A native of Grand Rapids, MI, Michael comes from a long history in the business of music. He is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in piano and guitar, and has been producing audio projects for over 25 years. Michael has produced and or engineered recordings for many local and national artists including Pop Evil (Grand Rapids), Ralston Bowles (Grand Rapids), Drew Nelson (Grand Rapids), Larry McCray(Bay City, MI), The Accidentals(Traverse City, MI), Cary Cooper (Asheville, NC), Ed Dupas (Ann Arbor, MI), Joe "Cartoon" Shields (Grand Rapids), The Steel Wheels (Virginia), Justin Townes Earle (Nashville, TN), Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn (Nashville, TN), Langhorne Slim(New Hope, PA), Pokey LaFarge (St. Louis, MO), Hello Dave (Chicago, IL), Domestic Problems (Grand Rapids, MI), Kimber Cleveland (Nashville, TN), Spencer Mulder (Nashville, TN), Hal Ketchum (Nashville, TN), Ari Hest (New York, NY), Harry Manx (Ontario, CA)and a long list of others. His commercial credits include work for Camping World, Universal Forest Products, Mercantile Bank, Amtrak, Lothamer Tax Resolution, Montell Construction, Cole’s Quality Foods, Michigan State University, The Ozone Action Council, St. Cecilia Music Center, Little River Casino, Rockford Construction Company and many more. Additionally, Michael's voice has been heard on several national campaigns for Applebee's and McDonald's.

Crittenden is also the founding member and chief songwriter of the group Troll for Trout. Michael's songs have been heard on dozens of radio stations across the country as well as on MTV, ABC and PAXnet television. He has received an ASCAP Songwriters Award, two Billboard awards for songwriting, an InterActivist Award from Los Angeles Based META Association, and WYCE Jammie Awards for Producer of the Year (2012), Album of the Year (2002 and 2009), and Song of the Year (2009). Michael has also been a part of the instructional staff at Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters and The Mackinac Island Songwriter's Workshop.

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, with a degree in Film Scoring and Composition, Michael has a thorough understanding of writing, arranging and producing music from simple singer-songwriter style to full orchestrations. He is proficient working in Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Jazz, and New Age styles. In addition to his studio and writing work, Michael has performed most of his life. He has toured the country numerous times and shared the stage with the likes Todd Rundgren, The Doobie Brothers, Hootie & the Blowfish, Shawn Mullins, The Cars, George Thorogood, Kasim Sulton, Jonatha Brooke, & Peter Frampton among others. When Michael is not producing, composing or performing, you can often find him hanging out with his wife "up north", cooking, messing with interior design, camping or knee deep in a trout stream. 

Visit Michael personal website here or  Email Michael