Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Murphy.
Hi Michele, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Michele Murphy,
I own Mountain Music Productions, a Santa Cruz based music production company
I am the Vice President of new business acquisition and an Energy Efficiency Consultant at American Energy Partners
I am a singer/ songwriter, wife, daughter, fur mama, and friend.
I moved to the central coast of California (Santa Cruz Mountains) in 2007, from Buffalo New York, leaving behind a career in telecommunications, my childhood hometown, and a relationship and marriage that had ended after 13 years. The catalyst for the move was a 2-week training I was sent to in Silicon Valley in October of 2007. My task was to become an expert on voice over IP phone systems and bring the training back to the east-coast based company I worked for. I did not in fact become an expert on voice over IP telephone systems, because I spent nearly every evening and two entire weekends excitedly exploring the bay Area and central coast from San Francsico to Big Sur. My mind was blown. And while I did bring back enough information to train my co-workers, my plan to help sell the product in the east coast markets dissolved because all I could think about was how to relocate to this area. After seeing redwood trees and the spectacular CA coastline for the first time and experiencing the wide variety and abundance of live music events the Bay Area has to offer, I was hooked! Not to mention the weather (it was already icy cold in upstate NY) so I decided to sell nearly everything I owned, pack my 3 dogs and cat into a Land Rover and head west, for good.
My employer wasn’t thrilled, my mother was worried, and off I went.
When I got here, I didn’t know anyone beyond a few acquaintances I’d I met when I was here for training and I had no job. I had a little money from selling a house full of furniture and belongings and an offer to rent a yurt for $600 a month. With 4 pets and no gainful employment or prospects, that seemed to be a fair deal, and I was determined to make it work. The yurt was off the grid, on top of a mountain, up a long windy dirt road. It had no electricity, an outhouse full of spiders, an outdoor shower with on-demand hot water, a wood stove for heating, a lantern, and a battery-operated radio (which is how I discovered KPIG) a far cry from my 3-bedroom former home in an upscale suburb of Buffalo, or my (business) home away from home at the Roosevelt hotel across from Grand Central station in New York City.
Finding work without a current job, local work history, or references, was difficult. I went into the small town of Boulder Creek every day, got a coffee at Jenna Sues Cafe (and a piece of their incredible coffee cake if I was feeling particularly hopeless) and used an old computer (with dial up internet!) in the back of the old Boulder Creek Brewery (which has since, sadly, burned down) to send out my resumes to various businesses in Silicon Valley. I worried that my clothes smelled of smoke from my leaky wood stove, which might not go over well in an office setting, but I had to try. I eventually got a job at a trade show exhibit company, but the economic crash in 2008 triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble, forced the company to lay me off after about 6 months. But, that first job gave me hope that I could get one, and some in-state work history.
Because of the economic collapse, no one was hiring, so I used the last of my savings to rent a small shop in the town of Boulder Creek. I purchased racks, hangers and mannequins from stores in the mall that were going out of business (Mervyns) and used my own wardrobe as stock to open Pearls Boutique (in Boulder Creek), a secondhand clothing and accessory shop. Eventually locals were bringing in their clothing to consign for trade, and I got to know people on a level I never would have as a transplant who merely lived in the town or worked in Silicon Valley. My boutique and I became part of the community and I loved it! Small town life is special for so many reasons, but mainly that people recognize each other and there’s a friendliness about it you just don’t get in suburbs or big cities. My shop became a hub for local ladies to find new outfits, and gather to talk about their lives,
I’ve always loved music and I’m a big fan of Janis Joplin, so I named my store after her., her nickname was Pearl and she liked to thrift shop, and since the Santa Cruz Mountains has a rich history when it comes to the music of the 1060’s and the counterculture, people came to equate my business with that vibe. Great records were always spinning on the turn table in the back of Pearls, and lots of music related memorabilia adorned the walls.
One day the bass player for (the China Cats) a Bay Area Grateful Dead tribute band, came in and asked if he could hang a poster for their upcoming Santa Cruz show in my window, I posted it for them and continued to do so for a about a year before ever going to see the band myself. Having been a Deadhead since I was 15, I didn’t see the value in seeing a tribute band when I had seen the real thing so many times, but eventually the bass player convinced me to attend one of their shows. After seeing them perform, I instantly became a fan and started attending their shows fairly regularly. One evening, at a show that happened to be on my birthday (about 10 years ago) the drummer approached me and asked me to dance after getting a local drummer who was in the audience to sit in on stage for him, about a year later we began dating and in September of 2026 we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. I spent many years wondering if I would ever meet someone to spend my life with, and I had nearly given up on the idea and resigned myself to living up a somewhat secluded life in the mountains, under the majestic redwoods with my dogs and cats. I was actively making peace with that when Michael came along. It might be true what they say about when you stop looking true love finds you. it might have something to do with just being content with who you are and not seeking anything beyond what you have. That attracts the kind of person who is also content and sometimes, it works out.
I closed my shop in 2011 and went to work for a local non for profit as an energy efficiency consultant, helping businesses reduce energy consumption to save money and help the planet.
