Steve Madewell has had two major influences: Music and Nature. While he has enjoyed a remarkable and successful career in the Park and Conservation field (including as former director of our own Metroparks Toledo), music is and has always been an integral part of his life. He has maintained a very active musical schedule since he began singing and playing guitar early in his teens. In recent years, Steve shifted his musical efforts toward writing, recording, and performing original material based on the inspiration of the natural world and work experiences that he has been privileged to enjoy.

 

Detroit singer-songwriter Mike Ward is known for his lyrically-centric vocally charged folk songs. While growing up in Port Huron, he listened to the Irish music of his heritage and sang in choirs before digesting the sounds of Simon & Garfunkle, Dylan, Springsteen and John Prine. These days, he finds inspiration in the works of Jason Isabell, Sarah Jarosz and Scott Cook. His intimate songwriting echos through empty city streets, back country roads and family portraits. It also resides in the hidden spaces between joy and tragedy, love and loss.