Not only does the sound demand attention, but so do the remarkable individuals of the four-man outfit that make up MIKESCHAIR. Mike Grayson first found his passion for music while in sixth grade and continued to grow this passion throughout high school. He tied together this love of music with his faith as a youth worship leader in his church. Sam Tinnesz has dreamed of music his whole life. Through self-discipline and practice, he developed his skills on guitar, leading him to perform with many rock bands over the years before finding a home with MIKESCHAIR. Jesse Hale began classical violin training at four-years-old and has maintained his enthusiasm for music ever since. Using his well-trained ear, he’s been able to pick up several other instruments including keys, synths and programming – thereby becoming the band’s “utility guy”. Jon Haire picked up his first bass in seventh grade and hasn’t put it down ever since. His desire to mix his aspirations for music and performance has proven to be an essential element to the makeup of MIKESCHAIR.
The providence and origin of MIKESCHAIR was set in a freshman guy’s dorm room one night in Pembroke Hall 106 at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Mike and a friend were writing a song when Jesse, who had moved into the room across the hall, knocked, introduced himself, and asked if he could bring his violin over to join.
“We were a little nervous because violinists are either really good or really not good,” says Mike, laughing, “But he started playing and it was amazing!”
A short time later, the scenario repeated itself as Sam happened to walk past when Mike and Jesse were recording the song they’d been writing. After the addition of Sam, all that was needed was a bassist. The guys reached out through a friend and brought in Jon to round out the group.
The name, MIKESCHAIR, piques a lot of interest and begs for an explanation. “The 'chair' was the central gathering point where we got our start,” says Sam. “All of us lived on the same floor of our dorm at Belmont, except for Mike. But, since he was always hanging out with us on our floor, we decided to get him piece of furniture to make him feel a little more at home. The chair was his only piece of property on our floor. He wrote his name on it in big capital letters, and it kind of became his seat of inspiration for writing songs and being creative. The name is a reminder of our humble beginnings and how far God has brought us.”
Moving from dorm room practices to the public stage happened fairly quickly when the guys decided, on a whim, to submit an application and demo for Belmont’s Christian Music Showcase. Though typically, bands composed entirely of freshmen almost never made the cut, to their surprise, they earned the invitation to perform after an extensive auditioning process. The guys rapidly worked up a set of original material and made their public debut as a band just two weeks later.
“We were so new,” Jon says. “We barely knew each other. There was even a moment when I looked across the stage at Jesse and realized that I couldn’t remember his name.”
Mike adds, “It was undeniable. Though it all seemed so random at the time, how we all came together, but it is obvious now that we were hand-picked for this.”
After a successful showcase, the guys began to use every available weekend, spring break, holiday, and vacation to perform. Sometimes they would have to drive through the night just to make it to their 8 AM classes the following day. It was the fall of their senior year when the guys were signed and added to the well-respected CURB Records roster. Equally important, they chose to stay in school, graduating together in 2007 and earning their degrees from the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont.
“Looking back, Belmont has been very instrumental in creating opportunities and connections that we may never have had,” says Jon.
Since signing with their label, MIKESCHAIR plunged full-time into touring and developing new material. They have continued to play as many shows as their schedule allows, opening for acts such as Jeremy Camp, Jars of Clay, MercyMe, and Brandon Heath along the way. In addition to touring, MIKESCHAIR also recently completed their first official album with award-winning co-producers Jason Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp (Bebo Norman, Rush of Fools, Tenth Avenue North). The results of their collaborative efforts with Ingram and Varenkamp on MIKESCHAIR's self-titled album more than meet the measure of a strong debut in any genre. Notable songs on the album are the debut single, “Can’t Take Away,” and crowd pleasers like “Let the Waters Rise” and “Keep Changing the World.” Their self-titled debut finds the right balance of service, worship, entertainment and brilliance.
