Accomplishments

Mike’s recognitions and accomplishments include:

Awards & Nominations 

  • Country Single Of The Year nomination, 2021 Carolina Country Music Awards for "She Holds This House Together" recorded by Paige King Johnson. Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan
  • Album of the Year (multi-genre category) nomination, 6th Annual Josie Music Awards, September 2020, for Orchid recorded by Olivia Frances. "Orchid," "Porcelain," "It Just Takes One," "Once In A Blue Moon," "Lettin' Summer Shine," "The Bee & The Rose," "Do You Know," "Cocoon" and "Makin' Room For You.” Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan
  • Best Story Song nomination, 18th Annual Independent Music Awards, April 2020, for “The Bee & The Rose” recorded by Olivia Frances. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan
  • Second Place, Maine Songwriting Competition, November 2019, for “The Bee & The Rose” recorded by Olivia Frances. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan 
  • Finalist, Maine Songwriting Competition, November 2018, for "It Just Takes One" recorded by Olivia Frances. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan 
  • Best Original Song, Valley Music Showcase, Easthampton, MA, 2018, for "Porcelain" live performance by Olivia Frances. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan

Charts & Streaming

  • "Orchid," song recorded by pop/folk artist Olivia Frances surpasses 100k streams on Spotify the week of November 1, 2021. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan [view]
  • #29 on the Music Row Country Radio Breakout Chart for “Water Down The Whiskey," recorded by country artist Paige King Johnson. The song spent 18 weeks on the chart between October 31, 2019 and March 12, 2020. [view chart] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan 
  • #7 on the CDX Traction True Indie Chart the week of March 4, 2020, for "Water Down The Whiskey," recorded by country artist Paige King Johnson. [view chart] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan 
  • #3 on the 2015 Roots Music Report Americana Country Chart for “Just Shy,” recorded by 2-Bit Palomino. The song peaked at #3 and finished at #185 for the year. [view chart] Songwriters: Andrea Renfree & Michael Astrachan

Features 

  • The official music video for "I Thank God," by country artist Paige King Johnson, premiered on The Heartland Network on February 23, 2024. Songwriters: Paige King Johnson and Michael Astrachan [view video]
  • The official music video for "Why God Made Small Towns," by country artist Paige King Johnson, premiered on The Heartland Network on March 10, 2023. Songwriters: Paige King Johnson and Michael Astrachan [view video]
  • "It Just Takes One,” recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured by Kindness Matters 365 non-profit foundation on World Kindness Day 2020. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan 
  • "Porcelain," recorded by Olivia Frances, was selected as Nashville's Lightening 100 DJ Pick of the Week September 2019. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan 
  • "It Just Takes One,” recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) in support of Random Acts of Kindness Week 2018. Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan

Noteworthy Performances

  • "I Thank God" by Paige King Johnson performed live on the Coffee, Country & Cody morning show on WSM Radio 650 AM in Nashville, TN on January 10, 2024. Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan
  • "Memories Worth Making" by Adam & Amy Pope performed on the Ernest Tubb, Midnite Jamboree LLC, and broadcast live on WSM Radio 650 AM from the Texas Troubadour Theater in Nashville, TN on August 12, 2023. Songwriters: Adam Pope & Michael Astrachan
  • "Honky Tonk Heart" live performance by Paige King Johnson with Song Suffragettes at the Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, TN on August 7, 2023. [view video]
    Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan  
  • "I Thank God" live performance by Paige King Johnson with Song Suffragettes at the Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, TN on October 31, 2022. [view video] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan 
  • "Honky Tonk Heart" live performance by Paige King Johnson at CMA Fest-Fan Fair X in Nashville, TN on June 12, 2022. [view video] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan
  • "Honky Tonk Heart" live performance by Paige King Johnson at "Country For A Cause" benefit for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, TN on June 8, 2022. Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan   
  • "Grandpa's Little Girl" live performance by Paige King Johnson with Song Suffragettes at the Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, TN on April 4, 2022. [view video] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan  
  • “I Swore,” live performance by Adam Pope, at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN, in October 2021. Songwriters: Adam Pope & Michael Astrachan 
  • “Don't Know Just Enough,” live performance by Daniel Neihoff, at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN, in July 2021. Songwriters: Daniel Neihoff & Michael Astrachan 
  • "Water Down The Whiskey," live performance by Paige King Johnson, on Today In Nashville morning show on January 23, 2020. [view video] Songwriters: Paige King Johnson & Michael Astrachan
  • “I Swore,” live performance by Adam Pope, at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN, in May 2019. Songwriters: Adam Pope & Michael Astrachan 
  • "It Just Takes One,” live performance by the students of Marguerite E. Peaslee Elementary School in Northborough, MA, in celebration of their kindness month in February 2019. [view video] Songwriters: Olivia Frances & Michael Astrachan
  • NSAI Advanced Song Camp songwriter showcase, Commodore Grille, Nashville, TN. Performer: Michael Astrachan
  • All Soul’s Coffee House feature performer, Kansas City, MO. Performer: Michael Astrachan

