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OompahME started as an Oktoberfest band—and then refused to stay in their lane! While polka and oompah are still part of the DNA, the band now plays a wide-ranging mix that includes New Orleans jazz, classical, holiday, and whatever else gets people smiling, dancing, or stopping in their tracks.
Based in Portland, Maine, OompahME is made up of some of the city’s top freelance musicians: Jimi Michel (trumpet), Cleaves (clarinet), Chris Beaven (banjo), Mar Fink (trombone), and Mike Dank (drums). That unusual combination of horns, banjo, and rhythm section allows the band to adapt seamlessly to almost any setting—loud or soft, formal or casual—while still maintaining a distinctive, instantly recognizable sound. The group pairs tight musicianship with a loose, joyful energy that works just as well on a street corner as it does at a wedding or corporate event.
From Oktoberfest tents to private parties, weddings, corporate events, retirement homes, and beyond, OompahME plays every kind of gig imaginable. They’re equally at home on a stage or out in the community, and can regularly be found busking for passersby throughout the greater Portland area.
OompahME Members
Jimi Michel (trumpet, leader) is at home in a wide range of styles, including orchestral, jazz, theatre, church, and traditional brass band music. He has appeared as Principal Trumpet of the New York String Orchestra, played in Boston's North End Italian Band for over 20 years, and performed as a substitute with the Syracuse Symphony and Sacramento Philharmonic. In Portland, he regularly performs with the Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band, has subbed with the Casco Bay Wind Symphony, and is on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory of Music, and also maintains a private trumpet studio at his home in Deering Center. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory.
Cleaves (clarinet) also performs with the Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band.
Mar Fink (trombone) also performs with the Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band and the Casco Bay Wind Symphony.
Chris Beaven (banjo, pocket trumpet, co-leader) graduated from Berklee College of Music College in Boston, Massachusetts. In Washington DC, he worked as a composer, performer, and teacher. After moving to Maine, he taught music at Waynflete School for many years and retired right before COVID. Since retirement, he has enjoyed performing with a number of groups as a banjo, guitar and bass player; trumpet player; and steel drum player. He is also the music director of the ISLANDBEATS steel band.
Mike Dank (drums) is an enthusiastic lifelong student of music who continues to seek out new insights to expand his palate in order to enhance his performances. Using a collaborative approach he is equally comfortable in the recording studio and/or on stage in multiple genres and styles.
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