[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_phone=”” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_team_member name=”GALEN KEITH ABTS” image_url=”https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GalenAbts_Bio.jpg” admin_label=”LUKE STRAND” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ border_width_all_image=”1px” box_shadow_style_image=”preset4″ use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Galen Keith Abts is a versatile rock vocalist, performer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Originally from rural Wisconsin, Galen moved to California in 2017 to pursue music full-time, bringing with him a passion for classic rock, grunge, metal, and soul. His diverse influences\u2014from Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd, Pantera, and Lamb of God, to James Brown, Charles Bradley, and Earth, Wind & Fire\u2014inform a dynamic vocal style that\u2019s both powerful and adaptable.<\/p>\n
As a graduate of the Musicians Institute and recipient of its Outstanding Performer award, Galen quickly established himself in the LA music scene as the founder and frontman of Illicit, a hard rock band known for high-energy performances at iconic venues like the Whisky a Go Go, The Viper Room, and Hotel Caf\u00e9. Their releases, including Live from the Institute<\/em> and The Wheel<\/em> (produced by Grammy winning engineer and producer Francis Buckley), showcase a sound rooted in classic hard rock with a modern edge. Galen is also the lead vocalist and co-founder of Shockproof, a 90s rock tribute band which tours across the Southwest United States. He\u2019s also a rotating member of several tribute and cover acts, including the Fooz Fighters, a nationally touring Foo Fighters tribute band.<\/p>\n Outside of performing with live rock bands, Galen is singer\/songwriter performing under the artist name Galen Keith<\/strong>. In 2024 he released his self-produced solo EP Give Up the Sky\u2014a moody, genre-blending trip through folk, grunge, and psychedelic rock. Galen is also an accomplished session vocalist and has been featured on the blues rock records The Californian<\/em> and Buckle Up<\/em> by Brad \u201cGuitar\u201d Wilson both of which topped the national blues and blues rock radio charts. He has even lent his voice to the Star Wars universe singing as a Rokana Raider in the Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate\u2019s Fortune<\/em> DLC.<\/p>\n In additon to performing, Galen teaches voice at the Musicians Institute and continues to write, record, and collaborate across multiple genres. He is currently working Illicit’s next release and his debut full-length solo album.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In addition to performing, Galen teaches voice at the Musicians Institute and continues to write, record, and collaborate across multiple genres. He is currently working on Illicit\u2019s next release and his debut full-length solo album.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/about-us\/faculty-profiles\/” button_text=”BACK TO FACULTY” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Galen Keith Abts is a versatile rock vocalist, performer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Originally from rural Wisconsin, Galen moved to California in 2017 to pursue music full-time, bringing with him a passion for classic rock, grunge, metal, and soul. His diverse influences\u2014from Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd, Pantera, and Lamb of God, to James […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":19533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[18],"project_tag":[],"class_list":["post-19539","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-vocal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/19539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/19539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_category?post=19539"},{"taxonomy":"project_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_tag?post=19539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}