I’ve spent the time thinking , writing, and dreaming.

One of the things I’ve found is that it’s not the easiest think to distill my thoughts and experiences into sound bytes to help people understand what we are all about. I’d say that it’s really an impossible task. I’ve decided to think of the story of our new church, as just that; a story.

A story is often divided into smaller parts, like chapters in a book. And I think that there’s not a whole lot better stuff in our world than watching a great story unfold (aside from being part of a great story yourself) as the setting is established and the characters are built one page at a time, leading through conflict to climax, and finally resolution.

So I’d like to give you an open invitation to join me in seeing how this particular story unfolds.

This Sunday, January 29th, 2012, I will be speaking at Wildwind Community Church. I have been given the opprotunity to share my story and talk about some of the key themes in my life that have been leading me on this new adventure. You’ve read the introduction already, so consider this Chapter 1.

The service begins at 10:00a.m. at 6020 Corunna Rd. in Flint Township.

If you are considering joining us in this adventure or are simply curious to hear more about what we are going to be doing, I would love to have you join us.  (If you can’t make it, don’t worry. The audio will be available here later in the week.)

P.S. This is my 100th post on The Green Couch. That feels like a neat milestone to me so, WOO HOO!

1.Can you talk a little bit about how your journey from teacher and basketball coach evolved into author of fiction books?

My journey started when I began building a classroom library for my students.  I started reading junior high level award books (like Newberry Awards), assuming they were the best and I would begin to learn to recommend books to my students.  Instead, I read so many books that I didn’t think were very good that I found myself thinking that I could do better.  Eventually that thinking spilled over into adult books, some New York Times best sellers.  I found that several of those were poorly written too.  But I didn’t have a topic, time, or motivation, so the idea of writing just kind of ruminated in my mind.  My son then transferred schools his senior year, resulting in my losing my basketball coaching job.  I’d had a very successful career but was a bit frustrated when I was unable to get another job.  During this frustrating time, I got an idea for a book.  Then my son graduated, and because I wasn’t coaching in the summer and I didn’t have all of his activities, I found that I actually had time on my hands.  Then I was rejected once again for a job and instead of fretting about it, I got motivated.  I had found the three things I needed and Loving the Rain just simply flowed from my mind onto paper.  It was amazing .

2. How would you explain the heart of your books to someone who has never read them?

Clay and Tanner Thomas (father and son) have parapsychological abilities.  I wanted them to be as normal as possible, so I gave a medical reason for their abilities and I made them ordinary people with ordinary lives.  Tanner is a star athlete.  Clay is a college teacher and coach.  Both are genuinely good people.  Clay spends the first book dealing with the consequences of the few times he actually used his powers in an attempt to fend off a criminal.  In the second book, he decides to use his powers for good.  Except for mind-control that they share, they otherwise have completely different abilities, so they need each other and depend upon each other.

3. Where do you find your inspiration to write?

Unbelievably to me, I find that I’m quite creative.  The ideas haven’t been hard to come so far.  I think of things in the most unusual places, at times, but at other times I get ideas while sitting in front of the computer.  I thought of the ending for Loving the Rain while in bed in the middle of the night on a cruise.  I wrote it on a notepad in the dark.   In the morning I could actually read what I wrote.   Sometimes my wife gives me ideas when we’re talking about the book, but usually she isn’t trying.  She just says something that clicks with me, and I get an idea.  Sometimes, I just believe that writing is simply what God wants me to do, and He gives me ideas.

4. The characters in your book do some wrestling with issues of faith. Why do you think it’s important to tell those kinds of stories?

I found that I simply wanted to be true to myself when I wrote the books.  For instance, I don’t swear, so there is no swearing in my books.  I love sports, and I like humor, so I include those things in my writing.  And I’m a Christian, so I can’t but help but write from a worldview that includes God.  If Clay and Tanner are believers, then they should have struggles like all believers have had—struggles like I have had.  I’m proud that I’ve written books that my 8^th grade students can read and that my seventy-year-old parents are proud of.  I think it’s good that anyone can read my books and enjoy them without me preaching at them, but the values and faith lessons and real struggles are evident too.

