Maximilian Mayson-Cleary

Max Mayson-Cleary is an Australian-born musician who’s been making music for as long as he could hold an instrument, and knew from the start of high school that music would be his lifelong career.

(Cool story time: Max studied at Vivid School of Music (back when it was still Sense & Color) under instructors Chris Turvill and Tracy Michele, and held lead roles in our rock band program for several years. If you saw our website anytime between about 2018 and 2021, you might remember a younger Max as our front page header graphic. Seeing him become such an awesome teacher in his own right is a testament to our school that we’re incredibly proud of!)

During his high school years, Max also excelled in musical theater, performing as Prince Eric in Vista Ridge HS’s performance of The Little Mermaid, and ensemble performances in shows like Mamma Mia.

Max considers his primary instrument to be bass guitar, but he performs with multiple bands in the Austin area on vocals, guitar, bass, keys, and drums, making him one of our most multi-instrumental instructors. Max also works as an assistant director with both our summer rock camps and our current student rock bands.

As a teacher, Max focuses on helping students explore the music they love while building foundational skills. He believes that giving students agency in their learning process fosters a deeper connection to music, just as it did for him. Max is passionate about teaching all styles and genres, and most of all, he wants students to enjoy their time making music!