Michael Moran- Piano

Michael Moran is originally from Chicago, Illinois where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Pedagogy/Performance. He serves as Director of Music Ministries at Christ Episcopal Church in Alameda and has conducted operas with Virago Theatre, is Associate Company Director with Verismo Opera and also one of the Conductors for the Alameda Sing-it-Yourself Messiah. He has been teaching piano for almost twenty years and very much enjoys sharing the joys of music with students!

Alive or Dead, What Musician would you do anything to see?
I would love to meet and hear perform Beethoven! He wrote such AMAZING piano music and I can’t believe he was deaf when he wrote a lot of it!

Greatest Musical Influence?
As a church musician, I think Bach had the greatest musical influence over ALL musicians. Whether they followed it or not, virtually all were exposed to his style and gained from it, one way or another.

Any hidden talents besides music?
I try to swim a few times a week to stay active and used to run half-marathons. I like to sail in my free time.
What did you want to be while you were growing up?
I always wanted to be a musician and with a LOT of luck, I feel very fortunate that I am!

If you could have any ‘Super Power’, which one would it be?
Hmm, I actually think that Batman is the BEST Superhero because he doesn’t have ANY Super Power but still keeps up with the rest – Ha!

If you could master any other instrument which would it be?
I’ve always loved and wanted to play the cello.

Have you had what people would consider your “15 Minutes of Fame”, and if so when/what was that?
Every few months, I get to be the Conductor of an orchestra with either opera singers or many choral singers but I PROMISE YOU, it is mostly a team effort and I just get the privilege to ‘lead the band’. 🙂

It’s your last meal: What would it be?
Definitely blackened prime rib – SO GOOD!!

You are sent to a deserted island, and you only have one album to listen to: Which is it?
Glenn Gould’s early recording of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”…also, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – love me some 80’s music!

If you could leave one lesson with your students what would it be?
Music, like life, is a process. You get out of of it what you put into it and oftentimes, those same lessons apply to many other aspects of life.