Electronic Organist
Towards the end of the ‘60’s, he got his first tone wheel Hammond Organ –
a model ‘T’, which Mike still has to this day. ‘It’s a great organ, a real musical instrument and of course it’s very sentimental”, Mike points out. The Hammond
led him to his first demonstration position with Sharma Cabinets. Indeed it was
the Hammond and Sharma combination plus a couple of synthesisers that Mike
first used on the BBC Radio 2 show ‘The Organist Entertains’ way back in 1975.
After Sharma, he demonstrated for several companies, but most organ
enthusiasts will remember him for the 12 years he spent with Elka-Orla Musical Instruments. He was involved in design and development at the Elka and Orla headquarters in Italy, working on many Elka models including the 20 and 30, the Evolution series, the Project series of organs that included the EP12 and the
portable version of that organ, the X30. Mike spent many weeks working with the research, development and design team often until late into the night helping to develop the X30. He promoted the instruments at concerts and demonstrations throughout the UK, Europe and America, taking in six concert tours in the United States as well as many other visits across the pond which included trade shows, concerts and demonstrations from Florida to California, often playing live on both radio and television.
In the UK Mike would regularly drive more than two thousand miles a week to
perform at shows on Elka and Orla organs. Who said life for a big international
music company was easy? From Elka-Orla Mike moved to the American organ company Lowrey for five years, playing demonstration shows and concerts as well
as the many electronic organ festivals throughout the UK. He also recorded a
couple of albums on Lowrey’s flagship model, the £20,000 MX2.
Over the years Mike has demonstrated for many organ companies; Sharma, Ri-ha, Roland, Hammond, Viscount, Technics, Lowrey, Gem and of course Elka and Orla. These days’ things have gone almost full circle, he has been re-united with the
Italian influence of Orla. He plays concerts for organ clubs and societies on the
Orla GT8000 organ, travelling the length and breadth of the country as well as
playing shows and demonstrating the range of organs for the company.
While Mike loves the big, rich drawbar flute organ sounds from the GT8000 as
well as the sweet and powerful theatre pipe organ sounds, he also likes to
contrast these with the orchestral, big band and easy listening sounds that are so popular with audiences today.Mike still has a love for the theatre pipe organ and seizes the opportunity whenever possible to perform on the Comptons and Wurlitzers that once graced those cathedrals of entertainment, the 1930’s picture palaces!
a model ‘T’, which Mike still has to this day. ‘It’s a great organ, a real musical instrument and of course it’s very sentimental”, Mike points out. The Hammond
led him to his first demonstration position with Sharma Cabinets. Indeed it was
the Hammond and Sharma combination plus a couple of synthesisers that Mike
first used on the BBC Radio 2 show ‘The Organist Entertains’ way back in 1975.
After Sharma, he demonstrated for several companies, but most organ
enthusiasts will remember him for the 12 years he spent with Elka-Orla Musical Instruments. He was involved in design and development at the Elka and Orla headquarters in Italy, working on many Elka models including the 20 and 30, the Evolution series, the Project series of organs that included the EP12 and the
portable version of that organ, the X30. Mike spent many weeks working with the research, development and design team often until late into the night helping to develop the X30. He promoted the instruments at concerts and demonstrations throughout the UK, Europe and America, taking in six concert tours in the United States as well as many other visits across the pond which included trade shows, concerts and demonstrations from Florida to California, often playing live on both radio and television.
In the UK Mike would regularly drive more than two thousand miles a week to
perform at shows on Elka and Orla organs. Who said life for a big international
music company was easy? From Elka-Orla Mike moved to the American organ company Lowrey for five years, playing demonstration shows and concerts as well
as the many electronic organ festivals throughout the UK. He also recorded a
couple of albums on Lowrey’s flagship model, the £20,000 MX2.
Over the years Mike has demonstrated for many organ companies; Sharma, Ri-ha, Roland, Hammond, Viscount, Technics, Lowrey, Gem and of course Elka and Orla. These days’ things have gone almost full circle, he has been re-united with the
Italian influence of Orla. He plays concerts for organ clubs and societies on the
Orla GT8000 organ, travelling the length and breadth of the country as well as
playing shows and demonstrating the range of organs for the company.
While Mike loves the big, rich drawbar flute organ sounds from the GT8000 as
well as the sweet and powerful theatre pipe organ sounds, he also likes to
contrast these with the orchestral, big band and easy listening sounds that are so popular with audiences today.Mike still has a love for the theatre pipe organ and seizes the opportunity whenever possible to perform on the Comptons and Wurlitzers that once graced those cathedrals of entertainment, the 1930’s picture palaces!