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.”
pieces
Mikeschair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the starlight
The ground's shaking
And I don't know what to do
I try to run in
But I'm breaking
Will I ever make it through?
My pride, my weakness, the lies I tell
Will You tear my world apart, rebuild it completely?
Will You reach for my breaking heart and hold it together?
Lord, come make me new
I give the pieces to You
I never realized
What I was missing
When I had nothing to lose
Never lived life
'Til I listened
And I really heard the truth
Through my lies
Through the weakness
My pride fell
I can't hide my life
You know me too well
Will You tear my world apart, rebuild it completely?
Will You reach for my breaking heart and hold it together?
Lord, come make me new
I give the pieces to You
In Your hands
You're making me closer to free
And I believe
You put love in Your plans for me
You tear my world apart
Will You reach for my breaking heart, yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Will You tear my world apart, rebuild it completely?
Will You reach for my breaking heart, and hold it together?
Lord, come make me new
I give the pieces to You
Yeah
I give the pieces to You
Yeah
I give the pieces to You
To You
I give the pieces to You
To You
I give the pieces to You
The song "Pieces" by Mikeschair is a reflection on brokenness and surrendering those broken pieces to God. The first verse acknowledges the overwhelming feeling of being trapped and not knowing how to move forward. The singer recognizes their own pride and weakness, and the lies they tell themselves to hide their brokenness. The chorus becomes a plea for God to tear apart their world and rebuild it completely, to reach for their breaking heart and hold it together, and to make them new. The second verse shows a shift in perspective, where the singer realizes that they were missing something before, and that they had to first listen and hear the truth to live life fully. Through this realization, their pride falls away and they acknowledge that God knows them too well to hide anything from Him. The chorus repeats, with a new sense of hope and surrender. The final lines become a declaration of giving all the broken pieces to God, knowing that He will make something beautiful out of them.
Overall, "Pieces" is a powerful reminder to let go of our own control and surrender our brokenness to God for healing.
Line by Line Meaning
In the starlight
The singer is in a moment of vulnerability, represented by the exposed darkness of the night.
The ground's shaking
The singer is expecting an imminent change or upheaval in their life.
And I don't know what to do
The singer is feeling lost and uncertain about what the future holds.
I try to run in
The artist is attempting to take control of the situation by taking action.
But I'm breaking
The artist is unable to handle the situation due to their own weakness or flaws.
Will I ever make it through?
The singer is questioning whether they have the strength or capability to overcome their current struggles.
My pride, my weakness, the lies I tell
The singer acknowledges that their own ego and deceitfulness are contributing to their problems.
I still hide, my disguise can make me well
The artist is aware that they use a facade to feel better about themselves, but recognizes that it's still a false sense of security.
Will You tear my world apart, rebuild it completely?
The artist is asking for divine intervention to undo their current reality and start anew.
Will You reach for my breaking heart and hold it together?
The artist is seeking comfort and solace in a higher power to mend their broken heart and spirit.
Lord, come make me new
The singer is surrendering themselves to a higher power, asking to be renewed and reborn.
I give the pieces to You
The artist is relinquishing their control and giving their problems to the divine to handle.
Never lived life
The singer admits that they have not truly experienced life because of their own shortcomings.
'Til I listened
The singer's new understanding and receptiveness to the truth has opened their eyes to their own faults and inadequacies.
And I really heard the truth
The singer has accepted the truth and is willing to make a change.
My pride fell
The artist has humbled themselves and no longer sees their own ego as a positive attribute.
I can't hide my life
The artist can no longer keep up the facade and must confront their true self.
You know me too well
The singer believes the divine knows their true self and thus trusts them to help.
In Your hands
The singer acknowledges their vulnerability and puts their trust in a higher power to handle the situation.
You're making me closer to free
The artist believes that the divine's guidance is helping them break free from their personal struggles.
And I believe
The artist has faith that the divine will come through in helping them.
You tear my world apart
The artist is acknowledging that to rebuild, old structures must be destroyed.
Yeah
The repeated 'yeah' is a sign of affirmation and acceptance.
I give the pieces to You
The artist is emphasizing that they are completely surrendering their problems and struggles to a higher power.
Contributed by Taylor F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.