Music should have been Mike Ulvila’s (oo-va-la) middle name!!  This is one truly amazing musician!  Mike plays the guitar, keyboard, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, drums, and harmonica, not to mention his outstanding vocal abilities. 

Born and raised in Kalispell, Montana, Mike’s first musical experience was playing drums with his dad’s 50’s and 60’s rock and roll band.  By the age of 12 Mike was on his way to becoming a skillful guitar player as he started his first band with his brother and best friend.  Growing up, Mike’s summers were spent playing fairs, festivals and rodeos with his band.  The young band was in great demand locally because of their ability to cover almost any musical genre.  Mike’s parents recall as a teenager, his guitar teacher telling them “I’ve taught him all I can teach him, he’s beginning to teach me!”

By the age of 19, Mike had won the local, state, and regional competitions in the Colgate Country Showdown.  Mike was a finalist in the national competition, and came to music city to compete in the finals.  His talents did not go unnoticed by a certain showdown judge named Eddy Raven, who just happened to be auditioning musicians a few months later for his own road band.  At Eddy’s suggestion, Mike auditioned and became a member of Eddy Raven’s band at the tender age of 20 years old.  Mike says…”it was kind of funny, we were playing casino’s and clubs that I wasn’t even old enough to be entering”.  But enter he did, and continued performing with Eddy playing fiddle, guitar, mandolin and vocals.

Mike has backed many talented artists before stepping into the spotlight himself with Savannah Jack.  Blake Shelton, Darryl Worley and Mark Wills are just a few benefactors of Ulvila’s musical gifts.  Songwriting and producing are also talents near and dear to Ulvila’s heart.  Mike has worked for many years in music production. 

One of the highlights of Mike’s career was the USO tour to Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq with Mark Wills and Darryl Worley in 2004.  Mike felt an extreme sense of pride as he entertained the troops fighting for our freedom over seas.