5. Are their specific books that you had in mind as you wrote your “Clay Tanner” books? I mean, what other books influenced your writing?

No specific books really influenced my writing.  I like the way some storytellers can have a lot of different things happening all at the same time and somehow wind them all together in a satisfactory ending.  I wanted to do that.  I also like books with action, witty dialogue, twists, and lots of stopping off places (short chapters and such).  I think books should be enjoyable to read while also challenging the mind at least a bit.  I like Robert B. Parker, Harlan Coban, James Patterson, and John Irving, so maybe their styles influenced me, but not directly, I don’t think.

6. What kind of experience do you hope your readers walk away with after reading one of your books?

I want my readers to connect to my characters.  I love it when people tell me they didn’t want the book to end and that they felt in touch with my characters.  I would like for them to notice the themes but not be bogged down by them.  I want them to not want to put the book down because they are being entertained while their mind is kept active.

7. You initially published the books yourself, using an on demand printing service. Do you have any advice for people who might want to self-publish their own work?

Do your homework.  There are a lot of vanity publishers out there that just want your money.  You can self-publish at minimal cost, especially if you can design your own cover, write your own promotional text, and format your own book interior.  Books can be uploaded to Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords, for instance, for free, and companies like CreateSpace (Amazon) provide services while printing books on demand, so there are no requirements for number of copies, etc., and you can decide for yourself if you need their help.

8. Can you tell us a little bit about your new publisher, World Castle Publishing? How did signing with them come about?

World Castle is a fairly new company from Pensacola, Florida, with about 60 or 70 authors.  The owner is very hands on and accessible.  I was at a Farmer’s Market in Durand, where Skeleton Key is set, and I met a lady named Ren who had signed a contract with World Castle Publishing.  She gave me information, and I looked the company up on-line and called Karen Fuller personally.  She patiently answered my questions and suggested I look over her submission guidelines.  I submitted both books and she offered me contracts.  Ren’s book, Mercy, is doing well, and now that mine are republished, I’m excited about my future, as well.

9. How does community or collaboration have an impact on your work?

I love getting out in the community and selling my books.  Not only have I met a lot of super nice people who have purchased my books, but I’ve met dozens of awesome people who have given me advice, given me names to call, or invited me to other opportunities.  I’ve talked with authors and aspiring authors, and I’ve made some great new friends.  When I first started, I went to a “friend” who I knew had worked for a publishing company and who had written a novel or two of his own.  He literally told me that he wouldn’t help me.  I would never do that.  I believe I’ve helped just as many people as who have helped me, and I love that part of my work.

10. Where can people get your books?

I have a website  www.jefflaferney.com where there are links to purchase my books.  It’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as on their e-books.  There are links at the World Castle Publishing websites, as well, and purchasing options to have books printed on demand.  World Castle has now joined with a company called Lightning Source which distributes books for bookstores, so bookstores can order the books also.  I’ve also donated copies to several local libraries, so people will have the opportunity to read them without having to buy them.

11. Can you share a little bit about what’s next? Do you have a new book in the works?

I’m currently about 70% done with another book in the Clay and Tanner Thomas series called Bulletproof.  It’s set in Fenton this time.  There is a crime spree that Clay is motivated to solve with the help of his son, and at the same time he will be solving another old murder mystery of a ghost (from the Fenton Hotel).  I have another idea that I hope to be an Indiana Jones type of adventure except that it’ll incorporate time travel and, I’m thinking, a guardian angel.  I’ve done lots of research, but I have to have the idea approved by my publisher before I commit to working on it.  There will still be moral and spiritual lessons in both books.

