Míkhaiah Blake

Míkhaiah Blake is an American-born actress, musician, vocal producer, electronic music composer, modern & theatrical dancer, model and visual design artist. She is of Indigenous-Native, Sub-Saharan and Ulster-Scot ethnic descent. She is of Malian (Mandingo), Albanaigh-Lallan Ultach Scottish (maternal), Siouan American-Indian, and African-American (paternal) heritage. She was born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, the middle child of three, with two brothers. Míkhaiah's background and professional training were refined in theatrical stage, as well as dance and music performance-specifically vocals, vocal arranging and multi-instrumental music. Her acting journey began as a youth in the theater, auditioning, studying, training and performing in music and acting from an incredibly tender, young age. She was cast as a lead in her first professional stage production at just 4 years old. Growing up in the Tri-State area, her interests were honed under her family of notable performing artists. Míkhaiah hails from a family of many talented and accomplished, professional artists, comprised of classically and jazz trained musicians, composers, vocalists, stage performers and writers. She is the niece of the late, internationally renowned jazz violinist and composer, John Blake Jr. , granddaughter of the late literary writer, playwright, journalist and professional boxer, John Blake Sr., first cousin of acclaimed Blue Note Records international jazz artist, composer and drummer Johnathan Blake, niece of award-winning master theatrical storyteller & actress, narrator, symphony orchestra librettist and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Blake-Alston, sibling of international music producer, artist Jesse Aktual Blake , first cousin of lifestyle, portrait and automotive photographer Emmanuél Alston and she is the niece of the late composer and sitarist Elliot Blake, (one of the few African-American sitarists of his time and a former student of classical sitar music virtuoso and legend, Ravi Shankar). Míkhaiah's father is composer, virtuoso pianist, music producer and smooth jazz artist, Alan J. Blake and her mother is multi-genre vocalist and pianist Clarlitti "Lita" Blake. Míkhaiah was raised in Wynewood's neighboring Rosemont area of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania-within the historically informally-delineated, exceedingly affluent social region of the east coast known as 'The Main Line'. The Welsh-founded area she calls home, of prominent Lower Merion Township, also consistently ranks home to the second wealthiest zip codes in the US on the east coast, after only Gold Coast, NY-lying in suburban-metro Philadelphia. Míkhaiah's hometown of Bryn Mawr has been home to many famous names, including the late Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn , billionaire heiress to Mars, Inc., Jacqueline Mars, former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson , president of Harvard University, Derek Bok, former diplomat Richard Swett, American Pulitzer Prize playwright George Kelly , uncle of late actress Grace Kelly , the late creator of One Life to Live (1968) and All My Children (1970), Agnes Nixon , the late actress Jayne Mansfield , and many other scholars, historians, and dignitaries of their fields-accordingly, Bryn Mawr itself has ranked as one of the most affluent suburbs in the nation influencing the fictional location settings of a variety of television and films. Nixon's soap opera, All My Children (1970) , set in fictional Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, was based on the town of Bryn Mawr, while One Life to Live (1968) , set in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania was based on Bryn Mawr's adjacent town of Ardmore. The popular television series Pretty Little Liars (2010) , set in fictional Rosewood, Pennsylvania, is also loosely based on Mikhaiah's hometown in Rosemont. The Lower Merion area has had honorable mention in a number of television series, including Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014) , as character Jake McCarthy, played by Paul Adelstein, once references his Jewish upbringing and exceptionally refined education at the area's real high school alma mater of the same name. While the Main Line is indeed generally recognized as a place of palatial estates, great wealth, remarkably distinguished demeanors, stately countenances, striking educational & extracurricular merits, pronounced academic discipline and occupational excellence-it is also a place where especially strong blood and familial generational ties have been historically, heavily valued. Míkhaiah's family hails from the Main Line with multiple generations of her mother's family having called the area home. Her father, Alan, is of African-American descent and her mother, Clarlitti (neé Boggs), is of indigenous Malian (Mandingo-Mandé) descent (maternal), Siouan-Sissapawhaw American-Indian and Scottish-Ultach descent (paternal). Míkhaiah's father, of Philadelphia proper, was born to a WWII Air Force veteran and author (from a line of military