Piano, Drum, Percussion, Bass, Ukulele
Christopher L. Borders is a classically trained music educator, pianist, percussionist, composer, screenwriter, and filmmaker from Dallas, Texas. In 2003, he earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M-CC, with specialization in Music Performance for percussion and piano. He went on to earn his Master's degree in Music Composition from Texas State University in 2008. Since then, he continues to serve as a Professor of Music / Director of Ensembles for several colleges throughout Texas, and teaches in-home lessons as a private instructor.
Christopher has worked with students ranging from 4 to 90 years old. For piano, his musical interests include modern styles such as Blues, Boogie Woogie, Funk, Rock, Pop, Gospel, Ragtime, Stride, Jazz Swing, and Latin. For drum set studies, he focuses on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, and Latin styles.
In addition to piano and drum set instruction, Christopher teaches the full range of concert percussion instruments, including keyboard percussion, timpani, and auxiliary percussion. He also has a love for teaching Latin & Afro-Carribean percussion instruments such as congas, bongos, steel drums, and djembe. Additionally, Christopher teaches music composition and electronic music composition, with emphasis on popular styles & commercial music. He also teaches the electric bass and ukulele to students at the beginner through early intermediate levels.
Being personally committed to life-long learning, Christopher believes that anyone, regardless of age, background, or experience, can acquire musical skills. His teaching philosophy is summarized as follows:
"Whether you want to play for and impress your friends or use music for self-entertainment, the recipe for musical growth is easy to follow. 1) You have to be clear about your goal(s). 2) You have to be dedicated and be willing to practice a few minutes each day. 3) You must learn to value the power of repetition because it truly is the 'Mother of All Skill.' If a student can meet me at their instrument(s) with these values in their heart & mind, the growth possibilities are limitless."