Music School Graduate, composer, and performer - I have been playing music for 20 years.

Learn more about MICHAEL

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  I fell in love with music in Jr. High School. I spent a lot of time listening to music on Yahoo! Radio back in the day; the precursor to Spotify and Pandora - if anyone remembers that. I learned about all my favorite metal bands, like Metallica, Opeth, etc. Around the same time I was going through old photo albums of my grandparents and saw that my grandfather used to play a 60's Fender P Bass, that really put bass guitar on the radar for me. Later that year my uncle showed me a band called Suicidal Tendencies/Infectious Grooves and told me about this bassist Robert Trujilo. He quickly became my idol and to my surprise he joined Metallica not long after! That really sealed the deal for me, I was begging my parents for a bass guitar so I could rock out like my heros; Robert and Gramps.

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Metal, Jazz, Alt/Indie Rock, and Lofi mostly, some classical, hip-hop, and pop here and there. I wouldn't say I love any particular genre per se; I'm very picky. I have my favorite artists like Opeth and Circus Maximus who can do no wrong but most of the time, I like cherry picking artists and songs of particular genres and subgenres and making playlists.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  I don't know about difficult or riveting but I do have a learning experience I had that I try to replicate with all my students. When I was in college studying music I was mostly self-taught and had no formal training. Plus I was verging on thirty so I had been playing for like twenty years. My number one goal in music school was to understand music theory. I remember half way through my third semester it all just clicked. There are like four or five musical concepts that you have to intimately learn and once you do they all just connect and interweave with each other and you can see the big picture. At least that is how it was for me, it was like a light bulb switched on.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  Piano! At least in the western musical tradition. It's just an absolute grind. Guitar and bass you just learn shapes and patterns; it doesn't matter what key you're in if you know those shapes and patterns you just gotta practice moving them around. Piano has shapes and patterns for all twelve keys! There are more reasons why but that is the big one.

• What are your keys to success?

  (I'm laughing as I type this) Fake it till you make it, baby! Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, wear your mistakes and ignorance with pride, humility, and grace and good things will follow. To put that in context, I kinda fell for the super hero/kung fu narrative when I was younger. You know, the hero shows up after doing all this training alone in the woods or something and just kicks everyone's butts, and everyone is like, "Whoa!, where did this guy come from." Yeah that happens, it's rare, and impressive, but there is a time and a place for that, and if you can pull it off, more power to you. For the rest of us mortals, you gotta be the fool sometimes and learn the hard way. Show up to practice, the jam, the audition, your lesson, and put yourself out there and learn something. At least for me I gotta always remind myself of that or else I run the risk of staying at home doing nothing.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Never meet your heroes, they say. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, Andy Larocque of King Diamond, and Robert Trujillo of Metallica/Ozzy/Suicidal Tendencies/Infectious Grooves. Mikael Akerfeldt's compositions have been inspiring me and keeping me sane for nearly two decades. The fascinating thing about Mikael is that he is completely self taught. I also admire his courage for composing solely for himself and not to appease the audience. Opeth has always taken chances with their music and I have remained a fan through those bold decisions. I suppose this is an aspect of musical development with an artist that I am grateful for. Nothing is more disappointing when an artist simply tries to write the same album over and over.
  
  Andy Larocque is a different case. He is the lead guitarist and composer for King Diamond. Andy Laroque's guitar solos are just so interesting. I don't know anyone who solos like Andy. So many chromatic notes, harmonies, and bends that just pull at your heart strings. There is a uniqueness to Andy's solos. In Kind Diamond or on the Death record Individual Thought Patterns, every time his parts come up, you say, "Oh yeah, that's Andy!" no doubt about it. I want people to say that about me and my playing some day.
  
  Robert Trujillo as I mentioned before is one of my early bass/metal heros. He was one of the only people in metal who I identified with. I suppose that could have been because of his ethnic background and that he played bass so well, I just wanted to be just like him when I was a kid. If anything I would just want to kick it with him, throw back some brews, and learn how he was so successful climbing his way into Metal Royalty - a real rags to riches kinda guy, love it.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  Talent and hard work isn't everything. At the end of the day there are several qualities that make a musician. In addition to being skilled, you have to be personable. Nobody wants to work with a bad attitude. I have been on both sides of this point and it just ruins experiences and opportunities. So no matter what you do in music, just try to be as skilled, hardworking, and as personable as you can; and surround yourself with those kinds of people at all cost.
  
  My favorite bass instructor in college told me, "Just practice everything, until it's perfect." and he's absolutely right. Sometimes it just comes down to that. You have everything you need to achieve but are you willing to put in the work? If the answer is no, then find something worth achieving that is worth the work. I think that is where happiness is.
  
  My least favorite instructor in college told me, "Doing it once is an accident, doing it twice is intention," and he's absolutely right. I use this in practice, in my lessons, and in compositions all the time. Don't practice until you get it right once, practice until you get it right twice in a row, seven times, ten times if you can, that's where the magic happens; and I tell this to my students all the time, if you nail a part in a lesson, I'll make you do it again, until you get it at least twice. Good music repeats - sometimes - and this is especially true for Jazz. If you do something impressive, do it again, just to make your point. I guess that is what my teacher was trying to say.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  As your teacher, my number one priority is to meet you where you are, identify your needs and supply you with just that. I am at the point in my teaching career that I teach people from all walks of life. If you are an absolute beginner, hobbyist, or hopeful professional, I'm going to tailor your lesson to suit you. My teaching method isn't a one-size fits all sort of deal. Let's book a lesson, have some fun, and chart a course to get you where you want to go.