Mike
Westbrock

Mike Westbrock grew up in Spokane, Washington, where his love of music was born in an unlikely scenario. At the end of a school year, a janitor asked Mike if he wanted a record that had been left behind in a student's locker. Mike said sure — and the janitor explained, "Great, because I don't want my son listening to this trash." The "trash" in question was Metallica's Master of Puppets.

Like many young people of his generation, Mike was instantly hooked on the band's combination of speed, heaviness, technical prowess, and introspective lyrics. His tastes have expanded greatly since those days, but he remains a steadfast fan of rock — and one of his primary goals as an instructor is to share and pass on a passion for all styles of music.

Mike has been playing guitar for 35 years and teaching for 25. He attended McNally Smith College of Music, graduating in 2000 with an AAS in Guitar Performance & Songwriting. Since then, he has worked as both an instructor and a professional songwriter, with original music appearing on multiple television shows, including ESPN, America's Got Talent (UK), and Auction Hunters.

Mike works with students of all ages and abilities to achieve their personal musical goals. Students learn their favorite songs, technique, reading, and improvisation — with lessons shaped around what each player wants to get out of the guitar. Mike especially enjoys teaching songwriting, improvisation, and music theory, drawing on his own experience as a working songwriter to help students find their own musical voice.