Kelsey Rottiers and The Rising Tide

If you have been hanging around The Green Couch at all over the last year, the name Kelsey Rottiers might ring a bell. She’s a fantastic singer/songwriter that lives in Grand Rapids (she grew up in my home town of Davison, Michigan). Last March, Kelsey released her debut, self-released full length album entitled Kelsey Rottiers and The Rising Tide. As soon as my wife and I heard her latest work we knew that is was something special. A few months after that initial hearing of the record, I offered to help Kelsey by becoming her booking agent. I was convinced that she has something so special that it was worth pouring time and resources into sharing it with others. I used to handle all of the booking for my old band so it started to come back after a while. In the last half of 2011, Kelsey Rottiers and the Rising Tide has played something like 40 shows. We are playing lots more for 2012 including at least two short tours. It’s been a lot of fun to get behind such a talented musician and person of character.

Cheap Girls

This is one of my favorite new bands over the last couple of years, even though I’m pretty uncomfortable wearing their t-shirt in public, especially when I’m scooting around town with my wife and daughter. Cheap Girls are old friends from Lansing, Michigan. My old bands used to do shows all the time with their old band. I have known a couple of the guys since they we in middle school and have continued to love them more and more with each release. Cheap Girls’ music has a way of reminding me of all the bands I loved in the early 90′s before I discovered punk rock and thought I was “above” all that “Alternative-and-Grunge-nosense”.  It’s part Replacements, part Dinosaur Jr./Buffalo Tom but a little more punk rock. Great melodies deleivered over a wall of sound. They just signed with Rise Records and their new album that was produces by Tom Gabel from Against Me! comes out in February.

The Swellers

Lots of  local music (local to me, anyway) on this list! I hope you are catching the theme that Michigan has some great music to offer! The Swellers are a Flint band that played some of their first shows with my old band South Bay Bessie. They were those kids who had some of the best chops in our little scene when they were 14-15 years old. Now, they have two albums out on Fueled By Ramen and they are the band that reminded me that I still like punk rock! Their latest album, Good For Me, was produced by the legendary (fanboy speaking here) Bill Stevenson from Descendants/ALL. For me, the album explores those people and places from the past that shape us in all the ways that make us who we are. I haven’t seen them play live in years but I don’t really have a good excuse since they have been busy trekking all over the world.

What are your favorite musical expereinces of 2011?

This show will take place at the Kotarski’s basement where the real “Green Couch” lives.

Performances from:

Kelsey Rottiers
www.kelseyrottiers.com

Mike Vial
www.mikevial.com

Hannah Fralick
www.hannahfralick.bandcamp.com

$5-$10 donation. We’ll pass a hat or something. Proceeds go directly to artists and Red Thread Movement, an organization focused on helping women who have been freed from lives in the sex-trafficking trade.

Light refreshments will be provided. Feel free to bring your favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Please R.S.V.P. Space is limited to first 40 people. E-mail for location info.

We love our city and our neighborhood, and we want to help be a part of bringing something new to life. We don’t have everything figured out yet. We don’t know where we will meet, or who will join us in the effort but we know we have to be faithful to follow the dream that God has given us.

We have been dreaming about creating a community of people who learn to see God active in everything around them. We want to create a space that welcomes transformation and conversation. We want to take the best of what we have been learning at Wildwind Community Church and live it out in our own context . We believe there are people out there who don’t like the idea of church but long to know God. We want to help remove barriers and invite people to experience God wherever they are on their journey. We want to live our lives, much like Jesus did, present to the needs around us. We hope to bring grace, truth, and light with us wherever we go.

July might seem like it’s a long ways away but there is lots of work to be done. In the meantime, we’d appreciate your prayers and would love to hear from you if you think you’d like to be involved! You can keep up with the progress of our journey here at The Green Couch. I’ll still be focusing on Community, Culture, and Conversation but you can count on hearing more about our church-planting adventure from time to time.

Have you ever stepped out into the unknown to follow your dreams? What advice can you offer to help us along on our adventure?

1.Tell me a little bit about your journey as a musician. I think I first heard you play at an open mic night in town. And I know you’ve released a couple records of original material and collaborated with some other artists. Can you talk a little bit about the movement from where it all started until now?

