Biography

Mike Otto plays Drum-set and Percussion with Rock, Blues, and Jazz groups across the mid-Atlantic region!

Mike Otto has been entertaining people for over fifteen years across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region.  He began his professional education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where he received a BFA in classical music.  After a year of performing on the east coast and Canada, Mike went back to Edinboro to complete his teaching certification.

After many years of high school and college marching band seasons, Mike became a member of the Erie Thunderbirds Drum and Bugle Corps.  After only a few years, Mike became drum line writer/arranger and Section Captain.  1995 brought the T-Birds their third of six DCA Mini-Corps championships and the highest score ever with a 100+5!  Mike lead the line and played snare drum to achieve this impressive score.

It was also at this time that Mike began his professional performing career with many acoustic and rock groups.  It was with the pop/rock group FP503 in Erie, PA that mike gained notoriety.  After the success of writing the official song of Erie’s bi-centennial celebration and charting success of their third release Media Circus on Radio Free Europe, members of the band have moved in different directions.  The band is still in contact, but has been on hiatus since 1999.

In October 1999, Mike moved from Erie to Reisterstown, MD and focused on educating students in the Baltimore County Public School system.  After one year of teaching in public school, Mike began to perform with Baltimore’s classic R&B group The Heaters. 

The Heaters have allowed Mike to travel through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia performing in clubs, private events and numerous television appearances including many ABC on-air parties to celebrate the Baltimore Ravens championship season.

While with The Heaters, Mike made a name for himself in the Baltimore music scene as a dependable, on time player that stays in the pocket.  While taking a break from The Heaters, Mike broadened his resume by playing jazz in and around the Mid-Atlantic.

In 2001 Mike moved to Butchers Hill in Baltimore City.  Here he met one of his neighbors, Paul Snyder.  Mike had been a fan of Paul’s music and jumped at the chance to play with his musically diverse group.  The Paul Snyder Trio is currently taking Mike all over the Baltimore/D.C. metro areas and the Atlantic Shore, including playing annually at the Rehoboth Jazz Festival. 

Sitting in with blues heavy weights Rick Serfas and Rick Chapman, led Mike to perform the past two years with Mike Lange and the Boogie Express.  Members of this group have performed with Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Freddie King and the group and is known as "…A highly professional and talented band that makes sitting still an impossibility” Sydney Arzt, Sydney's Jazz & Blues Restaurant, Rehoboth Bch, DE.

Mike can be heard on the World View Records release of Epilogue by FP503 and currently performs with the Paul Snyder Trio, Mike Lange and the Boogie Express, and The Heaters.