After turning eighteen, he began to frequent the clubs and listened to great local blues talents including native Mississippian, B.B. King. Formal music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston and California State University at Northridge continued to expand his musical talents.
After that, Mike moved to Montana and honed his entertaining skills in ski resorts, where his varied and spirited sets included Beatles tunes, romantic film themes, and finger-busting boogie-woogie numbers.
Mike’s next home was Seattle for 26 years where he built a solid career as a performer, composer and recording artist. He started arranging popular music and creating CDs that were a mixture of well-known melodies and some original works. His own works were varied – some lush, orchestral and cinematic, some smooth jazz, some blues and boogie flavored and others almost new age. Sales of these CDs climbed to over 350,000 and are distributed throughout the nation and digitally throughout the world.
In the last 15 years, Mike has concertized as a solo piano artist, with The Mike Strickland Duo, and with The Mike Strickland Trio. He is known for his exceptional musicianship and arrangements, his virtuosic technique, and his unmatched ability to connect with the audience on a personal level. His music outreach, mentoring programs, and master-classes are always enjoyed by up and coming artists in the communities where he concertizes. Mike’s unique and colorful programming of his concerts is always a hit with audiences. Daughter Elizabeth, a fine classical pianist, often joins him as a special guest. He enjoys showcasing other young talent as often as he can.
As a composer, Mike has always been inspired and driven by melody. He also loves to experiment with motion and texture, using the piano as his own orchestra. He has worked hard at developing his own unique style of piano artistry and has racked up some impressive achievements. In addition to his music airing for 7 seasons on CBS Sports PGA Golf, it has also been heard on the NBC, FOX and ABC networks as well as two major motion pictures. Mike’s positive message song/animation “Spread Joy” was also featured on ABC Good Morning America.
In March of 2011, Mike debuted several original works as a featured piano soloist with the Salem Pops Orchestra. March of 2013 found Mike in another featured performance with the Salem Pops where he debuted more of his original orchestrations.
In October 2014 he released his 22nd CD titled “Fantasy” which features all original compositions for solo piano.
Official Website: Mike Strickland
Facebook: Mike Strickland
Canadian Sunset
Mike Strickland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So lonely and then
You came, out of nowhere
Like the sun up from the hills
Cold, cold was the wind
Warm, warm were your lips
Out there, on that ski trail
A weekend in Canada, a change of scene
Was the most I bargained for
And then I discovered you and in your eyes
I found the love that I couldn't ignore
Down, down came the sun
Fast, fast, fast, beat my heart
I knew when the sun set
From that day, we'd never ever part
Mike Strickland's song "Canadian Sunset" talks about a loneliness that was disrupted by an unexpected encounter that changed the singer's life. The opening line indicates that the singer had been alone and lonely, but then someone came into their life "out of nowhere" and filled it with warmth and happiness, much like the sun rising up from the hills. The singer reflects on the memories of a ski trail where they first kissed and were filled with thrills that were new to them. The weekend in Canada was initially supposed to be just a change of scenery but transformed into something much more meaningful when they discovered love in the other person's eyes. The singer's heart beats fast at the thought of never being apart from this newfound love.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was alone
At one point, I was all by myself in this world
So lonely and then
I felt lonely and isolated as if no one wanted to be around me
You came, out of nowhere
Suddenly, you appeared without warning or expectation
Like the sun up from the hills
Just like the sun appears over the top of the hills, you came into my life with a bright and warm presence
Cold, cold was the wind
The wind was frigid and biting
Warm, warm were your lips
However, your lips were warm and inviting
Out there, on that ski trail
It was in the middle of a ski trip, a place of outdoor activity
Where your kiss filled me with thrills
It was in that moment where I felt the excitement and pleasure from the sensation of your kiss
A weekend in Canada, a change of scene
I expected nothing more than a short getaway to Canada, to escape the normality of life
Was the most I bargained for
However, meeting you was an unexpected but pleasant surprise that exceeded my expectations
And then I discovered you and in your eyes
The more time I spent with you, I found myself enchanted with you and captivated by the emotions in your eyes
I found the love that I couldn't ignore
In the end, I found the real connection, love, and companionship that I had been searching for without even knowing it
Down, down came the sun
As the daylight turned into dusk, the sun began to set
Fast, fast, fast, beat my heart
My heart was racing quickly and uncontrollably
I knew when the sun set
It was in that moment, as the sun set, that I realized the impact you had on my life and my heart
From that day, we'd never ever part
I knew then that our paths were meant to intertwine and that we would be inseparable from that moment forward.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NORMAN GIMBEL, EDDIE HEYWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind