DF Michael was born and grew up in the suburbs of Rome, Italy, where he studied classical piano, jazz composition.
His parents were blue collars worker that lived through World War II and taught Df that in life you have to fight for what you want.
Later, because of a surgery to his right hand, moved to the tenor sax and performed for many years as a session musician with many jazz and pop bands.
Relocated to the USA and started playing the electric guitar after his brother, who is a renowned guitar maker, gives DF Michael a custom-made guitar as a gift.
The move to the US was not easy, and DF learned, among the other things, graphic design and web development and became an independent consultant as a stable way to support his music.
For some time DF almost gave up on the idea of pursuing a music career, but his wife Paola really motivated him to never give up and so finally DF gets back to music with a lot of energy since 2004 and finally releases his first album "Dances And Walks".
For DF is like starting all over again. Meanwhile some old friends who are professional musicians come forward and DF has the honor of having some of them in the recording.
DF releases "Dances And Walks" in June 2009, and this time he does not take any chance: he is already producing a second album scheduled to be delivered by the end of November 2009.
Meanwhile he collaborates on a couple of songs with Detroit area composer/keyboardist Motown Moe, and you can hear DF Michael featured on Motown Moe latest release EP "Romance And a Full Moon".

DF Michael's latest album, Dances And Walks, is a collection of compositions in different styles.
Dances And Walks showcases DF Michael's melodic phrasings on all newly recorded dance, smooth-jazz, blues, and pop-like tunes. The tracks melody is played sometimes by the El. Guitar, sometimes by the Tenor Saxophone, sometimes by the Acoustic Piano.
Joining DF Michael on Dances And Walks are drummer and long time friend Mimmo Antonini , bass player Claudio Zanghieri , great jazz pianist Dave Izard, great percussion player Richie Gajate-Garcia. The album has been released in June 2009 by label Shallow Waters Group Records.

DF Michael latest album, Dances And Walks, is now featured on SmoothJazz.com , the World Internet Smooth Jazz radio.

The new album Dances And Walks has been released in June 2009.
It is available on the following websites:
- DancesAndWalks.com
- Amazon.com
- CDBaby.com

DF MICHAEL RADIO

DF Michael began his professional experience at the age of seventeen in Italy. For many years he regularly played the Tenor Saxophone. He played with The Modern Big Band directed by M. Gerardo Iacoucci (Conservatory of Music in Frosinone) and with the Contemporary Saxophone Quartet (classical and contemporary music) along with M. Alfredo Santoloci - soprano sax, M. Rosario Giuliani - alto sax, M. Andrea Pace - baritone sax.

- Appeared several times along different artists on many TV programs broadcast on the Italian TV network RAI .
- Featured as sax player on the album "Rude" by Ma Steven Band (Emi). - Featured as sax player on the international radio program "Studio A" on Vatican Radio .
- Featured as sax player with the jazz band called "Un Po' Piu' Pop". With this band, DF Michael performed before 20000 people during the "Youth World Day" ("Giornata Mondiale della Gioventu'"), at the presence of the Pope (Rome, March 1996).
- Worked with singer Milton Bullock , former member of The Platters.

- Gave private lessons in Music Reading and Saxophone for many years.
- Taught Music Reading, Theory, and Saxophone at the music school Domani Musica , Rome, Italy (1992-1996). Many of his students later graduated and pursued a career in music.

DF Michael has studied Jazz Guitar with Bruce Saunders at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA.

DF Michael has participated to the Jazz Studies program at Western Michigan University (Michigan, USA) where he studied jazz piano with Dr. Stephen Zegree and Jazz Composition with Dr. Tom Knific .
DF Michael attends regularly many Master Composition and Performance classes held by great composers and musician like Lyle Mays and Fred Hersch at Western Michigan University.

DF Michael began studying piano when he was eight and for about 7 years he studied with M. Raffele Monteleone. Later, DF Michael began studying Music Theory and Reading with M. Alberto Giraldi (Music Conservatory of Benevento, Italy), then graduated with the highest grades in Music Theory, Reading and Complementary Piano (Conservatory of Music in Frosinone, Italy).
After military service (1 year), he began studying saxophone with M. Alfredo Santoloci (Music Conservatory of Santa Cecillia, Rome, Italy). After only 2 years, DF Michael was asked by M. Alfredo Santoloci to become a member of Santoloci's saxophone quartet, "The Contemporary Saxophone Quartet".
DF Michael kept studying Harmony, Composition, Counterpoint and Music History under the direction of M. Alberto Giraldi for five years. He also studied Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Ensembles under the direction of M. Gianni Oddi (Music Conservatory of Santa Cecillia, Rome, Italy).
He attended the summer courses of the Berklee College of Music of Boston held in Perugia, Italy during the Umbria Jazz Festival .

DF Michael latest album, Dances And Walks, is now featured on SmoothJazz.com , the World Internet Smooth Jazz radio.

The new album Dances And Walks has been released in June 2009.
It is available on the following websites:
- DancesAndWalks.com
- Amazon.com
- CDBaby.com

One of the best jazzpianist around.
Originally from New Jersey, but we are very lucky to have him in Michigan.

The best trumpet player in Kalamazoo, MI. Ever!
Please, checkout his website often has Benje does a very good job in keeping you posted about local jazz events in Kalamazoo.

FuscoGuitars.Com FuscoGuitars luthery official web site.

SessionMusician.Com is a Professional Directory of Musicians, Recording Studios, Bar, Pubs, Colleges, where Members can insert information related to their professional activity, like Agenda of Events, News, Links, Interviews, Articles, etc.

Berklee College Of Music

Lyle Mays and I during his Master Composition/Arranging classes at Western Michigan University.

Lyle Mays has been a member of Pat Metheny Group for 30 years. His collaboration with PMG and Pat Metheny have won him 17 Grammy awards.

You can learn more about Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny here: www.patmetheny.com

Lyle Mays and Dr. Stephen Zegree during Lyle's Master Composition/Arranging classes at Western Michigan University.

Lyle explained that very beautiful and valuable works can be created with:

- lots of hard work;
- exploration of the raw ideas before developing them in many different ways;
- respect for the music, the audience, and the performers;
- attention to every details of music: not just harmony, melody and rhythm but also dynamics, forms, etc.;
- avoiding arbitrary and aim for organicity;
- don't let your ego get between your music and the audience

Fred Hersch and I during his Master Composition and Performance classes at Western Michigan University.

You can learn more about Fredh Hersch here: www.fredhersch.com

Mike Grant and I
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