Artist description Alternative Piano Boy

Music Style Alternative/Pop

Musical Influences Tori Amos, Jon Brion, John Lennon, The Beatles, Suede and alot of British Rock.

Similar Artists Suede, Bowie, Tori, Beatles and Lennon.

Artist History Born and raised is Los Angeles to the sun sign of Cancer 1978. Michael took up piano at age 10 and began training his voice with Raven Kane Campbell (AKA Beck's Step-mom) At age 12 Michael began on a rampage of singing, piano and acting. Auditioning for commercials, TV, film and Broadway. Learning persistence, he kept it up and sang for national TV and radio spots. At age 13 he took songwriting lessons from Harriet Schock "Aint no way to treat a lady" which resulted in writing his first pieces. "All the songs I'd written back then were about grown-up issues I had never gone through, I just wanted to be a 50 year old gospel singer" He continued voice training and piano lessons along with school, auditions and performances in plays and musicals. By the age of 18 he discovered his musical style and slant on the universe. Realizing music was his main passion he delved into a rapid fire of songwriting and performing. To help finance his 1st and 2nd albums, he booked commercials for Pizza Hut, Sprint, Exxon, Smartbeep, Pacific Bell, etc. and small roles on TV and film. Simultaneously playing to fellow musicians, friends and customers at local coffeehouses and clubs around the LA area. All the while building a dedicated following. Soon a name change resulted from Michael Mangiamele (eat an apple) in Italian, to Michael Mangia (mawn)+(juh) a nickname his friends had called him, which means "to eat". Realizing he wanted to go further and communicate to a bigger spectrum of people he knew he had to do something artistic and also learn about the business side of the music industry. He met up with a friend's producer, Johnny Pierce, in Tennessee. They decided to work together and came up with the mini-album "Virgins". After the success of Virgins Michael decided to go his own route and record a full album co-produced with Dave Chamberlin at DBW Productions in Encino, CA. "Utopia was really an expansion from "virgins", as the songs wanted to surface more and be a bit rebellious, therefore after months of talking to "the other side" I had to have tea-parties and some wrestling matches with these songs and put them down on an album. THIS IS THEIR UTOPIA" Now at age 23, and sometimes compared to a male version of Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, he's out there performing and making an impact for young artists, performing on piano and back in his favorite places in Los Angeles.

Instruments Piano and many more on the album

Albums Utopia, Virgins

Press Reviews MUSIC CONNECTION CLUB REVIEWS: The Michael Mangia Band Genghis Cohen Hollywood The Players: Michael Mangia, vocals, piano; Brian Donovan, guitar; Jonathan Herrera, bass; Todd Wolf, drums, percussion Material: Sensitive in the extreme, Michael Mangia could be the next Fiona Apple if he weren’t a guy. But, he is—and such sensitivity in a male is both a blessing and a curse. The ultimate “nice guy,” Mangia writes songs that have an empathetic worldliness and a sympathetic perspective. Cutting against the grain of angry angst, Mangia writes sweet, soulful songs that would offend no one. With poetic lyrics and piano-driven music, he explores the inner workings of heart and soul much like Billy Joel has. Musicianship: The players at this gig were all pros and backed Mangia’s piano at just the right volume, which is very important in a venue as small as Genghis Cohen. For his part, Mangia plays with a convincing touch that accents his material. Mangia’s vocal abilities are passionate, yet understated, creating an intimate vibe for his songs. Performance: Just as the set was about to begin, Mangia excused himself to go to the restroom. Rather than detracting from his performance, however, his openness seemed to endear him to the crowd. Indeed, from then on he put on a show that was part storyteller and part troubadour that touched, moved and entertained his audience. Summary: Michael Mangia is a singer/songwriter who, at his best, resembles Billy Joel. Although most of his material is intimate, it’s not necessarily personal, which gives it a universal feel. He is an artist that could develop into a serious songwriter. -Bernard Baur

Additional Info New album "The Invisible Wall" coming out early next year 2003!

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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