Michael Engelhardt is a choral and pop music artist whose work has been featured on ABC, NBC, PBS, and NPR broadcasts, the Carnegie Hall stage, and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Jazz Education Network (JEN). He has numerous choral works published by Walton Music (GIA) and Hinshaw Music in addition to his self-published catalog. In the pop music field, he has arranged and/or performed backing vocals for such artists as O.A.R., Ben Folds, Take 6, Kansas, and Patti Austin, and he has produced concert video for Michael McDonald.

Michael is currently working on a project called WholeNotes which is designed to be a soundtrack for self-development and mental wellness by producing modern pop songs with themes of positivity, affirmation, and empowerment. Though not a licensed therapist, Michael has completed extensive online coursework in Positive Psychology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania. WholeNotes is a culmination of those studies and Michael’s songwriting skills.

In 2014, his quest to invent new forms of participatory music led to the launch of a social singing movement called Beer Choir. The project is focused on bringing people of all skill levels together to sing in public spaces for fun, social connectivity, artistic outlet, and to support craft beer brewers. The organization has chapters in major cities across the USA.

A native of Woodstock, Illinois, Michael holds a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) degree from Millikin University (Decatur, IL) and a Master of Music (Choral Conducting) degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is currently based in St. Louis, where he lives with his wife and two children.