Michael Kollwitz and his family traded a Brooklyn, New York brownstone for the sunshine of Southern California when he was just five years old. He developed an early interest in music, playing trumpet for ten years in school bands. In 1976, shortly after graduating high school, he met musician and inventor Emmett Chapman, who introduced him to a revolutionary new stringed instrument he called The Stick. Captivated by its expressive possibilities, Michael became one of Chapman’s first protégés—and a lifelong friend.
Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, Kollwitz pursued a successful parallel career in the communications industry, where he trained with a mentor, broke sales records, and refined the entrepreneurial skills that would later serve his music career. Following a downturn in the telecom sector, he pivoted to music full-time in 2003. Without the backing of a label, agent, or manager, he self-booked hundreds of performances at corporate events, festivals, fairs, and weddings. Over the next two decades, he released more than 30 independent albums, becoming one of The Stick’s most prolific recording artists and a passionate ambassador for the instrument.
In 2017, Kollwitz began breaking new ground with his Serenity trilogy—a collection of peaceful, melodic recordings that earned a global audience and placements on the Billboard charts. His calming compositions now play daily on major airlines, in spas, and in more than 1,200 hospitals worldwide on the CARE Channel.
In 2023, he published Stick With It – Adventures of a Chapman Stick Player, a memoir chronicling his early years with The Stick and his enduring friendship with its inventor. He followed this in 2025 with What Music Teaches You About Everything, a reflective, story-driven book exploring creativity, problem-solving, resilience, and the unexpected life lessons revealed through a lifetime in music.
That same year, Michael released two new instrumental albums—Stick Around, which received a Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards, and Aerial View—continuing his tradition of uplifting, cinematic soundscapes.
Supported by multiple arts grants, Kollwitz has also expanded into public speaking, blending music, humor, and storytelling to share insights on creativity, perseverance, and reinvention. He is a member of the National Speakers Association, a private pilot, and an amateur radio operator.
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AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
2017- NOMINATED ‘Serenity’- Best Acoustic Instrumental Album- One World Radio- UK
2018- NOMINATED “Mystic Vista”- Best New Age Song- Hollywood Music In Media Awards
2018- NOMINATED ‘Serenity II’ Best New Age Album- Independent Music Awards
2018- NOMINATED ‘Serenity II’ Best Acoustic Instrumental Album- Zone Music Reporter
2018- NOMINATED ‘Wrapped In Love’ Best New Age Song- Global Peace Song Awards
2018- BILLBOARD ‘Serenity II’ debuts at #8 on the Billboard New Age chart
2018- Aural Awakenings names ‘Serenity II’ as one of the top 25 albums of the year
2018- New Age CD names ‘Serenity II’ as one of the top 3 albums of the year
2018- WINNER ‘Serenity II’ wins Silver Medal- Global Music Awards
2019- BILLBOARD ‘Serenity III’ charts at #2 and #3 on the Billboard New Age chart
2019- NOMINATED ‘Playful Curiosity’- Best New Age Song- Hollywood Music In Media
2019- WINNER ‘Serenity III’ wins Silver Medal- Global Music Awards
2019- WINNER ‘Santa Plays The Stick’- Best Holiday Album of 2019- Zone Music Reporter
2019- WINNER ‘Santa Plays The Stick’ wins Silver Medal- Global Music Awards
2019- BILLBOARD ‘Santa Plays The Stick’ debuts at #4 on the Billboard New Age chart
2020- WINNER ‘In The Moonlight’ wins Silver Medal- Global Music Awards
2020- WINNER Artist Opportunity Grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts
2021- NOMINATED ‘Calm Waters’- Best Acoustic Instrumental Album- One World Radio- UK
2021- WINNER ‘Calm Waters’ wins Bronze Medal- Global Music Awards
2022- WINNER Artist Opportunity Grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts
2022- WINNER Presentation Mastery Completion Award- Toastmasters International
2023- WINNER Research and Development Grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts
2023- WINNER Bill Desmond Writing Award for Excelling Non-Fiction Authors
2025- WINNER ‘Stick Around’ wins Silver Medal- Global Music Awards
