Chris Hill
Jazz Music Program (Guitar): Capilano College (1.5 years of study)
Chris was born in Montreal Quebec and moved to BC when he was five. Soon after, his love of music surfaced. His mother played jazz piano and his father played British invasion guitar mixed with the blues. So from an early age Chris had plenty of influences to choose from. When he was nine years old, his brother gave him a fretless bass and he received more guitars from his parents for birthdays over the next few years, including a fender Stratocaster when he turned 16.
After playing in bands during high school, Chris attended Capilano University where he studied jazz. Following university, he played professionally in live studio situations for the next 20 years.
He then switched from studio work to teaching and has been giving lessons for the last six years. Chris takes great pleasure introducing people to music, watching them develop their skills and talents and hearing the tangible results.
NUVO Rock Band
Chris developed his musical ear very early. From the age of nine he was learning songs off the radio and from his favorite albums. After his time at Capilano University Chris immediately got a gig with a band playing guitar and didn’t stop touring and playing locally in various bands on various instruments for the next 15 years. Chris’s broad experience with different musicians audiences and musical styles makes him a great fit for the rock band program. He has experience on guitar vocals keyboards bass and drums. Also having been a member of different bands he has an idea as to what works as far as arrangements go not to mention how to keep morale up and energy high.
Piano
Chris has always loved playing the piano ever since he could reach the keys… His mom played jazz standards and learned studied classical masters and was especially fond of Chopin. Chris would always be nearby listening. Later on he would learn pop songs and then after taking piano at Capilano University he got into jazz standards and composing on the keyboard. Chris’s teaching style accentuates individual expression in the form of improvisation so that a student doesn’t just learn a song but learns how to express themselves within the song .
Chris finds it very satisfying to teach students how to take a song and make it their own while still being faithful to the original version.