Michael Alvarado

Michael Alvarado's "Slow Love" music video reaches 100,000 views on YouTube. - YouTube

Michael Alvarado - Slow Love

my first post. this song is incredible.

check his YouTube channel out here: MichaelAlvaradoMusic
twitter: @alvaradomusic

hope he gets far. he only had 93 subs when i saw this message about an hour ago! definitely deserves a lot more!

AJ - Aj Rafael

Michael Alvarado band rises in popularity
Tuesday, 07 October 2008

by NIKKI ROBERTI
Lifestyles Reporter

They have over 1,300 Facebook friends.

What first started as a student winning 10 free hours of studio time from the singer-songwriter competition at Legends last year, now has evolved into a six-member band whose name is on the lips of many students at Appalachian State University: Michael Alvarado.

Recent gigs have the Michael Alvarado band bringing in as many as 220 people at venues like the Dragon Fly Theater & Pub.

“[A] reason why we’ve gained so much popularity is because [Michael Alvarado] is a people person. He’s not just there to play music, he’s there to entertain,” Katie E. Henry, a senior advertising major and back-up singer of the band, said. “I think that helps. People come and they’re not seeing a band, they’re seeing their friends perform. These guys have a way of setting up on stage and relating to the crowd although you may not know any of them.”

The band consists of six members including Henry, Joe E. Brown, junior music major on bass; Kyle A. Wilkerson, senior music performance and education major on drums; Daniel Romanoff, senior music major on guitar; Samantha Crowder, junior interdisciplinary major and backup singer and the namesake for the band- Michael E. Alvarado, junior music major, sings, plays the piano and composes the lyrics for the original songs.

“I picked everyone individually. They bring awesome ideas,” Alvarado said.

Five of the six members are from campus a cappella groups Another Level, Higher Ground and Ear Candy.

After the completion of his solo album, Alvarado said he realized he needed a band to help him get his music heard.

“I was kind of nervous because I never played in a band before, but it’s exciting,” Brown said. “I would love to do this the rest of my life. It’s like every musician’s dream.”

The band is made up of six people, but there are six more working behind the scenes on everything from photography and publicity to technology and sound.

Sophomore music industries major J. Adam Sensenbrenner is the band’s manager. He is currently working on organizing their upcoming tour in New York for January.

“We have all these people doing everything,” Alvarado said. “And they do it for free because we want to help each other get life experience.”

The band is not signed or a part of Split Rail Records, the student-run record label at Appalachian.

Alvarado took the Split Rail Records class said he doesn’t want to be a part of the label.

“Split Rail is cool for the people in it. It’s a student run label so they can only do so much for you,” he said. “So what [my group of six behind the scenes people are] doing is what Split Rail would do for you, but you’d have to give them all the rights to your songs and pay them. If we can do it ourselves, there’s no reason for it.”

The group describes their music as “pop,” and they cover a lot of songs other than Alvarado’s originals.

Up until this point, Alvarado said he had been playing and writing Christian music.

“That was my struggle in doing this. I’ve always done Christian music. It was a great deliberation,” he said. “I think God has placed me here in a secular world to bring a positive influence to Pop music.”

Alvarado’s lyrics are light hearted and about love, inspired by a girl he was pursuing at the time he wrote them.

Not only is the music now successful, so was his luck with the girl.

He and his inspiration have been dating for 10 months, and she’s also a back-up singer in his band.

“I feel like it’s always what a girl dreams of: having a boy write a song about her. I’m just the lucky one who gets to live it out,” Henry said. “He actually gave me the first song on the album for my birthday. And that’s ‘Waste the Day’ before anybody heard it.”

“There’s so much crap and so much scandals [in pop music],” Alvarado said. “It would just be so cool to have a positive energy band that is like ‘hey, this is cool music. There’s no curse words and it’s not sexual. It’s just fun.’”

The band said they view the audience as most important and want everyone to have a good time.

“If you come out and see us, I guarantee there’s no other band with the type music we play,” Wilkerson said.
Michael Alvarado’s next performance will be at Klondike Friday. - The Appalachian

Benefit concert features Appalachian student Michael Alvarado

Posted November 7, 2008 at 11:19 am · By ASU News
Filed under Events, General

Local recording artist and Appalachian State University student Michael Alvarado and his band will perform Friday, Nov.14, at Legends on campus. The concert is sponsored by Appalachian Popular Programming Society (APPS) Club Shows and WASU, the campus radio station.

Advance tickets are $3 and are available at the Plemmons Student Union Information Desk. Tickets will be $5 at the door. Doors open at 9 p.m.

After winning the Music Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) songwriting competition at Appalachian last fall, Alvarado has taken off as one of Boone’s most successful artists.

He uses a smart but real approach to songwriting, one that engages the mind with unforgettable melodies, yet is effortless to listen to. Inspired by the rich talents of other artists such as Maroon 5, Alvarado combines a classic crooner sound with the unprecedented phrasing of John Mayer to create an impassioned atmosphere, stripped down and genuine. His college-notebook collection of songs portrays an aspect of love that many can relate to.

