BIO
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Michael Emenau has worked professionally as a vibraphonist, composer, producer, and arranger for 25+ years playing such diverse genres as jazz, rock, drum&bass, salsa, techno, country, hindustani, gospel, baroque, klezmer and orchestral music. During this time he has recorded on over 150 CD’s, composed music for 7 films, toured internationally, and lived on 3 continents. As a recording artist, he has released a series of highly acclaimed solo CD’s on boutique record labels: Hearts of Space, Daikini, Lucky Bear and Six Degree’s records. A few of many notable venues where he has performed range from Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie de Paris to the Knitting Factory and the Boom Festival.
As a vibraphonist Michael has performed and recorded with such artists as Daniel Humair, Barry Finnerty, Paul Jackson, UFO, Benoît Charest, Dred Scott, Karen Young, Jimmy and Chet Doxas, and is a co-founder of the multiple award-winning San Francisco based “Jazz Mafia”. Currently Michael performs as a member of Benoît Charest’s touring ensemble “Les Triplettes de Belleville” as well his own Jazz/Americana group “Sussex” which he co-leads with CFMA singer of the year Rob Lutes. |
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Michael is the creator of the music education/ear training App (Easy Music) selected as “iTunes Editors Choice “Best New APP” for iTunes/App Store Worldwide” as well as “Top 10 Apps of 2016”.
His Online course “Play Music by Ear– From Beginner to Fluency” is currently top rated and bestselling on UDEMY. Also his online school HEAR PLAY now hosts multiple music courses that provide beginners with the tools and confidence they need to start playing. . Formerly a teacher and content developer for DubSpot(NYC), Michael is now writing education blogs for the Icon Collective(LA). Current Projects :
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Projects
MNO - Lofi beats and Moods
What if Scott Joplin, Muddy Waters and Tom Waits stopped in a bar for a drink.....or two
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SUSSEX was founded by longtime friends Rob Lutes and Michael Emenau who after 25 years of pursuing their own careers have once again found themselves making music together. Their diverse musical backgrounds ranging from blues, roots, jazz, and classical, to electronic music have given them a unique palette for storytelling and dream-making.
Featuring CFMA 2019 Contemporary Singer of the Year Rob Lutes and international touring artist Michael Emenau, the genre-defying Montreal roots project Sussex, unveils its new album, suitably titled, The Ocean Wide. With Emenau on vibraphone and pianica; Lutes on guitar, banjo, and vocals; Ivanhoe Jolicoeur on trumpet; Bruno Lamarche on clarinet and saxophone; and mixed by renowned Montreal engineer Rob Heaney (Cirque du Soleil, Patrick Watson)- The Ocean Wide is roots music at its most adventurous with its eclectic, exhilarating journey — at times joyful, at times melancholy — that takes us improbably right to the very heart of American roots music. “Whether or not veteran blues/roots performer Rob Lutes and jazz vibraphonist Michael Emenau set out to create something totally new is beside the point; they did. It's here in this genre-ignoring group, Sussex.” -Bob Mersereau. |
Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville avec Benoit Charest
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To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the unclassifiable, outrageous, and universally acclaimed animated film The Triplets of Belleville, composer Benoît Charest leads the nine-piece Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville, of which Michael Emenau is the percussionist, in a live performance of his original score in tandem with a screening of the film. The film features a cascade of memorable characters: square-shouldered noir-era henchmen, an impossibly wiry Tour de France cyclist, and of course the three eponymous jazz-era divas. The New York Times calls it “a tour de force of ink-washed, crosshatched mischief, and unlikely sublimity.”
Charest’s score is a modern spin on 1930s Parisian jazz, ranging from rollicking dance numbers to dusky chansons, including the Oscar-nominated tune “Belleville Rendez-vous.” This performance, developed as a special presentation for the 2015 Montreal Jazz Festival, comes complete with live jazz-age music, singing, dancing, and live Foley artist accompaniment. A deluxe film and music presentation fit for big and little kids alike. This gig has been going for five years now, with no signs of stopping. • Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Rimouski International Jazz Festivals • Taipei National Theater • Roy Thompson Hall • Macau Arts Center • San Francisco Opera House • Melbourne, Aukland and Adelaide Festivals • Prospect Park Arts Festival, NYC • Philharmonie de Paris • Opéra de Monte-Carlo • Orchestre National de Lyon |
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THE MUSIC LESSON
In “The Music Lesson” you learn to play music by ear on the piano by following along with the lighthearted lessons between Michael and novice student Daniel (friends for 25+ years). Ear-training, song learning, music theory, music history, and amusing banter about the state of the world and the joys of coffee are woven throughout the sessions.
The most exciting thing about these lessons is that Daniel has no prior knowledge on what he is going to be taught. Every lesson and student is unique, but the good news is music in all of us.
The most exciting thing about these lessons is that Daniel has no prior knowledge on what he is going to be taught. Every lesson and student is unique, but the good news is music in all of us.
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Hear Play - Online Music School
hear-play.teachable.comAll my courses are created with the intention of helping students learn how to play music by ear through connecting our ears, eyes, voice and body to the music present all around us. Please visit HEAR PLAY for more information.
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