I come from a family of musicians, so becoming one myself was imminent. I have four siblings and all of them have musical gifts. In fact, I started performing in the community with my older sister when I was probably about 15. We played our own arrangements of covers and I played guitar while we both sang. Eventually I started performing on my own and switched to mostly originals. I did the coffee shop/open mic rounds for a few years before I started branching out into regular gigs at established venues. I’ve played piano since I was 8 but I found guitar was easier to write songs on and easier to travel with, so although I have more experience with the piano, I don’t use much of it in my songwriting. I have done a lot of collaborating with other musicians, and there was a short time where I had a small band called The Beards and we did a few shows and recorded an EP. For the most part I have remained a solo act, though. I’ve had a lot of support from the Flint community and have performed on behalf of The Flint Folk Music Society, The Creative Alliance, Greater Flint Arts Council, and TEDxFlint, to name a few.

2. You also teach piano, right? Can you talk about how teaching others has influenced you as an artist?

I started teaching piano sort of by default. It wasn’t necessarily something I always wanted to do, or went to school to become (although I did go to college for music), but some close family friends opened a music studio in Fenton. They needed another piano instructor, and I felt that I had enough experience and education to give it a shot. A couple of months later I found myself with thirty students! That was three and a half years ago and it’s been an incredible learning experience since then. Teaching is such a challenging but rewarding profession. It’s given me a chance to put my college education to use and it keeps me on track with my own practicing regimen at home. I think being a songwriter has been a great tool for me to use to help my students get excited about music and be creative with it. I like to have a lot of fun and be goofy during my lessons, but I also have high expectations of my students and take it seriously- which is kind of how I am with myself.

3. What is the best part about teaching someone how to play an instrument?

It’s such an honor when I get the chance to be the first person to introduce someone to the realm of music, at least in a more organized fashion. It’s exciting because I know that even if that student doesn’t stick with the instrument for very long, they will always have that experience to remember and be inspired by. It’s really disheartening to know that music is a dying subject in public schools. Kids don’t get the exposure to music that they need. All music means to them is whatever they hear on the radio, and that’s really sad. I try really hard to help my students be open to all different kinds of music, and see how it can be relevent to their own lives. That’s the most important thing, I think. Music needs to matter to you personally in order for you to appreciate it.

4. Since the release of your Hannah Fralick and Beards record, what have you been working on? Can we expect any new releases soon? New projects? Will you be playing out more or are you leaning more towards the education side of music?

Releasing the EP was pretty much the last proactive thing I’ve done in my songwriting career this entire year. I did lots of cover gigs over the summer to save up money for a nice stage keyboard, but that’s about it. It was weird because as soon as the EP was released in January, I immediately sort of went underground to hibernate for the rest of the winter. I didn’t promote the album very much because I just felt exhausted. I figured I would snap out of it by spring but I never did. I haven’t written any new legitimate material in over a year but I’m not really sad about it. Ok, that was a lie. I’m a little sad. It’s frustrating to be a songwriter and not actually be writing any songs. I just feel like I’m resting and percolating. Sort of like my creative well is dry and I’m giving it time to fill up again. But I feel like resting is the right thing for me to be doing right now. I have a lot on my plate, and a lot to think about. I’m really enjoying doing collaborative stuff with other musicians, but other than that, I’m still under the radar until further notice.

5. This is kind of a standard question I ask at the Green Couch. How has community and/or collaboration played a role in your art?

I think collaboration and community go hand in hand. When you’re collaborating with other musicians, you’re in community with them. When your community is inspiring you to write, you’re collaborating with your community. Collaboration is incredibly crucial for me as a songwriter. I am finding that to be more evident now than ever. It’s so easy to get burnt out when you only have one well to draw from. When you’re working with other musicians, everyone gets to pick each other’s brains and there’s plenty of creativity to go around. The city of Flint has definitely been a major influence on my songwriting too. The majority of the Beards EP is a reflection on my life and observations in Flint and it was all written while I lived on Oak St. A lot of people probably wonder why an artist would want to live in a post-industrial, dilapidated city with a very small arts community when you could be someplace like, say, Ann Arbor. But honestly I would rather be here than Ann Arbor. Flint is recovering and growing, the arts are growing. It’s an exciting time to live here, and it’s full of opportunities.

