The 14-year-old St. Edward High School freshman has only been playing piano seriously for about four years. But he’s already entered — and won — two prestigious competitions. He played at Carnegie Hall in New York City and in Oxford, England. He also was the recipient of the competitive Tony Morino Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to one incoming St. Edward student.

In fourth grade, Mike started taking trombone lessons in music class at Lakewood Catholic Academy. But the piano quickly became his passion.

“As a baby, I just mashed a bunch of keys on a toy piano,” he said. At about age 10, he started tinkering around with the toy piano once again.

“It was a toddler piano. I don’t even think it had 20 keys,” said Donna Clifford Klein, Mike’s mom. “He started transposing music from the trombone onto the little piano, and when we noticed that, we bought him a keyboard.” Then one day, she heard the Billy Joel song playing. Donna didn’t remember turning on the radio, so she walked around the house to see where the music was coming from.

“As I got closer I asked him, ‘Are you playing that?’ and he said, ‘Yes.’ And it was spot on. It was really awesome. I thought he should have some piano lessons, so, shortly after that, we started lessons for him,” Donna said. That’s when they started recognizing his talent.

“We did not think this was serious music; we didn’t know what was coming,” Donna said. Mike progressed quickly, and the teacher suggested they buy a piano, which they did. He switched to a new teacher who focused more on classical music. Then the Kleins got a grand piano.

“His musical journey has been our musical journey,” she added.

“It clicked early,” Donna said, noting Mike would practice the piano for hours at a time. She and her husband Scott encouraged all three of their children — Molly, 16, a junior at Magnificat High School, Mike and Tommy, 12, a seventh grader at Lakewood Catholic Academy — to play an instrument. But she admits they’re not serious about music — except for Mike.

“We enjoy listening to him play and practice,” she said, noting he plays a variety of music ranging from what he’s learning with his piano teacher — typically classical music — to what he hears on the radio. “He’ll listen to it for a little bit and try to duplicate the whole sound,” she said, including vocals and guitar riffing, “which is pretty cool. I would say he certainly loves the piano, loves music and the whole process of music.” While he practices often, she said much of what he does comes naturally, due to his God-given talent. “He’s certainly talented in a way that is unique.”

Mike agrees, saying, “I think God is very important in my piano playing because I feel like he has something to do with it when I get lost in the music … I feel like God’s doing the thinking for me.”

Donna said their family tries to keep focused on their faith. “We send our kids to Catholic schools, but we also pray every day. I think the faith foundation gives Mike the strength to go in front of all these people because he knows God gave him the talent. He’s certainly honing that talent and sharing it with others, which is a gift he gives to other people as he plays the piano.”

Mike won first prize in the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in Oxford and performed at the historic Sheldonian Theater. His family traveled to England to support him.

At age 12, he won first prize in the Charleston International Piano Competition, and last January, he played in Carnegie Hall when he won first prize at the Golden Classical Music Awards for his performance of Chopin’s “Military Polonaise.” He also performed his own arrangement of “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the LCA talent show last spring, and he is writing some music.

Mike said he loves to play fast, but in the beginning his teachers encouraged him to slow down and perfect the technique.

“I like the feeling, the thrill of playing quick songs and my fingers moving quickly. I’m determined not to mess up. But I also really like how I feel when I get lost in the music,” he said.

“Usually before a concert I get nervous. But when I start playing piano it goes away … I get in a zone,” he said. However, he admitted it was nerve-wracking performing last spring before his LCA classmates and friends. That’s why he said it was important that his faith was there to ground and guide him.

“If I messed up at Carnegie Hall, I’m never going to see those people again. But if I mess up in front of my peers, I’m going to see all those people again, and that wouldn’t be good,” he said.

But that wasn’t the case. His performance earned him sustained, thunderous applause from his classmates, teachers and other guests at the talent show.

He also enjoys playing piano for others, including at the senior facility where his grandfather lives and at a few others.

“Whenever I see people happy after I play, I feel really good because I’m doing something nice for someone. I was raised to be kind and I noticed that it felt good. I love playing piano and it benefits other people, so I’m very happy about that,” Mike said.

As Mike’s musical journey continues, his mom said she hopes “he does what is inside of him and shares it with the world because he has a gift and a talent that is unique and special. I hope he continues to grow and to love others through his music.”