For more information about Alvarado and his music, visit www.myspace.com/michaelalvaradomusic

The evening features the first Greek Life Challenge. For every Greek student who attends the event, $1 will be donated to their organizations’ charity of choice. At the end of the night, the organization with the most participants will receive a bonus contribution of $100 for their charity. The event has the opportunity to raise hundreds of charitable dollars for research, education, advocacy and service.
- ASU News - www.appstate.edu

Story by David Brewer

Local pop sensations the Michael Alvarado Band will take the stage at Legends on Wednesday, April 15. The show is a benefit for Watauga County Habitat for Humanity.

On Wednesday, April 15, local singer-songwriter Mike Alvarado and his band will join forces with fellow ASU student and singer-songwriter Alexis Worthington for a benefit show at Legends. Funds raised at the show will benefit Watauga County Habitat for Humanity. The concert will start at 9:00 p.m.

The concert is sponsored by the Appalachian Popular Programming Society (APPS) Club Shows council and campus radio station WASU.

Inspired by modern pop acts such as Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, Colby Callait, The Fray and Gavin Degraw, Alvarado has become one of ASU’s top draws. The winner of the Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association’s 2008 singer-songwriter contest, Alvarado released Waste The Day in 2008. Alvarado recorded the four-song EP at ASU’s state-of-the-art recording facility using time he won at the contest and some of his own cash.

In addition to Alvarado on lead vocals and keyboards, the Michael Alvarado Band includes bassist Joe Brown, drummer Kyle Wilkerson, guitarist Dayton Cole and back-up singers Katie Henry and Samantha Crowder. The Raleigh native and his bandmates are planning to enter the studio next month to record a follow-up to Waste The Day.

Thanks to a burgeoning Facebook group and word-of-mouth promotion, Alvarado’s irresistible pop tunes have been finding their way to eager listeners throughout the High Country and beyond. The junior music industry major and his band have already performed in New York City and are currently planning an East Coast tour for later this year. - High Country Press

God blesses those who live up to their faith - Nikki Roberti


There is something to be said about genuine people.

Many will agree they are hard to find. But those genuine people –the ones who sincerely care about you, the ones that believe in things with their whole hearts, and have such light in their eyes because you know they love life to the full capacity of all that it holds –those genuine people do exist.

I’ve recently had the privilege of filming a documentary of the Michael Alvarado band, both for my video production class and for The Appalachian Online. It’s been a long endeavor and it still has a lot of work to go through (10 hours of footage to be exact), but over the past month or so, I’ve gotten to observe the band closely, ask them questions, and even just be the fly on the wall as they go about doing their normal activities.

From spending allthat time with them, I feel like I’ve gotten to know them. Many wouldsay that when in front of a camera, people don’t act like themselves;but I don’t believe anyone could put up a façade for so long when thefilm is rolling. After all, how else would you explain the crazy temperflair ups on reality TV shows such as “The Real World.”

Butafter filming for hours, sitting in on rehearsals and businessmeetings, following them as they put up fliers, helping them as theypaint their banners, cramming myself in a car as they sing to theBackstreet Boys, watching them set up backstage before their big show…Ican safely say that I 100 percent, whole-heartedly believe that thesepeople are among the few genuine people I have ever met.

Theylove their music and they love those that listen to it. They even loveeach other and many agreed one of the best parts of being in the bandwas the fact that they had each other to lean on and hang out with.

But they don’t just care about the things or people close to them. They care about others too.

Everytime I followed them around or filmed them, Michael Alvarado himselfwould be the first to ask if I needed something to drink or eat. Afterrehearsal one night, they even gave me a ride home. I’ve never actuallyhad a source ever care about me, the journalist, before.

Theyeven THANK me for filming them. Last time I checked, they were doing mea favor by letting me be annoying and in their face all the time with acamera for the sake of school and the newspaper.

But Iguess what impresses me the most about these genuine people is theirlove for God and their dedication to their faith. I’ve heard manypeople, organizations, and even bands claim Christianity, but not manyhave actually proved or lived up to their faith.

I knewthe Michael Alvarado band was professed Christian from my firstinterview with them in the fall semester. But following them around, Idiscovered that it was not just a label for them. It is the real deal.

Theirpre-show ritual? A group prayer thanking God for the opportunity andasking for help with influencing the audience with positive music.

Evenbefore the business meeting between Alvarado and his business manager,the first thing they do is whip out the Bible for a quick Bible studytogether.

And when making decisions, Alvarado mentions how he had been praying about it.

Inroughly eight months, the band went from starting out locally, totouring New York, to setting up plans for the recording of their secondE.P.

They areliving the dream. Many may say they are incredibly lucky since mostcollege students’ dreams fall to the wayside. But I believe that luckhas nothing to do with it. They are incredibly blessed and God iswithout a doubt on their side.

ManyChristians fail to incorporate their faith into their everyday life,making God just a “Sunday thing.” But if you whole heartedly live yourlife dedicated to God, continuously thankful through the good and thebad, and strive to live up to what you say you are –God will honor youand your faithfulness.

We all could learn a lot from the Michael Alvarado band. They are an inspiration and just a joy to be around.
Nice guys don’t always finish last and the Michael Alvarado band deserves all the success in the world. - The Appalachian