Portland man writes original songs about ordinary people -- even you!

(JANUARY 20, 2023) Mike Long is a songwriter in Portland. But he's a special songwriter because he writes songs for individual people. They are called "tiny anthems". ("Anthem" is another word for a song.)

“Most artists are like [say] 'we want to write these songs that are going to appeal to billions of people',” said Mike. “[But] I want to write songs for one person. And it will explode their mind.”

He started writing tiny anthems in 2017. He put a note on a bulletin board. It said: "I'm bored. I will write a song about you for $2."

He received many requests. Many people loved the songs. They wanted more. Some songs take 20 to 30 hours to write and record. So now he charges $250.

On his website, Mike says, "It began just for laughs over five years ago and since then, it has evolved considerably. It's really about story-telling, celebrating people, and trying to see how many people I can get to laugh till they cry."

The process starts with a questionnaire about the person in the song. Then Mike writes the song and records it using some of his three dozen musical instruments. He sends his customer the song in a digital file. However, he can also make CDs, tapes, or even an old-fashioned vinyl record.

Since 2018, Mike has written songs about more than 170 people, 9 dogs, 2 cats, and one hamster. Here are some examples: https://www.tinyanthems.com/tiny-anthem-examples