● Raised in a professional family band known as The Lee’s, Mitch toured much of the United States for twelve years performing with them.  They opened for such groups as The Jets and The Statler Brothers, and recorded two albums in Nashville.

● Early achievements: multiple awards for outstanding musical improvisation, selected to perform in the Utah All-State Jazz Band, voted unanimously by the members of his high school jazz band to receive the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award (a recognition reserved for one high school senior each year).

● Mitch was awarded scholarships by Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Utah for his scholastic and/or musical excellence.  He chose to attend Brigham Young University to study jazz music and to perform in its internationally prestigious jazz big band Synthesis.

● After only two semesters at Brigham Young University, Mitch had performed in Cougar Marching Band, Funk/Fusion Combo, Hard Bop Combo, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, Symphonic Band, West Coast Combo, and Young Ambassadors!  He later performed in Panoramic Steel Band, Philharmonic Orchestra, Salsa Band, and Synthesis.

● In 2000, Mitch traveled with Synthesis across seven countries in Europe on a thirty-one day tour.  The big band was featured at The World Expo in Hanover, Germany and at international jazz festivals in Perugia, Italy and Montreux, Switzerland.  At the latter, famous jazz drummer Louie Bellson watched Mitch perform and then told him: “You don’t need to take a backseat to anybody—you’re doing just great!”  Mitch can be heard on Synthesis’ latest album Time Flies.

● Mitch formed his first jazz band in 1990 (age fourteen), began offering private drumset instruction in 1991, started performing professionally with bands in 1992, and began directing percussion at Orem Senior High School in 1994.  He has performed for a myriad of theatrical productions, including two of the most musically-challenging: Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita.

● Mitch has recorded extensively in a variety of musical styles.  He has made jazz recordings with The Brian Neal Quartet, The Geoffrey Rayback Experiment, The Joshua Payne Orchestra, The Joshua Payne Trio, The S.P. Coltrain Jazz Combo, and with his own bands.  He has recorded Pop/Rock albums with Cheri Magill, The Rosenbergs, and Tin Pan Alley.

● On December 1, 2001, Mitch appeared as himself—a jazz drummer—in the hit TV series Touched By An Angel.  In that episode, entitled When Sunny Gets Blue, Mitch can both be seen and heard working’ his drumset magic.

● When the 2002 Winter Olympic Games came to Utah, Mitch performed for its opening ceremonies.  Later that year, Mitch was employed as a percussion instructor at Lakeridge Junior High School.

● In 2003, Mitch taught percussion at the Young Musicians Summer Camp in Evanston, Wyoming, where his Junk Rhythm Ensemble caught the attention of the Uinta County Herald, terming it the “highlight” of the camp.