Fairfield County’s Star-Maker

Fairfield County native Mike Kiviat is the founder of Hi5H Promotions — dedicated to helping new artists get heard. Kiviat currently has a residency at Angels and Kings in New York City.

“I always loved music, and I loved to help people too,” Kiviat told Patch. “I know how hard it is — no one in this business gives you a chance.”

When a new musician or band comes to Kiviat, he likes to speak with them over the phone first. From there, they will send him links to their music. If he likes what he hears, which he often does, he’ll find out their availability and bring them in immediately. His career has given Kiviat some perspective on what it takes to make it in the music industry.

“It’s talent, but it’s also the way the artist does things — you can tell the nobodies from the somebodies in the first 30 seconds they’re on the stage,” Kiviat said. “I saw Gym Class Heroes when they had three people in the audience, and they played the same way for three people as they play for 3,000 people — you have to play as though you’re playing to a sold-out crowd, it’s hard, but it’s worth it.”

Kiviat also has some advice for artists struggling to be heard.

“Keep moving forward,” he said. “It’s a long road, you won’t get there tomorrow, even the most talented don’t get there tomorrow—  keep doing what you do and one day some kid will tell his dad who's a record exec… you never know who people know.”

Like many who grew up in Fairfield County, from an early age Kiviat became accustomed to having celebrities in his midst.

“I went to high school with Keith Richard’s daughters, in the eighth grade we did 'The Wizard of Oz' and he was in the audience,"  Kiviat said. "I was the Wizard."

It may be these early experiences that give Kiviat a relaxed attitude when it comes to interacting with bigger names in the music industry.

“Most people are cool — they’re all just normal people, I don’t really get starstruck,” he said.

MySpace and other social networking websites have become a central part of the business. Hi5H Promotions’ Unsigned Artists’ Mixtapes comes out three times each year and features tracks from up-and-coming bands. They're available as free downloads and the next one is due out in May.

“I don’t even know how they did it in the 50s, 60s, even the 80s — it must have taken forever. Now I can go on the internet and find hundreds of bands all over the world and contact them immediately,” Kiviat said. “It’s almost easy — everyone’s dying to be heard.”

Eventually, Kiviat hopes to be working in every major city in the U.S., helping to give new artists that chance to be heard and the opportunity to get where they want to be — and it's clear there's nothing he'd rather be doing.

"The perks are awesome — listening to live music everyday," he said. "There's talent everywhere."

An April 30 show at Angels and Kings will feature Boy Wonder, The Influence and Steve Marchion. For more information about this and other upcoming events, visit Hi5H Promotions' Facebook page.