| Photo: Chris White |
I first discovered Mike Tompkins on the viral video show “Right This Minute” about a month or so ago and can now officially say I’m a fan.
Tompkins is a musician/producer from Ontario, Canada. With a music catalog that ranges from Justin Timberlake to an original song about chicken nuggets – yes, I said chicken nuggets – really nothing is impossible for him. Better yet, Tompkins records and produces a capella which, of course means everything is performed with voice – even the instruments! Tompkins has really made a name for himself, especially on social media, where he has millions of followers.
In fact, Tompkins has just about 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube where he got his start. According to an industry spotlight from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology (OIART), Tompkins graduated in 2008 and his self-produced YouTube videos became hits soon after. In fact, Tompkins’ mashup of Katy Perry’s “Tennage Dream” and Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are” is one of the most liked videos in YouTube history, according to OIART. Tompkins’ online success prompted television appearances on the “Today” show and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” among others. DeGeneres introduced Tompkins to Timbaland and the pair worked together for some time, according to OIART, culminating in the creation of some tunes, including Jennifer Hudson’s single “Walk It Out” in 2014.
Now, the 28-year-old Tompkins has fulfilled a dream that probably many of us have: perform a song with The Muppets! Tompkins, along with Kermit the Frog, Ms. Piggy, Fozzie Bear and more, do a great cover video for the song “Cool Kids” by Echosmith, a band that was featured about a year ago right here on Reflections. And, yes, they go a capella! The original song is great but Tompkins does an incredible job with it.
Check it out the video for the song below and be sure to also stop by iTunes to check out Tompkins’ music!
Chris White 
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