Personal guitar coaching centered on rhythm, flow, and developing trust in your own musical process.
Thoughtfully designed print, audio, and video tools to support focused, effective practice.
Weekly jams, performances, and swing guitar camp that bring musicians together through shared time and music.
SWING GUITAR CAMP
Join us in Olde Town Arvada for three days of music, learning, and community at the Rocky Mountain Swing Guitar Camp. Dedicated to the art of swing guitar, the camp brings together players from across the musical spectrum to explore rhythm, improvisation, ensemble playing, and the traditions that continue to shape this vibrant style. Whether you're discovering swing guitar for the first time or looking to deepen your musicianship, you'll find an inspiring weekend of workshops, concerts, jam sessions, and meaningful musical connections.
The fourth Rocky Mountain Swing Guitar Camp features performances and instruction from Michael Isabell, Lisa Liu, Greg Ruby, and special guests to be announced. Throughout the weekend, participants will learn from experienced artists, connect with fellow players, and immerse themselves in an environment where curiosity, collaboration, and great music take center stage.
Hosted at Silver Vines Winery in the heart of Olde Town Arvada, the Rocky Mountain Swing Guitar Camp offers an intimate setting where learning extends beyond the classroom, conversations continue between sessions, and every evening ends with live music and shared inspiration.
Learn - Listen - Swing
Hot Club of Olde Town is a Colorado-based swing ensemble specializing in the music of Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the rich tradition of gypsy jazz. Available for concerts, festivals, weddings, private events, and swing dances, the group delivers authentic acoustic swing with energy, elegance, and a spirit of collaboration.
Beyond the stage, the ensemble serves as the musical home of one of Colorado's longest-running weekly swing jams, hosted by Michael Isabell at Silver Vines Winery in Olde Town Arvada. The jam has become a gathering place for musicians, dancers, and listeners alike, fostering a thriving community built around great music, shared experiences, and the joy of making music together.
GUITAR AS A MIRROR
Reflections on Learning, Practice, and Play
Guitar as a Mirror is not a method book, nor a collection of shortcuts, exercises, or promises of mastery. It is an invitation to see learning differently.
Drawing on more than a decade of teaching and a lifetime of making music, Michael Isabell explores what learning the guitar reveals about attention, frustration, discipline, listening, patience, and trust. Through reflective essays, practical exercises, and thoughtful observations, the book reframes practice not as a race toward improvement, but as a lifelong conversation with yourself, your instrument, and the music.
Whether you're picking up the guitar for the first time or rediscovering your love of playing after years of feeling stuck, Guitar as a Mirror offers a steadier, more honest approach to learning. Rather than asking how quickly you can improve, it asks a different question:
How deeply are you willing to pay attention?
More than a book about guitar, Guitar as a Mirror is an exploration of how rhythm, listening, and curiosity can transform not only the way you play, but the way you learn. Because the guitar is never just the subject. It's the mirror.
COMING 2026
