“ It was the only outlet I really had that made me genuinely happy consistently. People live there lives not knowing what they want to do. Fortunately, I realized what it was a long time ago. ”
It all started when…
SOULDEGA: What is your background in music; when did you decide to make this craft the way you express yourself?
MICHAEL: Music started for me in church. I began playing the drums around the age of 6. Around the age of 14 I started singing and writing songs on my own. Then 4 years later I started to take it seriously as a career I wanted to pursue. It was the only outlet I really had that made me genuinely happy consistently. People live there lives not knowing what they want to do. Fortunately, I realized what it was a long time ago.
SOULDEGA: What is your inspiration for your music?
MICHAEL: I’m inspired by movement. I love the fact that music can move other people from all over the world and bring them together to share a moment of escape and bliss. Not thinking of things like what I did yesterday or what I’ll do tomorrow but more like, what matters is right now.
SOULDEGA: In today's music, have you felt any pressures at all to conform to the mainstream sound?
MICHAEL: Not really. Since music changes all of the time. I just remind myself every time I create to stay true. Everything else will work out in the end.
SOULDEGA: What are some difficulties if any you have encountered in maneuvering in the music world, both in creating and networking?
MICHAEL: One challenge I face is having to consistently add content to my social media feed. Social media plays a integral part in today’s success for a artist. Most of the time, I just want to create and that’s it but to bad that just isn’t the case in today’s age.
SOULDEGA: How do you hope for your music to affect others? What do you want people to feel when they hear your music?
MICHAEL: I always hope for the listener to allow my music to take them away. Take them to a place of nostalgia, present situations, or even escape. I want the listener to be lost in the sound at that moment. Then after, I hope for the same with them when they display there art and craft.
SOULDEGA: If there is someone living or dead that you would love to compose an album with, who would it be and why?
MICHAEL: James Blake, James Fauntleroy, and Frank Ocean. I want to compose a project with these specific artist due to they’re writing styles, vocal arrangements, and production choices. I feel I would have the opportunity to become a even greater artist working with those three.