Male

1971-04-22

I compose, perform, and record original music and tone poetry using various tools of modal composition, "alternative" scales, and improvisation. To further these pursuits, I utilize a myriad instruments, many of my own construction: bamboo flutes, chromatic and Appalachian dulcimers, guitar, ukulele, banjo, electric gourd, charango, and harmonica. I perform live solo, with my trio Twang Darkly, and with other musicians as the occasion arises.

My composition and performance is frequently marked by placing contemplative, impressionistic melody in relation to a grounding root tonality. I utilize many scales, including the ancient pentatonic forms found in Native American and Japanese music, the seven diatonic modes of Western music, and other more exotic modes capable of channeling a wide range of settings and feelings. Operating in tension between the familiar and the strange, I hope to tap into the mythic landscape of the listener psyche.

Since scoring two feature films, editing and scoring a short film, and working with my own imagery on various projects, I've come to see the interplay between audio and visual, both implied and actual, as important additional part of my musical process. Though composition and performance remain driving motivations, I seek also to develop my capacity as auteur of full audio-visual experiences, working to treat film as a kind of visual music. I recently spent a period in Nevada as Artist-in-Residence at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, where I sought to experience the challenging landscape and light of the canyon as a catalyst to more fully developing my techniques in melding music and image.

With respect to film, I particularly seek to utilize camera-as-paintbrush techniques pioneered by American documentarian Clifford West in concert with digital techniques like compositing, animation, and reconstruction of still images. I’m particularly interested in portraying hidden and fantastic worlds revealed by the close-up and odd-angle photography of interesting natural formations and plays of light. Besides the work I'm currently pursuing as a result of the Artist-in-Residence tenure, I previously delved into this interest with my 2014 music-visual suite Martian Archaeology, produced with help of a SRAC "New Work" grant.

Artist Honors and Grants
2015, Critic Juried Collectible Artist, Shreveport Regional Arts Council
2015, Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association Artist-in-Residence (Nevada)
2014, Recognized as Northwest Louisiana Juried Roster Artist
2014, UNscene Performance Grant, Shreveport Regional Arts Council
2014, UNscene New Work Grant, Shreveport Regional Arts Council to produce Martian Archaeology, an original suite of music, accompanying films, and multimedia concert
2014, One of 5 local showcase bands selected by 2014 Louisiana Music Prize

Original Music & Video
2014, Martian Archaeology, CD and DVD with original animated films
2013, Modal Creatures, Twang Darkly, CD
2012, Mojo Fix, Twang Darkly, CD
2012, The Sound of Secret Names, Twang Darkly, CD
2010, Devil’s Stomping Ground, Michael Futreal, CD
2011, Sailing the Junkyard Sea, Andy & Michael Futreal, CD
2008, Dulcimers Are Go, Michael Futreal, CD
2008-present, youtube.com/buckofutreal

Film & Score
2013-14, Counting for Thunder -- original score for feature film (to be released 2015)
2014, Coldwell Spring – theme and original music for feature film (to be released 2015)
2012, BEing (short film) -- editing, special visual effects, original score

Education
M.S. Applied Sociology, North Carolina State University, 1996
B.S. Applied Sociology, North Carolina State University, 1993

6319 E Ridge Dr

Louisiana

Shreveport

United States

http://michael.futreal.com

North Carolina State University