About Michael Garbutt

Hello! My name is Mike Garbutt and I’ve been playing guitar for over 35 years.

From an early age, I’ve been passionate about music. In elementary school, I played the trombone and saxophone. Throughout my childhood I would take advantage of any opportunity I could find to play my grandparents piano when I visited.

However, it wasn’t until I turned sixteen that I bought my first guitar and I never looked back.  Playing guitar became an obsession for me through high school and college. Although I gravitate heavily towards Jazz and Blues music, I have a very wide range of other influences from Gospel, Soul, Funk, Rock & Roll, Country, Metal, Grunge, and Pop.  In fact, there are not many genres of music that I don’t appreciate. 

For me, music is a gift and wonderful hobby that I enjoy immensely. I welcome the opportunity to connect with others over music. Whether it’s to learn something new, discuss a piece of music, a band, or just to listen to something old or new, music has always been a focal point in my life.  Most importantly, I like passing along the knowledge I’ve acquired to those who are starting out and are eager to learn. My goal is to engage, encourage, and promote the study and performance music with all of my students.