Chris Brown brings more than thirty years’ experience as a guitarist, music professional and professor to ORU. He is proficient in many musical styles and genres and has performed in a myriad of musical venues. This experience includes blues, jazz, rock, Latin and many other styles. He even toured the United States in a country band for a brief period of time and competed in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. In the Tulsa area, he plays in worship teams almost every week. He has also played in numerous pit orchestra situations including Celebrity Attractions shows, the IBA Awards and the Bartlesville Symphony. In addition to guitar, Chris plays bass, ukulele, banjo and mandolin.
Chris is the guitar coordinator for the music department and teaches all things related to guitar including Classical Guitar I and II, Applied Guitar, Worship Skills for Guitar and Guitar Ensemble. Chris also teaches Contemporary Theory and Lead Chart Notation and is the director of the jazz combos and the worship seminar. Chris also is the advisor for the Bachelor of Arts degree and the worship leadership minor and is a guest lecturer in many music classes.
Chris believes in the healing power and grace of Jesus Christ and is an active member and participant in his local church. He believes in the full gifts of the Spirit and concurs with the mandate God gave Oral Roberts to raise up students to “go into every man’s (person’s) world.” Chris sees his position as a professor at ORU as an opportunity to help students find their place vocationally and artistically in the Body of Christ.
Since his arrival at ORU in 1998, Chris has been responsible for many innovations in the music department. He created the Guitar Performance degree in 2001 and recently added the contemporary guitar option. Now he has the opportunity to develop versatile guitar players so that they will have a better chance at commercial success. Chris also designed curriculum for several classes in the worship arts degree and sits on the worship arts committee.
Chris received a B.M. in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and later earned an M.M., also in Guitar Performance, from the University of Oklahoma. Additionally, he served a four year stint in the United States Air Force where he received an M.S. in Management and Human Relations from Abilene Christian University.