Mike Gerbrandt, musician and part-time omniologist (circa April 1982), started playing before he can actually remember. “I’d say music is my first language ‘cause I was plunking and learning simple melodies on the piano before I could really speakâ€, Mike explains. In his early years, Mike grew up on Mozart and McCartney as he would say (meaning classical music and the Beatles). In 1989 his parents bought him his first drum kit. Mike had the heads beat in within weeks on this department store, cheap status, made out of some kinda of thin metal set. It was soon after that he started to pick up other instruments such as electric guitar, bass guitar, flute and strings among others. “Instruments are like a sort of family... I know most of them, some better than others, a hand full of them I know really well and a few I have yet to meet."
Interestingly, the last instrument Mike would develop would be his voice. Mike started singing to Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston tunes around age 12 right around the time of the Northridge earthquake (which was his home at the time), as well as receiving some vocal training from Dr. Kim Jones (Master’s College, Santa Clarita, CA) later in 2002.
An L.A. native, Mike was ready to branch out to new opportunities and in late 2002, he geared up to depart for London, England where he ministered at Holy Nation Church, Victoria. Arriving in London on January 1st, 2003, Mike would soon have the opportunity to not only work for the church there, but also teach music at two Christian schools in central London. “London was amazing; I couldn’t really do too much sight seeing but for the first few weeks because it was so hectic. It’s insane, a good third of your time is spent in travel, just getting around; such a beautiful city though, rich in diverse cultures and expression."
After arriving back in the states, Mike spent 8 months in Columbus, Nebraska (where his parents and two sisters had lived for 3 years), while also ministering with his dear friends at Highland Park Church on a 6 month music internship.
From there Mike corresponded with Eric and Chris Diaz into spring of 2005 about the formation of Interchange. Then, in April of 2005, Mike packed up his kit, threw it atop a Chevy Astro van (bought specially for the occasion) and headed back home to L.A. with his long time friend and first drum student, Trevor Jones. Now, since May of 2005, Mike has been drumming and singing for Interchange. As the production and release of their (10 track) full-length album entitled 'Resonate' came to pass, wives and kids did also. This made for something called "growing up." However, Interchange has still been happy to perform (just more selectively) at their regular rate. "Resonate was the longest project I think any of us had ever worked on", Mike recalls, "It took us about a year and a half but we were picky and meticulous."
Mike, along with his wife Kristy -Scanlon- (married June 10th 2006), currently ministers as a worship leader and Pastor at 'The Highlands Christian Fellowship' in Palmdale California where he plays/leads for multiple services a week, teaches music theory for their 'Life School of Ministry', and holds weekly musicality workshops. He continues to produce music while now raising a daughter (Kami Addison Gerbrandt, born 4.27.08) and pursuing his Bachelor of Theology/Music[LOVEMYFLASH]
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