Early life
Michael was born in Long Island, NY, to author, columnist, economist, Presidential adviser and lobbyist Richard J. Whalen and art dealer and author Joan M. Whalen. The family moved to Washington, D.C. when he was two years old. Whalen started playing the piano at the age of three, and began formal lessons on drums when he was five. Influenced by rock, progressive music, early "ambient" music and fusion, he experimented with many different styles of music into his teens. In the summer of 1980, Whalen found himself playing percussion with the Maryland all-state orchestra, second keyboards in a well known Washington "Go-Go" band, and drums in a garage-style punk band. In the fall of 1980, he went to boarding school for high school at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. During high school, Whalen wrote his first music, switched his primary instrument from percussion to keyboards, and made his first studio recordings and first self produced recordings on a cassette 4-track machine. In 1982, he produced and released his first "single" with singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim Steed. In May 1987, Whalen attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston (from 1984 - 1985) and the University of Maryland/College Park (1985 - 1987) and moved to New York City. After recording hundreds of tracks in his 8-track basement studio and throughout the Washington-metro area, Whalen moved to New York City.Career
Michael's first job was working at Elias Associates (later it was called Elias Arts) as an assistant. Elias was one of the busiest music production companies in the world in the 1980s and 1990s, and Whalen immersed himself in the state-of-the-art technology available in the studios at Elias at night. Their studios featured the Synclavier Digital Audio System which became a huge part of Whalen's later career. It was at Elias that Whalen did his first sound design and composition of national advertisements (Pepsi, Coca-Cola, BMW, Nutrasweet, IBM, Ford and many others). He also had an opportunity to work with recording artists Duran Duran, John Waite and Glamour Camp as assistant, programmer and sound designer. Working for many of the top music companies, Whalen did many hundreds of commercials from 1989 to 1995. In 1990, Michael scored his first major television series entitled "Childhood" which was broadcast on PBS in the United States. This was the first of nearly 70 multi-part series he has composed music for and the first of the nearly 600-plus television shows he has worked on. In 1995, Whalen opened his own music production company, Michael Whalen Music, LTD. During these years, Whalen scored dozens of films for National Geographic, Discovery, The History Channel, ESPN, PBS and many others. In 1997, he won his first Emmy award for his work on HBO's "How Do You Spell God?" In 1998, Whalen wrote the theme for ABC News' "Good Morning America". In 1998, he moved to the suburbs of Boston where he built a new studio in his attic.2000 to present
In 2002, Whalen was an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He completed work on the soundtrack for the film ''Veronika Decides to Die'' starringSelected discography
* Mike Whalen/Jim Steed "Get a Little Closer/Don't Let Go" (Single) rtist, Producer, Composer1984 Patch Records * Michael Whalen "Sea Power: A Global Journey" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer1993 Narada Cinema * Michael Whalen "Phantom of the Forest" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer1994 Narada Cinema * Michael Whalen "Great African Moments" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer1994 Narada Cinema * VARIOUS "Christmas Blessings" (Holiday Compilation) rtist, Producer, Arranger1995 Narada * David Arkenstone "Quest of the Dream Warrior" roducer, Arranger, Conductor1995 Narada * Michael Whalen "Forever Wild" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer1996 Narada * Michael Whalen "Night Scenes" rtist, Producer, Composer1996 Hearts of Space * Michael Whalen "Afraid of Thunder" rtist, Producer, Composer1996 Helicon Classical * Jim Brickman "Picture This" roducer, Arranger1997 Windham Hill * Open Door "North From Riverside" rtist, Producer, Composer1997 Helicon Jazz * VARIOUS "Songs Without Words" (Collection) rtist, Producer, Composer1997 Windham Hill * VARIOUS "Grand Piano" (Compilation) rtist, Producer, Composer1998 Narada * Michael Whalen "Titanic: Anatomy of a Disaster" rtist, Producer, Composer1998 Centaur Records * VARIOUS "Poké Mon: 2 B A Master" (Soundtrack) omposer, Producer1999 Koch/4 Kids * Michael Whalen "The Softest Touch" rtist, Producer, Composer1999 EverSound * Michael Whalen "The Shadows of October" omposer, Executive Producer1999 Arabesque Classical * VARIOUS "Tidings of Joy" rtist, Producer, Composer1999 EverSound * Michael Whalen "The Border of Dusk" rtist, Producer, Composer2000 Koch Jazz * VARIOUS "Reel Life: the private music of film composers" (Collection) xecutive Producer2000 Arabesque Classical * Jim Steed "Til' I Found You" omposer, Producer, Arranger2000 JSM * Michael Whalen "Lost Liners" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer2000 MWM/Orchard * Michael Whalen "Mysterious Ways" rtist, Producer, Composer2001 Koch Jazz * VARIOUS "Rare Requests: Volume 2" (Compilation) rtist, Producer, Composer2001 Q/Atlantic * VARIOUS "20 Years of Narada Piano" (Compilation) rtist, Producer, Composer2001 Narada/EMI * VARIOUS "Yu-Gi-Oh: Music to Duel By" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer2002 Koch/4 Kids * Michael Whalen "The Shape of Life" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer2002 Alchemy * VARIOUS "Earth Songs/Precious Waters" (Artist, Producer, Composer) 2003 Narada * Michael Whalen "Night Scenes" e-issuertist, Producer, Composer2003 Alchemy * Michael Whalen "From Conception to Birth" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer2004 Valley/Cherry Lane * Michael Whalen "Like Rain Through My Hands" rtist, Producer, Composer2004 MWM/Orchard * Jon Durant "Things Behind the Sun" usician2004 Alchemy * Michael Whalen "Jazzworks Volume 1" (Collection) rtist, Producer, Composer2004 MWM/Orchard * Michael Whalen "Slavery and the Making of America" (Soundtrack) rtist, Producer, Composer2005 Valley Entertainment * Michael Whalen "My Secret Heart" rtist, Producer, Composer2005 Narada * Michael Whalen "Music for the Natural World" (Collection) rtist, Producer, Composer2005 MWM * Michael Whalen "Lullabies for Grown-ups" (Collection) rtist, Producer, Composer2005 MWM * Jim Steed "Fall" (EP) omposer, Producer2007 Jim Steed Music * Michael Whalen "The Other Coast" rtist, Producer, Composer2007 MWM/Spout * Andiamo "Love, From Italy" (Soundtrack) omposer, Producer, Arranger2007 Denon Classical * Michael Whalen "The Road of Ghosts" (EP) rtist, Producer, Songwriter2009 MWM/Spout * Kristin Hoffman "The Waking" (EP) omposer, Producer, Arranger2009 KHM * Michael Whalen "Dancing in Black and White:The Best of Michael Whalen" (Compilation) rtist, Producer, Composer2010 EverSound * Michael Whalen "Lights Along the Highway" omposer, Producer, Conductor2010 Arabesque Classical * Supa' K "Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun with Supa' K" "Producer, Co-Composer" 2011 Orchard Children's Music * Michael Whalen "The Sea of Tranquility" rtist, Producer, Composer2012 MWM/Spout * Michael Whalen "All The Things I Wanted To Say" rtist, Producer, Composer2014 MWM/Spout * Bala Brothers "Bala Brothers" (Soundtrack) "Producer, Arranger" 2015 Parlaphone * Michael Whalen "You Are My Home" rtist, Producer, Composer2015 MWM/Spout * Azure "Je Réve" ingle rtist, Producer, Composer2016 * Michael Whalen "Dream Cycle" rtist, Producer, Composer2017 Valley Entainment * Michael Whalen "Kiss The Quiet" rtist, Producer, Composer2018 MWM/Spout * Michael Whalen "Cupid Blindfolded" rtist, Producer, Composer2019 Solace/Real Music * Michael Whalen "Sacred Spaces" rtist, Producer, Composer2020 Solace/myndstream * BlueMonk/Michael Whalen "Karmic Dreams" rtist, Producer, Co-Composer2020 Solace/myndstream * Michael Whalen "Future Shock" rtist, Producer, Composer2021 Solace/myndstreamReferences
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