veterans, including members of the WWI historical American Expeditionary Force of France), and to his mother, a professional chamber organist and homemaker. Their five children were raised in dignified, strict regimens of classical musical study and performance, music theory and societal musicology, bequeathing credit to her father's familial upper tier and grandeur of successful, preeminent Philadelphia dignitaries of performing arts. The family's continued musical legacy on the area was once noted by the musicians mural of Philadelphia, paying homage to her father's oldest and only late sibling, Sir John Blake, Jr., the world renowned violinist. Míkhaiah's maternal grandparents, of Main Line proper, were successful Main Line business proprietors with grit; her maternal grandmother originally relocating from an Upstate NY estate to the Main Line, after grieving her parents who'd both unexpectedly and tragically passed away. Her paternal grandfather's non-indigenous Scottish family were direct immigrants from Lithlingow and Livingston areas of West Lothian, Scotland, U.K., seeking refuge in Donegal and Londonderry, Northern Ireland after fleeing demoralizing religious discrimination and persecution. After finally emigrating to the United States, primarily settling in Chester County, Pennsylvania and Nottingham Township, the family spread further south and into Montgomery County where both Míkhaiah and her mother were born. With only less than three-hundred living descendants with the family surname still remaining in Northern Ireland, the family name's strong multi-generational presence in the area is duly noted. An entire township of Pennsylvania, Boggs Township, was named in honor of one of its first emigrating settlers of the area, after the family surname. Pennsylvania, historically contained one of the largest diaspora migrations of Scotch-Ulster immigrants, with considerable Native American solidarity resulting in trading, living and intermingling well together. Many of Míkhaiah's grandfather's Indigenous familial Native American tribe of origin migrated into those areas of Pennsylvania within the same period, during the signing of the sweeping Covenant Chain's Albany treaty, where they found peaceful co-habitation for many years. Philadelphia and its surrounding areas became most attractive due to their more pluralistic societies at the time, inevitably blending and often inter-marrying between ethnic groups. Míkhaiah's parents eventually met in Philadelphia through their band Love & Peace in the 70's, when her mother replaced the band's lead vocalist and the two later secretly married. Míkhaiah's accomplished parents were consistent artistic contributors of music & the arts in schools whilst she and her brothers were growing up. They heavily encouraged her participation in the arts-as both her mother and father were also born into musical families. Her parents eventually formed their own musical duo, appropriately called The Two of Us. Her parents comprise the international smooth jazz-soul music duo, formerly known as The Two of Us, the Blake Music Entertainment Group. Míkhaiah's mother, the illustrious jazz vocalist, pianist and trained modern dancer, attended Howard University, studying dance performance and vocal jazz under American leading jazz artist, Donald Toussaint L'Ouverture Bryd II, a.k.a. Dr. Donald Byrd. Her mother has performed with the legendary jazz pianist Billy Taylor and bassist Ron Carter. She mentored, instructed and performed with vocalist Rachelle Ferrell, as well as actress BernNadette Stanis of Good Times (1974). She was also a professional music arts therapist. Míkhaiah's father, the virtuoso pianist, composer, keyboardist, vocalist, music producer/engineer and pro-audio guru, has written music for, performed and recorded with a number of prominent artists. Her father was also once the lead consultant for the pro-audio giant, ENSONIQ Corp. in Malvern, PA-known principally for its progressive, ahead-of-its-time innovative samplers and synthesizers throughout the mid-eighties and nineties. He is known to still engage his deep passion and drive for the simplicity of pro-audio consulting management, marketing and mastery of closing business deals among his corporate and individual clients, despite his extensive repertoire of musical achievements. Míkhaiah's parents are featured vocalists on the late George Howard 1985 #1 Billboard Jazz chart hit "Dancin' in the Sun". Her father also co-wrote the hit song, "For Grover and George" with Bob Baldwin, landing in the top 2011 year-end Billboard Smooth Jazz charts. He served as the lead recording engineer for Raisin' Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey (the touring theatrical production highlighting the creation of jazz, performed by the acclaimed Avery Sharpe Trio), starring actress Jasmine Guy . Míkhaiah's parents have been listed in the top 100 jazz artists nationally, and consistently held the top two spots on Reverbnation's jazz artists. They've written and opened for, headlined, performed and/or recorded with numerous noteworthy artists including the late