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I still live in the house I was raised in. My life has always been surrounded by music. My father was a clarinet player and I can remember singing at church at a very young age. I took guitar lessons was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash and numerous others. Both my parents were very supportive in my musical ventures and were eager to lend an ear or give words of encouragement.
Through the years I have played with many musicians and many bands, but I always felt the need to have my own band to truly express my deepest appreciation of music. In 2000, my sister Sheila Middlebrook and my friend Pete Parshall and myself formed the band ESP. Soon thereafter, Misfit Karma was formed. The band currently performs 100+ shows per year.
I am also the proud co-owner of Midlakes Music in Phelps, New York along with Mac Seago. I take great pride in teaching the next generation the appreciation and joys of music. I am living a life many can only dream about.

Mac Seago’s story…

My life began in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in the early 70’s. It was a rather unremarkable life (you know… beating up my siblings, cussing at authority, stretching the truth…) until I got my first guitar for my 12^th birthday.
I had been begging for a guitar since the first time I heard Johnny Cash on my parents 8 Track player. My folks got me a Memphis Electric Guitar and I swear I played with that thing more than I played with myself.
I soon became proficient playing everything from Eddie VanHalen’s Eruption to Jimi Hendrix’s complete library (all of this before graduating High School) and no, I didn’t go blind from…you know…
I decided after High School that if I enrolled in a college music program and earned a degree maybe I could make a living doing what I love. I graduated from Oswego State with a Music Major but didn’t feel I was quite ready to be a full time musician. I then joined the Army – talk about a complete “About Face” (I still think it was a good decision). After 9,345 pushups and skydiving a bunch of times, (yes, the guy next to me held his barf bag full of puke while soaring through the air at 3,000 feet – yeah, floating puke.) I was accepted into the 82^nd Airborne Division Band… and was still required to do pushups and skydive (I didn’t know)! Along the way I played with several different bar bands that played all genres of music. I enjoyed every one of them.
Some of my favorite guitar players include: Jimi Hendrix; Randy Rhodes; Charlie Parker; Frank Zappa; the list is endless! I also enjoy finding and listening to garage/yard sale albums that are not “mainstream”.
I am co-owner of Midlakes Music in Phelps, New York along with Shawn Middlebrook where we’re growing the next generation of Eddie’s and Jimi’s – so watch out…
I joined Misfit Karma in November 2001 (playing Bass – don’t ask….) and it’s better every year!

I was born into a typical middle class family in Newark, NY. I grew up with a brother, two sisters and both my mother and father. At the age of 12, I found a drum set in the corner of my uncle’s basement. I can remember going to visit and spending most of my time in the basement playing the drums. Soon I found myself wanting to play all the time and that’s all she wrote.
The drums were given to me and I played them every day. When I turned 16, I started playing out with my first real band. A couple of years later I bought my first set of Ludwig© drums. Many of my musical influences came from the music my brother and sisters listened to like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Eric Clapton, The Kinks, Queen and many more. The first drum solo I fell in love with is In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida from Iron Butterfly.
I have played with many local bands over the years: Bill Hacket, Country Cousins, Ground Zero, The Blue Flames, Angry Bob, Fire and Ice, Hot Face, and Misfit Karma, among many others. I also have an extensive working knowledge of percussion and hand drums.

I was born in a lifeboat on the Atlantic Ocean somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle during an eclipse. My parent’s yacht sank due to some methane occurrence. A passing fishing boat full of Japanese whalers rescued us and kept me as their own. I do not know what became of my parents. I was five when I was given to a family of professional pancake flippers. They taught me the skillful discipline of pancake flipping for the next 9 years. I dare you to ask me to flip a pancake for you…. go ahead and ask me...I dare you…chicken.
At the age of 14 I decided I had flipped my last pancake and ran away from home to pursue my dream to become an organ player. I had no money, but I did have a monkey who knew how to pick pockets (her name was Jane), I loved Jane. I survived living on change from those who took pity on me and from what Jane could scarf from unsuspecting onlookers pockets until my big break came.
It was a Tuesday in the spring of ‘98 when I saw her. Her name was Phyllis. She was a large, hairy woman from Siberia. I fell in love with her immediately. She said the Siberian Circus needed an organ player to travel the world with them. I quickly signed up. Soon, I was playing my organ in a different exotic city every night.
Sadly, Phyllis and I had a disagreement one night during an eclipse about how much revenue Jane was bringing in. It was obvious it was either Phyllis or Jane. I chose Jane. So it was Ta Ta Phyllis and “Hello Upstate NY” where I heard there was a need for organ players. I hit pay dirt when I met up with a band called Misfit Karma. They loved Jane. So I loved Misfit Karma. I have been playing my organ with them ever since. Too soon Jane died after joining the band and I have yet to find a replacement monkey. I’m still looking….
Reincarnate Jane…. Are you Out There???? Call me.

After graduating from high school I attended sunny Oswego for music major in classical voice. I went on to sing with the Syracuse Opera. Awhile later I joined with my brother to form the band Misfit Karma. Some of my influences include Janis Joplin, Natalie Merchant and Annie Lennox to name a few.