SHORT BIO:
Michael Kollwitz is a speaker, musician, and author who built a career around the Chapman Stick®—an instrument most people can’t name but end up enjoying anyway.
A Billboard-charting recording artist and author of Stick With It and What Music Teaches You About Everything, Michael has also received multiple grants from the Arizona Arts Commission for his creative work and speaking programs. He has been featured at Arizona MusicFest and the Arizona Music Educators Association.
His programs combine live music, storytelling, and a lifetime of saying “yes” to things that didn’t always make sense at the time—but somehow worked out.
FULL BIO:
Michael Kollwitz is a speaker, musician, and author who somehow built a career around an instrument most people have never heard of—and aren’t entirely sure how it works when they first see it.
His journey began in 1976 when he said “yes” to learning a strange, futuristic-looking instrument directly from its inventor. At the time, it didn’t exactly impress anyone who was hoping he’d choose a more “practical” path—but Michael stuck with it, and against all reasonable expectations, made a life out of it.
Before going all-in on music, he spent 20 years in corporate sales, where he learned how to communicate, adapt, and occasionally sound like he knew what he was doing. When that industry took a downturn, he made the bold decision to pursue music full-time—without a label, an agent, or what most people would consider a backup plan. What followed was a career of self-booked performances, more than 30 independent albums, and even a few Billboard chart appearances… which surprised him as much as anyone.
Along the way, his work has been supported by multiple grants from the Arizona Arts Commission—including funding for professional development, speaking programs, and his book Stick With It, which also received an additional award for nonfiction. Apparently, choosing an unusual path occasionally works out.
Today, Michael presents engaging programs for country clubs, arts organizations, and lifelong learning audiences throughout Arizona, including recent appearances at Arizona MusicFest and the Arizona Music Educators Association. His presentations combine live performance on the Chapman Stick® with humor, storytelling, and observations from a life that didn’t follow a straight line—but turned out pretty well anyway.
Drawing from his books, Stick With It – Adventures of a Chapman Stick Player and What Music Teaches You About Everything, Michael shares stories about creativity, persistence, and the unexpected turns that tend to make life more interesting—usually in hindsight.
Audiences leave entertained, a little surprised, and often wondering how an instrument they’d never heard of ended up being the highlight of the program.
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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