“The music isn’t the full extent of our purpose,” adds Jesse. “We are committing our time, effort and platform to helping those in need -- making ourselves available to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We have a dedicated table at our shows called “mikestable;” where everyone is welcomed and encouraged to step up and join with us and our partners – Food for the Hungry, IJM and Love 146 – to make a difference in this world. There’s something more here than just music; we’re presenting something that’s very precious to audiences and listeners. It’s the Gospel in action.”
This adventure may seem like it’s just getting started, but it’s been underway for a few years now. As MIKESCHAIR walks out obediently in faith, they look forward with anticipation to take hold of the next chapter. Mike shares, “Our prayer is that people will leave our shows, not with a sense of how awesome the music is, but with a deeper sense of searching and begin asking questions that they weren’t asking when they showed up.”
All or Nothing
MIKESCHAIR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Im ready for my life to turn around, oh, oh, oh
Cause Ive seen a greater love,
And nothing else can be enough
Im gonna give everything I have,
And Im not holding back!
All or nothing, Im done wasting time
Love is calling me to be the light
All or nothing, all or nothing, ohhh
All or nothing, all or nothing!
Im gonna run this race till you say, well done!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Be the beat of my heart, and breath in my lungs
Oh, oh, oh,
Inside the fire burning bright
Inside of me like city lights
Im gonna give everything I have,
And Im not holding back!
All or nothing, Im done wasting time
Love is calling me to be the light
I wanna shine in the light like a skyline
All or nothing, all or nothing, ohhh
All or nothing, all or nothing!
I wanna lose myself in graces ocean
Find my heart in your hands.
Every piece I give it over
Nothing else, you are everything I am!
Oh, oh, oh I am!
All or nothing, Im done wasting time
Love is calling me to be the light
I wanna shine in the light like a skyline
All or nothing, all or nothing, ohhh
All or nothing, all or nothing!
In MIKESCHAIR's song "All or Nothing," the singer expresses a desire to live wholeheartedly and not be held down by the constraints of gravity or the limitations of a life not fully lived. They have seen and experienced a deeper, greater love that transcends anything else, and they are willing to give everything they have to live in that love fully. The singer wants to be the light, shining brightly like a skyline, and running the race of life until they hear the words "well done." The fire inside them burns bright like city lights, an image that represents their passion and drive to live wholeheartedly. They want to lose themselves in the ocean of grace, placing their entire heart in the hands of the one who embodies that love. Ultimately, the singer is willing to give all or nothing to live fully and love deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Im not gonna let gravity hold me down, oh, oh, oh
I refuse to be weighed down by my circumstances.
Im ready for my life to turn around, oh, oh, oh
I am open and expectant for positive change in my life.
Cause Ive seen a greater love,
I have experienced a deep and profound love.
And nothing else can be enough
No other worldly thing can compare to that love.
Im gonna give everything I have,
I am willing to put forth my absolute best effort.
And Im not holding back!
I will not limit myself or be cautious.
All or nothing, Im done wasting time
I am fully committed and will not waste any more time on hesitations.
Love is calling me to be the light
I am called to be a symbol of love and positivity.
I wanna shine in the light like a skyline
I aspire to be seen and recognized for the positive influence I radiate.
Im gonna run this race till you say, well done!
I will persevere until the end and aim to make a positive impact.
Be the beat of my heart, and breath in my lungs
I recognize that love is at the center of my being and vital to my wellbeing.
Inside the fire burning bright
There is an intense passion within me.
Inside of me like city lights
That passion shines brightly and can be seen by those around me.
I wanna lose myself in graces ocean
I aspire to completely surrender to and be filled by grace.
Find my heart in your hands.
I trust that my heart is safe in the hands of my higher power.
Every piece I give it over
I intentionally surrender all parts of myself to my higher power.
Nothing else, you are everything I am!
My higher power is the essence of who I am.
All or nothing, all or nothing, ohhh
I am fully committed and will not settle for anything less.
All or nothing, all or nothing!
I am wholeheartedly invested and will not retreat or compromise.
Writer(s): JUSTIN EBACH, SAM TINNESZ, MIKE GRAYSON
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.