L. Michael S. TakeLessons Instructor General Music, Percussion, Piano W. Sam Houston Pkwy. S., Houston, TX

L. Michael is an artist that blends the smooth stylings of jazz and the soulful harmonies of R&B with the themes of faith, hope, and love through his music. Most people have remarked that to hear L. Michael's music is to at once experience peace and a serene contentment in the atmosphere.

L. Michael grew up in the city of Garland, TX (near Dallas) with his first musical memories of listening to the greats of gospel such as Andrae Crouch, Kirk Franklin, and The Clark Sisters to name a few. He was also tuned in to the unique sounds of mainstream musical geniuses such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. So, many artists from R&B to Soul to Jazz to Pop to Hip Hop and even Classical have contributed to L. Michael's own sound and he continues to revolutionize his own playing with diverse genres of music.

L. Michael is a formally trained percussionist with his studies beginning in the 6th grade at age 11 up through the college level at the University of Houston where he studied for a year under Dr. Blake Wilkins before completing his BBA in Management. During that time, he grew musically as a pianist and vocalist in the Good News Gospel Choir and developed even further his gift of songwriting. He has written and recorded songs with the University of Houston Baptist Student Ministry and the Youth Development Ministry (YDM) Mass Choir, which was featured on the Bobby Jones Gospel Show in 2004. L. Michael also adds to this experience and education 6 years of teaching English and extra-curricular music in Houston ISD where he started the Hogg Middle School drumline and developed this and other groups for performance in front of their peers and select administrative staff throughout the District.

L. Michael's number one passion is to be a positive role model and empower youth with wisdom and help them to learn about life through the universal gift and language of music. He is currently beginning work on his first album and looking to change people's lives through his music.

L. Michael loves to see the students get those "ah-ha" moments when the light bulb turns on. He expects his students to be engaged and participate in the learning experience, which is normally pretty easy given his care for the student as a whole and his humorous nature.

Lessons with L. Michael will ensure that the student has a sound understanding of music in its various aspects, while teaching in a hands-on manner. His interactive, multi-faceted approach is a little different from classical methods of teaching piano, but the student will grasp the concepts and develop a mental framework through which they can quickly understand and create their own musical style as well as build upon for the future.

Gospel (with Classical, Jazz, R&B influences)

General Music, Percussion, Piano