It may have escaped your notice, but I am in fact something of a Big Deal, you know. Don’t believe me? What if I told you I recently featured in a newspaper article dedicated entirely to meeeeee!
A big ‘thank you’ to Andy from Didsbury Post for not only taking an interest in my exploits but also putting together a really well-written little article. Next stop: The Guardian!
“Michael Grant – A World of Woodwind
“by Andy Rayner
“It may seem somewhat absurd that a film about an inept French detective could be the spark for a successful musical career, and although Michael Grant may not be directly indebted to Inspector Clouseau, he can certainly trace his musical beginnings back to the iconic theme tune from the Pink Panther film series. Growing up in the seaside town of Scarborough, he was a seven-year-old primary school pupil when his teacher brought a clarinet into class and played a rendition of Henry Mancini’s classic piece, inspiring Michael to take up the instrument himself.
“By the age of 14, Michael had passed his grade 8 clarinet exam, and moved on to the bassoon. Being interested in musical theatre, this gave him an opening into playing in the orchestra for local amateur dramatic productions, where he discovered that woodwind players are expected to be extremely versatile. After landing a place in the pit for one particular show, he was informed by the producer that he would be required to play saxophone as well – with just five weeks to learn it before the run began! Next up was the flute, and having a completely different embouchure from the reed instruments this became his biggest challenge, which of course he successfully overcame to give him a good spread of diversity within the woodwind family.
“I expected Michael to tell me that he went on to music college after sixth form, but in fact he ended up at Durham University studying chemistry. Despite being immersed the the sciences, he discovered a fantastic music scene in the city and was eventually playing in three different orchestras as well as singing in a barbershop choir. After graduation, he returned home to Scarborough and was so busy with music that thoughts of a scientific career were firmly put on the back burner. With regular engagements in London, he moved to the capital but then found that gigs and sessions were being offered all over the country.
“Michael decided that Manchester was the place to be to make the best of these opportunities, so he is now based in Didsbury and is busier than ever. It has also given him the opportunity to pursue another passion, trad jazz, and he plays regularly with the Dixie Beats, a 6-piece outfit based in Bolton. Composition and arranging are two more fields where Michael is involved, and he has recently written a whole CD’s worth of piano pieces that have been recorded by professional pianist Jack Mitchell Smith under the title of ‘Miniatures’ – an interesting collection that is well worth a listen. Michael’s big ambition is to become a successful composer of film music, and with his talent he could well become the successor to John Williams and Hans Zimmer – or even the next Henry Mancini…”
