Guitar with Chris Y.

I am originally from Houston, TX and began playing the guitar at the age of eight and began studying classical guitar at age ten. While studying jazz at the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Houston TX, I began working professionally as a guitarist, playing locally in clubs and at corporate functions. It was also during this time that I first began teaching private music lessons at my local music store. While attending the University of Miami under music scholarship, I performed in the award-winning University of Miami Concert Jazz Band and played with jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano and others. I also played in several bands and with numerous local artists. Upon graduating from college, I coached a jazz guitar ensemble of five undergraduate guitarists and a rhythm section at the University of Miami and also led the jazz guitar program at Miami’s arts magnet high school, “New World School of the Arts” and taught jazz improvisation to a large class of multi-instrumentalists. In 2000, I moved to New York City and began playing guitar for neo-soul songstress Angie Stone. We toured nationally in support of her album, “Mahogany Soul” and appeared on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Live at the Apollo” and BET’s “106th and Park”. During this time I also performed, recorded and/or toured the US and Japan with Interscope Records avant-garde R&B artist Bilal Oliver, African pop singer and superstar fusion bassist Richard Bona and Japanese jazz pioneer and saxophonist Sadao Watanabe. Along with balancing performing, songwriting and recording, I taught guitar, bass and piano privately to a wide variety of students. After moving to Japan in 2004, I performed with numerous bands and artists including Japanese taiko drummer Isaku Kageyama. Our CD, “Hybrid Soul”, a creative collaboration fusing musical elements from Japanese folk songs, psychedelic rock and ambient music was released in 2011. I have over 30 years' experience as both a performer and teacher and this helps me instill confidence in my students and I am able to help them quickly progress on the guitar and have fun doing it! “Chris was hired by our family several years ago to teach our two teenage sons to play guitar... His musical talent and knowledge along with his focus, maturity, creativeness and personality allows his students to receive his lessons with enthusiasm and retention." - Nancy C. (parent)