He developed his guitar skills by emulating instrumental surf music bands such as the Shadows, the Ventures, the Astronauts, and British Invasion artists including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.
In 1973, Mitchell left the Seeds of Time to join guitarist/singer/songwriter Tom Lavin and his brother Jack as a member of the house band at Rohan's Rockpile, a live music venue in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver.
[3] To maximize their chances of securing a record deal, Mitchell voluntarily withdrew as lead vocalist and was replaced by Ron Tabak, whom he discovered while fronting the band "Not Fragile".
[6][circular reference] Mitchell continued to perform with Prism until 2005 when he left the group following a dispute with sole remaining core member, Al Harlow.
A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Dr. Mitchell holds a PhD in Curriculum studies (2010), an MA degree in Adult Education (2002), and a BA in Political Science (1998).