Mike Vial

Mike Vial teaches Language Arts at Community High School in Ann Arbor, and embarks on his 20th year of performing music between his full time gig of teaching. In 2009, he took haitus from public school teaching, to perform music full time and teach guitar; however, after becoming a dad of two kids, he returned to the classroom, then survived the pandemic like the world that felt bigger, and smaller. In 2023 he remerged with a new single, and in 2024 he has a new album of work to mark his two decades of teaching and music.

His vocal style is comparable to James Taylor and Ari Hest, but his guitar playing stands out with its own voice, mixing elements of jazz, folk, and rock. He has been showcase performer for Folk Alliance, The LCC Radio M897 Spotlight Artist for May 2015, and winner of the Ypsi Songwriting Festival in 2010 and Lansing’s Blue Owl Songwriting Award in 2014. Singer-songwriter, dad, husband, dog-walker; writes poems but can't muster the courage to call myself a poet. Ann Arbor, MI.