As someone who has worn several different hats throughout his life as a teacher and coach in Vienna, musician Mick Byrd now wears his black bowler hat to signify his transition into his life as a professional musician.
Working alongside his wife, Debbie, the two have been traveling throughout parts of the country to play different venues that lend themselves to Mick's various musical styles. One of Byrd's upcoming stops will be a Jan. 28 performance at the Finke Theatre, 315 N. High St. in California.
After performing in all kinds of regions, the musician said he is eager to play his music for the California community.
Byrd said music has always been a part of his life. He spent some time playing in various garage bands during his high school and college years, but he fell away from performing until he was in his late 30s while recovering from an automobile accident.
He began songwriting in 1994 as a way to pass the time, although he eventually found a renewed passion, he said. Creating and releasing his song "Afternoon at the Wall," honoring veterans and their services, Byrd won a Billboard Magazine award for his work. This inspired him to continue developing his skills as a writer and musician.
Throughout the years, Byrd had been balancing his career as a high school history teacher, coach and musician for some time. After working as an educator with an emphasis on coaching various sports, he said he is grateful for the time with his students.
Despite the great pride he had in his job, Byrd said as he got older, he wanted to make a change. After 31 years in education, he began a full-time career in music. Enlisting the help of his wife as promoter and business partner, the two have traveled across the country with their band to showcase his skills as a rock, county and Ozark blues artist.
"I don't want to say that songwriting is the most important aspect of what I do, but if you want to get from point A to point B, you have to have a vehicle to make that happen," Byrd said. "If you're a musician, the vehicle is the soul. I take great pride in my songwriting, and I write in lots of different genres. We do a good bit of Ozark blues, we do roots rock, we do roots country, and we do even a few little jazz- inspired kinds of things. When folks come to hear our show, they're going to hear a wide variety of (influences). It's not really genre specific; so, when people say, 'What kind of music do you make?' I'd like to respond with 'Good (music).'"
Byrd said he received an invitation to play at the Finke about a year ago and is excited to come to the community to perform. After learning about the history of the building and community support within the area, he and his wife said they were happy to drive from their hometown of Vienna to play.
"It's fun for us to play in a concert setting, so we're really looking forward to it," Byrd said. "It's cool because I've done a few little gigs at the radio station. A good buddy of mine from way back in the day, Jeff Shackleford, was the head honcho there for a good number of years, and when I'd release an album, he'd invite me up and I play a few songs in the studio. But other than that, I've never played in California, so I'm real happy to bring the band."
As someone who had previously visited California as a high school coach that brought many teams to the area, Byrd said he is eager to see if people recognize him.
"Music is one of the few things that (bring us together)," he said. "There are so many things in today's world that separate us based upon this category or that category. No matter where you are, where you come from or where we're going, we can all share in this musical experience and we can all share in the enjoyment of that song."