Michael J. Johnson on purevolume™

Rock / Experimental / Electronica

Dr. Michael Johnson is a mix of extraordinary talent and a genuine down-to-earth attitude rarely seen in a person with such an astonishingly diverse range of musical aptitudes.

With over twenty years experience as a professional guitarist and vocalist, Michael has been blessed to work along side such heavies as Jon Secada (EMI), Lari White (RCA), Dawnn Lewis (A Different World), Take Six, Bob Dorough and Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live). In the studio he performed soundtracks for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, The Orange Bowl Half-Time Show, CPP Belwin (Warner Bros.), and album projects at The Record Plant (formerly Criteria Studios) in Miami, Florida.

An independent certified ProTools engineer, Michael has produced over fifteen nationally distributed acts whose musical genres span from scremo to classical. At South Beach Studio (Miami) and New River Studio (Fort Lauderdale,) he recorded and produced rock, jazz and hip hop albums for national clients and local independent bands.

As a member of ASCAP, he is a nationally recognized songwriter whose independent rock releases have been featured in films such as Night Becomes Day and Samsara. Summit Records houses one of his finest jazz compositions, His Song and country, gospel and industrial song credits to his name can be found on iTunes. As an arranger he has nationally published works including Celebrate, Straight No Chaser and a jazz vocal arrangement of Princes New Power Generation.

Well rounded and master of all things musical doesnt even begin to describe his passion for this field. Michael also has an affinity for teaching and mentoring young minds. As an educator, Dr. Michael Johnson, served as Director of Commercial Music at Greenville College for six years, where he managed the degree programs in songwriting, digital recording and performance. There he started a ProTools certification program and mentored a number of students who have been signed by major record labels, including Augustana with their hit song Boston (SONY/BMG), Stephanie Smith (Sparrow/EMI), and Better Days Ahead (Creative Trust Agency).

In spring of 2008, he adds the title of author to his resume as he releases two commercial music textbooks he penned for use in higher education. A co-publishing venture with Lulu Publishing and his own company Abbey West Productions will distribute the texts entitled Pop Music Theory and Jazz Vocal Improvisation, which include a workbook and CD listening examples for transcription. Setting new standards in the music education market, he will also offer online texts, lecture notes, PowerPoint lectures and exam materials for professors.

Known as Dr. J to his students and even some of his friends, Michael received his doctorate in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Miami in 1999. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts as a member of the Independent Film Society of Boston, scoring films and producing local releases and is an A&R Scout for Major Label Records.

This page brings together all of the disparate projects he is currently working on. All of the songs are written or co-written by Michael. He also performed on all of the tracks, and produced and engineered them as well.
"Flat Broke" is an album by The Flat Broke Band, a Southern Rock Band, in which Michael plays lead guitar and sings lead and backing vocals. The album was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Michael. It is available now on CDBaby.
"Sonic Cinema" is an album and duo with Michael's brother Chad. The music is a mxture of powerpop, mainstream rock, and funk, with a tiny bit of hiphop and techno-industrial thrown in. Michael sang lead and backing vocals, played all guitars, as well as keyboards and bass. He also engineered, mixed, mastered and co-produced it.
"Odyssey" is a solo experimental electronic album by Michael, which will be available soon. Michael wrote and performed all of the music, and produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the CD.
Please visit the following for more information:
www.flatbrokeband.com, www.myspace.com/theflatbrokeband
www.myspace.com/soniquecinema
www.myspace.com/michaeljohnson0664

You can hear some of the music by artists/bands he has produced here:
Pilots
Nibley
Julie Hunter ("What Dies")
6-8 aka Yung Poe
Benjamin Harrel
Maribeth ("I Refuse")