We spoke a lot about the physical impact of sound waves, and how our ears, and bodies, perceive them. For me, the combinations of notes - the sound waves - that Michael chooses hit me very physically both as a listener and a performer. As a performer, I mentioned how playing some of the notes he chooses makes my body feel like it is being ripped apart. As a listener, I often feel that the note combinations he chooses align different energies within my body - causing different parts to tense or relax as a I listen. 

When I think of Michael’s music from the perspective of construction, the following are ever-present for me:

Clarity of form and intention.

Execution of craft and skill.

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His work is searingly direct while simultaneously far-reaching in emotional impact. It is powerful, cutting both like an axe, and like the thinnest piece of paper.  

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For me, the way that he builds, uses, and creates sound is best likened to the discovery of an alternate dimension. There is nothing inherently “avant-garde” about his writing - but he is able to unlock and show (to me) new possibilities and dimensions of sound that exist within each instrument he writes for - dimensions that go from unseen to parallel with his guidance - as if you’ve tuned your radio dial into a station that you didn’t know was floating through the air all along....

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Try to find a quiet space where you can listen alone, without the distractions of your phone, computer, or other people. Pay attention to your body, your breathing as you listen. If you had to paint the music, to describe it to someone else, what imagines do you see, words would you use?