Mike Hatch

Mike Hatch was born in California, but grew up in Bellevue, Washington. His first introduction to barbershop was from his dad, Skip Daniel, who sang with The Classics. He has fond memories of his dad sharing The Most Happy Fellows with his family after they won International. Mike’s parents also sang in a mixed quartet with their neighbors, Dave and Janet Hansard, in a group called The Soundtracks. Mike feels that their music is buried deep in his soul from listening to them rehearse in the kitchen above his bedroom. Mike started singing in Junior High school, and continued at Newport High School in the jazz ensemble. After high school he joined the Navy and married his wonderful wife Shawntel in 1989. After 5 years in the Navy, Mike got started in the IT industry at a small company making Bible software for Microsoft Windows. During this time the Hatches lived on Whidbey Island, where the two of them led worship at their church, with Shawntel playing piano and Mike singing. Mike worked at Microsoft from 1997 through 2014, when he made a course change and joined the REI team as an Enterprise Architect. Mike and Shawntel have a beautiful daughter, Kaylie, who was born in 1998, who currently shares her parents’ love of music by singing in her high school choir.

Mike enjoys throwing himself into new creative hobbies and learning as much as he can about them. He has interests in origami, twisty balloon tying, photography, and who knows what is next!? We’re happy that Mike’s latest interest is singing barbershop, and it is apparent that he has dived in head first. Mike refers to Jim Henry’s speech about Gold Medal Moments to demonstrate the depth he has already plunged into this new-but-somehow-familiar adventure, and he feels that barbershop is going to be much more than a hobby, but more like a way of life. It has brought him great joy.

Mike is already a stalwart in the lead section, where it is hard to believe that he only started singing with Northwest Sound in February, 2014 after his new friend Kevin Perales from the tenor section invited him. Mike is surprised that he waited so long to join a barbershop chorus after his early introduction, but we’re sure glad that he is with us now!