Meet Michael McCulloch, Musician in Clear Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael McCulloch.

Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to Friendswood in 1984 under protest! I was a sophomore in high school and didn’t like leaving San Antonio, where I had grown up. So, I took the move gracefully, vowing to move back to SA once I graduated. Well, 31 years later, here I am – still in the Clear Lake area!

My family was very musical, chiefly my dad who was a jazz pianist and an Air Force pilot. I learned to play the piano when I was about a year and a half old, according to my older siblings, who were also very instrumental in my musical upbringing! My sister introduced to the likes of The Carpenters and Barry Manilow; oldest brother got me into Neil Diamond and Gordon Lightfoot and my nearest brother (probably the most detrimental) exposed me to Styx, Kansas, Rush, Queen, etc… I was hooked!

I was in a children’s choir that performed classical selections, as well as fully choreographed Broadway tunes. We traveled the country with this show, our final performance being on the White House lawn in 1981. My solo gig was “Suppertime” from ‘You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” An amazing experience!

Around 12, being a Rush fan, I picked up bass, followed by guitar, drums, trumpet, and French horn. In addition to piano, these would all carry me through high school.

When I went to college, I wanted to study film scoring, being an enormous fan of John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Henry Mancini and other great Hollywood composers. I met the next important musical figure in my life, Bob Odneal. He sparked my love for jazz, both standard and fusion. He also encouraged my playing live.

So, starting in 1990, I began playing in a country band, the first of many for the next four years. That was also a fantastic experience and appreciated country music more than I had before! The last was with Steve Campbell & Hearts On Fire. Steve was the nephew of Glen Campbell. That was a great gig!

I moved on to various rock bands and jazz combos, including LC Roots, Switch, Madigan and ShapeShifters. Every experience was unique and precious and made me more and more the musician I hoped to be.

In 2003, a friend asked if I would do a solo show for a party he was throwing. I reluctantly accepted as I wasn’t used to being the spotlight performer. The experience hooked me and I quickly developed my own solo piano show. That ironically led to dueling piano bars across the country 2009-2010. I took the dynamic of the audience interaction with me back to my solo show. I dig the crowd participation!

After 15 years of working NASA contractors (day job), I decided I needed to focus solely on music. This led me to School Of Rock Clear Lake, where I have been a teacher for over three years now. I absolutely love teaching and can’t imagine doing anything else! I have no kids of my own, so I feel like imparting my knowledge and experience to the next generation IS my legacy and I am so grateful I’m able to give it!

Most recently, I met the love of my life, Jayme Lawhon, an amazing singer and performer in her own right. She performs with my shows regularly, bringing her wonderful voice, beauty and passion for the performance. We enjoy regular shows at Chelsea Wine Bar and other small venues in the Clear Lake/Galveston area.

I continue to sit in with many bands in the area, notably, That 70s Thing, specializing in tunes from that decade spanning disco to classic rock! T-Bone Tom’s and Jackie’s Brickhouse are our mainstays in Clear Lake but travel into Houston and Kingwood occasionally.

Coda…

So, I guess I’m happy I didn’t move back to San Antonio 31 years ago! The Clear Lake area has indelibly trapped me in and I love being here! I’ve made the most important relationships in my life here and that list continues to grow! To be continued…

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not even close. It took a lot of failures to reach each individual goal along the way. Getting back up after those failures are always the trick. When I was younger, getting too caught up in the ‘party mode’ and ‘livin’ like a rock star’ was just plain stupid. Glad that phase is safely in my rear view mirror. Also, getting complacent with my level of performing was a problem. Bob Odneal, my instructor in college, always told me to “play with people that are way better than you.” Didn’t understand that at first, but when I did, it stepped up my game. When you play with people that completely trample your skills, you either go home and practice or pick another career. I went home and practiced! And it’s not a threat to my ego. I always love playing with people that inspire me!

Please tell us about Musician.
My performance, whether with a band or solo, has always been known for the fun energy that comes along with it. I’m heavily inspired by Billy Joel, Elton John, Kansas, Styx and other shows that have high energy. I’m flattered and blessed when people lament my playing skills, but I always hope that people come back to my shows because it’s fun. When it stops being fun, I’ll stop doing it!

As far as my teaching, it’s not too far off from my performance philosophy – while improving musical skills, I try to encourage my students to have fun while doing it! Music is supposed to be a departure from darker realities and I hope I impart that to them. School Of Rock really affords that opportunity, especially when we put the kids together in a band situation and they learn to play together and play off each other. It’s a really special environment!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Wow. That’s a tough one! I have an awesome family and we are very tight. Numerous occasions stampede through my head and heart, but at the end of the day, it was my family that made my favorite memories special! Sitting on the piano bench at three years old while my dad taught me Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer is one of my earliest memories. Every time I hear that song, I think of him. We all share a wicked sense of humor that spans Vaudevillian puns to biting Carlin-esque rants. Laughter is our favorite connection, even over music!

Contact Info:

• Email: bonskobliac@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009174088380

Image Credit:
Michelle Deering, Andy Eng

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