Mike Murphy

Mike Murphy is a musician in the Milwaukee area since 2003.

He has performed with local bands including Union Pulse, Slo-fi and Northern Haunts. Like many musicians he also teaches guitar and bass lessons at area music stores such as Music Café (Mukwonago) and Outpost Music (Waukesha).

During the early years of teaching Mike would encouraged his students to find others to play with and start a band. The response was always the same, “I just don’t know anyone else who plays?” This common problem sparked an idea. “If they can’t find musicians on their own, can I do it for them?” So in 2008 he did just that, started matching his guitar and bass students with other drum, vocal and piano students from the music stores he taught at. The excitement that followed was proof that this idea could work and in 2010 Rock Shop Bands Studios was founded in Mukwonago, WI.

The main goal for the Rock Band Classes was to eliminate common barriers for people wanting to join a band and start performing at an early stage in their music journey. The gear was there, the room was ready and people came to learn, practice and perform. It was only logical to rent out the room to other bands needing a place to practice, and build additional rooms.

In 2014 Rock Shop Band Studios also started providing Live Sound and Lights services to bands such as Hoi Polloi and Clove and some of the areas top festivals. As growing production company just starting out, the client list grew to include more local bands like Off Tha Hook,Ocean Rush, Saturday June Band and the Big Al Wetzel Band as well as semi-national acts such as Hello Dave and Sam Llanas of the Bodeans.

Mike hopes to remain on the music scene for years to come and continue to be a resource for musicians in the metro Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin area.