Placements 

  • "Porcelain (Benny Levs Remix), "Once In A Blue Moon," "Lettin' Summer Shine" and "Do You Know" co-written with and performed by Olivia Frances, were selected for placement on TurboFit fitness app.

Press

  • "I Thank God," co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, was featured in Nashville Music Guide, February 23, 2024. [link to article]
  • "I Thank God," co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, was featured in CCM Magazine, January 9, 2024. [link to video]
  • "Harmonica for Hanukkah," co-written with and recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured in Worcester Magazine, December 14, 2022. [link to article]
  • "Wind Chimes," co-written with and recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured in Guitar Gurl Magazine, October 13, 2021. [link to article]
  • "She Holds This House Together," co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, was featured on Newsmax TV, May 7, 2021. [link to video] 
  • "Another Silent Night," co-written with and recorded by Holly Auna, was featured in American Songwriter, November 27, 2020. [link to article] 
  • “Water Down The Whiskey,” co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, was highlighted in The Daily Record, a regional newspaper in N. Carolina, July 5, 2019, as part of an article with Johnson about her forthcoming EP, “Big Girl World.” [link to article]
  • “It Just Takes One,” co-written with and recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured in the Delta Dunklin Democrat, Kennett, MO, March 1, 2018, as part of article with Astrachan about The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) in support of Random Acts of Kindness Week 2018. [link to article]
  • "Lettin' Summer Shine,” co-written with and recorded by Olivia Frances, was featured as an exclusive premiere on Parade.com, July 2018. [link to article]

Radio

  • "Why God Made Small Towns," co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson played on the Coffee, Country & Cody morning show on WSM Radio 650 AM in Nashville, TN on January 10, 2024.
  • "Why God Made Small Towns," co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, is released in January 2023 as radio single from her debut album "Honky Tonk Heart."
  • “Water Down The Whiskey,” co-written with and recorded by Paige King Johnson, spent October 2019 through March 2020 in rotation on secondary radio and some reporting stations, reaching #29 on the Music Row Country Radio Breakout Chart and #7 on the CDX Traction True Indie Chart in 2020. 
  • "Porcelain," co-written with and recorded by Olivia Frances, was selected as Nashville's Lightening 100 DJ Pick of the Week in September 2019. 
  • “She’s a Keeper,” co-written with and performed by Justin Ryan, was placed in rotation on 94.3 WINX-FM in Easton, MD, in 2016. 
  • “She’s a Keeper,” co-written with and performed by Justin Ryan was placed in rotation on the Chris Stapleton Pandora Station, in 2016. 
  • “Just Shy,” co-written with Andrea Renfree and performed by 2-Bit Palomino, spent three months in rotation on independent roots music radio stations, peaking at #3 on the Roots Music Report Americana Country Chart in 2015.

 Recognitions

  • Selected as a voting member of the Recording Academy Class of 2021
  • Named to the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) “Ones to Watch” list more than a dozen times (Selection is based on a songwriter’s “unique and promising” songwriting skills.) 
  • Songs recommended for consideration for NSAI’s Pitch to Publisher luncheon 
  • Song taken for consideration by HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc. through NSAI pitch to publisher event  
  • Song taken for consideration by Lamon Records Nashville 
  • Song taken for consideration by Songwriting Pros for pitch to publisher event 
  • Selected for NSAI Advanced Song Camp

Songwriting Conference Participation

  • Americana Music Association Conference – 2022, 2020, 2019 
  • Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar – 2020, 2019 
  • Songwriting and Music Business (SMB) songwriting conference – 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016 
  • NSAI Advance Song Camp  – 2015 
  • NSAI Song Camp – 2014 
  • ASCAP I Create Music Expo – 2013