Michael McDermott
For the past 15 years Michael McDermott has been an active member of the Philadelphia electronic music scene. He has hosted a recurring open forum electronic music event (now called SHARE Philly) at various venues for the past 10 years, most recently at thefidget space. He has played keyboards in live electronic music based bands such as Gemini Wolf, Robots in Disguise (US) and as a solo artist under the name, Mikronesia.
Michael is a co-founder of the Philadelphia based label and music collective, earSnake. He also performs, writes and produces in the electronic music ensemble Gemini Wolf with Megan Cauley. Since its inception in 2005, Gemini Wolf has performed throughout the US and Europe and released five albums on earSnake. As a solo performer, Michael performs under the moniker Mikronesia using electroacoustic sounds. He has performed in major cities around the world including New York, Toronto, Berlin, Paris and London and extensively in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Michael has scored music and sound design for several of choreographers. He has created original music scores for movement-based artists such as Perpetual Movement and Sound, Here Begin Dance, Ring Dance Theater, Erin Foreman-Murray, Jaamil Kosoko, Gia T, Jil Stifel and Nora Gibson Performance Group.
In 2010 Michael became a member of NEXUS / Foundation for Today’s Arts as their resident sound artist. He has done art installations and compositions at NEXUS Gallery, Little Berlin and at the Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education. These shows have included kinetic sound sculptures, surround sound audio art collages and original ensemble pieces for string quartet, trio, flute quartet and electronics and other live instruments. Michael has been commissioned for his compositions and installations from The Argosy Foundation, Meet the Composers, Community Education Center, Drexel University, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, The Fred Rogers Center and American Composer’s Forum.
As a film composer he has written music for films by Derek Moench, Dan Tabor, Kurtis Sensensig, Steven Denisevicz, Scott Johnston, Anastasia Wong, Kurtis Sensenig and J Louise Makary.
Pangaea: When The Continents Were One is Michael first opera. The ninety minute minute work features and ensemble of 17 musicians and singers, puppets, experimental video and the music ranges from chamber to tribal chants to electronic soundscapes. The opera was written in collaboration with lyrics and melodies from Megan Cauley, Steve Quaranta, Christian Rabin, John Morrison and Jalima Shani. The premiere of Pangaea: When The Continents Were One also featured video by Nico Dominguez and costumes and head pieces by Tigre Bailando, Megan Cauley and Liza Godell.
In 2013 Michael began to bridge his day job work as a web developer and his creative pursuits by creating an interactive sound application “Edge of Nostalgia”. The app/album uses the listeners smartphone microphone to blend the sound world around them into a suite of pre-recorded ambient music, creating a unique listening experience each time they listen. In 2015 he collaborated with a team of artists, designers and programmers to develop an interactive deep listening and meditation app for children called Woosh for the Fred Rodgers Center.
Mikronesia recordings can be found at his website and through labels including Gears of Sand, kikapu, earSnake, Entropy and Nophi. His most recent release In a River the Color of Lead is available on vinyl and digital formats through the label NOREMIXES.
Thumbnail from SHARE with thingNY event in 2013 at Fidget Space.