Mike Papagni: Musician, Composer, Sound Designer

The LONG story:

Mike Papagni played his first drum groove in the 8th grade and hasn’t looked back. Within a year of learning the drums, he was playing shows locally in the Ventura County area as well as Los Angeles in various bands. Initially focusing on rock and funk, he soon became interested in jazz.

Mike attended Musicians Institute’s PIT Program in 2002, immediately after graduating high school. There, he learned a plethora of styles and techniques that helped shape and hone his skills. Graduating PIT did not satisfy his thirst for musical knowledge, so he attended and completed the MI Bachelor of Music program after attending Ventura College for one and a half years, playing in VC’s Big Band Ensemble and earning his Associate Arts Degree.

Mike’s primary project right now is his band of 16+ years, BAILA NOVA (www.wearebailanova.com). BAILA NOVA currently has more than 147,000 subscribers with more than 85 million views on youtube. On Spotify, they have 40,000 monthly listeners. BAILA NOVA released 3 albums in 2020, one in 2021 and their latest album of pop covers done in latin styles called “NOVA - POP”, totaling 8 albums. Over lockdown, they began to release new performance videos every 2 weeks. This playlist alone has generated more than 2.5 million views. During this time, BAILA NOVA was honored to draw the attention of and then perform with the great “Roberto Menescal” (Brazilian composer) on the song “Você”.

BAILA NOVA currently performs both nationally and internationally for their fans all over the world. They have performed across the United States and Asia, including Thailand and Malaysia as well as the Maldives and Egypt. BAILA NOVA’s plan for the near future is to begin a performance schedule at performing arts centers throughout the US, continue supporting their online performances as well as continue their local and national/international shows and events.

While BAILA NOVA is an important project for Mike, he also plays in many other contexts as well, ranging from studio sessions (www.cinemasters.com , Emmylou Harris tribute album - http://www.toemmylou.com/) to original music projects in rock and funk styles. When Mike is not performing in his bands, he has a full schedule of students both privately at his studio and at Rhodes School of Music (Larchmont and Foothill locations). He is enjoying the results of his hard work and is excited about the future of his career.

*Mike proudly endorses Bosphorus Cymbals.*

They are the absolute best.