Michiko "Michi" Egger’s musical journey began as a 5 year old when her father, a drummer, sat her behind the drum set. She also began tap dancing lessons, whichshe refers to as, "drumming with your feet." The following year, she added piano to her repertoire. At the age of seven, she wanted to study the violin but, when a suitable instructor couldn’t be found, she decided to study guitar instead. By her 9th birthday, she also took up the clarinet in a high school concert band, and began studying voice. In 6th grade, she played in her first band with her dad and two high school students. "We played a lot of Green Day", she laughs. As an eleven year old, Michi began working professionally, playing guitar in the orchestra pit for various musicals, as well as playing in a local big band, which was comprised of mostly school band directors. In the summer of 2009, she attended the Guitar Sessions program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she was selected to audition for a scholarship to the prestigious school. That was before anyone realized that she was too young to qualify. She has also studied with one of the nation's top jazz guitarists, Sheryl Bailey, at The Collective in New York City.
Michi has worked as a guitarist for country singer, Robin McNett Band, as well as, for blues singer Ann Kerstetter. Michi rarely missed playing jazz guitar every week with Grammy Award-winning drummer, Steve Mitchell, and his band at the Bullfrog Brewery’s Sunday Brunch Jazz Workshop. She also had a weekly stint as part of a jazz guitar duo with grammy nominee, Mark Tomeo for 2 years. Being versatile and a strong chart reader allows her to feel comfortable in any musical situation. She has worked with many seasoned musicians in the Pittsburgh, Williamsport, Scranton, Harrisburg areas, including: Jeremy Hummel (Breaking Benjamin), Melissa Reeves, Freddie Stover, JT Thompson, the Blind Chitlin Kahunas, Bret Alexander (The Badlees) Nyke Van Wyk (The Badlees), and Paul Smith (The Badlees) and artists and musicians in the Manhattan area such as Dan McLoughlin (The Push Stars), Mason Ingram (The Last Royals), Matt Basile, and singer/songwriter Tucker Caploe.
Michi was invited by Dick Boak of Martin & Co. to become a member of Martin & Co.’s Artist Relations Program, and is the proud owner of their new Performing Artist Series model OMCPA3. She was also invited to play alongside Martin artist & clinician, Craig Thatcher, at a Martin clinic in Williamsport. Michi has opened for artists such as The Badlees and guitarist Oz Noy. In the summer of 2013, she was invited to audition as a vocalist/guitarist for Kyle Riabko's upcoming off-broadway production, "What's It All About”. Michi was selected to showcase at the 2013 and 2014 Millennium Music Conference. She has also appeared on WVIA-TV’s Homegrown Music Concert series in 2012 and 2013. In November of 2013, Michi was nominated for two Hoboken Music Awards; Outstanding Female Solo & Outstanding Video (for her music video "Standstill").
More recently, Michi has relocated to the city, and has been performing in and around NYC, in places such as The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, The Cutting Room, The Living Room, Pianos, and the Canal Room. She is a BMI artist with her own publishing company, Candygirl Music. Having been a guitar instructor since the 8th grade, she is now a guitar/piano/voice/songwriting instructor at Garden Street School of the Performing Arts in Hoboken, NJ,.
As a songwriter, Michi’s first composition was about her pet hamster, at the age of 9. In August of 2010, she released her first CD, entitled, "Michi", which consists of 15 original songs. Her sound is a combination of jazz, blues, rock, country, and folk. She is influenced by many artists, in many genres. Her style is uniquely her own.
In January of 2011, she released her second album, entitled "Fate", containing 8 acoustic originals. The following October, Michi released her third CD, Where Your Heart Is, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bret Alexander of The Badlees. In December of 2012, Michi's new single "Standstill" was released, along with a music video. In July 2014, she has released her fourth studio album, Castles in the Air. Michi's music is currently being played on radio stations in Pennsylvania.
Michiko "Michi" Egger’s musical journey began as a 5 year old when her father, a drummer, sat her behind the drum set. She also began tap dancing lessons, whichshe refers to as, "drumming with your feet." The following year, she added piano to her repertoire. At the age of seven, she wanted to study the violin but, when a suitable instructor couldn’t be found, she decided to study guitar instead. By her 9th birthday, she also took up the clarinet in a high school concert band, and began studying voice. In 6th grade, she played in her first band with her dad and two high school students. "We played a lot of Green Day", she laughs. As an eleven year old, Michi began working professionally, playing guitar in the orchestra pit for various musicals, as well as playing in a local big band, which was comprised of mostly school band directors. In the summer of 2009, she attended the Guitar Sessions program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she was selected to audition for a scholarship to the prestigious school. That was before anyone realized that she was too young to qualify. She has also studied with one of the nation's top jazz guitarists, Sheryl Bailey, at The Collective in New York City.
Michi has worked as a guitarist for country singer, Robin McNett Band, as well as, for blues singer Ann Kerstetter. Michi rarely missed playing jazz guitar every week with Grammy Award-winning drummer, Steve Mitchell, and his band at the Bullfrog Brewery’s Sunday Brunch Jazz Workshop. She also had a weekly stint as part of a jazz guitar duo with grammy nominee, Mark Tomeo for 2 years. Being versatile and a strong chart reader allows her to feel comfortable in any musical situation. She has worked with many seasoned musicians in the Pittsburgh, Williamsport, Scranton, Harrisburg areas, including: Jeremy Hummel (Breaking Benjamin), Melissa Reeves, Freddie Stover, JT Thompson, the Blind Chitlin Kahunas, Bret Alexander (The Badlees) Nyke Van Wyk (The Badlees), and Paul Smith (The Badlees) and artists and musicians in the Manhattan area such as Dan McLoughlin (The Push Stars), Mason Ingram (The Last Royals), Matt Basile, and singer/songwriter Tucker Caploe.
Michi was invited by Dick Boak of Martin & Co. to become a member of Martin & Co.’s Artist Relations Program, and is the proud owner of their new Performing Artist Series model OMCPA3. She was also invited to play alongside Martin artist & clinician, Craig Thatcher, at a Martin clinic in Williamsport. Michi has opened for artists such as The Badlees and guitarist Oz Noy. In the summer of 2013, she was invited to audition as a vocalist/guitarist for Kyle Riabko's upcoming off-broadway production, "What's It All About”. Michi was selected to showcase at the 2013 and 2014 Millennium Music Conference. She has also appeared on WVIA-TV’s Homegrown Music Concert series in 2012 and 2013. In November of 2013, Michi was nominated for two Hoboken Music Awards; Outstanding Female Solo & Outstanding Video (for her music video "Standstill").
More recently, Michi has relocated to the city, and has been performing in and around NYC, in places such as The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, The Cutting Room, The Living Room, Pianos, and the Canal Room. She is a BMI artist with her own publishing company, Candygirl Music. Having been a guitar instructor since the 8th grade, she is now a guitar/piano/voice/songwriting instructor at Garden Street School of the Performing Arts in Hoboken, NJ,.
As a songwriter, Michi’s first composition was about her pet hamster, at the age of 9. In August of 2010, she released her first CD, entitled, "Michi", which consists of 15 original songs. Her sound is a combination of jazz, blues, rock, country, and folk. She is influenced by many artists, in many genres. Her style is uniquely her own.
In January of 2011, she released her second album, entitled "Fate", containing 8 acoustic originals. The following October, Michi released her third CD, Where Your Heart Is, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bret Alexander of The Badlees. In December of 2012, Michi's new single "Standstill" was released, along with a music video. In July 2014, she has released her fourth studio album, Castles in the Air. Michi's music is currently being played on radio stations in Pennsylvania.