6. I know you also spent some time living on Oak St. in Flint. I used to live there, too. It was a pretty formational time in my life. Do you have any moments or memories from your time on Oak Street that have shaped you?

Haha, I don’t think anyone has ever lived on Oak St. without being somewhat changed by it, and that’s not something someone would understand by just driving down that street. You have to live there to understand. I moved into Stephen and Pam’s (from Empty Orchestra) upstairs apartment in their house when I was twenty. It was my first time living on my own, long-term. I had already gone through a lot of weird and new experiences by then but I feel like my adult life, as it is now, truly began cultivating while I lived there. I had a new city to live in and explore, new people to meet, old people to let go of. I met my husband while I lived there. Probably one of my most memorable experiences while living on Oak St. was during the arson fires. It inspired me to write Ovation after I had watched more than a few houses burn from my livingroom window.

7. As we wrap up, can you share a little bit about some of the other local artists or projects that are making an impact on you right now?

I don’t know if this really counts or answers your question, but one thing I’ve been doing a lot lately is going to the library and picking out random CDs that I’m not familiar with. I just peruse through the selection and grab a bunch that look interesting, then I listen to them in the car during my daily commute to work. I don’t like driving so it helps me look forward to the trip, but it’s also fun to discover new music that I otherwise wouldn’t have known existed. A sort of side perk that I didn’t see coming is that some of the music gives me ideas for my own songwriting, even if it’s really awful. I guess it’s my own customized version of Pandora. Without commercials. And more randomized. Some great artists I’ve discovered through this game is Kitty Wells, The Dirty Projectors, The Sundays, and this crazy David Byrne/Fatboy Slim rock/disco musical about the First Lady of the Philippines (which in a strange way sort of inspired me to try writing a piano suite about the seasons in Michigan. Look for the release of that in spring 2032).

To check out some of Hannah’s work go here.

I hope you enjoy the tunes!

The Oak Street Chronicles tell the stories of my time in Downtown Flint, learning to live and learning to love.

“How much do we get if we win?”

$500 was a lot of money to a bunch of kids who were trying to figure out how we were going to pay to finish our next record. What’s a few hours of discomfort and being surrounded by nudity?

My drummer had just gotten off the phone with his dad who told us about a gig at a nudist resort. His cover band was playing and he could get us a spot on the show. It was a battle of the bands thing with a big cash prize. We didn’t have to play naked, we just had to show up and do our thing for a half-hour and we’d have a chance to win a bunch of money. Even though it felt icky, at least we’ve have a fun story to tell our kids.

On the way down to the resort we agreed that no one would get naked on stage. It felt too gimmicky. It wasn’t us. Well, it wasn’t most of us. There would be one naked band member but not until after our set. Chances were slim that we’d win the money but at least we would leave with our integrity, right?

The stage and the field were huge. It felt like we were going to be playing at Woodstock but only with a few hundred people in attendance. I set up our merchandise in the back of the van as people were beginning to gather in the field. I’m not sure why we thought we’d be able to sell t-shirts at a nudist resort but people kept coming over to the van to say hi and check out what we had for sale. It didn’t take long to learn the value of eye contact.

Nearby, a father and son were playing catch. Naked. Apart from their baseball caps and mitts, of course. What had we gotten ourselves into? The first band was about to take the stage and I wasn’t surprised when one of the young men dropped his drawers before strapping on his guitar. Amateurs. When they launched into their first song, I felt our chances of winning 500 bucks skyrocket.