George Duke, Roberta Flack, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Freddie Jackson, Jeffrey Osborne, Chaka Khan, Ne-Yo, Rudy Currants, Kirk Whalum, the late Grover Washington Jr., Gerald Veasley, India Arie, Jean Carne, Kevin Eubanks, Omar Hakim, John Blake Jr. (Míkhaiah's father's brother), Doc Gibbs, Onaje Allen Gumbs, Major Harris, Eddie Holman and Bob Thompson. Míkhaiah's parents were the featured performers at the "Salute to Greatness Awards" celebration for Quincy Jones, as well as the 2006 New Years Eve Ball in St. Kitts/Nevis Island, by its Honorable Denzil Douglas-then Prime Minister. Her parents have been known to perform for numerous philanthropic organizations. Míkhaiah first began recording and performing music locally with her parents whilst in her early years of elementary school, learning audio music sequencing, keyboards and digital composition shadowing her father; vocals and vocal arranging from her mother. She recalled being so little that she had to stand up on stools to reach all of the keyboards and sequencers in their home studio. Míkhaiah composed and recorded her first song, "March On", in her father's recording studio. She later performed the song for peers and faculty in the highly-rated Gladwyne School, as an elementary student where her parents would volunteer to perform. They would often rehearse with Míkhaiah and include her in many of their live performances as a backing vocalist and soloist, while in strong support of the arts and her musical development. With such artistic parents and family, it is no wonder she recalled that various entertainers and recording artists, music, dancing, singing, jam sessions and grand performances in the home were the norm. Míkhaiah was formally studying classical piano and voice in academia, performing as a classical flutist and piccoloist by 8 years old. She performed in venues with small orchestral quartets, along with fellow student peers and in larger scale concerts with their symphony orchestra. She attributes much of her early artistic development and interests to her education in Lower Merion Township-long known for its exceptional arts, music and theater programs, superior education ratings nationally, its tradition of innovation and reputation for producing extraordinarily high-achievers across a variety of fields-including fellow student, the late Kobe Bryant of Lower Merion. She has attributed much of her musical development to her former private teacher and conductor, Gregory Eskin. Míkhaiah attended the Welsh Valley School, where she participated in musical ensembles, chamber orchestra and band as their 1st chair flutist and principal piccoloist. As a child and teen runway model, Míkhaiah worked for various designers, including walking professionally at only 8 years old for the late, acclaimed Italian fashion designer, Joan Calabrese-whose collections have been preserved by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and featured in high-end children's boutiques, red carpet events, Bergdorf Goodman, Cerutti's on Madison Ave. and SAKS 5th Avenues internationally. Míkhaiah was first affiliated with John Robert Powers Modeling Agency, (believed to be the world's first modeling agency), in South Philadelphia in the 90's. She once placed in the top two of the International Modeling Search of America as a teenager and later served as a muse and portrait model for the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Míkhaiah was a spunky child and her parents kept her busy with activities in the arts and athletics. As a child, she concurrently modeled, trained and performed in acting, as a vocalist and instrumentalist, as well as a competitive gymnast. Míkhaiah began professionally training in elementary school at the Philadelphia Gymnastics Center of the Main Line-Philadelphia's training ground, specializing in professional and competitive gymnastics instruction for children. Míkhaiah later co-founded her high school alma mater's 1st competitive female gymnastics team. There, she competed as a varsity all-around gymnast, typically focusing on floor and balance beam. After permanently retiring from gymnastics, she continued training in dance, including ballet and jazz, with particular interest and emphasis in modern dance, following in her mother's footsteps. It quickly became clear that acting for the stage and musical performance were Míkhaiah's most beloved passions. At age 9, Míkhaiah accompanied her mother and attended her first Broadway musical, Black & Blue, performed at the Minskoff Theater's Manhattan stages. During her time in New York with her mother, she was introduced to three time Emmy-nominated actress and leading lady of the once longest-running drama in television, Guiding Light (1952) actress Maureen Garrett, whose work she'd greatly admired. After conversing with Garrett, Míkhaiah was certain that she wanted to become a professional actress and performer. The brief meeting was an encouraging, enlightening and pivotal moment influencing the course of her pursuits from that point forward, coupled with the encouragement of her artist parents. Míkhaiah