Here is an article that appeared in the internal magazine for Scottish Widows (the company I work for). Free publicity is always good... The formatting isn't quite what it is in the magazine, but there's only so much you can do with the html in a blogger post
Music speaks
louder than words |
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Everyone loves putting the last piece in a puzzle and
for Chip Michael, Compliance Consultant, finishing a composition is just the same. Charlotte McNeill meets Scottish Widows’ rising musical star. |
“Once in your life you should undertake a task that is huge
but possible, difficult
ut obtainable. Something that when it’s done you can look back and say, ‘I did it’,” says Chip Michael, Compliance Consultant at Scottish Widows. Chip has done just that and in June 2008 his concert ‘Interchanging Idioms’ will be performed for the first
time. Music is an important part of Chip’s life. “I started playing the trombone aged
seven and became a pretty fair player. But playing doesn’t really satisfy me the way
composing does. It doesn’t give me the same sense of accomplishment,” says Chip.
How did Chip first become interested in composing? “My wife and I had always
been interested in musical theatre – deciding to write a musical seemed like a natural fit,” explains Chip. “My wife is
a huge influence in every
aspect of my life. I wouldn’t
be composing music if
it weren’t for her.” |
But many sources spark his creativity.
“Words, current affairs and conversations
with friends all provide inspiration. I’m a
romantic at heart so the composers I look
to mostly have that same sentiment in their
music. Debussy, Dvorak, Copland, Holst,
Shostakovich and Britten all have a large
impact on my writing,” he explains. |
The skills involved in Chip’s role at
Scottish Widows lend themselves well to
composing. “Composing music has many
facets – the initial idea, then the working
of it into all the possibilities, honing the
possibilities into a form and checking every
aspect of the music,” says Chip. “My role
in compliance is very much like this. I am
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“You have to listen to the world around you and
filter through all the sounds to create some sense
of order and then present them as music”
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What does it take to be a good composer?
“You have to listen to the world around you
and filter through all the sounds to create
some sense of order and then present
them as music. Music can be technically
perfect but lack heart so I think there
must be some connection to the
soul,” says Chip. “My wife often
says that I don’t listen to music
enough – this is because there is
constantly music running about
in my head.”
This will come as little
surprise to Chip’s colleagues.
“My co-workers often
comment on how I hum at my
desk. I hope they put it down to
me being a quirky American and
consider it a charm!” laughs Chip.
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asked for information, but I have to gather
it, sort through it to get at what really
matters, organise it so it makes sense and
ultimately go back over every detail to
ensure the information is accurate.”
In Chip’s case, time management
is also important as he is completing a
degree in music at Napier University. “I
work 30 hours a week on a flexible basis
around my studies. Scottish Widows has
been great at accommodating this.”
What’s next? “Where I’m going
musically has started to explode. I’d love
to do a Master’s but I’d like to work on
another major project first, not necessarily
a symphony. I’d like to work with the
chamber orchestra or write a dance piece,”
says Chip. Something tells me this will not
be the last we hear from Chip.
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