloaf, The Beatles, and Jimmy Hendrix, and walking around Glastonbury with mud up to his knees at around the age of 6 following his dad to different stages. 

 

The first bands Sam played in were typical 'garage bands’ playing songs from Guns ‘n’ Roses, Metallica and so on. He then went on to play in ska, funk and blues bands whilst at the same time cultivating an interest in EDM. The progeny of these combinations can be heard in some of Sam’s recent work. 

 

However, the love of just playing an acoustic guitar by itself remains as he always enjoys its tactile simplicity. This led to joining forces with a great local female singer who’d sung for many bands in the area, and performed at festivals such as Glastonbury, and 'Dragged South' was born. 

 

He is currently working on both of these projects with the aim of releasing Eps soon on platforms such as iTunes and Spotify.

 

Educator

He is also an educator and has spent over 15 years working in different schools in various roles, and was a senior teacher in a school in Oxford before his children were born. At this point, Sam reassessed his priorities and decided that he should combine his love of music and education and Goffen Guitar Schools was born. After great success, this evolved and more instruments and opportunities were made available, so the name changed to Goffen Music Schools. 

 

So, alongside his music projects, Sam also works in many schools in his local area teaching children the guitar and drums. He is also a strong advocate of providing opportunities for those children who may not often get the chance to learn an instrument and actively encourages and helps schools access funding. He aims to also engage schools with current computer based technologies for music production and performance.

 

General Gear Head 

Sam loves new ideas and technologies and you’ll find the modern alongside the traditional in his gear catalogue. He uses digital devices such as the Kemper Amplifier and Line 6 Helix alongside his tube amplifiers, realising that different situations often call for different solutions.

 

 And he loves, loves different pedals and what they can do for one’s sound. This means he is always looking at the next new thing, but still loves the classics and this obsession is our advantage as Sam writes and films gear reviews and demos regularly. These can be found on this site HERE.