We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Needham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
My dad was in the Air Force, so I lived in a few places growing up. I went to high school in Clovis, NM, which had a bit over 30,000 people living there when I left in 1999. Clovis fits into an equilateral triangle with Lubbock and Amarillo, each about 100 miles away. Those were the big cities to us. We had dedicated music educators though, who made a real impact on me. I played trombone in junior high and high school, and was blessed with the opportunity to take voice lessons with one of the best teachers I could have asked for. I’m proud to say that Clovis had one of the best music programs in the state.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m going to say something here I’d never tell my students: Dropping out of college was one of the best things I ever did.

I attended college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and enjoyed my time there very much. I was heavily involved in the music department and around town as a musician; so heavily involved that I started to get burned out. At that time Lubbock was only so big and also a bit isolated, so after enough years I felt like a medium-sized fish in a small pond. I dropped out of school to play on cruise ships for a few years, after which I relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Both of those things contributed greatly to my music education. Eventually I went back to college in my 30s to finish my degree so I could teach.

All of those things put together have greatly informed the way I approach music, both as a choir director and as a composer. I have a deeper knowledge of a wide range of music than I would have if I had simply gone straight through college and stuck to my degree plan. That means I’m able to better appreciate the music my students enjoy, rather than just trying to get them to meet me on a totally different level. I want my students to feel seen, and I want to help other directors connect with their students through meaningful musical experiences as well.

My proudest moment as a composer was when one of my teachers from 30 years ago reached out to me about a piece I had written for a choir in Grand Prairie. She had heard a demo of it and wondered if I could re-write it for her specific ensemble. I was beyond honored. A few months later I was privileged to hear the recording of the Region 22 All-Region Treble Choir singing “Spring Morning,” which I had written to celebrate the beginning of our emergence from the pandemic. I’ve heard composers describe hearing their music being played by live musicians as something akin to seeing your child for the first time. I wouldn’t know about that, but I do know how incredibly special it was to me, particularly as a student bringing something full circle to my old teacher. That was incredible.

Where I differ as a composer is that I have an equal appreciation for live music and music produced digitally, “in the box” as they say. As much as I enjoy composing for choirs I also love writing what’s referred to as media music, chiefly for film. I finished working on a small independent project not long ago and currently I’m submitting to various music libraries. Teaching others in this genre is also an absolute blast.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend were coming to hang out in Dallas-Fort Worth we’d definitely be going for BBQ, which is one of my biggest passions outside of music. I used to go to Dayne’s Craft Barbecue when they were in Lola’s Trailer Park and I have yet to make it to their new location, so that would be one of the first places I’d want to visit with them. Their bacon brisket is FIRE. I’d also want to try to get down to Goldee’s.

My taste in places is like my taste in music: eclectic. I love Sundance Square in Fort Worth, but I can also get into Deep Ellum. The Truck Yard on Lower Greenville is a favorite. One place I’d definitely want to hit up is The Balcony Club. Great music and musicians with an old-school vibe. Just a great hang.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To Jan McFarling, my 5th & 6th grade elementary music teacher, who got me involved in honor choir and always had us singing.

To Alan Dropps, my junior high choir director with an amazing set of skills and a wonderfully irreverent sense of humor.

To Charles Faulkner, assistant band director at Clovis High School, who came to Marshall Junior High multiple days a week to teach beginning low brass. He would later introduce me to the music of Sammy Nestico and organize a trip to the metropolis of Lubbock, TX to hear Maynard Ferguson live in concert.

To Norvil Howell, a legend in the New Mexico band world, Music Coordinator for Clovis Municipal Schools…who still covered beginning band classes. THAT’S WHAT’S UP. And that’s just the tip of the surface. Mad, mad respect for this man.

To Cory Trout, who instilled a sense of ownership and pride in the Marshall Junior High Band and let us have lunch with him in the band hall several times a week.

To Gordon Hart, head band director at Clovis High School, whose skill and leadership made things look easy. I now know they weren’t.

To Wayne Anderson, Music Coordinator succeeding Norvil Howell, who taught me private voice lessons every Sunday afternoon for 3 years while I was in high school and being in band and choir was strictly verboten. He never charged me a dime.

To John Dickson, who opened my mind to truly seek out the meaning of the text in choral music.

To Don Lucas, who taught me to play with more musical line than I thought possible even when I was focusing on fixing something technical. And that’s just scratching the surface.

To Alan Shinn, who truly opened my world to more big band jazz than I ever knew existed. Man, you left us way too soon.

To Chris Smith, who taught me to think of musicians throughout history as real people rather than just pseudo-icons in a textbook.

To Susan Brumfield, who taught me how to teach kids without them knowing it.

To Rick Bjella, who taught me to sing with more unified passion with more attention to detail than I ever had in any choral ensemble before or since.

And to the countless people I’ve asked for help and whose guidance I continue to seek.

Website: https://theneedhamhouse.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-needham-5b8655186/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theneedhamhouse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theneedhamhouse

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCLNQocNJMpX-pyFPPUCbHA

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