Thomas Griggs
Thomas Griggs is a Tampa-based guitarist and educator. He graduated from the University of Tampa with a B.A. in Music in 2012, where he won the Senior Music Technology/Composition Award in 2012, and continued his education with post graduate work at Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he had private instruction from Jim Kelly, guitar guru Mick Goodrick, and Tim Miller, as well as instruction from jazz legends Steve Rochinsky, and Dave Santoro. Griggs was awarded the prestigious Performance Division Guitar Award in 2014 for his achievements in jazz, classical and alternative guitar studies.
Griggs was also a featured artist in the 2016 International Guitar Summit founded by Kevin Wilson in North Carolina, performing among players including Tom Quayle, Mark Lettieri, Bob Lanzetti, Isaiah Sharkey, Paul Jackson Jr., Doc Powell and many of the best guitarists in the world.
Thomas has also served as touring guitarist alongside Aaron Marshall in the instrumental fusion/metal band, Intervals, for roughly 2 years, touring America, Canada, Mexico and Europe, as well as hosting a summer camp in upstate New York for fans of the band. He has shared the stage with the likes of: Jason Richardson, Nick Johnston, The Contortionist, Sithuaye, The Omnific, Night Verses, Tavares, etc.
He is well known as Griggly Bear in the guitar community, and on social media for his posts that feature new harmonic and theoretical ideas, as well as alternate routes of thinking with the guitar. His following on Instagram is currently at 20.8k and growing.
Griggs is currently an online international guitar educator for lesson based teaching through video streaming services, and local gigging and worship guitarist. He is avid in all styles of music, with a main focus on modern jazz.
