John Michael was born and raised in Fairfield, California. Eventually settling
in Santa Rosa, he periodically honed his guitar playing skills throughout
the life experiences of marriage, divorce, single parenting, alcoholism
and working for Hewlett-Packard/Agilent as an electronic technician for
26 years. At the end of the workday at Agilent, John began recording his
own music on the computer. Using Musical Interface for Digital Instruments
(MIDI) and Cakewalk software, John would
combine the sounds of drums, bass and keyboards from computer sound modules
with the recorded guitar. It became his passion.
The Music
Having begun learning guitar at 15, John played in an assortment of garage
bands (most notably Cottonmouth). Over time, his time playing the guitar became
divided between the acoustic nylon guitar and the electric. More recently
John has played in Hard Knox and Eric Lindell and the Reds.
Acoustic
John's nylon guitar style and song writing originated from learning standard Latin Jazz tunes on the keyboard. After transposing the cord structure and feel of the piano to the guitar, gleaning from influences as Earl Klugh (guitar) and Ramsey Lewis (piano), and letting the imagination flow, John created his Mi Para Ti CD.
Electric
John's fiery electric guitar style reflects his admiration of the awesome guitar players from the 1960's and '70's: Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Robben Ford, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Larry Carlton, and Jerry Garcia. Listening to the blues/jazz of Mose Allison (piano/singer), at an early age, left an indelible influence. The culmination of these different influences and many others is the Strictly from Hunger CD.
Studio
John has probably spent more time in front of a computer, writing
and recording music, than in any other activity. The Mi Para Ti
and Strictly from Hunger CD's were the result of meticulously combining
recorded voice and/or guitar (digital audio) with computer sound module
sounds (MIDI synthesizer). To check out his Studio page, click here.
Guitar Shop
John has never owned a guitar that he hasn't worked on or modified. While
some earlier versions had regrettable consequences, he has developed fine
guitar craftsmanship. Manipulating the playability and tonality of his guitars
is another of John's passions and endeavors. To check out his latest guitar
work, click here.
Art of Moderation
Parts of this story are too sad to tell. Still, after years of alcoholism
and a couple attempts to participate in Alcoholics Anonymous, John recovered
from alcoholism and is now able to drink alcohol moderately. Understanding
why and how he was able to drink moderately after years of uncontrollable
drinking led him to write his book The Art of Moderation:
An Alternative to Alcoholism.
Ever wonder why some people drink uncontrollably? How is it that some people can drink alcohol moderately after being an alcoholic? To go to the Art of Moderation page, click here.
