Education
BM DePaul University
MM Northwestern University
MOT University of Illinois / ION
Courses Taught
Liberal Studies Music
About
Michael Staron was recognized as an innovative college instructor by
McGraw-Hill Publishing and was one of eighteen college teachers in the
USA invited to attend the 2014 McGraw-Hill Music Appreciation Symposium
held in Vail Colorado in March of 2014.
Acknowledged in Jazz Times as “a versatile, forwarding looking and
accomplished performer,” Michael began his professional career playing
Latin Tropical music in Chicago’s inner city at age fifteen. His jazz
bass playing has been reviewed in Cadence, Pulse, Jazz USA, Jazz
Review, Jazz Word, Jazz Weekly, AMG, New City, Chicago Tribune, Chicago
Sun-Times, The Wire, Jazz at a Glance, Beyond Coltrane, Chicago Reader,
All About Jazz, Progression Magazine, and live performances of Michael have been aired on BET, 190 North and local cable.
Michael is also an accomplished theatre / pit musician, his performance credits include - national tours of Evita, the international and national touring companies of A Chorus Line, Sid Caesar, Red Skelton, Bob Newhart, Eddy Arnold, Roger Williams and Joseph with Donny Osmond.
Mr. Staron has taught over 140 sections of Music Appreciation at
Triton College, DePaul University, Benedictine University and the
Chicago City Colleges. In 2013 Michael co-designed a fully online music
appreciation course that is currently running at Triton College.
"He’s a versatile, forward looking and accomplished performer." -- JazzTimes
"…Has exceptional chops and the smarts to get beyond his schooling." -- The Wire
"His bowing is some of the best I ever heard. He is a true rival of
Mike Formanek, Dave Holland and Paul Rogers." -- Beyond Coltrane / Fred
Barrett
"Mike to me has a lot of technique and he’s perfect for playing in a
trio because he’s inspirational, he will follow my chords, whatever
melody I play he will follow, he will change key with me which is what I
need." -- Hal Russell, Hal an Oral History