Meet Michael Rainwater

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Rainwater.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been playing the piano since I was three years old. I have always prioritized both piano and academics, proudly maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school alongside music. When I was in presch0ol and the teachers would play music, they noticed that I would be very in-tune with the rhythm of the songs and that I was extremely interested in all of the music-related activities the most. My parents, who always went and still go out of their way for my musical ambitions, signed me up for piano lessons at Music Matters and when I advanced quickly, they found my current private teacher, David Nash. Classically trained, he started working with me on classical repertoire and I participated in local competitions and recitals.

In the meantime, I discovered my gift and passion for arrangement and started to create my own arrangements of popular music. My mom always encouraged me to perform in public if I saw a piano. It was at this time I sat down in Fry’s Electronics and played on the grand piano they had set up for Christmas and within minutes, a man, who introduced himself as an agent, walked by and was impressed with what he heard. He got me an audition with an annual charity show, Tower of Talent, and the rest was history. Since then, I have performed in the show every year since 2016, as well as the TV special, which aired on NBC/WXIA this past Thanksgiving, performed in Carnegie Hall, been in news and print, and even released an album.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While I would not consider my path to be one of particular difficulty, however, I would not say it was smooth either. Whether singing or playing a musical instrument, as a small, independent artist, it is universally very difficult to make yourself known and make a name for yourself in your particular niche. However, I have been very fortunate to have received many incredible opportunities throughout my journey as a musician and love what I do and will continue, despite any setbacks that I may face in the future.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
While I like to consider myself a well-rounded musician, I enjoy music arrangement the most, and that is what I am currently specializing in and most known for. I love the idea of taking a song, piece, work, etc… that is already popular and people are very familiar with and presenting it in a new and inspired way. I find that my classical training helps me to look at this music in a fresh light, combining influences across all genres, to create something that is truly unique. When I search “____ piano cover” on YouTube, I am presented with dozens of piano covers which all have a very similar sound because there seems to be a status quo in the cover world. I wasn’t hearing the sound that I wanted, so I set out to chart my own path and make my own covers and I am extremely proud of every cover on my channel and my growth as an artist.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always very extroverted and always willing to strike up a conversation with anyone, regardless if I knew them. That extroversion and personality translated into the person I am currently as well as the work that I do with the piano. During my elementary years, aside from piano, I also attempted to get into sports like tennis, karate, and soccer, however that far from stuck like music did. I think that everybody has something that they are born to do, with different types of personalities for different activities, and my message to everyone would be to try everything because you never know what might end up becoming your passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: youtube.com/michaelrainwater
• Instagram: instagram.com/themichaelrainwater
• Twitter: twitter.com/mrainwatermusic

Image Credits
Dora Vorosmarty Brand New World Studios