Born in a small Wisconsin blue-collar town, Mike Starling ditched the assembly line for a long, sometimes circuitous career working with words, sound and images.
His original music is heard on numerous recordings and soundtracks, and his stories and photos have been featured in books, films, mags and other media.
Among his other interesting career moves, he has edited a beer magazine, played bass in a reggae band and sold potato chips door-to-door.
His original music is heard on numerous recordings and soundtracks, and his stories and photos have been featured in books, films, mags and other media.
Among his other interesting career moves, he has edited a beer magazine, played bass in a reggae band and sold potato chips door-to-door.
THE CITY AT NIGHT is a multimedia art project combining spoken word, still photography, moving pictures and electric guitar. The film debuted 11/28/16 in conjunction with the "Shifting Focus" photo art exhibit showcasing the work of Starling, Terry Nirva and Carol Erickson. New remixes of the music soundtrack were released 2/22/22.
BACKWATERS, released 8/3/20, is a suite of six loosely linked guitar ensemble pieces inspired by living and working in the Upper Mississippi River Valley in the Driftless Region of the American Midwest. The album also helps raise funds and awareness for the Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh, whose photography is showcased in the first video above.
Starling has performed and/or recorded with a number of original music bands over the years including Buzz Butler, Bean Hoy, the Mall Weirdos, and the Joe Price blues band. A new Bean Hoy career retrospective, IT'S A BIG DUMB WORLD: A 25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION, was released on Momentous Records in 2019. The promo video pays homage to those old late-night K-Tel TV commercials: "So you don't forget, send before midnight tonight!"
As a member of the Milwaukee-based Coalition of Photographic Arts, Starling's work was selected for several group exhibits and juried shows. The publication of two books of street photography soon followed. The video above was produced as a companion piece to the book LIVE WITHOUT DEAD TIME: THE STREETS OF AMSTERDAM.
QUIESCENCE, released 9/9/21, is a jazzy piano-bass collaboration with long-time collaborator Brett Huus, a Minnesota-based musician and owner of the Sound Strations recording studio.
Speaking of jazz... since 2018, Starling has served on the advisory board of the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote, preserve and forward the creation of jazz music through area live performances.
This is the about/bio page on the official website of the writer, artist and musician Mike Starling. "The Floating World" video is a joint production of Nine Volt Media and Momentous Records with music by Starling and photography by John F. Sullivan of Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh. Bean Hoy 25th Anniversary Collection video is a co-production of Momentous Records and Nine Volt Media. Directed by Starling with video production by Brett Huus. Words, music and images in The City at Night and Live Without Dead Time films by Starling. All music published by Bean Hoy Music (BMI). Starling on bass photo by L. Hinzman. La Crosse Jazz Orchestra photo courtesy LJO. Website developed and managed by Nine Volt Media. ©MMXX-MMXXIII All rights reserved.
