Kentwood native, Big Rapids recording studio owner and cancer survivor Michael Kreple is an award-winning veteran of the music industry. Today, he reveals the music that inspired him.
From L.A. to Michigan: The call of music has always been there for Michael Kreple. (Courtesy Photo)
EDITOR’S NOTE: All musicians and recording engineers can trace their inspiration to a few key recordings that captivated them and helped shape their musical careers. Today, Local Spins writer Ross Boissoneau spotlights the albums that have most impacted producer, studio owner and Hand of Giants guitarist Michael Kreple. Scroll down for a Spotify playlist and a couple of tracks by Hand of Giants.
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Veteran musician, producer, engineer and mixer Michael Kreple grew up in Kentwood where he was into music and sports.
“My main sport was volleyball,” he says. At the time – he graduated from East Kentwood in 1988 – men’s volleyball wasn’t particularly popular, and he moved out West to play.
But the call of music was always there, and he eventually began working in studios in Los Angeles. He has worked on countless projects over the years, from theatrical productions to shows on YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime.
A Robust Career in Music: Kreple in the studio. (Courtesy Photo)
“I started in the film and television world in 1995,” Kreple says. Among his many projects have been “George Washington,” “Juno,” and “The Duel,” a 2016 film with Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth for which he won a Golden Reel Award.
He has since returned to his home state and works as an audio engineer in post-production and mixing at his Magic City Studios in Big Rapids. “I spent 33 years in Los Angeles. It’s great to be back in Michigan,” Kreple says.
While working in his studio is his day job, he’s not solely invested in the music of others. “When I got sick with cancer, I didn’t pick up an instrument. Afterwards I rediscovered my love of music and wrote songs as a recovery step,” he says.
Kreple’s band, Hand of Giants, plays around the state. He describes it as an eight-piece rock band with life songs, with the energy of early Van Halen and Lenny Kravitz-style vocal harmonies. Also a fiddle.
He sings and plays guitar, as does his wife Jacky, also a member of the group. It’s rounded out by bass, drums, mandolin and keyboards. And don’t forget the fiddle, which Kreple says provides an additional element, such as a drone background. Like his mixing and engineering work, it all adds to the mix and atmosphere of the music.
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Listen: “Ladies Night”
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Listen: “Master of Puppets”
3. Blackberry Smoke,”The Whippoorwill” (2013) – I had cancer in 2010. It was a hard-fought battle for a couple years. In 2013, I was in remission and my wife and I agreed it was time to start music again. I still love Van Halen, the Gap Band, but was looking for a new sound. I discovered J.J. Grey and Mofro, Joe Cocker, and in doing so, discovered Whiskey Myers, Cadillac Three. The sound of guitar, voice – those matter to me. You’ve got to have songs, too, but everything’s gotta sound fantastic. This has a great guitar tone, drum sound. The vocalist has found his groove. I had an opportunity to meet them and hang during a 2016 tour with Gov’t Mule.
Listen: “The Whippoorwill”
Currently Loving: Brother Cane, “Magnolia Medicine” (2026) – I just discovered Brother Cane. I can’t stop listening to it. It’s hard/Southern rock, but I (also) hear Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen. It’s so damn good. I put it on repeat while I flew from Grand Rapids to Denver and listened to it non-stop. Then from Denver to L.A. I really like a song, then the next next one, I like that, too. The record is awesome.
Listen: “If This Means War”
ALBUMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: MICHAEL KREPLE’S PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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