Education: 
New England Conservatory of Music, B.M. Jazz Guitar Performance, with a Concentration in Music in Education.

Venues Played:
High Sierra Music Festival, CA
South by Southwest Music Festival, TX
Floyd Fest, VA
Austin City Limits Music Festival, TX 
Fenway Park's 'Hot Stove Cool Music,' MA
Block Island Music Festival, RI
BA Festival, NY
The Paradise Lounge, 
The Knitting Factory, 
Bethlehem Music Festival, PA
Pocono Jazz Festival, PA 
Jordan Hall, 
Moravian Hall,
venues all across New England.   

Chair of Guitar Department:
Powers Music School

Faculty At:
Powers Music School, Community Music Center of Boston, Cape Cod Conservatory

Current Bands:
Oneside, Daniel Bennett Group, Carter Creek Revival

Albums:
-Oneside: 'First, to Last'
-'Laurel Grove'
-Daniel Bennett Group: 'A Nation of Bears'

Former Student of:
John Ambercrombie, Ben Monder, Gene Bertoncini, Jerry Bergonzi, John McNeil, Skip Wilkins, Tom Kozic, and Steve Lacey.

Influences:
Jim Hall
Tony Trischka 
John Fahey
Stanley Brothers
The Carter Family
Blind Rev. Gary Davis
Grant Green
Mississippi John Hurt
Tal Farlow 
Bela Fleck
Beck

Chris grew up in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, in a somewhat rural community. Around the house as a kid he was exposed to old blues recordings, Dixie land style jazz and Irish folk songs; all of which played in the back round of everyday life. His sister was a dancer, and his grandfather played many instruments, but other than this there were no career musicians in the household.
Chris first picked up a guitar around age 12, largely due to watching the band 'Nirvana' on MTV which completely enthralled him. After a little while it became clear that this was not a passing interest as Chris would spend more time in his room with the guitar than doing anything else. His early influences would branch out to include Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, and mainly The Beatles.
By age 15 Chris was performing out at local coffee houses.
Then the big 'Jazz' event took place at 16. Chris heard Miles Davis playing "Around Midnight" on a compilation CD that he found laying around, and that was it. So with a new found passion, he took up Jazz Guitar and proceeded to buy all the albums and learn that musical language. Chris was able to take half-days in High School to study at Moravian College in Bethlehem PA. At Moravian College he learned everything that set him on his career path as a Jazz Guitar player. He studied with the teachers there - Skip Wilkins, Tom Kozic, and Neil Wetzel - took music classes, and played in the big band and small jazz ensembles.
At age 18 he auditioned and was accepted into the Jazz Department at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston Massachusetts. There he continued his studies with teachers John Ambercrombie, Gene Bertoncini, Jerry Bergonzi, John Mcneil, and Steve Lacy. At N.E.C. he played in many events and ensembles, including a showcase with pianist Mulgrew Miller.
When Chris turned 21 however, he heard the Banjo for the first time. Oddly enough it was on a ‘Best of Doc Watson’ album, a guitar player’s album, but one where Doc plays a solo banjo and voice track. Chris had been exploring finger style guitar for years already, after hearing Mississippi John Hurt when he first got to N.E.C., but the banjo now changed his music playing completely. Chris got a banjo, he self taught for awhile, and eventually worked it out with the school to split his studio lessons between guitar and banjo. By the time he graduated from N.E.C. he had put on three complete banjo recitals, including his senior recital.
After N.E.C. Chris continued like that, splitting his playing between guitar and banjo. Naturally then, he ends up playing in an eclectic array of bands…currently he is playing banjo with 'Oneside.'  He is also part of the new folk-jazz scene in Boston, playing finger style guitar with the 'Daniel Bennett Group'. Chris is faculty at Powers Music School, Cape Cod Conservatory, and the Community Music Center of Boston.