My name is Mike Fornander. I am 38 years old and married with two children. Where do you start.....
I grew up singing. In school choir, in church choir, and often times in the living room when my brother and his friends would convince me to put on a show.
As my school years continued, I found myself jugglings several hobbies. Soccer was one such focus. Many seasons, I found myself juggling between Club Teams, High School Teams, and ODP (Olymipic Development Teams).
While playing soccer competativly, I also had a lot of success singing in the school jazz choirs and competing in vocal jazz solo competitions. Between this and several roles in school productions, I found myself torn between these two talents.
I had the privaledge of singing with artists such as Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dianne Reeves at competition result shows. Heck, I remember Dizzy Gillespie asking to borrow my belt as he had forgot his in the dressing room.
College brought the Rock and Roll days!! Attending Washington State University, I found myself assembled with 4 other fraternity brothers and playing at all the local parties and eateries. This rock and roll lifestyle was not quite like you see in the movies, as I was more often trying to juggle school and my continued involvement with the University's Vocal Jazz group.
After college, it was time to grow up. My career as a 5th grade teacher began, finding an acoustic guitar in the corner of the classroom conveniently ready for the much needed "study break!" I often find myself running into old studends, graduated from college, and still remembering their 5th grade experience belting out Counting Crows or even a little Blue Traveler.
A nice compliment to this life of education, was my summer months of raft guiding on the rivers of Idaho. Again a great place for a guitar, stuffed in a dry bag and ready to surface at the next evenings camp fire. Kumbaya baby!!
Fast forward approximately 15 years, and I find myself a Business Executive for a Telecommunications and Audio Visual Company here in Boise. I am married to a fanatic triathlete that teaches at a local high school and impresses me more everyday with her dedication and drive in these accomplishments. Over our 12 years of marriage, we have come to raise a son who is 8 1/2 and a daugher who is 6.
Music has not necessarily taken a back seat these past 15 years, but it has certainly been complimented with other interests and loves that might have taken a little bit of the space that music once had.
12 years ago however, I did manage to meet up with a group of 3 like Husbands, Fathers (well not at the time), Professionals, and "older" Rock Stars. We all had similiar taste in music, and the rock and roll, disco, jazz, acoustic phases all came crashing together. We still find ourselves playing at private weddings, parties, music festivals, and other venues that will let a bunch of old guys around to play a GREAT collection and variety of music.
Music is still my passion, and seeing my children also take up a love for such singing and music making has grown that feeling. I think this marks one of those moments where you don't want to wake up in 15 more years and say......
"What if........."
Mike Fornander - 2011
