Michael F. Chavez – everyone calls him Mikey – Session drummer, percussionist, recording artist began drumming at the age of 3; his earliest teachers include local New Mexican drummers Bill Winterbottom and Ken Battat.  Drumming is now his life.  He stayed involved in music and drumming throughout high school.  In the late eighties Mikey traveled and performed with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corp in Denver Colorado.  He earned a Friends of Music scholarship at UNM and continued on as a member and leader of the UNM marching band drumline.  Throughout the early nineties Mikey wrote for, arranged and taught several New Mexican high school drumlines including Manzano High School, Santa Fe High School and the award winning Los Alamos High School.  Throughout all the drumline scores Mikey continued playing with local jazz, country, rock, funk and blues bands.  In the mid nineties Mikey moved to Austin Texas and continued to teach drumline and play local clubs.  After moving back to Santa Fe Mikey began recording with local artists including local nuvo latin-rock favorites Ramon Bermudaz and David Salazar and blues and rock artist Alex Maryol in addition to others.  In the late nineties Mikey began a national tour with famed nuvo flamenco recording artist Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra.  He then recorded on Liebert’s albums Christmas + Santa Fe, 2000 Epic Records and The Santa Fe Sessions, 2003 SSRI / Higher Octave.  Mikey also recorded with Jon Gagen on his record Transit, 2002 SSRI.  In mid 2000 Mikey played and recorded with local Santa Fe and Albuquerque groups including the Soul Deacons, Hoo Doos, Manzanaras Brothers, 237, Hillary Smith, Chris Dracup, Toney C de Baca, Chris Calloway, Jono Manson and others. Mikey joined tour again with Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra in early 2009 and continues to tour nationally and internationally.  Ottmar Liebert’s latest CD POP (Petals on the Path) released in 2010 through SSRI with Jon Gagan on bass and Mikey on drums and percussion.  His newest local projects include Honkey Tonk Deluxe collaboration with Susan Holmes, George Langston, George the Bullfrog, Ague Hayes, Ollie O’Shea.  And also The Jon Gagan Trio,  The Santa Fe St. Francis Cathedral Choir, and Tuesday night Blues Jam at El Farol.