Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
FY5 with Finnders and Youngberg, 2011
Keep Your Suitcase Packed with Finnders and Youngberg, 2008
Where You Are with The Mike and Amy Finders Band, 2004
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Some people are able to find their calling
immediately in life, and Mike Finders (say finnders)
strolling through his neighborhood with toy guitar in
hand at age 2, singing made up songs is a good
example. Several decades later, Mike finds himself
still traveling, still singing, still writing his own songs.
Mike took to teaching special education, eventually
earning a Master’s degree from the University of
Iowa, and taught alternative high schools and middle
schools in Iowa and Colorado. He also began
teaching music on his own during college. Starting
with guitar lessons, Mike soon branched out into
teaching bass, banjo, harmonica, harmony singing
and songwriting.
Mike gained traction on his songwriting, winning the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at
Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC in 2004 and 2005, in both the gospel and bluegrass
categories. During this time he performed in a house band every Wednesday in Iowa City
with a collection of local bluegrass legends, including former members of Bill Monroe’s
Bluegrass Boys, and earned his bluegrass stripes.
After relocating to Colorado in 2008, Mike began teaching group classes and camps for
adults and children. Ghost Ranch in New Mexico continues to host Mike and a great team
of bluegrass teachers for an annual camp in the spring. He teaches privately in Fort Collins
and Longmont, CO.
Mike continues to sharpen his songcraft, signing his songs with Iowa Homegrown Music
Publishers in Nashville, TN in the summer of 2011. He is a founding member of the Fort
Collins Troubador Society, a collection of songwriters who meet and workshop their songs
together, and occasionally perform.
He also stays busy as a father of two teenage daughters, who are active in music and art.
They are big inspirations for his teaching.
He records, performs and tours with the bluegrass band, Finnders and Youngberg
(www.finndersandyoungberg.com), whose 2011 release, “FY5” was the #1 bluegrass CD in
Colorado that year. The band looks forward to a new release early in 2013, and has been
selected as an official showcase band at this year’s International Bluegrass Music
Association convention in Nashville, TN this September.
Links
