A Tribute to Mike Walker and Three Young Musicians

Over the last couple of years, Mike Walker of Charlotte has been putting in a Herculean effort to promote and sustain interest in the live local music scene in Charlotte and nearby towns. These efforts produced the Sunday Waltz and Mardi Gras events, Friday night pot luck dinners, house concerts that he and his wife Suzy hosted with world class musicians visiting the area (and some who already live here), as well as hosting an open mic night at the Grange on Spear Street.

Pulling these events together required both a considerable amount of time and enormous amounts of energy. Mike not only reached out to the community to spur interest, but also contacted and formed friendships with the musicians who trust that listeners will be interested in what they have to say musically. He has succeeded with little funding but huge dedication.

With COVID-19 limiting public gatherings, it is even more difficult to accomplish these goals. However, Mike is once again calling on locals to assemble through online meeting places to offer up their poetry and music. It’s an effort to spur local artists to keep their talents honed for the time when we can all gather again in live settings.

In order to sample some of what you may hear, he has curated a small group of local, talented young musicians presented here in video form for your listening pleasure. Thank you to Paige Thibault, Charlie Schramm and Benjamin Fox for sharing their talents.