Students from Years 1 to 4 at the Googong Anglican School are studying music under the tuition of Rory Turner-Quirk, former bass player for the John Butler Trio and whose band Quirk was once a one-time support act to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Mr Turner-Quirk is a Moruya boy who grew up playing in alternative and funk rock bands but recently decided to trade thousands of adoring festival fans for one-on-one time with young aspiring musicians.

He toured as bass player with the John Butler Trio for 12 months in 2001, including three trips to the US where the band was trying to grow its profile.

A year later, his garage band Quirk, started with brother Dane as teenagers in 1999, supported the Chilli Peppers on the Australia and New Zealand leg of the 2002 By the Way world tour. 

In fact, Mr Turner-Quirk and brother Dane formed a close bond with Chilli Peppers bassist Flea, who famously owned a beachfront property at Congo, 9km from Moruya, in the early 2000s.

"Supporting the Chilli Peppers was certainly the defining moment for Quirk," Mr Turner-Quirk said.

"And travelling with John Butler was great - the classic 'hit the road in the bus' type of touring where we drove from Seattle down the west coast, across to New Orleans and then up to New York."

A talented drummer, bass player and pianist, Mr Turner-Quirk said he "always knew" he'd be a teacher.

He started tutoring music in 2012 and recently completed a secondary teaching degree at the University of Canberra. He lives locally with wife Amelia and two-year-old daughter Pearl ("a natural on the drums") and also teaches at St Jude's Primary School in Weston Creek through Canberra Music Tuition.

"In a way I miss the touring days - my early career was all about performing and people knew me as a performer, someone always on stage," Mr Turner-Quirk said.

"It has changed now to one-on-ones which is so different to performing but I enjoy both.

​"I teach music and I have a great rapport with all of my students. I get really positive feedback from families saying our kids enjoy music so much more now that you're their teacher.

"it just works for both parties."

Googong Anglican School principal Ian Hewitt knew it was a coup for the school when he found out Mr Turner-Quirk would be teaching students at Googong.

"Canberra Music Tuition said 'we have a percussion teacher for you, and oh, by the way' - and I thought 'that's just brilliant'," Mr Hewitt said.

"The kids love it - you've got someone who's an absolute professional at the top of their game and that comes across to the students because he so passionate about music."

Googong students spend four hours a week studying music, learning creativity and perserverance in the process.

"It's like learning another language," Mr Hewitt said.

"All the Year 4 students learn an instrument as part of the music program and that then leads to a band program.

"So for us music is about developing the brain, it's about those social skills and resilience."