Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Sky McCoy.
Over the past 15 years Michael Sky has become a pioneer of digital music education in the Los Angeles area. As a music educator he crossed paths with Tyler the Creator in the classroom and had his students battle Finneas on rock band stages at Club Nokia in downtown L.A. He has also directed over 60 youth concerts and produced over a dozen youth bands in his public school recording studios.
As a teen he helped to start a creative writing class at his high school that opened up a door to his leadership and talents. As a young adult he became an educator to help youth gain a sense of belonging and strong self confidence through the arts.
He is currently working on his first solo album. His music would be classified as electro rock with musical influences ranging from Empire of the Sun, Rage Against the Machine, James Taylor, Kendrick Lamar, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Strokes.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The main obstacle was making the decision to transition from a visual artist to a music major in my early twenties. I was on my way to becoming a motion picture animator, but the love and draw towards music won me over. As an undergrad in music I was very behind and was constantly told that I was too old to start by some of the other music majors. I witnessed countless students drop from the program because the curriculum was too challenging and demanding. Nevertheless, I persisted and graduated top of my class in 2006.
After receiving my teaching credential I landed a job at a continuation high school in Hawthorne where I helped design a recording studio as an incentive for troubled youth to finish high school and receive their diploma. There were many challenges that made me want to give up teaching in my first year, but I made it through. At this school Tyler the Creator was one of my students in his senior year. I was his art teacher and instrumental music teacher in 2008. I remember his mom being heavily involved in the mission of the school that year.
I moved on from that school to pursue a new high school program in downtown L.A. and started my own recording program ground up. I continued teaching digital music, choir, and guitar there. I also started my own after school program similar to the school of rock and brought these bands on stage to compete against various high school groups. One of those bands had Finneas as their lead singer and songwriter.
A few years later after seeing Tyler and Finneas winning grammys for their musical creativity I realized that “making it” isn’t a far-fetched dream. It is very real.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in teaching youth digital music composition, songwriting, and voice techniques through choir. I have taught over a thousand guitar students and am working on building my third public school recording program L.A. I currently have a string orchestra that I direct as well. I am a music educator, but my passion is in managing, producing and engineering young bands by helping them write their songs and work on their stage presence for live shows. Above all I love that I can offer a free creative space to develop and record their songs.
I also have a vast background in art and graphic design, so I incorporate video editing and logo design to help teach students branding and music sharing.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Our beautiful coastline is my favorite part of L.A. It is a place to look into the horizon, while getting reinspired when you feel beat up by life. The opportunities in the entertainment industry and the diversity in our community are like no other city in the world.
The rat race is real though. It is rare when we stop to realize how much there is around us and how creative we can really be here. It is easy to get caught up in thinking that we are too busy to spend time pursuing our passions, but passion is what keeps us going. It is a reflection of who we are, and why we are here in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
michaelsky79/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ncgeB7B7k04
Image Credits
Nick Toren – Headshot Michael Sky McCoy – Water Color and Ink