The sun was beating down and reflecting off the glistening, white bodies peppered throughout the field. It wasn’t the pretty sight I had imagined. Most of the folks at the show were from the 40+ crowd and in general it seemed that as much as they prided themselves on the beauty of the human body they sure hadn’t taken care of themselves very well. I mean, if I was a nudist, you’d be able to find me at the gym at least 5 days a week.

It was our turn to take the stage and I was getting nervous. I knew we could play but how was I going to connect with this crowd? I was used to playing shows to a rooms filled with fully-clothed teeny-bopper-hipsters not butt-naked-40-something-hippies. I went with my gut. I called out titles and counted off new songs before the final notes of the previous song even had time to resolve. We were tight and continued a blistering pace through the set list.

The crowd seemed to be getting into us. I think they noticed the different level of craftsmanship and professionalism we had brought to the stage compared to the previous bands. It took a lot to rip-off the Ramones and AC/DC but we were hard workers. We finished up our set and I booked over to the van hoping to sell some merch and maybe find a good place to hide for a while.  People were kind. We didn’t move any t-shirts but we went through half a box of CDs. Some people said they would have bought something but they didn’t have any money on them since they didn’t have any pockets.

After we loaded our gear, our bass player de-robed to take part in the authentic experienced of being at a nudist resort. I would have covered my eyes but somehow I was getting used to the place. I think I was being desensitized and was able to look past the nudity. This was the case until a guy who had too much to drink got up and started dancing and shaking his business around in the general direction of the one attractive female at the event. It was all peace, love, and  rock-n-roll until somebody can’t keep their hormones in check. Security came and carted him off saying that this is a “family” resort. I was embarrassed for the girl, and pretty much the rest of humanity as well.

The night was coming to a close as our drummer’s dad and his band took the stage. These guys were pros. They knew how to play to the audience and make the night as amusing as possible for themselves. The audience was cutting loose as the band made their way through a set list of hits from the 60’s and 70’s. The closing number created a scene that will forever be burned into my memory; 300 naked people doing the hand-jive. There was so much jiggling it looked like an earthquake had struck southern Michigan while everyone was just getting out of the shower.

They ended up taking home the  prize. Well, most of it anyway. They handed us an envelope with a 100 bucks inside for making the drive. Classy guys for sure. We piled into the van and made our way north in silence.

I imagined the scene that would get to play out 40-50 years down the road as I sat in my rocking chair in front of the fire surrounded by my family. “Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I performed at a nudist resort?”

You recently left a job as a teacher to pursue music full time. Can you talk a little bit about what was behind that and how the process has been for you?

Great question, Jason! Leaving the schedule of a high school teaching career was a difficult choice, but it was essential to focus and dedicate time to practicing, writing, and working through the music business.

For seven years I felt I could walk two roads and do both well, but there was always a fork in the path; I always had to put the guitar down and give up gigging until summer returned. The number of papers that followed me home and the constant, changing curriculum plans made teaching a 12 hour a day job, taking many hours of my weekends too. I really loved working with the students in the classroom, but if you look at my past gig schedule, you can see where I just stop gigging.

I also think I needed to experience more to become a better teacher. Only working in the classroom started to feel like I was running out of life experience to offer my students. Being an independent musician is like being a small business owner, so if I return to the teaching profession, I’m excited to have a lot more business and travel experience to bring to my classroom.

However, let’s not forget I’m still teaching. I now do private lessons for guitar and really enjoy it.

Over the last few years you have released 3 records. Can you share a little bit about each one of those releases and what your learned from each experience or writing and recording them?

My first EP, Three Men Make a Tiger, is a snapshot of a 25-year-old learning how to be a studio musician for the first time. Marshall Block at Real II Reel Studios helped guide me through that recording process.

“Mahogany” was written in my dorm room and “Intelligent Fool” and “Faster Than Slow” were written my second weekend as a teacher, so you have a young Mike Vial on that record! The chinese proverb of the EP’s title highlights the theme of “Pieces of This World,” but it also hints at the over arching theme of searching, making choices. And who isn’t searching when they are 19, 21, 25? Right? Boy I sure was!

