JJ Murphy

I graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN with a Master’s in Commercial Guitar in 2014. In Nashville I worked as a session musician at many  of the city’s best recording studios including Ocean Way, Sound Emporium, RCA, Sony and Southern Ground among others. I’ve played in 37 states across the U.S. with various projects including some of my own. I am fortunate to be an endorsee for several products including PickBoy Picks, Rocco Guitars and The Rock Slide guitar slides. Some of my original music has been on network stations such as ESPN, Vh1 and The History Channel. Since 2017, I have been sought after by students all over the world for my expertise in slide guitar and open tunings. I would frequently play in Colorado in bands and it quickly became one of my favorite places to visit! I loved the creative environment of the musicians and artists here and decided to make the move to Colorado Springs in August of 2019!

I believe in a goal oriented approach to teaching that is based on my students’ unique aspirations with the instrument. I have worked with students at every age level from Pre-K to Graduate School as well as teaching other fellow professional musicians. One of the best aspects of being involved with music is that there is never an end to the progress one can make; there is always something left to explore! A challenging aspect of learning an instrument can be knowing WHAT to practice. As a teacher I help my students put together a practice plan that will not only ensure progress towards their goals but also be fun! 

It is rewarding to work at something every day and to see progress! I encourage my students to record themselves playing and to listen back as objectively as possible. This is a great way to measure progress! Lately I have been focusing on learning all the parts of a song, not just the guitar parts but EVERY instrument. This helps me understand all the moving pieces in music and what specifically the guitar’s role is in making the song work. Theory and ear training are a major aspect of my lessons!

Blues- Mississippi Fred MacDowell, Derek Trucks, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan 

Jazz- John Coltrane, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Sonny Rollins

Rock- Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Animals as Leaders

Folk/Country- The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, Norman Blake, Tony Rice

R&B/Soul- Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Cleveland

"Music, for me, has always been a place where anything is possible--a refuge, a magical world where anyone can go, where all kinds of people can come together, and anything can happen. We are limited only by our imaginations.”

-Bill Frisell

I first started playing music in 5th grade in the school band program as trumpet player. My music teacher challenged me to learn other instruments like the baritone and trombone. By the end of 6th grade I discovered Pink Floyd and I became totally obsessed with the guitar! Shortly after that I bought a CD called “Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues.” It was a 20 song album that had everyone from Robert Johnson and Son House to B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. That record sealed the deal and I have been playing guitar ever since!