Billy Norris

Hey, folks! My name is Billy Norris. I'm the musical director and guitarist for RCA artist Gavin DeGraw. I am a full-time professional guitarist, bassist, vocalist, musical director, songwriter, and producer, having toured and recorded domestically and internationally for the last 13 years. I cut my teeth playing blues guitar in the Tampa, Florida area from my early pre-teen years, then moved to New York City after high school to study jazz bass at the Manhattan School of Music. Now, my time off the road in between tours is spent producing music for film and television, teaching, writing, and recording between NYC, Los Angeles, Nashville, and my home studio in St. Petersburg, Florida. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with you!

My primary aim as a teacher is to prepare a student for long-term growth and success. Being well-versed in a variety of styles and with an extensive knowledge of music theory, I focus on giving a student the building blocks to develop his or her skills beyond the practice room. I really enjoy sharing and applying my practical and musical experiences from my years of touring as a musical director for a large production (as well as my years of playing 1-4-5 blues at dive bars!), and tracing those experiences back to my formative days of taking lessons as a kid! I believe that a teacher-student relationship is a learning experience for both parties. I'm still discovering new and exciting things about my instrument every day, and my goal is to foster that same excitement and wonder in every student I take on.