Michael is the Founder, Executive Editor, and Co-Publisher of Music Connection Magazine.   He recently wrote a retrospective on his work there.

“I Started Music Connection magazine in 1977 for three reasons: 1) To help musicians sort out the challenges of the biz.  2) There was absolutely nothing like MC anywhere.  3) I was 28 yrs. old and needed a music career breakthrough. I figured if I started the mag I could get up close and personal with A&R execs., publishers, musicians, etc.

I really wanted to get the mag going, and then let it run itself while I continued to pursue my own quest for rock stardom. However, it didn’t quite work out that way. Once we launched the first issue I quickly got caught up in the hoopla of running a business and couldn't stop the momentum. That was 31 years ago and unfortunately my music career took a back seat to my day gig. I say unfortunately with reservation. Although my music career plummeted, MC eventually took off and became successful. Perhaps even more successful than my music ever would have—who knows? I do know that writing blogs & books has taken the place of writing songs, and leading seminars & workshops has taken the place of performing. An exchange I accept with gratitude.

Sometimes I feel like I sold out back then and sometimes I feel like this is what I was meant to do. However, music is like a trusted friend who is forever on my side and always beckoning me to “come out and play!”

Cat Cohen worked with Michael back in the early years of Music Connection writing articles about songwriting and interviewing successful performers for the magazine.  Cat started his Anatomy Of A Hit series as seen elsewhere on this website as a regular column for Music Connection.   It was Michael who taught Cat how to spot up and coming performers who were just about to make it big.  This led to Cat writing about and predicting hits for artists such as Prince (“I Want To Be Your Lover”) before they happened.