
MICHAELAWRENCE
“MichaeLawrence is the most passionate guitar player I've ever known
and worked with. His attention
to detail and love of the music
comes through in every note.”
-Dwayne Russell
Music Producer, Creator
Minecraft Jams
​
MichaeLawrence is a nylon-string, finger-style guitarist and composer. Among his musical callings, he enjoys breathing new life into the great hymns of the faith. He says that they are referred to as such because they are just that: great declarations of the truths, principles, and narratives found in God’s written Word, the Bible, all set to rhythm, melody, and verse, then to be shared and enjoyed among gathering believers.
Born Michael Lawrence Stephens in Long Beach, CA, he was raised Roman Catholic in nearby Huntington Beach, aka “Surf City USA”. In 1977 the Almighty reached down and made MichaeLawrence a true believer. Fresh out of high school at the time, he immediately began cutting his teeth on Contemporary Christian Music. Yet over the years he would increasingly appreciate the value and meanings of the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that go back centuries if not millennia. His thirty-year-long career in radio is evident in his narration skills as he incorporates the reading of Scripture in his performances.
Perhaps his greatest—and first—musical influence was his own mother. A self-taught guitarist, pianist, and vocalist, Barbara Ann Shafer Stephens would eventually earn the moniker, “Magic Fingers.” She was the only child of Agnes and Albert Shafer. MichaeLawrence’s Grandpa Shafer was also quite the accomplished musical artist as he and his combo did small tours and recordings, some of which were pressed into 78 vinyl records—quite a bragging right during that time in the era of audibly recorded music. His father, William “Bill” Stephens was not a musician, yet was equally influential as he filled the house with a variety of music. Bill would listen to The Beatles and The Beach Boys, and then switch over to Stan Kenton and Henry Mancini in the same day. He also has long been a member of the Four Freshmen Society.
MichaeLawrence is a graduate of the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California and has studied under such notable guitarists as Tommy Tedesco, Larry Carlton, and Lee Ritenour. His influences include jazz guitarists Earl Klugh, Walter Rodrigues, and Charlie Byrd. Ana Vidović, John Williams, and Pepe Romero are among his favorites in the classical genre. He also enjoys such flamenco greats as Paco Peña, Paco de Lucia, and Vicente Amigo. Known among friends as "Mr. Mike,” his arrangements of guitar melodies have been described as captivating, contemplative, and reverential.
MichaeLawrence is also a composer of other Instruments. He has released solo albums of finger-style guitar playing as well as his own compositions. His recordings have been heard on television and online by thousands. His original compositions have been recorded and performed by such top-rated performers and studio musicians as reed player Sam Levine, cellist John Catchings, harmonica legend Buddy Greene, and Celtic violinist, songwriter, and performer Jessica Willis Fisher.