Piano Day Exclusive Interview- Get to Know Mike Schmid
Piano Day was founded and brought to life by the talented German musician Nils Frahm back in 2015. The event takes place on the 88th day of the year to match the number of keys on the instrument being celebrated. This year, that glorious day is Saturday March 28th! The annual day aims to raise the profile of the piano globally, inspiring more piano players of all ages and abilities as well as promoting piano playing in public spaces. In honor of this years Piano Day we have interviewed world renowned keyboardist Mike Schmid.
Mike is an award winning keyboardist for Miley Cyrus and the Chainsmokers. Mike has over 20 years of experience in singing, songwriting, studio production and live performances. In this detailed interview Mike spoke with us about his musical background, his love for the keyboard, the development of his musical career and gives advice to aspiring musicians and keyboardists.
Here’s what Mike had to say:
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what got you into music and specifically being a keyboardist? Did you take formal piano lessons?
I was classically trained on the piano from the age of 5, and took weekly lessons from grade school till college. I didn’t love it immediately, but over time discovered I had an aptitude for it. I later graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Songwriting, and have won numerous awards as a pianist and as a songwriter, including the Grand Prize in the USA Songwriting Competition. I’ve also played keyboards with Miley Cyrus, the Chainsmokers, Troye Sivan, Noah Cyrus and lots of others over the years.
What inspired you to become a musician?
It seemed like it was never a question. Music was my greatest passion and the only thing I felt really good at. There was no plan B.
When did you realize you wanted to do this as your career?
Probably in middle school, when I was accompanying most of the school choirs. Those choir periods were my favorite part of the day, and I kept wishing I could do those musical bits of the school day, and skip the rest of it. That’s when it started to become obvious that music was the thing I wanted to spend my life on.
Who were your earliest musical influences? What was the first concert you ever saw?
It was all over the place: my parents were very into oldies (which at the time was 50s-70s music) so I got into that, I studied a lot of the classical composers in my piano training, so I had a huge love for Chopin & Brahms; I got into musical theater in school, so there was lots of Sondheim; and my sister and I were in love with pop radio, so I became obsessed with melody and hooks and production. First concert…I think my sister dragged me to a Jars of Clay concert, actually.
What is it about the keyboard that you love so much? Which keyboard(s) is your favorite and why?
I love that it’s the full spectrum of notes, laid out linearly. That speaks to my sensibilities: I want ALL the options, and I want them organized in order. I love that you can play any type of sound on a keyboard, also it just feels like home now.
My favorite keyboard is the Nord Stage, because the possibilities for layering are so open-ended. But I also couldn’t go to a desert island without my Dave Smith Prophets (even though there would be anywhere to plug them in).
How did your singing and songwriting skills develop and how do they fit in with your abilities as a keyboardist?
I started singing in church choirs, and then discovered that I could play and sing pop songs I heard on the radio. It wasn’t until I started writing songs in college that I really found how much I loved the freedom of self-expression as a singer/songwriter. After studying classical music for so long, and interpreting other artists’ music, it was such an exciting change to be able to sing and play whatever I wanted. Being proficient on piano informs my writing, and makes it a more fluid experience, and being a writer informs my sensitivity as a player. It’s all a big circle.
What would you say was your breakthrough?
For my senior project in college, I decided to make a full-length album as an artist. I was proud of it at the time, but I knew that this was a deep rabbit hole that I was going to spend my whole life exploring and improving at. Since then, no matter what else I’m doing in my career, I will always keep making my own music. I have to. For sanity.
From there then, how did you get into doing what you're doing now?
After college, I moved to LA and started playing with other songwriters. It didn’t feel that different from accompanying choirs, same skillset. So I did session work and co-writes for a few years, while also working on my own stuff. Then in 2007, I got a call from a producer I had been working with a lot, it was an offer to do the Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana tour. I didn’t know who she was at the time but it sounded like a fun adventure, so I took it. I’ve been working with her ever since.
Any particular gigs stand out as highlights? (and why?)
Last year I played Glastonbury with Miley and that was a bucket list moment. Just an endless sea of people and flags from all over the world. Such incredible energy. Also, the first proper gig I did with Troye Sivan in Seattle was really special. Watching this kid with so much natural talent, who had already amassed a passionate fan base. It was so obvious that he was going to be a star.
Can you talk a bit about the challenges of working on gigs of a bigger scale?
Well obviously there’s a bit more pressure. You just really want to get it right. Initially, I had to get used to performing for a massive crowd too, as it’s more impersonal than a small club where you can look everyone in the eye. There are also acoustic considerations when you’re designing sounds for arenas instead of theaters or clubs; so just scaling the sounds so they’ll work well in the venue. And there are also logistical matters like using in-ears, and not always being able to see your bandmates while you’re playing.
Do you prefer touring or working in the studio? (and why?)
My favorite thing will always be making things in the studio, cause I love crafting and layering and revising and polishing. Also I’m an introvert, so being cozy with some coffee and incense and a notebook and Ableton Live is my happy place.
Apart from all the fancy extras – is there much difference between a standard keyboard and top notch one? What advice would you give a keen keyboardist who wants to buy a keyboard but doesn’t have much of a budget.
The main difference for me is tone. The top-notch keyboards that I love have a warm, buttery tone. If you’re low on budget and you already have a laptop, I’d say just start with a MIDI controller that feels nice under your fingers, and get some plugins you like the sound of. If you don’t have a laptop, it’s more about your specific needs. Do you just need a good piano sound and some other bread and butter stuff (organ, wurli, rhodes, clav)? Or do you need something with synthesis capabilities? I’d be happy to do a session on Scoolu to go over all your needs and recommend appropriate options.
Finally, do you have any advice for people wanting to become keyboardists or musicians?
Other than practice practice practice? The main thing would be, train your ears. The highest level pop players can hear something once and then play it verbatim; that’s what you’re competing with. So train to do that. Strengthen the mechanism between your ears, your brain and your fingers, so the communication is fast and fluid. Play things by ear. Write some transcriptions. Develop your relative pitch or strengthen your perfect pitch. Build all the tools you can, cause every job requires something slightly different.
But more importantly, no matter how hard you practice, never lose the joy in it. Making music a career is a blessing and a privilege. Some days feel more like a job than others, but ultimately, it’s the best gig in the world.