Chris Teal

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music (MM ’09) and Whitworth University (BA ‘05), drummer CHRIS TEAL is the co-Director of the Institute for Creative Music and a recent transplant to Fayetteville, Arkansas from Rochester, New York. As one of the most in-demand drummers in the upstate, NY, Chris performed with the IfCM Collective, Dave Rivello Ensemble, the Mighty High and Dry, John Nyerges Trio, and Silver Arrow Band. Chris has released three albums with the band Quintopus on ears&eyes Records (Voyage to Ornoc, April Showers, and Prehistoric Beach) and three albums with the Institute for Creative Music Collective on Outside in Music Records (“Volume 1”, “A Tribute to Prince,” and the upcoming “A Tribute to Bjork.”) Chris currently performs in Northwest Arkansas as a member of the Jake Hertzog Trio, the Matt Smith Group, and for Theatre Squared.

In addition to his active career as a performer, Teal strives to build new opportunities for students to experience the arts by teaching improvisation, aural learning, and student leadership through the Institute for Creative Music. The IfCM recently launched “Creative Jazz Fundamentals,” an on-line school for learning jazz.

Along with other Teaching Artists from the Institute for Creative Music, Teal has presented workshops and performances at schools throughout the United States, and has presented workshops at the 2017 NYU Impact Conference and 2015 TEDxFlourCity conference. Raised in Spokane, WA, Chris teaches drum set and popular music at the University of Arkansas and the Jazz Workshops for the U of A Community Music School in Fayetteville.