* An Award-Winning Soundtrack Composer
for Television & Independent Film

* A Seasoned Live Performer

* A Master of the Acoustic Guitar with Numerous CD's to His Credit

       ~ "A rare find in solo entertainers"  - The Boston Globe

       ~ "The perfect marriage of guitar & voice"  - Burlington Free Press

       ~ "Oakland stole the show!"  - The College Syndicate

       ~ "I thought a whole band was playing"  - Anonymous

       ~ "Not only does this guy play melody, chords, and bass lines all at the same time on his nylon-stringed guitar (the "Spirit Box" as it's called), but, he also uses both hands for percussion while he plays a foot-tapping bass drum. His vocal range encompasses a raspy baritone, all the way to an angelic-like chilling falsetto"  - The Really Free Press

       ~ "Michael Oakland has been dubbed The "Tropic Gypsy". A title that has suitably stuck. He is Tropico-Jazz-World-Fusionaire ! Equatorial rhythms of Samba, Bossa Nova, and Calypso fuse with a World-Afro-Jam Improvisation. Virtuosic dynamism and eloquental subtlety play a nylon string guitar. He has a rhythmic intimacy with the instrument and plays it as if it were a world percussion kit. Whilst simultaneously playing bass lines, chordal accompaniment and soloing. The depth, breadth and sheer integration of so much sound coming to the ear defies what the eye sees. An expanded vocal range affecting the music with lyric and textural treatments would lead one to believe that there were three different people performing. A highly unique and recognizably "distinctive" sound. Probably best enjoyed by a discriminating and mature audience."  - M.M.

       ~ Oakland approaches the guitar as a one-man-mini-orchestra. Contrapuntally playing bass lines within the chords and still managing to solo over the top of it all,...While, tapping the guitar body all over it  and sounding like there's  a drum machine running. But, there isn't. Which is probably why his axe looks like Hell but sounds like Heaven. Throw over the top a vocal that is at once soaring like a choir boy and then rasps out like an old bluesman, and doing some great renditions of some old left of center classics, and you've got a night to remember!  - S.P

       ~ Michael's music is life affirming! It creates an environment and feeling of peace, healing and happiness.  - A.S.

       ~ Michael's music plays nearly nonstop on my shift. I think it has greatly contributed to healing around here.  - M.N.