Rise Has Played Downtown Scene for 15 Years
By Eric Fish

Fifty-four-year-old Myk Rise has been entertaining on Mackinac Island for more than 15 years. He is the regular house musician at The Pink Pony and also plays at other venues.

Island musician Myk Rise doesn't have a MySpace page promoting himself. He's never had the ambition to be rock 'n' roll's next big thing, and has virtually no ego. What he does have, however, is the music.

"The only I dream I had was that I would be allowed to play music and not have to do anything else," he said. "I still have a dream band, but it has nothing to do with being famous."

Ever since Mr. Rise was introduced to the sounds of the Beatles at age 12, he's picked up a guitar and never looked back. He performed in bands throughout his high school years, playing everything from school dances to talent shows.

Following high school, he experimented in a musical duo with current Tourism Bureau Director Mary McGuire Slevin, which eventually led him to a regular gig on Mackinac Island.

He plays left-handed, is selftaught, and doesn't know how to read music. But that hasn't stopped him from playing it. He credits famed guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix as two of many influences for him, but says he never wanted to be the next great guitar player.

I've never had any ambition to be a big star," he said. "I'm very happy with my quiet little life."

Today, Mr. Rise's "quiet little life" consists of working as a solo musician and regular house musician at The Pink Pony. In addition, he often plays Horn's Gaslight Bar and Grill and will occasionally perform at weddings with his band, The Rise Band.

He plays shows without a preconceived set list and tries to feed off the spontaneous energy of the crowds rather than the energy of a defined ego. Mr. Rise, 54, will often play "crowd favorites" such as Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and Simon and Garfunkel's classic hit "Cecilia," but has the ability to branch his playing across several genres of music, from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to The Partridge Family.

"Variety is the spice of life," he said. "The more I can mix it up, the more fun I think people have and I have.

"I play all this different stuff because I think it's all great."

Along with the diversity of music he plays, Mr. Rise says it's also important to make the songs fun for the crowds.

"I just try and keep them fresh, make it a fresh experience each time," he said "No matter how many times you play it, it's still got some vitality; that, more than anything, is the secret to having a good gig, a good performance."

He hopes to one day release an album of instrumental guitar music, but he's never recorded or really put much thought into writing his own music. He's content playing cover songs of the "millions of bands" that influenced him throughout his lifetime.

"I'm not a lyricist," he said, "even though I love to sing."

Mr. Rise plays the downtown Mackinac Island scene about six months out of the year. The other six months he performs across Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Originally from the small town of Beaverton, Mr. Rise recently purchased a home in the Mt. Pleasant area and has plans to install a recording studio into the house. He also plans to have a Web site by the end of the summer, but is quick to point out that his local popularity is all just a fringe benefit to him.

"I did it because I loved it," he said of starting a career in music. "Everything else is kind of side effect."

In his off time, Mr. Rise can be found practicing and learning new material to add even more variety to his shows.

"I'm just a nerd, really, when it comes down to it," he said.