We’ve made it past the horrifying cold, and as our bodies thaw out, we start to notice the subtleties in life. I have lately…in my own husband. Michael Austin came to Minneapolis six years ago; he was in pursuit of a music career and started at Music Tech College. During Michael’s time there he held three part-time jobs and “gigged” in his spare time. Quite the 2 1/2 year ride! It was after Music Tech that Michael got a job as a guitar instructor at Schmitt Music. The next 3 1/2 years Michael had 50-60 guitar students on his Schmitt Music schedule, on the side Michael taught six students, was out “gigging” occasionally with the three different bands, and in his spare time he assisted me in my up and coming tile business. After several years of this, Michael decided what he “really wanted to do with his music career.”
My tile business had grown enough to hire a couple employees to relieve us of the extremely long hours we pulled; now it’s time for Michael and his music. He set himself up with recording equipment, wrote new songs, and recently recorded two songs for his first LP. Michael has written enough songs to fill three CDs, and he’s well on his way with recording and mixing. He’s now organized his life so that he teaches a select few students, “the challenging, more advanced students” the type that will “keep his chops up.”
Michael is passionate about life and helping people, the purpose of his songs are to communicate with people. He shares his struggles, triumphs, heartaches, excitement, passion about life and happiness in his lyrics. The amazing part about the lyrics are that they don’t leave you feeling low, they take you through the experience, and leave you on a more powerful note, where you have that “wow” feeling in the end, like you went through something and you were glad that he told you about it. Not only does he express it in his songs, but he is a master at the composition of the song. The attention that he has to layers, instruments, lyrics, the main verse and his variety of guitar chords is comparable to musical talents such as Radiohead, John Mayer, Led Zeppelin and Jeff Buckley.
You would think as his wife I could tell you all about his style, well I cannot. Instead I marvel at his diversity. He has one song, Elevator, with a heavy blues feel, yet his friend, known as Fine Print, lays this incredible beat box in the song fusing two styles from two different eras with a smooth, emotional, poetic result. And yet Michael’s more sorrowful song called Promise, is paired with hip hop drums and strings - it’s a moving song, packed with emotion and classic guitar, but the drums and strings added to it make you want to hear it over and over and you still can’t place the style, you just know it’s good.
Michael says what he likes most about his newly forming singer/song writer career is, “When I write lyrics, I try to write a story…I try to write lyrics that paint cool images in people’s minds.” Michael’s a subtle person, and it’s evident that in what he creates, his intention is to move and uplift his audience. Michael will release his first LP in June, followed by his first solo CD this fall. Stay tuned. To hear some of Michael Austin’s LP visit www.michaellouisaustin.com.