Michi Schroll

Michael Schroll was born in 1973 in the Austrian city of Wiener Neustadt and grew up in Villach/Carinthia and Lower Austria. At 15, he and his brother began their immersive journey into music. His first real instrument that wasn't a toy was a harmonica he was given as a gift. Later he taught himself to play the keyboard. Together with his school friend Konstantin, he discovered the blues in Austria's deep south-or perhaps the blues found him? This genre continues to shape Michael's musical identity, alongside influences from many other popular music styles and international cultures.

Inspired by the blues, Bruce Springsteen, and bands like Status Quo, 17-year-old Michael taught himself to play the electric guitar, taking only a few blues guitar lessons from Carinthian guitar virtuoso Jörg Friesnegg (Bluesbreakers).

In the late 1990s, Michael's journey as a bandleader and songwriter began with his first band, 4llFunk, later renamed Bittersweet Crime. The group performed his original songs along with contemporary blues, funk, and soul covers. A formative experience, both from a musical and a social perspective, came when he sang tenor in JAZZ CHOR WIEN, under the direction of Stefan Foidl and alongside soprano Annie Kay.

The 2000s brought a new musical passion: Latin American music. Partnering with Walter Authried, Michael formed the duo Trova Libre, which later expanded into a trio with percussionist Christian Glöckler. He also joined Coro Eurolatinoamericano and collaborated with various Latin American musicians in Vienna, including many memorable guest performances with José Ritmo's salsa band.

Throughout his musical career, Michael has collaborated with numerous bands and engaged in various musical projects across multiple genres, including working with Celina Ann, and, more recently, forming a duo with Doris Wolf. His funk-blues project was revived briefly under the name Blue Vibration, featuring Bernhard Krabina, Christian Glöckler, and Paul Xuereb. Currently, he plays keyboard and guitar with the classic rock cover band Backyard Exile, led by frontman Gerald Lukow.

In 2018, Michael was invited to join patchwork.fm as a keyboardist, following multiple guest appearances with the band as a musician and singer.

Despite his world music influences, Michael also sings with choirs and vocal ensembles in the Austrian Weinviertel region (Erdklang and Anklang led by Mariela Felber and Maria Gager, respectively), where he reconnects with his Lower Austrian roots.

Michael is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitars, Cuban tres, charango, cavaquinho, mandolin, electric bass, diatonic and chromatic harmonicas, and percussion. He also performs solo and in a duo with Christian Glöckler in more intimate settings.

One of his favorite mottos is: "The whole world of music is open to me." However, he remains particularly drawn to blues, funk, soul, and Latin styles, which blend infectious grooves with deep emotion.

Professionally, Michael is a trained biologist, certified eco-educator, and zookeeper, working in animal care and environmental education.