Biography

Musician, composer, musical playwright, actor—

Michael J. Miles is a rare artist who combines talents from numerous artistic disciplines. He is a creative force who has produced a remarkable catalog of musical works—recordings, books, and stage productions. He is an educator who works in university settings as well as in the Chicago public schools.

As a musician, Miles' groundbreaking work on the banjo has put him in a category all his own. The Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich said, “Miles has dared to take on some of the most dramatic and profound music ever written, and succeeded.” What Miles has accomplished musically, has rarely, if ever, been attempted by others—his instrumental compositions, his interpretations of JS Bach, and his lyrical tone set him apart from other banjoists. It is no surprise that other banjoists of great renown, notably Pete Seeger and Bela Fleck, have chosen to collaborate with him on original works of music. And he's a fine singer, who just earned an MA Music degree in classical and jazz guitar.

Miles’ father played the player piano and sang showtunes to wind down after working his blue-collar job. The house was filled with music, and the sense that music-making was for everyone. Miles brings that same unbridled, inclusive sense to his work on stage and in the classroom. As a playwright and actor, Miles has created numerous musical works for the stage including Propaganda & Political Song (2003), Chicago Rhythm & Rhymes (2002), America 1941 (2001), How Africa Met Ireland In American Song (2000), and his ongoing one-man shows, American Songbag and The Magic Banjo. In November 2004, The Magic Banjo finished an exhilarating 10-week run at the renowned Milwaukee Repertory Theater. “Captivating.entertaining. thoughtful,” said the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Other select venues include the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC; the Royal Opera Theatre in Marrakesh, Morocco; Ravinia Festival and the Chicago Humanities Festival in Chicago and numerous other cultural organizations and festivals.

Miles served as the President of The Folk Alliance, steering that organization through its early years (1990-1993). Miles is also an educator and author, with over a decade of university teaching at Villanova University and VanderCook College of Music (1988-present). As Program Director at the legendary Old Town School of Folk Music (1984-1998), Miles visionary leadership in music education brought the school unprecedented growth and national acclaim.