Music of the Mountains: Where to be and what to see -- Michael Lenssen

Michael Lenssen (also known as Mickey Lenny) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Denver. He plays trumpet, cornet, and multiple synthesizer-based instruments (including the Electric Wind Instrument), but he didn’t start out on those instruments.His brother, two years older than him, started playing the violin when he was about five, and Lenny quickly followed suit. Lenny played violin for about ten years, and towards the end of his time playing the instrument, he started getting into improvisational music such as jazz and Brazilian music. He started playing the trumpet in fifth grade, sticking with that instrument all the way through high school.Throughout this time, there were a few local musicians who inspired him along the way. He grew up close to Paul Erhard, currently a professor of double bass at the University of Colorado Boulder.At the time Lenny was growing up, Erhard was part of the Colorado Conservatory of Jazz Arts. Lenny participated in programs there from middle through high school, which led him through some of his first performance opportunities.He also earned a Jazz & Contemporary Music degree at the University of Miami (and, as a local connection, even taught ski lessons at Eldora during high school).Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected] Hickman, multimedia producer, at [email protected] Lammers, podcast host, at [email protected] inquiries: [email protected] to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe to The Mountain-Ear in print and online.Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website.Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.earListen and watch on YouTube today.Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!