Mike began his musical endeavors began at age nine, when he joined the elementary school orchestra as the only viola player. He started singing while a high school senior and discovered barbershop while a freshman at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) after witnessing a superb performance from Special Feature (1990 FWD Champs). Mike sang in the first FWD high school quartet contest with the Four Knights, followed by a six-year stint with The Wildcards quartet, and then in Qyduhmix (with Cory Hunt and Paul Olguin), FWD finalists and 2000/2001 NorCal East division champions. He then went on to win the 2003 Far Western District Quartet Championship with "Q" and with Late Show in 2006. Mike also won the FWD quartet championship in 2012 with 95 North . He currently sings bass with the 2018 FWD champs, Capitol Ring .

Mike has been a featured soloist in several choral productions and barbershop shows in Reno. He has held numerous leadership positions in the Reno Silver Dollar Chorus, including assistant director and bass and lead section leader and is also a member of the Voices of California (VoCal) chorus. He holds a BA and BS in political science and Geography, a music minor, and an MS in Geography, all from UNR. Mike recently retired from Nevada State Legislature as the Director of the Research Division (a central, nonpartisan staff agency) and is currently doing contract work for a Nevada-based pubkuc policy nonprofit organization. He lives in Reno with his lovely wife Amanda, daughters Allison and Melanie, and dogs, Sydney and Penny.