About Mike Westendorf

Mike was interviewed for the WELStech podcast. interview #1 (18 minute mark) - interview #2 (24 minute mark)

Mission Statement - "Encourage and Enlighten Through Experience"

Mike Westendorf is a well established Christian artist and College campus music director out of Milwaukee, WI.  Musically gifted as an acoustic/pop/rock artist Mike blends great lyrical story lines delivered with a passion and enthusiasm for the meaning in the music.

______________________________________________________________________________
The Short Version -

Possessing the characteristic of a storyteller, weaved with the acoustic essence of this gifted musician, Mike Westendorf, singer/songwriter and weatherman extraordinaire, brings a refreshing quality to the stage. With lyrical portrayals that come alive through his songs, Mike Westendorf reveals a tale through music. "Mike's faith shines through his heartfelt lyrics and his sensitive, genuine delivery. Each song is arranged in a way that enhances the message..." says Cheryl Berdan of Spring Creek Church, Brookfield, WI. Audiences of every age and generation have been impacted and changed through his performances, each leaving with something they hadn't come with. An answer to something they were pondering, or the realization of a question they didn't even know they were asking. With the national release of his project, Color Through the Gray, along with great radio success in 2007 from the single “Climb the Mountain”, Mike Westendorf has melded his years of experience in the media with his gift of music. What has come forth is a unique portrayal of songs that have a storyline attached. Mike has performed in a myriad of venues and he has a heart for the church and sharing the story of God's Grace.

sonicbids

______________________________________________________________________________
The Longer Version -

A storyteller needs a story to tell. A story that will awaken your senses and enhance the life of every individual within earshot. This is the true gift of singer/songwriter Mike Westendorf. He possesses a unique ability to take words, blending them with music, providing you with a story that is alive. When this is combined with his heart for his Savior and God’s people, you will come away from the experience encouraged, and perhaps challenged. “Mike’s faith shines through his heartfelt lyrics and his sensitive, genuine delivery. Each song is arranged in a way that enhances the message..." says Cheryl Berdan of Spring Creek Church, Brookfield, WI. Audiences of every age and generation have been impacted, encouraged and challenged. “My hope is to encourage all of us to go deeper in our faith through the word of God and to see Him in all our circumstances. At the end of the day, I am an encourager and educator working through Experience and music can be a great experience!” states Mike Westendorf. His hope is that everyone who attends his performance will leave with something that they didn’t come there with. An answer to something they were pondering, or the realization of a question they didn't even know they were asking.

With a unique direction early in his life, along with the “love of weather” and God’s amazing creation, Mike Westendorf dreamed of becoming a weatherman. He pursued this dream, accomplished a degree in Atmosphere Science and was in the midst of a successful meteorology career when God revealed another foreknowledge for Mike’s life. Having grown up in pastoral surroundings, with a solid foundation in his faith, Mike wanted to continue in the service of “the church” at large. His passion for weather kept him from the pulpit, but his other love, “music”, kept bringing him back. Involved in radio through being a weather personality taught him how to tell a compelling story to many different types of audiences with the credibility that his position allowed. His time at the microphone on the radio taught Mike Westendorf about communications and how people, through the media of “voice” - without pictures, receive a message.

Mike Westendorf has also had the opportunity to wear various hats that have parallels in his ministry of music. He has taught at UW-Milwaukee, helping to develop “Innovative Weather”, built youth groups and has also been a coach for many years. Education was a vital piece in explaining the how’s and why’s of weather. In his own words, “Weather taught me how to teach abstract concepts in ways people could visualize and understand and it taught me how to tell a story. It has also kept me HUMBLE, both because it’s hard to get it right all the time and because the weather just shows the expanse of God’s power and wisdom."

As a singer/songwriter, the thoughts that permeated his very being as he read biblical text began to take on a unique expression as he added music to it all. The music gave the words a richer meaning and the songs that were created from the words and music are something an audience can relate to. A family-project album was released in 2003 entitled Christmas Is. The juices of his passion for songwriting began to flow and Mike Westendorf’s next album, Another Day, followed quickly in 2004. This latter release was a reflection of his perception of life at that time. In 2006 he released, Run Boy Run with the support of his supporting band, RESTORED. The success of these renderings led to Climb the Mountain (featuring the bagpipes) and his current offering, the acoustically produced COLOR THROUGH THE GRAY.

Currently residing in Milwaukee, WI with his wife and three (3) children, Mike Westendorf continues to map out the path that God is directing him on. With the national release of his project, Color Through the Gray, along with great radio success in 2007 from the single “Climb the Mountain”, Mike Westendorf has melded his years of experience in the media along with his faith and gift of music. What has come forth is a unique portrayal of songs that have a storyline attached. Mike has performed in a myriad of venues and he has a heart for the church and sharing the story of God's Grace. Mike Westendorf’s vision is strong. “I want to fearlessly encourage people to seek, find and then believe in the hope of Jesus Christ, especially within the church. My desire is to see the church live out it’s calling here on earth”. A grass roots comment. Picking up where Jesus Christ left off.