Michael Gaspari shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Michael, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is key to everything I do in my life. For every project I work on, my biggest pre-requisite is for it to align with my morals. If it doesn’t, I choose not to steer my energy and intelligence towards that, but rather to another project that does align with my morals.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a composer, artist, songwriter, producer, educator, and keyboard/synth player. I am currently a lecturer at the University of Miami Frost School of Music Media Scoring and Production program where I also got my M.M. from. I completed my B.M. as a Composition and TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts) double major at Oberlin College and Conservatory. My teaching philosophy is driven by promoting accessibility for neurodivergent identities in music education. My self-built teaching program Noise and Buttons aims to allow anyone to learn music with sensory-friendly interfaces and teaching methods. I have released four albums and two singles that range in genre diversity onto all streaming platforms. In addition, I have written music for film, tv, large ensembles, live electronics, installations, and electroacoustic spaces. My compositional style is driven by experimentation with sound and synthesizers, sonic environments, extended performance techniques, DSP programming, film scoring, and songwriting. Ultimately, I aim to use my music and teaching to make the music industry more accommodating and accepting of the neurodivergent community.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed for the longest time that I was broken. For my time from elementary to high school, I was confused on who I was. This is a topic that I discuss deeply in my third album “On the Bridge”. At the time, I didn’t know about my autism diagnosis, and I only had a small glimpse of what I thought autism was supposed to look like in my peers. Therefore, I believed that I was quote “normal”, but there was still something off. Every time I would join into a conversation with others, I thought I was saying the right things, but apparently I wasn’t. I wasn’t allergic to peanuts, but I couldn’t stand the smell of the other kid’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was bullied for the strangest reasons. I really did believe I was broken. However, after learning about my diagnosis in my sophomore year of college, I reflected back on all the experiences I had up until this point, and I realized that I was never broken. Autism isn’t something that needs to be fixed. It is simply a difference in the way I perceive the world. I wasn’t broken, rather misunderstood and not accommodated by my peers and teachers.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Follow all of your goals and dreams. They may seem out of reach for you now, but trust me, following them will be worth it. Don’t let anyone tell you how to be. You are who you are, and that is beautiful!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Wow, I have a ton to say on this. I think the music industry that I am a part of sadly views any living breathing human that is part of it as expendable. When a beloved artist passed away, fans would mourn the loss of someone who brought them joy. Musicians would mourn the loss of an inspiration. Today, the industry sees dollar signs. They say: “this artist isn’t really dead, we have their voice model available”. I think you see where I am going with this. A.I. is the biggest lie that music industry tells itself. “It is a new tool, just like the computer was”. A computer made music more accessible to millions of people, while A.I. aims to replace those millions of people who thought they had a shot. The computer is an instrument, performed by the human who uses it. A.I. is a plagiarist, controlled by databases. I stand strong on this information. There have been many of these “tools” sold with the idea that the very thing humans have been doing for thousands of years can be automated to the point where you sit and watch a robot do it for you. All you need to do is rake in the cash. Art is built upon human expression. A.I. doesn’t can make a painting look like the Mona Lisa, but it doesn’t deeply understand why that painting is so impactful. A.I. can make a song sound like the current pop music, but it doesn’t understand the significance of the choices made in those songs/productions. The reason we gravitate towards these artistic choices is simply because of the beautiful emotions we feel when consuming them. All in all, when I hear “A.I is the future” from my industry, I feel for all the young artists and musicians who feel like they are expendable. To them, I say: “Don’t let A.I. win! Pick up a paintbrush, learn music production software, and put your heart and soul into every piece of art you make. Emotion and intention will always win!”
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I place myself among people who let me be my authentic self. This means I can stim, talk about my special interests, and spill my complex emotions. There are those times where I might be at a party, or a very important business meeting. During these experiences, I put on a philosophical mask. This mask filters out anything I say to sound appropriate, any movements I make to let everyone around me feel comfortable, and any topics I bring up benefit the people around me rather than myself. It is only with very few people in my life where I can take off this mask, because I know they will accept and accommodate me no matter what.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michaelgasparimusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelgasparimusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gaspari-8a8537187/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelgasparimusicstudios
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/michael-gaspari-music
Image Credits
Inji Jung
