Raised in a musical family, Mike was always singing in a school or church choir while growing up. He further developed his performing abilities as a drummer with his Dad in the popular La Crosse, WI-area dance band “Just Two.” Mike moved to the Milwaukee area for college and remained there after graduating from Marquette with a double major in German and Finance. This came in handy when he graduated because he could say “Do you want fries with that?” in two different languages.

Mike started singing Barbershop music in 1988 at the encouragement of Larry Vongroven, a stalwart member of the La Crosse chapter who also attends Mike’s home church. Not yet out of high school, Mike threw himself headlong into the hobby. Since 1989, he has been a member of the Greendale Midwest Vocal Express chorus, recent international medallists. He has grown to be a quartet and chorus coach to many award-winning performers and co-conspirator in the MVE’s innovative choreography (with fellow MVE’r Paul Wolf).

Singing tenor with Jackpot!, he won the 1997 LOL District Championship and was fortunate to have cracked the Top 20 at the 2000 International competition held in Kansas City.

His Barbershop career has seen him join a number of quartets, including Full Chord Press, whose claim to fame is that they did not finish last in their only contest, but tied for last and “won” on sound. After that illustrious start, he helped form Scallawags, Goodfellas, High Life, and the progenitors of Rock N’ Roll Barbershop, SMOOCH(with Dave).

When he’s not Barbershopping, Mike loves to play softball, golf, bowl, lift weights, and just about anything else requiring too much physical effort, as well as attend sporting events (Go Pack!), concerts and musicals. He lives in New Berlin, WI with his wife Carol and son George, and owns Magis Associates, an executive search firm.

mike@magnumquartet.com