Chris W

Chris began playing guitar when he was 9 years old. He informally took lessons from family friends and began playing guitar with other kids. By the time Chris was 15 he was regularly playing and recording with bands. Chris also began studying classical music through joining the school orchestra as a string bassist.

When Chris was in High School his orchestra teacher referred a few students to him for guitar lessons and this sparked the beginning of his career in music. Chris became serious about studying classical guitar, and went on to earn his BA in Music Performance from the University of St. Thomas. At St. Thomas Chris studied classical guitar with Dr. Chris Kachian and popular styles with Joan Griffith. He also learned to play the piano as part of his degree requirements. Chris won a competitive grant in 2009 to write a group guitar book and teach a guitar course at Cristo Rey High School in Minneapolis. The next year he was able to study in London for a semester where he worked with prestigious guitarists Graham Devine and Rebecca Baulch. Chris has also continued to play with bands and can be seen playing electric guitar with the local group, Lost Shepherds.

Chris has taught lessons throughout his studies, and is now teaching and performing full time. He teaches all styles of guitar, as well as piano and bass. Chris is very patient as a teacher, and he is uniquely able to incorporate fundamental musical knowledge into all of his lessons regardless of musical genre. For example, students who learn electric guitar will not be short changed of the same musical knowledge that a student would learn in piano lessons. Chris is able to create drive and interest in his students to learn an instrument through integrating the music that the student loves into lessons.