In the ArtistWorks Music Roundtable podcast series, members of the ArtistWorks faculty are joined by notable musical guests to discuss topics on anything and everything music. Subjects ranging from touring and memorable moments on the road to recording, songwriting, musicianship, music theory, technique, and more will be addressed. Nothing is off-limits, and all musical themes are fair game!

In this episode of the ArtistWorks Music Roundtable, our Director of Content and Production, Marcus Luscombe, is joined by critically acclaimed guitarist and ArtistWorks blues guitar instructor, Keith Wyatt, and world-renowned music educator and jazz guitar virtuoso, Don Mock. Together, they discuss the origins of the Guitar Institute of Technology (where Keith and Don both taught), their shared history as music educators, how guitar learning methods have evolved over the decades, and their musical development as guitarists in Los Angeles.

LEARN MORE: Want to learn how to play blues guitar from a master musician like Keith Wyatt? Try a free guitar lesson now!

Don Mock is a virtuosic jazz and fusion guitarist known for his amazing technique and total command of the instrument. Originally from Seattle, WA, Don began his career as a music educator in 1972, teaching at the Cornish School and Olympic Jr. College in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after meeting Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) founder Howard Roberts, Don relocated to Los Angeles, CA in 1977 to begin his tenure as the primary instructor and curriculum author for GIT, which has since evolved into the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA. There, Don met an aspiring young guitarist, Keith Wyatt, who would become one of Don’s first students at GIT.

“Keith and I met at GIT in Los Angeles,” Don explains. “I was teaching there from the beginning, and Keith was one of my first students. Keith was one of those shining examples of a student with immense talent. After he graduated from GIT, we invited him to come aboard as a teacher. We taught alongside each other at GIT for years.”

Shortly after expanding their course offerings to include other instruments and rebranding to the Musician’s Institute, Keith became the Director of Programs at the school. As their discussion progressed, Keith and Don recount how the process of learning an instrument has drastically changed over the years and the new resources that aspiring musicians now have at their disposal.

“If you wanted to learn to become a professional guitar player, GIT was the mecca for modern guitar education,” Keith explains. “And, we were the ones that pioneered video education for music. We wrote, shot, and directed dozens and dozens of guitar instructional videos throughout the early years. It was amazing.”

To learn more about these two master musicians and their life as performers and educators, listen to the full podcast with Keith Wyatt and Don Mock here:

If you’re interested in studying the blues guitar and learning about Keith’s unique approaches to performance and musicianship, check out his online guitar lessons right here at ArtistWorks!

ABOUT THE ARTISTWORKS MUSIC ROUNDTABLE PODCAST:

On the ArtistWorks Music Roundtable, members of our faculty of master musicians are joined by notable musical guests to discuss topics on anything and everything music. Subjects ranging from touring and memorable moments on the road to recording, songwriting, musicianship, music theory, technique, and more will be addressed. Nothing is off-limits, and all musical themes are fair game!

Looking to dive into more music podcasts? You’ve come to the right place. Investigate previous episodes of the ArtistWorks Music Series podcast where plenty of topics are explored with fantastic, hand-selected, and knowledgeable guests.

Want to get started on overcoming the roadblock on your musical journey with our online music lessons? Try out some free sample music lessons with any of our master musicians and learn from the best!

READ MORE:

Blues Guitar Lesson: The 12 Bar Blues Progression with Keith Wyatt

Rock Guitar Lesson: Smooth Soloing with Paul Gilbert

Beginner Rock Guitar Lesson: Learn a Classic Minor Chord Progression with Kevin Barry