Burning the Boats didn’t feel that different to me until quite a few people told me how it felt like a hearing a new Mike Vial. Bill Keith of the Trinity House told me he could hear the songwriting growth between the two records, and that gave me confidence. Honestly, what I love about that EP is how long I left some of those songs on the shelf before deciding they were strong enough to record. I played Cory Glover part of “Kalamazoo” which I almost never finished, and he told me it was going to be a great song and that it had to make the record.

Plus, working with Dan Achen at Catherine North Studios (before he passed away suddenly) really affect my life. Dan taught me things through his musical direction that I’m still practicing–how to add counter melodies to songs and move beyond a solo acoustic guitar player. He had a great, musical ear.  Some of the best direction he gave me is in Kalamazoo, from the guitar fills to the vocal cadences, and the band production on “Only the Rain Knows Why.”

Where the Sand Meets the Tide is about arrivals and departures. The theme of “transitions” is hiding beneath the love stories, and my career change is obviously inspiring that. One new arrival for me is working with more full band arrangements. Stuart Tucker’s playing drums, David Mosher’s on fiddle and mandolin, Kirk Starkey’s on cello, Hannah’s on backing vocals.

I’m really proud of this little release. Working with moon:and:6 (Michael Chambers) again at Catherine North was like a musical vacation, too. Michael and I became close friends while finishing Burning the Boats, so it just made sense to cross the border again to do the third EP.

Can you share a little bit about how community and/or collaboration has influenced you as a musician?

Sure! It’s easy to get lost in music business and forget that the creation and sharing of music is social. Music helps form friendships and give us an excuse to get together, and I’ve been lucky to meet people through the action of playing music. Craig Carrick’s Noreastr festival is a great example of this. I love how all of the musicians are camping with the festival attendees, how the line between stage and audience is blurred around nightly campfires and jams, workshops and conversation. It’s made me a better person, not just a better songwriter.

Craig discovered he had cancer, the entire Michigan folk music scene teamed together to help a man who had supported them so much. There was a sold out benefit show featuring 20 or more Michigan artists. This captivates how important art and music is for community.

Not to wax poetically too long, but recording at Catherine North Studios feels like joining a community too, which is why I keep returning there. I’ve met so many Canadian musicians from my time there in Hamilton, and we’ve made lasting friendships, often from one small music experience.

Who are some of the other Michigan artists that are inspiring you right now?

I’m really into Cory Glover’s lyrical approach. Guilty Hearts is a great EP that he released last year, and he’s got a notebook full of songs no one has heard yet that are just captivating. Joshua Davis‘s new record is a guitar player treat. I got to see him play at the Blind Pig last month with Seth Benard, Rachel Davis in his band, and they have really great dynamics, really cool grooves. I’ve also been listening to Jeff Pianki‘s new bandcamp releases and the Pottersfield‘s new full length a lot this month.

What is your favorite place to play and what do you like about it?

I love the Trinity House in Livonia. I’ve been seeing shows there since high school, Recently, I was invited to open up for Brooks Williams last spring and it really was a honor. I’ve caught quite a few Brooks gigs at the Trinity House over the last 15 years, so it was an honor to share the stage with him.

What do you anticipate as the next step for your career as a musician? Do you have any upcoming plans you want to talk about?

Releasing the new EP for free this month was a huge step just completed! The next is planning a Midwest tour next year through IL, OH, and MI.

I also have nonprofit idea called the Great Lake Effect (also the name of my band). The idea is to get two musicians from an area of Michigan, visual artists, etc. and have them all collaborate on a song that is used to raise money for a charity located in their town or city.

Lastly, on January 1, 2012, I’m starting a writing project called “A Guitar a Day Keeps the Doctor Away.” My goal is to write one guitar riff a day to encourage more songwriting and guitar growth. If writers block has a PhD, then a guitar a day keeps the doctor away. I’ll be posting them on  this WordPress blog.

Learn more about Mike Vial here.