It was apparent very early on Chris had a love for music. He grew up in a very musical household, dancing to music on the kitchen radio with his mom and playing piano and drums early on. In addition, he played trumpet in elementary and middle school. But his love for guitar would win out. In seventh grade, he formed his first band with his best friend. He also played guitar and bass in the high school jazz band. During high school, his love for composition and performing, and his desire to record his music, led him and his Dad to build a small studio in his garage. Here he recorded his bands and others, which led him to enter the sound recording technology program at the University of Massachusetts, where he gained his degree in jazz guitar performance with a double major in sound recording technology.

During college, he paid bills and kept himself fed by teaching lessons. He taught all ages and styles of guitar, bass, and drums in private lesson settings and group and adult continuing education environments. During this time, he developed his teaching style and philosophy and a love for sharing knowledge and getting people, especially young people, started on their musical journey.

Chris feels that cultivating a strong love of music is essential to a fruitful musical experience. Sharing the joy of creativity and community that music brings is the best way to keep a student interested and motivated. A firm believer in the power of a solid understanding of musical theory and techniques, he believes this can be taught along the way. Still, it's the student's joy and success early on that allow them to continue to succeed and stay with the instrument. Every student is different, and the key to keeping a student interested is meeting them where they are, understanding their particular way of learning, and keeping them interested and engaged by teaching them things they love and want to learn. Playing an instrument can be a lifelong journey and an endlessly fascinating subject of study.

Chris plays in his instrumental surf rock trio, Big Ray and the Futuras, and his spy jazz noir trio, The Mood Swingers.