Hi, I'm Walker.
A recording artist and music educator based in Chicago's West Loop. My original music has been featured in a Netflix movie, I was cast on The Voice in 2023, and I have over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. I've also toured and played clubs all throughout Chicago as a jazz guitarist, and I graduated with honors from the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU.
I offer two things: I can help you make music, or I can help you understand music more deeply and teach you one of the instruments I play — guitar, piano, bass, or voice.
Have a poke around. You can book right here on the site, or get in touch at walkerwondermusic@gmail.com. Cheers!
Private instruction · In person & online
Learn to play
with feeling.
Study guitar, bass, piano, voice, composition or music production.
Who it's for
Adults starting from zero, advanced players stuck on a plateau, and singers who want to accompany themselves. No auditions, no minimum commitment.
How it works
Weekly 45- or 60-minute sessions at the studio in the West Loop, or over video. You leave every lesson with one thing to practice and a clear reason it matters.
What we cover
Technique, functional harmony, ear training, comping and voicings, vocal coordination and range work, and how to write and finish your first song.
Rates
After your free trial, here's what ongoing lessons look like.
Drop-in lesson
A shorter session, no commitment.
- Get to know my teaching style
- Get a technique assessment
- Leave with something to practice
Standard lesson
The full hour. Most students start here.
- Song-focused work
- Theory and ear training
- Repertoire built for your goals
Monthly package
Four standard lessons, $5 off each. Weekly slot held for you.
- Four standard lessons
- Priority scheduling
- Email support between sessions
Student reviews
30+ five-star reviews
on Google.
Walker is an excellent guitar instructor with deep knowledge of music theory, a developed ear for sound and pitch, and endless patience and enthusiasm for teaching and making music. I came into lessons with some basic guitar knowledge, and he not only met me where I was at then, but has continued to propel me to the next level every week. His lessons are never tedious but are thoughtful, fun, and a true high point of my week! Highly recommend.
Learning how to play music with Walker is an amazing experience! I started my lessons as an intermediate guitarist and have grown to play with more confidence and depth. Walker is an encouraging, dedicated, and inspiring teacher. I would recommend his lessons to all skill levels.
Walker has done an amazing job teaching my son guitar. He customizes his lessons to accommodate the students. I’m so impressed by how much my son has learned and how far he’s gotten in a short amount of time. I highly recommend Walker not only because of his wonderful guitar skills but also because he is a compassionate person to his students and their families!
Walker is an exceptional musician, and a kind and intelligent person to boot! Highly recommend studying with him!
Credentials
Training
- 10+ years teaching privately
- Formal study in jazz harmony
- BFA in Recorded Music, NYU
Performance
- Professional guitarist & vocalist
- Widely toured
- Performed in Chicago & NYC
Production
- 5+ million streams
- 10+ Spotify editorial placements
- Netflix’s Lost in Starlight OST
345 N. Loomis St. · West Loop, Chicago
Let's find
your sound.
Private studio for tracking, overdubs and mixing.
Studio time
Every hour includes me in the room as your producer and engineer.
- Tracking, overdubs and mixing
- Full mic locker, preamps and outboard
- Half-track tape machine, ¼" at 15 ips
- Session files delivered to you
How to book
There's an application.
The room isn't open to general rental. Tell me about your project and what you're trying to make, and I'll let you know if it's a fit. I take on a limited number of projects at a time so each one gets real attention.
Apply for studio timeEquipment
What's in the room
Guitars & amps
- Custom Shop Postmodern Strat
- American Telecaster
- Gibson ES-335
- 1975 Gibson ES-175
- Fender Precision Bass
- Gibson J-50
- Milkman Creamer + UA OX Box
Keyboards
- Wurlitzer 200
- Rhodes Stage MkI, vibrato
- Yamaha U1 upright piano
- Roland Juno-DI
Percussion
- Vintage 1960s Rogers drum kit
- Congas
- Assorted shakers
- Tambourine
- Toy glockenspiel
Microphones
- AKG C414 ×2
- AKG C451B ×2
- Coles 4038 ×2
- Telefunken TF47 tube
- Mojave MA-300 tube
- Shure SM7B
- Shure SM57
Preamps
- Soundskulptor 573 ×2
- Rupert Neve Designs 511 ×2
- Soundskulptor MP599 ×2
- CAPI VP26
- UA LA-610 MkII
- Rupert Neve DI
Dynamics
- Hairball 1176 clone ×2
- UA LA-610 MkII
- SSL 500-series G Bus comp
Tape
- Revox (Studer) B77 MkII
- Ampex 456, ¼" at 15 ips
Interface
- UA Apollo x4
- UA Apollo x6
- Full suite of UAD plugins
What artists say
Walker is a stunning producer: skilled, tasteful, and creative, he's able to take a simple melodic snippet and turn it completely on its head into a full song. If you love music with a soul, jazz, or R&B heart, he's your guy. I don't know where he's hiding his magic wand, but we are definitely talking about production magic here; Walker not only is talking the talk, but he's also definitely walking… the walk.
Walker was an amazing producer from start to finish. He made every step of the process feel collaborative, inspiring, and fun. Not only that, he contributed his abundant technical expertise and sharp artistic intuition. He consistently raised the quality of my songs while always staying true to my overall artistic vision, and I'm incredibly proud of what we made together.
The room
Have a look around.
The live roomstudio-room-wide.jpg
The deskstudio-desk.jpg
Tapestudio-tape.jpg
Piano & guitarsstudio-instruments.jpg
Vintage keysstudio-keys.jpg
Drumsstudio-drums.jpg
The guitar rackstudio-guitars.jpg