Mike-Contini-bWphoto-600x900

Music business…
Wow it has changed a lot over the years. I am still trying to learn and navigate it and to be
honest I am an amateur and have a lot to learn and do.
I believe social media has definitely changed the way we hear new music, but even that can be
a challenge in trying to figure out the best advertising strategies. So I have actually concentrated
more on my writing lately until I get this second album out and then I will work to get it promoted.
I thank you for helping me with this. – @ContoniMike

Live Interview
Episode #344 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax :
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/07/27/episode-344-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

Jacqueline Jax logo photoGETTING TO KNOW MIKE CONTONI
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio

Mike Contoni

Music business…
Wow it has changed a lot over the years. I am still trying to learn and navigate it and to be
honest I am an amateur and have a lot to learn and do.
I believe social media has definitely changed the way we hear new music, but even that can be
a challenge in trying to figure out the best advertising strategies. So I have actually concentrated
more on my writing lately until I get this second album out and then I will work to get it promoted.
I thank you for helping me with this.

Mike-Contini-musician-768x768

I’ve only released two albums…
well one released last year and one being released this year. I know there are benefits to
releasing singles, but I am just having fun and want to get all my music out there mainly as a
writer.

I like social media…
and being able to get my music out to large numbers of people and fans.

I would love to have 5 minutes alone with…
Neil Young or Willie Nelson. I just love their music and stories. I ‘d just like to have a beer with
them and shoot the breeze.

Do you find that there is too much emphasis on being current and trend…
Definitely, but I write my music from the heart and mostly through life experiences. I’m grateful
to have Mark Moseley to help make the music and composition trendier. I try to tell a story and
some of them may not be current, but most do pertain to any era.

My favorite quote: ‘Come on Mike, if you don’t get it right this time, your
gonna give me 50 pushups!’ hahahaha from my new vocal coach and studio producer/owner of
Ocean Wave Studio Werner Theunissen

I’ve been playing guitar and writing songs since I was 14…
After 35 years working for the U.S. Navy I retired in Dec 2015 and have been solely working on
my music since. My stepfather and Mother got me connected with a Nashville producer and I
started cutting my songs with studio professionals. After my first single I got the bug and have
not looked back.

Bottom of the Bottle Blues…
One of my most recent songs and actually my first Blues song. I’ve always loved listening to the
blues but never really played many songs when I was with my band. We mostly played
Southern Rock, Classic rock, country, country rock, Americana and even some folk. The story
behind the song is simple and it was fresh in my mind and heart when a woman that I really
liked and was dating left me. Most of my songs are about the girl who got away or left and how
unlucky I am with love lol.

I worked with…
the great Mark Moseley in Nashville ‘Sound control and Java Jive Studio’ and the studio
musicians are just awesome. Mark is a Nashville Producer and used to play with the Buck
Owens band back in the day. He plays rhythm acoustic on this song and sung back ground
vocals. Kerry Marx from the Olivia Newton John band plays lead guitar. I met Kerry at one of his
shows with Olivia in Las Vegas, what a tremendous guitar player and he is just unbelievably
talented. Andy Hull plays drums for Lee Greenwood band. There are a lot of other great studio
musicians on my album including Doug Carter, Paul Arntz, Matt Thompson and more.

My first album comprised…
of mostly old songs that I wrote in the late 80’s early 90’s. This new album coming out titled
‘Here Comes the Weekend’ is all music that I wrote in the first 6 months of 2016. After I retired in
Dec 2015, I moved to Thailand in Jan 2016 and have been enjoying life, retirement and my
music. I am learning every day and with every new song. This new album is so much better than
my first album. The sound and groove is just down home. I set out to develop a truly unique
attitude: My music is all about connecting with listeners through uplifting melodies, and thoughtprovoking
lyricism, not unlike influential performers such as Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Alabama,
Bob Segar and Tom Petty, just to mention a few.

I live in Jomtien Thailand…
The weather is tropical all year round and I love it. The music scene here is actually pretty cool
because there are a lot of foreigners living here and a number of local bands. I enjoy going out
to several venues listening to live Jazz, R&B and Blues and Rock. My favorite hobby and
one reason I moved here was to play golf. I love it, but back problems have caused me to play a
lot less and concentrate more on music as my favorite past time now.

Social Media:

Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/mikecontoni
Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/ContoniMike
Face Book : https://www.facebook.com/MikeContoni1
Face Book personal page – Michael Contoni