Prior to his position at MU, Dr. Griffith was a member of the music faculty at the University of California-Davis, Santa Clara University, and American River College. A native of Monterey, California, Dr. Griffith was a participant in the Monterey Jazz Festival’s youth education programs and was inspired to become a musician by the mentoring he received through these programs. Dr. Griffith holds degrees from The New School (B.A. Jazz Studies), California State University, Sacramento (M.M. Music Performance), and the University of Colorado, Boulder (D.M.A. Jazz Studies).
 
As a performer, he has shared the stage with a notable list of jazz greats and has performed in clubs and venues across the United States, Europe, and Japan. In addition to performing, Dr. Griffith is also a composer and arranger whose works have been premiered across the US and in Brazil.  An active clinician and festival judge, Dr. Griffith has adjudicated the Reno Jazz Festival, CSU-Stanislaus Jazz Festival, Gold Mine Country Jazz Fest, and the Elk Grove Jazz Festival, among others.