Walker Wonder
Walker Wonder sitting in a Chicago park with a Bernese mountain dog

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.

Book a free trial lesson A free 30-minute session — see if we're a fit. Book paid lessons after.
Walker with his archtop guitar

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

$90/ 45 min

A shorter session, no commitment.

  • Get to know my teaching style
  • Get a technique assessment
  • Leave with something to practice

Standard lesson

$120/ 60 min

The full hour. Most students start here.

  • Song-focused work
  • Theory and ear training
  • Repertoire built for your goals

Monthly package

$460/ month

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.

Read all reviews

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.

Mary Thomas

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.

Will Gonzalez

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!

Audrey Carlson

Walker is an exceptional musician, and a kind and intelligent person to boot! Highly recommend studying with him!

Ben Paterson

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.

Inside the studio at 345 N. Loomis Street

Studio time

$150/ hour

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 time

Equipment

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.

Anthony Lazaro

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.

Greg Lehrhoff