Michael Finegold is a “diversified” musician experienced in classical, jazz, Latin, dance and show music. As a professional musician he plays flute, Indian Bansuri, saxophones and clarinet. He is a composer of classical and jazz, Artistic Director of the Essex Chamber Music Players and Essex Jazz Ensemble
As an educator he is presently the applied woodwind teacher at Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill MA where he was the Music Professor/Music Coordinator for 33 years until retirement. He is now NECC Music Professor Emeritus. He teaches woodwinds, theory and software composition in his Andover studio
His diversification began as a high school student playing flute in the All-New York City High School Orchestra while clarinet concert-master in the symphonic band, and saxophone in the dance band at Abraham Lincoln High School, Brooklyn, NY. Michael took lessons with saxophone and clarinet teacher Buddy Geier learning improvisation and chord knowledge as well as sax section playing. The sax section included the young to be well-known saxophonist Eddie Daniels. Michael made friends with Eddie and bass player Herb Mickman who had bebop jam sessions at his house where we all jammed. Herb became well known in California. A native New Yorker Michael spent time going to jazz clubs- Birdland, the Half Note, Village Vanguard and Five Spot. Michael organized a jazz group that played on the Sunday amateur hour at Birdland. The band included Eddie Daniels and Herb Mickman
In high school, Michael was also playing with the rock ‘n’ roll famous singer/composer Neil Sedaka. Michael and Neil Sedaka were friends at Lincoln High. He joined Neil’s performances playing tenor saxophone and classical flute for the Lincoln high school assemblies, along with school dances and an appearance on the Ted Steel dance show
Throughout high school, Michael spent every summer performing shows and dance music in the Catskill Mountains. He played for social events the rest of the year in NYC
During the school year, he spent time studying flute with Samuel Barron and classical music theory at the Juilliard School of Music preparatory division, New York. He earlier studied flute with Broadway show woodwind musician Mel Rodman
While attending Brooklyn College as a pre-dental student and then music major, Michael played with NYC Latin bands (Pete Terrace, Bouffatique, Alfredito, Jose Curbelo, and Randy Carlos) for 5 years, excelling in the Cuban Charanga style known for flute and strings. In this style, the flute improvises between the singing (coros.)
Michael began composition studies with well-known composer Joseph Manieri learning serial technique composition. After graduating Brooklyn College Michael took a year off and played shows at the Concord Hotel in the Catskill, NY mountains while studying with principal flutist James Polites of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and composition with Jan Meyerowitz in New Jersey
In 1965 Michael began graduate studies at the Yale School of Music coincidently studying flute again with Samuel Barron, later with Thomas Nyfenger and composition with Gunther Schuller, Richmond Brown and James Drew. At Yale, Michael studied contemporary classical music performance and orchestra playing. He met up with a fellow grad student, the gifted composer and phenomenal jazz player William Thomas McKinley (Tom McKinley.). They played jazz gigs and Michael premiered Tom’s contemporary classical pieces in Sprague Hall
After graduating Yale with MM and MMA degrees Michael moved to Boston,... Massachusetts in 1969 with his wife Sondra and newborn child Joni, to study with Doriot Antony Dwyer, principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra whom Michael met while a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Through New England Conservatory he studied composition and the Lydian Tonal Concept with jazz composer George Russell, and played flute in Russell’s school jazz ensemble
Michael’s professional career took root in Boston at first playing dance gigs with the various music contracting offices, then summer theater at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, Northshore Music Theater, Chateau DeVille dinner theaters, and the Shubert and Colonial Theaters. Michael enjoyed long employment with the Bill, Bo and Ed Winiker Orchestras playing saxophone, clarinet and flute on classic swing charts, as well as show tunes, pop and rock for parties
In 1972 Michael became full-time music faculty at Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA. Over 33yrs. Michael developed the music curriculum and music facilities.
In 1975 Tom McKinley became a member of the New England Conservatory of Music composition faculty and Michael and Tom had a milestone reunion playing jazz and Michael playing Tom’s contemporary classical music but this time at NECC and in Boston. The group Tom and Mike played together in was the Essex Jazz Ensemble. Michael recorded flute and orchestral works, chamber music, and jazz for Tom’s company Master Musicians Collective (now Parma Recordings.)
