Growing up in Santa Cruz County, Michael was drawn to the creative freedom that art and music provided and found great comfort in drawing the things he loved the most: his mom, his pets, and his house. Raised in a predominately white household he couldn’t help but notice the differences in his skin color compared to the rest of his family’s. After learning he was adopted, he eventually became aware that his birthmother was a homeless woman struggling with mental illness and unable to care for him. The mysteries surrounding his origin fueled his creative spirit and imagination. As a young queer kid, he felt stifled by being told what to do and who to be. Music allowed Michael to see how sound could move people, providing an outlet for anger, sadness, and happiness. He took piano lessons with jazz musician, Steve Abram and began to learn how to play guitar. He continued art education at Cabrillo College. In October of 2021, he showed his print & dye work at an LGBTQ Benefit for Greater Purpose Brewing Company. In his recent print work, he took a font that’s well known and adds a political twist to it. (For example, The ICE machine font and logo becomes the political statement calling to “Abolish ICE” - Immigration Customs Enforcement.) Michael is currently applying this form of pop art to help understanding gender as a broad subject and reshaping how people view gender, sexuality, and race. He released two singles, Fire Season and Original Sin and is now working on a new electronic music EP, exploring a colder and darker sound for 2022. His work can be found on Instagram Spotify and Soundcloud.