Hetzler is genuinely a nice guy, but he is super intense. I cried a few times and have feared a few of my lessons. He takes his work very seriously as any musician should, but if you can get through your first year, you should be solid. You never know what you will get walking into a lesson. Don't call him Mark, it's Professor Hetzler!

Professor Hetzler was my trombone studio professor, and was definitely hired for his music skill, not because he is a good teacher or plays nice with others. He hated that I did marching band while also studying "real music" and could spend half of a music lesson just listing why I shouldn't do marching. I stopped pursuing music because of him.

Mark is an interesting guy. While he often provides good feedback, he also cannot handle when someone disagrees with his assessment. He finds it disrespectful, and he expects you to take his criticism (which is often as personal as it is professional) and refuses to hear a contradictory views to his own with an open mind. Other times, he's great.