Michael Barnes

I started playing at 7, and realized pretty soon that music was what I wanted to pursue. After completing one year of a tertiary music course during my final year in high school I was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.During my time at WAAPA, I was fortunate enough to have studied and performed with such jazz legends as: Frank Foster, James Morrison, Don Burrows, Paul Grabowsky, and Graeme Lyall among others. I chose arranging and composition as my major and was privileged to be able to write for a very unique ensemble called the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra. Being a 50-piece orchestra, I was able to write extended works for jazz orchestra.I was awarded the prestigious Bob Wylie scholarship that enabled me to relocate to Norway directly after my studies.After relocating to Norway, I began writing a concert of music for one of Bergen’s local big bands Blæst. The music was performed in the autumn of my first year in Norway. Early in 2004, I received a financial grant from the Australian Council For The Arts that allowed me to begin writing new material for a new big band that I formed in my second year in Norway. Comprised of professionals from Bergen and the surrounding area, the New Bergen Ensemble went on to perform to concerts to excellent reviews, but due to financial problems, the band could not continue.Along with the D.J. concept FunkU, I have also recorded extensively for Kakkmaddafakka, and perform live with the band as a special guest. I’m a regular member of the Bergen Big Band, which has afforded me the opportunity to perform with artists such as Karin Krog, John Surman, and Mattias Eik, and The Core, and Gianluigi Trovesi among others.I also direct, perform and arrange all the music for an 8-piece group called The High Aces; a group dedicated to performing all the hits of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Etc. I’m currently the musical director of Storband 90, a high level amateur big band in which I also write a large percentage of the repertoire. I’m also a member of the up-and-coming pop group poor Felix (keep your ears open for this one!)In addition to these groups, Michael works as a freelance musician throughout Norway. He has also been involved in a composition project in Australia called Chinese Whispers that has recently been recorded live and broadcast over radio nationally in Australia. gigya{}.pmp_info{ Generated at http://www.Pimp-My-Profile.com/ }