Daily Inspiration: Meet Mikey Silas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikey Silas.  

Hi Mikey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My personal voyage has taken me through several lives. As a youth athlete, an actor, a young artist in Chicago, and through a series of events, struggles and perseverance a return voyage to Cleveland. In Cleveland – since 2016 – I have turned a life of zeroes into opportunities through music, art, and community building. My goal has always been to give back to the world what I robbed from others: faith and trust in humanity. Music and serving the community I live in through music/art, has proven to be one of the best ways to follow that goal/mission to give back. 

Through my work in the band Apostle Jones and as a solo singer/songwriter, the music has been recognized as a top-performing band locally. We have played hundreds of shows together and I have been recognized as a two-time Award-winning vocalist and (amazingly) a respected community member. I’ve been able to create opportunities for up-and-coming artists, and my own band members who (also) needed a second chance at life, especially in their creative efforts. 

They say “nice guys finish last”… I say “nice guys are never finished…” And in a world that makes it so hard for people, a “nice guy” mentality is something I think we can all adopt to make the world a better place for each other. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The least smooth road possible. I always say I climbed up the rough side of the mountain. Financial, chronic health issues, depression-fueled addiction, and immaturity are just some of the struggles that taught me how to survive but to be guided by a kind spirit through it all. 

As an artist sometimes we let struggles define us because it is part of our story. 

And at heart, most artists are storytellers but we have to learn to heal and grow from those broken moments in our lives. 

So, maybe, I’m truly grounded in gratitude because despite the ups-and-downs I’m actually still here breathing adn know how fast life can change. I will admit the triumphs feel greater when you have lost everything and built your life up piece by piece. However, I’m discovering when we get to the top of a proverbial mountain a different kind of artistic work begins: what stories do we want to tell, how do we want to help other people get to the pinnacle with our own experiences and how do we want to come back down to join society in a collective spirit. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I mentioned my band Apostle Jones and solo work. I love music and what it does so much. I put my heart and soul into every performance and song. I’ve won consecutive years (2020/2021) Best Male Vocalists in all of Cleveland and am a two-time finalist in the Singer-songwriter and Best Band categories. I laugh a little because there will always be way more amazing singers than me but I really work to connect to the soul and message of a song with my voice. I think that is what resonates with people. 

The band Apostle Jones has performed regularly for 3-years now, hitting almost every major festival and venue in the NE Ohio area. From House of Blues Cleveland to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, from Brite Winter Fest in the Flats to Blues Fest out in Twinsburg. Word of mouth has been such a huge thing for us and I really want to thank the people who take the time to share/like and talk about local music to their friends. 

The privilege to work as a musician is a credit to not giving up and being present in the community and having a great crew of performers and fans. There is a beautiful world of performers and talent here in NE Ohio and a supportive environment.

I am also quite proud to be a part-time vocal coach and instructor. I have a degree in Musical Theater from Columbia College Chicago. I work for the School of Rock as well as a freelance vocal coach. I work as a coach to bring out the best of the individual – I don’t want to make cookie-cutter vocalists and think everyone has a story/unique trait that makes them special. In my own singing, I aim to use the technique but in a way that supports the uniqueness of my own voice. 

What sets me apart from others is what I dare to do. I dare to dream. I dare to show-up when it is difficult. I had a therapist who after a year listening to me spew my mind out… at our last session said “I have listened to a lot, I gotta say… I think the one thing that you have never done is lose hope”… to which I replied “well… I hope not”  

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I think we all discovered that there is a need for healing more so than ever in the community and collective consciousness we all share. Music, and ways of accessing spiritual understandings became so important and vital to mentally surviving the Covid crisis. I think the world realized how important live entertainment, music, and the communal aspect of it all were. I also lost my father in the midst of the pandemic and that compounded the stress and reality that we have to make the most out of life while we can.

Since the pandemic Apostle Jones has released 3 live albums and a debut EP ‘Lilith.’ In 2020, our first sales for ‘Live from Cleveland’ went back to virtual tip buckets and Venmo accounts for bookers and other artists who were out of work. We wanted to create a circle of giving. Since then, we have recorded 2 more live-from albums (The Other Side and 4-Pins Left). We are currently working on studio recordings to build off our debut EP ‘Lilith’.

I’ll close with this… in a more personal and developmental way, the downtime during the pandemic highlighted the importance of balance in our creative pursuits for the foundations of life, spirituality, and health. We can push and push ourselves but we rarely end up exactly where we want to be if we don’t bring our holistic self with us. Much like the world has re-calibrated post-2020, the artists in us all have been as well. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.apostlejones.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apostlejonesing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apostlejonesmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/apostlejonescle
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUbnnbzMGh_Bm6Bmm1uMsg
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/apostlejones
• Other: https://linktr.ee/apostlejones