You probably haven’t heard of Michael Dowdle, but you’ve heard his music. His guitar riffs and instrumentals have turned up everywhere — themes for "Monday Night Football," ABC college football, "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," KSL News, movie trailers, movie scores, national TV commercials, Utah Jazz season promos, not to mention thousands of albums.
If you’ve ever heard guitar music on a Mormon video, movie or CD, it’s almost certainly Dowdle. But as soon as you think you’ve got him pegged as a Mormon musician, he is playing a strap-your-seat-belt-on electric-guitar piece. He’s recorded everything from “I Am a Child of God” to “Convergence,” an original electric guitar instrumental performed at 220 beats per minute. It’s probably not something he will play in Provo at the LDS Missionary Training Center, where he serves in a branch presidency.
Passing up the Hollywood scene to stay home for family and religious reasons, Dowdle has carved out a 34-year career with his guitar from his home in Orem. He is one of the busiest musicians in the state.