Director of Jazz Studies, Neil Ferris
Director of Jazz Studies, Neil Ferris
Neil grew up in the Midwest, living in Illinois and Michigan before settling in Wisconsin. Due to having a father who worked in radio, Neil’s childhood was filled with many types of music, from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder. In high school he was active in many musical groups but found that his true passion was jazz guitar. At this time he studied guitar with Roger Brotherhood and eventually began teaching himself. He also was a part of the Essentially Ellington competition under the direction of Steve Sveum in which the ensemble placed third in New York on the national level.
After realizing he wanted to pursue music as a career, Neil studied classical guitar for a year at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. He then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to focus on jazz guitar performance. In La Crosse, he played in various groups which allowed him to gain experience playing jazz, funk, and other musical styles, in addition to teaching at a local music studio.
Neil is currently a graduate student at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studies with Corey Christiansen. He teaches private lessons and is currently acting as Director of Jazz Studies at MAYO.
Neil grew up in the Midwest, living in Illinois and Michigan before settling in Wisconsin. Due to having a father who worked in radio, Neil’s childhood was filled with many types of music, from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder. In high school he was active in many musical groups but found that his true passion was jazz guitar. At this time he studied guitar with Roger Brotherhood and eventually began teaching himself. He also was a part of the Essentially Ellington competition under the direction of Steve Sveum in which the ensemble placed third in New York on the national level.
After realizing he wanted to pursue music as a career, Neil studied classical guitar for a year at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. He then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to focus on jazz guitar performance. In La Crosse, he played in various groups which allowed him to gain experience playing jazz, funk, and other musical styles, in addition to teaching at a local music studio.
Neil is currently a graduate student at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studies with Corey Christiansen. He teaches private lessons and is currently acting as Director of Jazz Studies at MAYO.
