We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.

Mike, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

To date, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my debut Big Band album, 6th Avenue. I’ve been writing Big Band music on commission for years, and it was time to put together a representation of my own voice to share with the world. This recording kicks off the founding of the Mike Thompson Big Band, a collaboration with 17 fantastic musicians that I hope to continue for a long time.

Mike, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began my musical journey as a performer, playing marimba and percussion. Very quickly, I realized that I wanted to write music for the groups that I was playing in. I didn’t really consider “composing” as an option, at first, I thought composing came from the “ether”. So from the beginning, I started as an arranger – working with music written by someone else, and adapting it to a certain kind of ensemble and adding my own voice to make it my own. At the time, I had no idea how far this skill would take me. As an arranger, I’ve had the opportunity to help make the vision of songwriters and artists come to life, supporting their voice with a variety of instrumentation. Through arranging, I found my compositional voice, now writing more original music than arrangements, either for my own projects or for others.

I really try to look at music holistically, through the lens of “Music”, not through genera or style. I think that good music is simply good music, regardless of the style. Because of this, I’ve had the opportunity to find success working with traditional ensemble types (Big bands, Orchestras, Chamber Music) as well as contemporary and pop groups. The culmination of this experience came together last Spring, when I recorded my first Big Band album as an artist, 6th Avenue, working with performers and engineers from both my pop and traditional backgrounds.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I understood the power of mentorship early on. When I was in school, of course I latched-on to teachers as mentors, but after leaving school I thought I could go about this kind of life alone, and I was certainly mistaken. A few years after graduation, I had a mentorship opportunity presented to me, and I’m so glad that I took it, it changed the course of my life and career, and has opened up more opportunities for me than any other single factor. I also neglected the importance of providing mentorship to young musicians. After leaving school, I was given opportunities to mentor younger musicians as well, and I, selfishly, didn’t want to dedicate my time helping others. I quickly realized what a horrible perspective that was to have, and began mentoring young writers and producers, and I’ve learned more mentoring others than I ever could have imagined. When working with young people, or providing guidance in any way, it forces one to return to fundamentals and question our existing beliefs, something that I think is far too overlooked in today’s culture.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of my life as a composer and producer is having the ability to not only share my music with the world, but being able to collaborate with other musicians. Composers live a reclusive life – toiling away on compositions alone in a room – only to share that music with audiences through the performance of others. But that performance of music by others (orchestras, chamber groups, solo artists) is one of the most fulfilling kinds of experiences one can have. As a producer, I have the blessing of working with other producers and artists to make a piece of work that is greater than the sum of its parts, and we can all be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This balance of working alone and working collaboratively is a luxury that very few are afforded, yet one that I’m exceptionally grateful for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mjthompsonmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mikethompson/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikethompson/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@the.mikethompson
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/themikethompson
• Other: Pre-Save/Stream 6th Avenue: https://found.ee/Mike-Thompson-6th-Avenue-Album

Image Credits

Ben Boynton
Meena Khayami
Sophia Breyfogle