ABOUT
A lifetime in the music
I'm an Austin mandolinist steeped in bluegrass and roots music, a Monroe-style player who studied with bluegrass great Bill Napier and jazz improvisation at Cabrillo College's music program. As a founding member of the long-running Bay Area band Harmony Grits, I've played mandolin, octave mandolin, and guitar on stages from San Francisco's Fillmore to the High Sierra and Strawberry Music festivals.
Over the years I've picked with all kinds of folks. When Steve Martin hired Pete Wernick for a private jam workshop, Pete asked me to join him at Steve's house in Beverly Hills.
Beyond the stage, I've helped build the bluegrass community wherever I've lived. I founded and organized the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair for 27 years and served as president of the Northern California Bluegrass Society, which honored me with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Harmony Grits earned the prestigious Gail Rich Award from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and for over a decade I hosted bluegrass radio in the Monterey Bay.
I've made Texas home since 2012 and Austin since 2015, and I still head back to California each year to play with Harmony Grits, who've held a standing spot at the San Gregorio General Store since the mid-1980s.
In Austin I've served on the board of the Central Texas Bluegrass Association and play regularly around town, including with my Austin Americana band The McKinleys.
A FEW STOPS ALONG THE WAY
Highlights
The Fillmore
San Francisco, with Gillian Welch
Fillmore Jazz Festival
San Francisco, with Jenna Mammina
Jerry Day
SF Amphitheater, with Harmony Grits
Strawberry & High Sierra Music Festivals
main stages, with Harmony Grits
Lifetime Achievement Award
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair
founder & organizer, 27 years
LEARN & HIRE
Lessons, gigs & sessions
After a Pete Wernick jamming workshop with Steve Martin & Martin Mull...Signed: "Mike, loved playing with you. Thank you!"
Steve Martin
Mandolin lessons
I teach mandolin lessons in Austin and online, from your first fiddle tunes to the heart of traditional bluegrass and beyond. I'll help you learn to improvise, play by ear, and find your own voice as we work toward your goals. I've taught for decades, and I'm glad to work on guitar by request too. Rates on inquiry.
"As my first mandolin teacher, [Mike] taught me much and got me started on the road I'm still following today."
Mark Varner, California Bluegrass Association
Sideman & session work
Available to hire for bands and sessions. I play mandolin, octave mandolin, and guitar, sing lead and harmony. I'm at home in bluegrass, swing, honky-tonk, and Americana, and happy to fill in for a one-off gig, cut a session, or become a regular part of your lineup. I've backed artists across Michigan, the West Coast, and Austin, from bluegrass bands to jazz vocalists.
MUSIC
Recordings
Bindlestiff
All original songs, written and performed by Mike and featuring bluegrass notables Laurie Lewis and Bill Evans.
Harmony Grits - Music from Scratch
Harmony Grits - Long running Bay Area band. Their live album Music from Scratch was recorded at the Strawberry Music Festival.
