2024.12.02 The Muse

Michael J. Miles is a banjoist, guitarist, orchestral composer, and music educator. Alone in concert or with his signature stage production, From Senegal to Seeger, he has enjoyed standing ovations on four continents. Michael has reached across borders with music as a powerful and wordless weapon of respect. For his work in Morocco, Lebanon, and Turkey, Michael has been heralded by the US State Department on three occasions for his powerful and enduring musical diplomacy. He served as Program Director of the Old Town School of Folk Music (1984-1998); President, International Folk Alliance (1990-1992); Teaching Artist at Ravinia Festival (1999-2014); and Adjunct Professor at VanderCook College of Music, Villanova University, West Chester University, and Central Connecticut State University. A signature of Miles' artistic output includes what he calls "musical documentaries for the stage." These commissioned stage productions, with cast sizes ranging from 1-16, feature music, politics, popular culture, literature, and history. Titles include "How Africa Met Ireland in American Song," "America 1968," "Transcontinental: Stories of the Steel Rail," "100 Years of Protest," and more. In 2018, Miles was named by the Old Town School of Folk Music as the "Musician and Educator of the Year." The City of Chicago, in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022, honored him with DCASE grants to create new compositions.