Anthony B.

Anthony B. was born and raised in Chicago, IL and began playing the guitar at age 10 by ear and with occasional formal instruction, learning the riffs of his favorite classic rock bands. In high school he played in several bands, and eventually joined his school’s jazz band where he learned to read notation and chord charts. With a growing interest and proclivity for music, Anthony attended Columbia College of Chicago with a focus on guitar performance, where he deepened his knowledge of music theory, jazz guitar and experience of performing with various groups. Also, as a college student, he began informally helping other students with concepts on the guitar, and worked as a music theory tutor for the Freshman and Sophomore classes. Discovering his ability and passion for teaching, Anthony began his career formally with a small academy in his hometown where he taught children and teens. After graduating college, and with a growing roster of students, he taught an elective guitar class at a public high-school for one year before being offered a teaching position by his former instructor on the faculty of his alma-mater Columbia College of Chicago. Anthony helped to write the curriculum for the technical courses as well as conducted ensembles, and guided students in private lessons on their path towards professional musicianship. Outside of the classroom, Anthony lived the life of a “gigging” musician around Chicago-land with a variety of groups from hip-hop to classical, from bar-room to wedding ceremony. Later on, Anthony developed a much different, but curiously complementary interest in agriculture and began working as a farmer while continuing to teach guitar lessons to students of all ages.