Michael E. Poole is a native of North Carolina, lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., and is a retired Physician Associate. As an autoharp player, he is self-taught in both the chromatic and diatonic styles but was mentored by many wonderful players. His autoharp experience began with playing on the street and then, in 2000, he began competing at local festivals. Michael is the 2018 Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering Champion and he placed third in the 2017 and 2021 International Autoharp Competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. His playing style is appreciated for its flowing diatonic arrangements, open note accuracy, and chromatic musicality and expression. In 2013, he was awarded the Cohen/Grappel Recording Endowment grant and recorded his CD, Beneath Still Waters. With his friends, Rick Fitzgerald and Maggie Dodd, he recorded Chasing Sunshine, a collaborative CD of folk and popular songs showcasing their vocal harmonies. In 2022, Michael began performing and teaching at major festivals including MLAG, CAG, NWAG, Sore Fingers, Kentucky Music Week, and the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival. He is a founding member of the Triangle Autoharp Circle based in the Raleigh, N.C. area and teaches private students online and in-person.