In 2015 I started singing at the open mic night at a local biker bar. I joined a band later on that same year. I’m currently in two local Santa Cruz bands and am fortunate to get to perform regularly at some wonderful local live music venues. I have always loved to sing, and my dad used to play the guitar and teach me folk and blues songs as a young child, basically from the time I could talk, I sang, but it wasn’t until I moved to California and attended an open mic night, that I found myself in a position to do it professionally or be part of a working band. My dad is gone now, but he would be absolutely thrilled that I became a singer.
In 2017 I took on the task of booking gigs for the China Cats and other local bands (including my own) into local venues and helping venues (taverns, breweries, theaters, restaurants…) find quality professional musicians and bands to grace their stages and bring in business. I realized that I needed to form a business entity for this type of work, so I revived an old iconic business name from the area and Mountain Music Productions was (re)born.
Over the past 4 years I have built a music production company that promotes live music events and concerts for artists and music venues in Santa Cruz and on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. We also put on monthly shows at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Hall.
Our shows often include talented and colorful venders, selling everything from handmade clothing and jewelry to glassware, and various other forms of original art. What we do goes beyond simply putting on shows, we curate events and create a joyful, nurturing, community space for attendees to dance, socialize and enjoy the magic of music with like-minded people.
Twice a year we put on special events for Halloween and New Years Eve. On Halloween we have a costume ball with prizes and a world class liquid light show, and on New Year’s Eve we have a balloon drop, and a psychedelic light show by, Steve Goldsmith, one of the Bay Areas most respected veteran lighting artists. www.mountainmusicproductions.com
At my day job, I currently work in the private sector as an energy efficiency consultant and VP of new business acquisition at American Energy Partners, managing large projects for some of the central coast’s largest agricultural companies and securing funding from the local utility (PG&E) to finance energy efficiency projects for large and mid-sized businesses www.amenergypartners.com
My husband Michael is a talented carpenter. He and I are turning what was once the first organic grocery store in Santa Cruz (and a puppet house before that) into a single-family dwelling, including a music space where some of the Bay Areas finest musicians regularly come to jam.
My true passions are writing and singing.
I’ve been writing poetry since I was a child. I wrote three of the songs on my bands, (Redwood Express) first album, Sanctuary. I am the front person and lead singer in Redwood Express. www.redwoodexpressband.com
I also sing in a blues trio (Buffalo Blues Trio) that pays homage to female blues artists from the 1920’s – the 1960’s www.buffalobluestrio.com
When I can find time, I enjoy writing human interest stories for the local paper (SLV post) www.slvpost.com
I aspire to write more songs as well as a compilation of short stories, look for me on Substack some day!
If you would have told me 20 years ago (this January) that I would travel 3,000 miles from the only home I’d ever known, and go from living in a yurt with no electricity or indoor plumbing, few acquaintances, no job, and no idea what was going to happen, to running a successful music production company in one of the most vibrant music scenes in the country, if not the world, working to sustain the planet for future generations and helping businesses stay afloat by cutting their energy costs, singing in two bands, writing and recording my own music, and living in a cool old grocery store with the love of my life, I. would. not. have. believed. you. I am grateful every day for this amazing, surprising, endlessly entertaining, joyful, soulful, wonderful journey I am so fortunate to be on, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have struggled since I was born. Not fitting in, not knowing what I’m supposed to be doing, not feeling that I’m good enough, smart enough, savvy enough, likable enough, kind enough, organized enough, all of these things and more. I have suffered from anxiety, depression and fear with no basis in reality, I sort of think everyone has. The key is faith, faith that every obstacle is an opportunity to overcome and thrive, every challenge is a puzzle to be solved, and in the end, if I tried my best, had good intentions, and didn’t hurt anyone else, I’m doing ok. When I moved to California, I had no friends here, now I have a huge, wonderful community. I had no job, and now I have several, including sales, singing and bringing the joy of music to others by producing live music events. I used to wonder what I was supposed to do, I don’t wonder about that anymore.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mountain Music productions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Over the past 4 years I have built a music production company that promotes live music events and concerts for artists and music venues in Santa Cruz and on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. We also put on monthly shows at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Hall.
Our shows often include talented and colorful venders, selling everything from handmade clothing and jewelry to glassware, and various other forms of original art.
What we do goes beyond simply putting on shows, we curate events and create a joyful, nurturing, community space for attendees to dance, socialize and enjoy the magic of music with like-minded people.
Twice a year we put on special events for Halloween and New Years Eve. On Halloween we have a costume ball with prizes and a world class liquid light show, and on New Year’s Eve we have a balloon drop, and a psychedelic light show by, Steve Goldsmith, one of the Bay Areas most respected veteran lighting artists. www.mountainmusicproductions.com
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Tenacity and persistence, never giving up on a goal or a dream, even when that would be the easy thing to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mountainmusicproductions.com
- Instagram: @mountainmusicproductions1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountainMusicProductions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mountainmusicproductions4218
