Mike Berman writes and performs original songs rooted in the folk and California folk rock traditions.  Mike's album 2025 album Ghosts contains eight original tracks addressing themes such as growing up amidst gun violence, lost relationships, the dangers of looking back, and the redemption and mercy that love and music can bring to your soul. Produced by Ed Tree and with performances by Mike and outstanding Los Angeles musicians, Ghosts is a sonically and thematically rich addition to Mike's musical library. The album was #31 on the folk charts in March and continues to be featured on radio and online programs across the US and abroad. Mike has been performing in the LA area and in the Northeast (including the Cape May Singer-Songwriter Festival) in 2025. 

"Songs that are shaped by heart and mind. This is what California based tunesmith Mike Berman does so well. All-original story songs that take unexpected turns and speak to lived experience and the real world. This is perhaps why Mike’s records have an unquestionable relatability, talking to listeners and allowing respite from the challenges of everyday life. His recent LP, Ghosts, is a glistening example of these qualities, exploring rootsy music realms with his trademark truth and honesty, a collection of earworms that audiences will take with them and carry them forward. And these are also the qualities that Mike shares with the very best musical craftsman." - Tom Hilton, Aldora Music

Mike’s first album Where I’m From, released in January 2023, received excellent reviews and was featured on dozens of folk radio programs across the USA and beyond. He has performed concerts and showcases at venues across Southern California, such as The Coffee Gallery, The Lost Chord, Jeweled Universe, the A-Frame, Universal Bar & Grill, Mission Tile Music, The Harp Inn, Cabin Creek Crystals, Stardust Concerts, the Cambria Center for the Arts, and many other venues, both solo and with his three-piece combo TIMBR. He has appeared at legendary venues McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Los Angeles, the Towne Crier in New York, and Club Passim in Boston. He’s also been a regular performer at on-line showcases including Bruce Swan’s Music My Mother Wouldn’t Like, Jan Seides “Any Sunday Songwriters” series, and his own Social Distance Café. He recently was awarded “Best Performance” at the Songwriters at Play competition in Solvang, California.

Where I’m From was in the top thirty on the NACC charts in January 2023. Produced by Ed Tree, the album featured performances from top musicians including pedal steel legend Jay Dee Maness, 2-time Grammy nominee Guy Davis, and LA blues diva Teresa James. Dave Franklin of Dancing About Architecture wrote that “Where I’m From is a great album… the sound of a modern-day James Taylor… country cool for the modern age.” Legendary songwriter Steve Gillette commented that Mike’s songs “uphold the tradition and are evidence that the California sound is in good hands.” Songwriter Rob Waller, founder of “I See Hawks in LA”, says that “Mike’s songs carry a depth and humanity that stick with you."

Mike is a veteran musician, having performed in the 80’s with the Hudson River Sloop Singers (associated with Pete Seeger) as well as in his duo The Rusty Lock String Band, including festival gigs at the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Raritan River Festival. After a long layoff to raise a family and build a career as a university administrator and information technology expert, he has dived head-first in songwriting in the last few years. His songwriting his developed through workshops and master classes with the likes of Richard Thompson, Tom Paxton, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Guy Davis, Ellis Paul, Laurie McAllister, Gretchen Peters, Michael McNevin, and many other accomplished songwriters and performers.