I was first inspired and began playing the guitar at the age of fifteen. My early playing consisted mostly of self learning and playing with local church bands. I received my first formal music training by attending school at Cumberland College. Cumberland is where I began to learn music theory and composition writing. Its also where as a student I was first picked up as a lead guitarist for a local blues band. That gig led me to influences like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Muddy Waters. It was also during this period that I began to focus heavily on my improvising skills.
After those early years I began to play guitar with many local christian rock bands. One of those rock bands toured throughout the southeast, including Nashville where I found myself recording and producing with the band trying to earn a recording deal. Once that deal fell through I found myself drained and turned toward other career options. Never satisfied with those other career choices and missing my first passion, that of Music. I made the choice to go back to playing guitar.
Dead set on this final career change I enrolled into the Atlanta Institute of Music. At the Atlanta Institute of Music I received training as a professional guitarist. My skills include a vast knowledge of Jazz theory, Sight reading, Chart reading, improvising and composition of songs and solos. Advanced chord construction, Advanced Harmony Concepts. Chord Melody Construction and Concepts. Modal training and interchange. Rock styles and advanced technique, Classical finger style guitar and technique. Studio and Session training. Ear Training, Notation Training. Transcription Training, Blues Guitar styles training, Jazz guitar styles training, and Music Business. A few of my most notable influences are Carl Culpepper, Bill Hart, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Banomassa and Paul Gilbert. I graduated from the Atlanta Institute of Music with Honors in late 2010. I have recently had the honor of filling in as a substitute guitar instructor at the Atlanta Institute of Music.
Currently I am teaching guitar and playing professionally in studio and out with several different bands and signed artist. In late 2011 I began to work on an aggressive Blues/Rock Trio, simply called “The Jamie Campbell Band” that trio made its official lunch in January of 2012.