Mike has been playing professionally and traveling the country playing polka music for high-profile events nationally for the past 50+ years. In 5th grade, Mike decided that the trumpet was the instrument he wanted to learn. His live music career began at the young age of 12 when he joined a start-up local variety band in Western Pennsylvania called The Jolly Hopps. By age 15, he was honing his skills with Polka Hall of Famer Joe Fiedor and his Polish All Stars, traveling across the country. While attending Kiski Area High School in Western Pennsylvania, Mike played 1st trumpet in the American Youth Symphony. He spent a summer touring 5 countries in Europe. He also received the prestigious John Phillips Souza Award for best musician in his senior year. While living in the Pittsburgh area, he was a member of the Channel 53 Allstar Band. He recorded many TV shows for this station and played with this band on cruises.

In 1980, Mike moved to Chicago and joined the nationally known polka band Marion Lush and the White Eagles. With Marion, the group recorded two albums and performed over 130 shows a year nationwide. In 1986, Mike spent nearly a year with Gerry Tarka and the Midwest Sounds. The following year, he began what has now been a 38+ year career with Chicago’s Music Company. Over the years, Mike has also performed with numerous other bands, including The Versatones, Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push, Full Circle, The IPA Tribute Band, and Dennis Motyka and the Good Times. In 2015, The Boys invited Mike to fill in for a few gigs, leading to several years of playing with them until their transition to Frankie Liszka and Blue Magic in 2024.

Throughout his career, Mike has appeared on many recordings and has written many original songs. He recorded “On The Road Again” and “Good Time Polkas” with Marion Lush and the White Eagles. He wrote a new opening song for Marion Lush and the White Eagles and contributed to many of the arrangements on these recordings. With the Music Company, he recorded and wrote many songs for their recording including “Hey Pretty Girl,” “I Love Christmas Time,” “Where Can a Guy Go,” and “Singing My Heart Out.” Most recently, Mike has been part of Steve Kaminski’s Dream Team Legends and Fables recording project. He wrote, arranged, and recorded trumpet and clarinet parts for Tony Blazonczyk’s New Phaze album At Phaze Value, and composed “Coming Home” for New Phaze. He wrote and recorded “Once Upon a Time in Chicago Town” for Kevin Altenburg and Friends. Mike recorded trumpet and clarinet for Blue Magics “Into The Blue” and “Thanks Alot” recordings. He also wrote “Let’s Hurry to the Wedding” and “Pije Janek” for these Blue Magic recordings.

Other accolades include 2024 awards from the IPA (International Polka Association) for Best Song, Album and Band with Frankie Liszka and Blue Magic, 2024 awards for Best Band and Album from the USPA (United States Polka Association) with Frankie Liszka and Blue Magic, the Leon Kozicki IPA Trustees Award (2022), two Grammy nominations with The Versatones, and multiple “Best Band” awards with Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push and The Boys from both the IPA and USPA. He also received the Marion Lush Songwriter’s Award from the United Polka Association in the 1990s. In addition to his polka work, Mike has written songs in the pop genre and pursued a career as a pop songwriter in the late 1980s. He developed Full Circle’s website, promoted more than five Full Circle cruises, contributing to advertising and produced marketing videos. Mike also founded Polkas United, a web-based forum dedicated to promoting and preserving polka music and still maintains its Facebook page. Recently, he designed the Blue Magic website – https://bluemagicband.com and created proprietary digital downloads for the band’s online sales—bypassing traditional music platforms. This is definitely unique for online digital downloads for recordings with Polka Bands. Mike can be seen on the Mollie B TV shows performing with the Chicago Push and a Christmas show from Branson MO.

Mike is a member of the IPA and USPA and has been for many years. He was also a member of the UPA and NARAS. Mike has developed four YouTube channels—polkas101, polkasunited, gonefullcircle, and bluemagicband—collectively amassing over one million views, all dedicated to advancing, promoting and preserving polka music. He would take his video camera on the road and take the time to record numerous bands. Those videos are on YouTube under his different channels. In addition to his stage talents, he is always willing to help and give advice when asked by fellow musicians. He is frequently asked about the equipment he uses on his musical instruments and stays current with newer technologies. He voluntarily provides any information and knowledge he has when it comes his subject matter expertise, performing, song writing, etc. Mike also founded Polkas United. It was an on online forum dedicated to polka music from 2005 to 2015.

Mike’s musical talents include trumpet, clarinet, bass guitar, lead guitar, and vocals. He also enjoys playing drums, piano, and concertina, and remains a dedicated student of his primary instruments—always learning and growing. Mike is one of the few trumpet players that doubles on clarinet. He can switch instruments during the same song flawlessly and keep it musical on both instruments. He is also a vocalist and sings lead and harmony vocals. He has sung harmonies to many great vocalists.

Mike has also performed with: Freeze Dried, Bratwurst Brothers, The Schnitzels, Tony Blazonczyk’s New Phaze, Stas Golonka and the Chicago Masters, Little Wally, Stas Bulanda and His Average Polka Band, Dynatones, Trel Tones, Ray Jay and the Carousels, Wanda & Stephanie, Freddy K, Windy City Brass, Little Richard and His Polka Allstars, Chi-Town Express, Jerry Zahara and The Happy Hearts, World’s Honkiest Polka Band, Polka Country Musicians, The Southernmost Polka Band, Chicago’s Polish Carolers, Eddie Blazonczyk Christmas Shows, The Mollie B Christmas Show, John Gora, Kevin Altenburg and Friends, Gone Coastal, and The Sounds Celebration.

Mike has family genealogy in Poland and Italy. Here is his bio in both languages!

Polish

Italian