Michael A. Levine shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Michael A., we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
There are very few young pop stars today whose work excites me. A key exception is Billie Eilish, who, with her brother Finneas, has created material that is sonically and compositionally compelling, while, at the same time, lyrically deeply meaningful and non-clichéd.
Recently, I was sitting in on electric violin at a club date with my longtime friend, and virtuoso pianist, Michael Wolff. Back when his sons, Nat and Alex, were the stars of the Nickelodeon TV show, The Naked Brothers Band, Michael and I produced their music. As a result, I became very close to both kids, sort of a surrogate uncle.
Not long ago, I heard through the grapevine that Nat – now a young adult – had a new girlfriend: the aforementioned Ms. Eilish. Sure enough, Nat and Billie were in the audience and I chatted with them after the show. I have always had tremendous respect for Nat – a child prodigy songwriter and actor who has turned into a marvelous grownup. But I was equally delighted to meet Billie who turned out to be a smart, charming, and deeply kind young woman. First she told me how much she liked my playing – that she had never anyone play the violin like that before. (I was called “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin” by Patrick Moraz of Yes and The Moody Blues.) Then Nat told her that I scored the film noir-ish Gucci commercial that she starred in (as herself and her twin) and she declared that she loved
It may seem odd to feel proud about compliments given by someone almost a half-century younger than me. But when that someone is an artist for whom you have the highest respect, it is actually quite special.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My business card, where it should probably have an occupation listed, instead says “pathological eclecticist”.
I have made my living as a music composer for some time now, first as a songwriter, then jingle writer; film, TV, and game composer; and, when I have time, for the concert hall and theater. I’ve won 8 ASCAP Awards and was a Governor of the Television Academy. I scored Cold Case for Jerry Bruckheimer, wrote The Spider Pig choir arrangement in The Simpson’s Movie as part of Hans Zimmer’s team, and wrote, arranged, and/or produced songs for Lorde, Roberta Flack, and The Monkees. But probably my best-known contribution to Western culture – at least in North America – is the KitKat Gimme A Break jingle.
A few years back, I started writing screenplays as well and have several that are in various stages of development. A short film I wrote, called The Aspirant, won 20 awards worldwide and garnered praise from Gore Verbinski, Vicky Jenson, Matt Groening, and Wim Wenders.
Currently, I have a great deal of interest in a screenplay called Bo, about an autistic 17-year-old girl who takes on the daunting challenge of training an “untamable” horse for the sport of Show Jumping, and, in doing so, confronts her deepest fears and embraces her true self. Most films about autistic people (of which I am one) depict them as the “change agent” (Rain Man) or a superhero (The Accountant). But Bo tells an autistic person’s story from their viewpoint which is why autistic icon Temple Grandin said, “Bo is the kind of story about autistic people that needs to be told.”
I am also a science and history nerd.
My philosophy is that all art is storytelling and that our ability to tell stories is the reason humans are still here when all the other hominid species are not. Individually we weren’t the strongest – or even had the biggest brains. But collectively we dominate the planet, in no small part thanks to the stories which bind us all. Put Einstein in a room with a saber-toothed tiger and he’s lunch. Put 20 of us in there and we’ll figure out a way to beat the cat.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
We are a contradictory species: proud individualists who desperately need each other. We are also tribal animals. bound by invisible strands that things like music, dance, and art reinforce. But the dark side of being tribal creatures is our fear and resentment of outsiders.
Contrary to what a very wealthy, but oft-times foolish public figure recently said, our single greatest strength as a species is empathy – the ability to feel what others are feeling. Connection. And nothing connects like everybody singing the same metaphorical song, even if everybody has a slightly different approach to it.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
My Dad was arguably the smartest man I ever met. Also, perhaps, the kindest, most caring, and supportive.
When I was broke and in debt because my band – the one that was going to make me a rockstar – had just done a financially disastrous tour and broken up, I had to borrow money from him to pay the rent. I told him I was thinking of going back to college and getting the computer science degree I had given up on a decade before.
“But don’t you love music?” he asked.
“Yes, of course,” I replied. “But I’m obviously terrible at the business. With a computer science degree I could get a real job.”
This is the moment when most parents would congratulate their child for finally coming to their senses. But my dad, who had followed his passion to become a world-renowned specialist in Japanese labor relations after being told studying Japan was a “dead end”, was not most parents.
“I think you’re being short-sighted,” he said. “You love music, you’re good at it, and you work hard at it. It’ll all work out. Just be patient.”
He was right. That conversation changed my life. Three years later, I composed the KitKat Gimme A Break jingle and won my first Clio award for Mitsubishi Eclipse. So, thank you, Dad. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no. While I don’t espouse values that I don’t hold, I think that, like most reasonably successful artists, there is a certain degree of impostor syndrome. Hey, you think I’m as cool as [fill in the blank]? No way!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
He was kind, he was creative, he made me happy. That’s pretty much it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MichaelLevineMusic.com
- Instagram: michael_a_levine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-a-levine-a3848910/
- Twitter: Don’t Use
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelALevineMusic
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