went on to portray stage roles for multiple traditional theater and musical theater productions throughout her upbringing including Peter Pan (as Peter Pan), Fame (as Lydia), On With The Shrew (as Holly) and Shakespeare's Medea (as Medea), among others. As a teen, Míkhaiah also honed her acting craft on the stages of the respected Harriton Theater Co. of Rosemont, the highly regarded training ground for young performers. She continued focally studying music and acting, while attending the township and state's highly ranking, Harriton High School of Rosemont, informally known as the "Country Club" high school-the impressive alma mater of many notable alum, such as David Crane, Emmy-Award Winning writer/producer and creator of Friends (1994), Lawrence Summers (former president of Harvard University; former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury), Linda Resnik (CEO of POM Wonderful and Fiji Water), writer/performer Lou D'angeli (Cirque du Soleil, WWE entertainment brand), actress Katie Wright of Melrose Place (1992), Bonnie Rosen (Gold Medalist-US National Lacrosse Team), and others. Míkhaiah attended with her fellow classmates, including actor Josh Cooke of Dexter (2006), Grace and Frankie (2015), Hart of Dixie (2011), Jamie Rosen (Beauty Editor, Town & Country Magazine; Contributing Editor, Hearst Magazines), former Epic Records & Smash/Mercury Records recording artist, George Stanford, and the late Cory Erving (son of former NBA player Julius "Dr. J" Erving). Míkhaiah's family eventually relocated to the southeast, where she continued intensive studies in dramatic arts, theater and stage performance. She studied Shakespearean verse and Classical theater, performing whilst under the mentoring of actor/director Kiran Narker, former Director of Theater Arts across Dekalb County, Georgia. She first began attending university at the youthful age of 15, passing out of all of her remaining secondary school courses after transferring from Lower Merion Township and its exceedingly elite educational standards. Uncertain of narrowing down her pursuits into one concentration, she instead explored a multi-faceted, post-secondary self-designed undergraduate track in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in therapy and fine arts, drama, stagecraft, media and film studies, dance performance and performative music. While attending university, Míkhaiah continued her studies in vocal arranging, operatic and classical vocal & piano performance at the F. Ludwig Diehn School of Music. In addition to her father's mentorship, she also studied audio music production under Old Dominion University and Hampton University audio engineer/production professors, Steve Latham & Bobby "B-Dub" Wright, with whom she collaborated with as a contributing vocalist, vocal producer and songwriter on The Monarchy's 2014 multi-genre album, Eye of the Storm. She has trained in dance performance under noteworthy choreographers, artistic directors, dance artists and instructors including the highly regarded Marilyn Marloff, Rachel Thorne-Germond, Elizabeth Mccune-Dishman (Coriolis Dance, Dishman + Co.), Megan Thompson (founder of Artpile) and the late, revered choreographer Amanda Kinzer. Míkhaiah formally trained in acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York, as well as intermittent studies at Playhouse West, Second City Hollywood and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. She has studied under award-winning actors and directors including Austin Pendleton, Marsha Mason, Alec Baldwin & Holly Gagnier, Keith David, and Paul Pryce. Additionally, she studied with the Beverly Hills Playhouse, focusing in playreading analysis, and the business of acting series under the critically-acclaimed playwright, director and actor Allen Barton. Her artistic approach to musical experimentation and exploration in her upcoming debut album releases, in collaboration with her younger brother Jesse, fuse performative disciplines in stage, musical theater and modern dance, with harmonic vocals and an innovative, multi-genre blending of pop, electronic, classical symphony, chamber, cinematic and dance music-her influences stemming from her extremely unique exposure at a tender and young age, to international music, contemporary vocal instruction, choral and classical voice, as well as instrumental training. She also heavily attributes her expansive multi-genre sound to her unusual, atypical familial upbringing surrounded by audio music production and an abundance of professional jazz, classical and electronic music artists, composers, dancers, theatrical and stage performers within her immediate and extended family. Míkhaiah has been an advocate and/or artistic contributor supporting advocacy, outreach and awareness related to domestic violence, violence against Native American and other minority women, sexual assault, human and child sex trafficking, as well as other causes. She is of the Jewish (Messianic) faith. She enjoys painting, horseback riding, wine tasting, traveling and visual design arts in her spare time. She resides in Los Angeles, California.