BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Michael began playing the trumpet at the age of 9 thanks to his parents John Clark and Diane Kay-Clark. His life would soon change as he was thrust into the world of music. During his time at Shawmont Elementary School, Michael began his journey performing in various concerts, musicals and competitions. Later, while attending the city's prestigious High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), Michael continued to win competitions achieving his way to principal chair in the PMEA All-State Orchestra.

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He obtained scholarships for his bachelor's degree in music education from the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University (class of 2013). With his interest in both classical and jazz fields, he was mentored by jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford, classical trumpeter Rodney Mack, jazz guitarist Greg Kettinger, and classical trombonist Paul Bryan. While attending the institution, Michael had the opportunity to perform on stages such as the Apollo Theather, the Kimmel Center and Dizzy’s Coke Club with extraordinary musicians such as Terell Stafford, Dick Oats and Wycliffe Gordon.

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Following his time at Temple, Michael immediately set sail for Carnival Cruise Lines where he travelled the seas as a lounge musician for many years honing his skills in countries such as Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Granada, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago. Since returning to Philadelphia, Michael has continued to perform in front of thousands of audience members as well as give back to his city through educating the youth as a music educator with the School District of Philadelphia. He currently plays with Chicago9, Combo Melaza, Monte Carlo and award winning band Fl!p.