Piano
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael Waters began his music journey at eight at the Settlement Music School in Wynnfield. Trained under Mr. Russel Klein, Mr. Waters began to develop a love for classical piano composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. What gravitated Michael to the piano was hearing his father play by ear at home. At the age of 7, Michael could pick out the notes correctly that his father would play randomly, which led his parents to structure him in lessons immediately. At the Mount Zion Baptist Church, Waters was introduced to Gospel music by his mentor and Minister of Music, Mr. Anthony White. Sparking the idea of creative freedom, Michael also started sitting in services with Mr. White to absorb the ambiance of his musicality.
He attended the Girard Academic Music Program in middle and high school, where he developed his knowledge of music theory, sight reading, and introduction to the choir. For all four years of high school, Waters has participated in GAMP's concert choir, performing consistently in the spring and winter concerts and events such as the All-City Music Festival at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. During his senior year of High School, Mr. Waters had the privilege of studying under the Jazz legend Al-Jarreau at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, learning about the art of scatting, voice manipulation, and writing in a 4-week workshop.
After graduating High School, Mr. Waters furthered his education by receiving his associate's degree at the Community College of Philadelphia, where he studied Sound Engineering and Composition. During his time in college, he performed at multiple events at Mount Zion Baptist church banquets and services as a pianist, as well as partaking in a concert choir series titled "A Soulful Christmas" under director Dr. J. Donald Dumpson since 2016.
Currently, Mr. Waters is tapping into his passion for developing musicians in the studio, recording both vocal and piano compositions as a band leader for local artists in the Philadelphia and Jersey area. Making the decision to teach came from wanting to show students that anything is possible when you allow your creativity to flow. If there were one lesson Mr. Waters would wish all his students to learn, it would be not to be afraid of failure, but to embrace it as a chance to grow and create. When learning something new, stay curious and disciplined enough never to stop craving and wanting to be better.