With Mike, you get the whole package. He is a bona-fide teacher, a player, and a performer (even proposed to his wife from the stage of Kimsey's Pub in Fort Collins, Colorado, 29 years ago).

Mike McLaren has taught elementary school, composition and English Literature at Colorado State University, and created and facilitated music programs for parks and recreation departments in Sacramento and Arcata (both in California). Mike also coached elementary and junior high football and basketball (Oregon), and coached summer league girls softball for eight years (Colorado and California).

In 1997, having done his tour in the writing field, Mike aimed his focus toward music. Working in music stores, Mike eventually established a music studio in Arcata, California. The studio was big enough to handle all 46 of this students, and was just big enough to fit nine folks at a time for monthly pickin' parties.

Not wanting to pass on the financial burden of the high-rising rent of his studio to his students, Mike shut down Darkrain Music and moved to Philomath, Oregon. In January 2010, Mike opened his new studio, Acoustic Passage, in the Madison Square Building, downtown Corvallis (260 SW Madison, Suite 115).

Though still relatively new to the area, Mike plays regular gigs on the roof of the Crowbar/American Dream Pizza (every first Saturday of the month), has become a regular player at Belle Vallée Cellars (151 SW Monroe), and has played The Beanery, LBCC Acoustic Showcase, Benton County Historical Museum, Coffee Culture, Winestyles, Java Connection, Troubadour Music Center, and a few other venues. You can catch Mike every Saturday, busking the Farmer's Market.

 

If you're interested, here's an interview Holley Hall did with Mike on the EZ Folk music web site: Mike's Interview