Mick is a powerful and accomplished singer, usually self-accompanying on guitar, bouzouki or piano-accordion, with a wide repertoire including his own 'new ballads'. Mick also leads three ensembles, all based in Harwich, Essex: the workshop/ performance group Choral Tradition, The Harwich Village Band and the Harwich Shanty Crew. Mick is chairs the organising committee of the Harwich International Shanty Festival.

Mick studied Literature & Music at the University of Essex and Colchester Institute, graduating in 1996, before qualifying as a teacher with a PGCE (Music) from Middlesex University (2001). In 2019 Mick returned to the University to attain first an MA and then a PhD in Creative Writing, specialising in scripted performances showcasing self-penned songs. The pinnacle of Mick's work in this field (so far) is the two-hour Sid: The Ballad of a Soldier, based on a collection of letters written by his uncle during WW2.

Between 2001 and 2019 Mick worked as a secondary school music teacher and in various capacities for one of the UK's major awarding bodies, including a two-year stint as Principal Moderator for GCSE Music (Composing), and several years as Qualifications Trainer for GCSE and A Level Music.

Drawing by Maderine Verrier (Mick's niece)