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Michael Lake

Grammy-nominated alto trombonist, author, composer, marketing entrepreneur, and Dad to two great boys.

About Me

Since selling my tenor trombone mid-way through college and committing exclusively to alto trombone ever since, I’ve become the leading evangelist for jazz, Latin, and pop alto trombone.

The other hat I've worn throughout my life is as a sales and marketing professional, creating successful companies and training others in the art of persuasion.

Connecting these two seemingly opposite paths is my communication skills, whether expressing myself through a trombone, a video, a website, or a blog post. I believe that the goal of every jazz musician is authenticity in their performances. Effective marketing requires exactly the same.

Decades of performing and recording jazz, Latin, big band, rock and EDM on the trombone with Ray Barretto, Lalo Rodriguez, Nancy Wilson, Hank Mobley, Shirley Scott, and many others have allowed me to develop myself musically and teach others to do the same through my books, videos, and courses.

I am hopelessly curious and love sharing what I'm learning in order to help musicians play better and to help them promote themselves more effectively. The music educator in me is a passionate guide helping jazz musicians improvise more fluently and authentically by connecting their creative musical voice to their instrument, no matter which instrument they play.

The musical secret I share in my books, videos, courses, and talks is that the music is already inside you. Amplify it through your instrument by getting your analytical left brain out of the way. If your improvising or musicianship is not all you wish it were, it's likely because you've been convinced that the music originates in your instrument or can somehow be manufactured through your analytical reasoning and memorized scales and licks–instead of being driven by your ear.

The marketing secret I share with musicians is that it is okay to promote yourself, your performances, your teaching, and everything else others want and need from you. The Reluctant Marketer is the description I use for musicians who are uncomfortable with self-promotion, of which most are! I build websites and create marketing strategies to help musicians get the most from their hard work and talents.

One platform for my teaching and sharing of jazz knowledge is my site www.musicsavvy.com. I've also held online events called The Jazz Master Summit which has attracted over 10,000 viewers with a full week of live talks and events. Those recorded interviews are now available through JazzMasterSavvy,com.

JazzDigitalMarketing.com is my home for the marketing work I create for musicians.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it allows me to fully express myself. I was first exposed to jazz in high school after listening to Erbie Green and his 21 trombones. The best show I ever attended was Weather Report when I was in college.