Mike Lombardo: #87

Representing Element #87 on our table is piano rocker and YouTube staple, Mike Lombardo! (87... Francium... is a GREAT spot, and though I've said I'll be telling you the whys of my placements, I think I'll let this one hang there for a little while. Let's see if you can figure it out! Remember, this is a periodic table, so think outside the box.)

I don't know where to start with Mike. I first met him on-line when I joined the TMA community he co-founded and started participating in the Masters of Song Fu songwriting competition. Mike cleaned house in Song Fu 6, easily wiping the floor with his competition (including... ahem... me). He cemented his position as a Master of Song Fu by signing with a record label, releasing an album, and going on tour!

Mike's specialty is old-school piano rock wrapped up in the New Model. From "Rock Song" to "Colby's Song", his music is intelligent, catchy, well-produced, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and always brilliant. Have a listen to his "Songs for a New Day" album and see what I mean:

You'll find Mike on YouTube, Twitter, and a venue near you. He's grown up on-line from a gawky kid to an outstanding performer, and is making real a dream that all of us have had. It's not easy, and it's not luck: he's a graduate of Berklee with a degree in songwriting. He works every day to improve himself in some way, readily sharing what he's learned with the community. I think if Mike's ever stopped to wonder whether he could do something before making a go of it, he's keeping those doubts to himself. This is a guy who's going places.

Mike's music is released under Creative Commons, and for sale on DFTBA Records.

LINKS: MikeLombardoMusic.com Mike's YouTube Channel @MikeLombardo on Twitter Mike on Bandcamp Mike at DFTBA (If this guy were any more connected, he'd be an XBox)

The place you're most likely to find Mike Lombardo, though, is under his military hat... and now you can have one of your own! Here it is, the Mike Lombardo Trio military hat:

Click on the hat to get yours!
Available in Olive, Mocha, and Black

Every purchase supports an amazing charity, Rite Care, that provides language therapy for preschool children regardless of race, creed, or the family's inability to pay. I want to thank Mike personally for lending his support!

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Mike tweeted about the hat as soon as it was done. But this next item was developed silently, quietly, in my soooper secret lab. I took the hat's ML3 logo and spun it and tessellated it and applied it to an item priced for anyone... because cool doesn't have to cost more.

Here's the Mike Lombardo Trio T-shirt! Now with radial symmetry!

Click on the shirt to get yours today!