An inspiring and passionate poet, speaker, motivator, coach and writer, Mike "FiveMikes" Andrews leaves an indelible mark on any audience he reaches. Through humor, hip hop, hope, love, and authenticity, Mike keeps audiences connected and transformed.
Mike Andrews was born and raised in the Vandaveer Estate Projects in Brooklyn, NY in the late 70s and early 80s. From a very early age, Mike witnessed the dichotemy of the crime and culture that Brooklyn had to offer. At the same time, the music and sounds of New York City also contributed to Mike's passion and enthusiasm towards hip hop and soulful music.
Mike attributes his relative success to the constant emphasis on education by his mother and grandmother, the Saturday morning soul sessions inspired by the likes of Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, humble beginnings, and his travels around the world via his step-father's military career.
LAST TRAIN TO FRANKFURT...
Mike left the highrises, cornerstores, and block parties of Brooklyn, NY and moved with his family to the Bratwursts and castles of Aschaffenburg, Germany. Talk about change!
His new life as a military brat led to travels around Europe. As a young child, he never thought he'd climb the steps of the Eifel Tower or hear the bells of Big Ben!
COLLEGE DAYS SWIFTLY PASS...
Mike finished his high school years in Virginia, and went onward on his journey to college at James Madison University; the place where the foundation of FIVE MIKES" was developed!
Mike became heavily involved in various organizations on campus, notably becoming a member of the first and foremost African American Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. His involvement on campus led to pursuing his Masters of Education, specializing in Counseling and Higher Education.
ONWARD & UPWARD TOWARDS THE LIGHT
Both on and off campus Mike continues to present to youth and adults alike on the challenges and rigors of accessing higher education, personal & professional development and human rights issues.
His unique and engaging presentation style keeps audiences connected, laughing, and learning. Mike’s unique style “teaches people without them thinking they’re being taught.” Mike has been quoted as being "inspirational and energetic," while "engaging his audiences by not speaking down, but speaking to them in a way they can understand and appreciate." Mike continues to spread the message of the importance of higher education to youth; especially, the youth that are often neglected by the masses.
What I do
Please take a look around this section to get a feeling about how I can help you. My areas of specialty are diverse and wide-ranging; from spoken-word poetry to video creation and editing for special events.
What can I do for you?
We can all think about that one impassioned speech, presentation, or workshop that changed our outlook and motivated us to move and change. Based on your organization's needs, mission, vision, and members, Mike "Five Mikes" Andrews can energize, engage, and empower any audience with his humorous, honest, and humble, oratory style.
The greatest athletes, vocalists, writers, thinkers and politicians have someone that personally guides, motivates, and pushes them to reach their personal and professional goals.
A Life Coach will help you get through the various personal, professional, and relationship transitions that get in the way of personal greatness. Mike "Five Mikes" Andrews has a Masters Degree of Education in Counseling Psychology and 10+ years of Counseling experience and uses mentoring, values assessment, behavior modification, behavior modeling, goal-setting and other techniques in helping his clients reach their destination.
Mike "Five Mikes" Andrews has consistently performed and competed in many "open mic" and " freestyle" sessions, displaying his spoken word and conscious rhyme style.
His words create a unique and vivid picture of society using a humorous, hip hop framework. Mike's technique of spoken word rings boldly and unapologetically with truth. His craft is truly a labor of love, and is delivered with an undeniable fervor that is certain to pierce deeply and convict your heart. Mike masterfully fuses elements of music with rhyme; humor with seriousness; and a cause with passion.
Mike "Five Mikes" Andrews has dedicated his career to empowering individuals and communities to strive towards a college education. Mike has worked on and with various college campus nation wide and understands the success strategies and pitfalls that students and parents
Both on and off campus Mike continues to present to youth and adults alike on the challenges and rigors of higher education. Mike has presented on numerous topics, including, Being successful during the 1st six weeks of college, The Important of Diversity on a College campus, Power, Privilege, and Inclusion, and many more.
There are few things worse than a poorly hosted event. An organization spends countless hours preparing for a wonderful program only to have it ruined by a host/MC that is not prepared and/or not taking the event seriously.
Mike "Five Mikes" Andrews is the perfect host/MC for your event. His planning, timing, and ability to convey your message will make your program shine!
Mike Five Mikes Andrews creates video presentations to introduce, highlight, or capture the essence of any event: birthdays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries, etc. Using your own photos and videos, Mike will take your event to the next level with a professional, fun, and classy video. (Videos can be placed on DVD or in most other video formats to play on a computer.) See samples on "Media" page.
hhrec newsletter ft. FiveMikes
