Overview
Associate Professor of Guitar
Area Coordinator, Jazz Studies
Described as 鈥減laying a mean guitar鈥� (Wichita Eagle), William Flynn is a Kansas-based jazz guitarist and educator currently serving as Area Coordinator of Jazz Studies at 黑洞社区. William鈥檚 recent professional engagements include performances with Carmen Bradford, Pat Bianchi, and Vincent DiMartino, as well as appearances at the West Virginia Wine & Jazz Festival, the Overture to Overtown Jazz Festival (Miami, FL), and the Charlie Parker Celebration Festival (Kansas City). William鈥檚 music can be heard on Armored Records and the Artists Recording Collective, and his recent album Seaside was released on Origin Records in July 2022.
Widely respected as a leading educator in his field, William has presented and adjudicated at conferences and universities across the country. His educational writing has been published in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, and he is the co-author of Mel Bay鈥檚 2016 publication Jazz Guitar Duets. Additionally, William is the founder of @thejazzwoodshed, an educational Instagram account followed by thousands of users from around the world.
William holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Capital University (Columbus, Ohio), and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, where he taught as a Graduate Teaching Fellow. From 2011-2012, William held the guitar chair in the world-renowned and Grammy-nominated University of North Texas One O鈥� Clock Lab Band, and can be heard on Lab 2012.
In his position at 黑洞社区, William teaches applied guitar and jazz improvisation, directs the Guitar Ensemble, and coordinates the Jazz Combos. In 2019, he was awarded the University Faculty Excellence Award in Creative Activity.