NOTE: Chris is available for online lessons now, and plans to begin offering in-person lessons at our Leander school in late 2021.
About Chris
Originally from Houston, TX, Chris Turvill has extensive experience teaching music to children, specializing in guitar, bass, ukulele and songwriting. In addition to managing afterschool music programs, Chris worked as a substitute teacher in the Austin Independent School District for all age groups. Prior to Sense & Color, Chris hails most recently from California, where he taught private and group guitar lessons and rock band classes to children in various afterschool programs, including Boys and Girls Club of Napa and Instrumental Music for Children in Walnut Creek.
His musical education began with piano lessons in elementary school and guitar lessons with Dave Carey during middle and high school. After a trip to Jamey Aebersold’s Annual Summer Jazz Workshop in Lousiville, KY, Chris joined the Lamar High School Jazz Band as a bassist. During his college years in Austin, he gained live experience playing around town, while also writing and recording his own experimental rock compositions, which he continues to do currently as Quasar Cycles, a genre-bending guitar/bass loop project.
After college, his musical excursions led to gigs at a variety of venues from wineries to art collectives in Napa, CA to a week-long course with Robert Fripp’s Guitar Circle to learn how physical disciplines like Tai Chi and Alexander Technique benefit performance. Chris has also received training from Andrea Cannon in the Suzuki Guitar Method, which gives young beginners a strong technical foundation in classical guitar.
He is currently developing a new program called Arcadstra, combining Suzuki methods and repertoire with classic Nintendo themes by legendary game composer Koji Kondo from the Mario and Zelda series, with interested students.
Chris truly enjoys helping students follow the paths of their favorite players while helping them find their own voice through their present abilities and strengths, and recommending tried and true techniques. His specialties are tremolo flatpicking and slap bass.
Chris also teaches songwriting, backed with years of experience writing original compositions and recording his work. With his kind and patient nature, Chris is well-loved by all our students, and we highly recommend him for all ages!