Mike's Biography

Mike is an ex-headteacher with 16 years' teaching experience who offers schools educative programmes of musical entertainment in which the Autoharp and other string instruments are used to present a wide variety of tunes and songs.

Sheffield born, Mike grew up in Middlesbrough, Cleveland, and trained as a teacher at Coventry College of Education during 1967-70. His wide teaching background includes work in dockland Southampton, village schools in rural Kent, London overspill areas and American exchange experience in Philadelphia. In 1986 he left his Kent headship to take his unique music to schools across the country. During the 1990s Mike was visiting up to 180 schools a year. These days Mike goes out about six days a month.

Contains a History of the Autoharp in Germany by Mike Fenton.

Mike's school presentations are based on the chromatic and diatonic Autoharp, a form of chorded zither on which he is regarded as one of the world's leading players and teachers. He is a three times winner in the contest held annually at the Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention in Virginia, and in 1987 won the International Autoharp Championship held at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.

Mike is UK consultant for Oscar Schmidt International, for decades the leading makers of the instrument, and has been Autoharp Instructor at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas; the Augusta Heritage Workshops held at Davis and Elkins College, West Virginia; Swannanoa Gathering, North Carolina, and Sore Fingers Music Weeks, Oxfordshire.

Proclaiming the coming of the 'Pied Piper' of Autoharps

Mike also plays mountain dulcimer, five-string banjo, jawharp, mandolin, pickin' bow, guitar, steel guitar, guitaro and harmonica. These, plus limberjack and courting dulcimer are also featured in his concerts and workshops as time permits.

Much of Mike's music has been commited to a recorded medium of one form or another and features in 'Mike's Music' area of harperscraft.com