Bio

 

Mark Longfield, Director of Music at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in North Hollywood, is a passionate advocate for expanding the role of guitar in church music. A lifelong Lutheran with over 25 years of experience in playing and teaching guitar, Mark observed that much of the church music repertoire is written for organ and piano, highlighting the need for more guitar-based music.

 

He studied guitar and film scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston before moving to Los Angeles, where he now conducts a choir, teaches guitar and handbells, and arranges music for worship. He also performs regularly with the handbell ensemble LA Bronze.

 

He is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, with a special focus on guitar and handbells, though he has also arranged for opera singers, rock stars, and close friends. He has arranged a variety of hymns for the guitar; solos, duets with other instruments, voice and guitar, and choir and guitar. His handbell work encompasses both sacred music and pop songs, as well as instructional pieces.

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Mark still enjoys playing guitar in garage bands for fun. His other interests include watching classic monster movies and playing vintage Nintendo games like Zelda and Mario. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two children, and their golden retriever, Stitch.

 

Feel free to contact him at MarkLongfield@gmail.com if you'd like to get in touch—he loves receiving music recommendations!