Mike started playing and became obsessed with the cello at age 16. He would fuse this new-found obsession with the passion he had developed years earlier for heavy metal music. This has defined the unorthodox style he's developed. His music fuses his classical training with his love of heavy metal, fantasy, film & folk music. Building layers of cello on top of each other, he creates a world simultaneously dark, beautiful, wonderful, fantastic & breathtaking.

Bach was a household icon for my family during my childhood. Every March we hosted Bach Birthday Parties and I was raised with a love of music.  Although I’d studied piano since age five, at times without much enthusiasm, everything changed when I reached age eleven and “met” my first cello. From the start, I knew I’d found my “medium” in life.  The cello was for me! Throughout middle and high school, I played a great deal of chamber music and participated in school and borough-wide orchestras. At Bennington College I majored in music and joined the Vermont State Symphony!  I was playing cello every chance I could. Following my college graduation, I spent the year in Paris, studying cello and composition. Upon my return to NYC I launched my own self-styled performing and teaching career.  I earned my Master of Arts Degree in Cello Performance at Brooklyn College. All the while, I was performing in various groups such as a 5 woman chamber ensemble called Mother Chord, and, as mentioned above, with the mandolin-English Concertina-cello trio called Calle Strada Strasse and with the musician that took me furthest around the world-Suni Paz, an Argentine singer/songwriter with whom I played from 1976 to 1997, touring Germany, Mexico, and throughout the U.S.  What a gratifying experience that has been!  Despite Suni’s move to California, we still perform together every year.

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I grew up with music all around me. Both of my parents play classical instruments like the cello and violin. My childhood home was filled with sounds of classical and chamber music. Therefore, it is not so surprising that I too chose to move in the direction of music. I went to Bard College with no clear intent on what to do, but I continued to play in orchestras and chamber music groups, and knew that no matter which degree I chose, that I would always love playing the cello.

When I work with a student it is my hope to instill in them a sense of passion and self-discipline. I believe anyone can learn to express themselves through music. I also believe that I can teach anyone how to play the violin. I love watching my students grow and become better musicians. I studied in New Jersey and in Boston. Living in two different environments has taught me a lot about life, people, and helped me learn that music is alive everywhere.