Michael has been exposed to music at a very young age with his family having affinity to music; at the age of one, he remembers witnessing his grandmother singing and entertaining the family so when he reached four years old and was put in front of people to perform, he admits of not feeling scared and just having fun. Then his journey continues by joining chorale groups and being part of talent competitions; experiences that made Michael say, ‘music is a major part of my life.’
Most of the musicians these days share a part of themselves to the public. In line with this, SBS Filipino asks Michael what is the part of himself that he is willing to share and he talks about the period when he lost his self-esteem. He admits of wanting to hide away after undergoing treatment that made him suffer severe allergy. However, the positive side in him won and from it he learned that it was not about the face or how you look but the music, the singing and the connection you make with people that matters most.
Michael is a young person filled with ‘faith’ and ‘courage.’ He shares to SBS Filipino that he is a spiritual person. Though he is eclectic when it comes to music (and that includes listening to Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson to name a few), what made ‘songs of faith’ close to him are the words from the lyrics of these songs and the meanings attached to it. These songs have more depth for him as faith and music are two of the most important things in his life.
SBS Filipino’s Cybelle Diones had the chance to watch Michael perform in front of the Filipino-Australian community and what was noticeable was how he connected well with the audience. He shares in this interview that he does that by communicating the emotions and meanings associated with the songs to the listeners. Each time he performs Michael always thinks that it’s the first time anyone’s ever going to hear him and it’s the last time he’ll ever be able to sing.
Being at one of the most ‘perfect’ time of his life with having found the ‘love’ that is for him, Michael sings 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran to the listeners of SBS Filipino (you can hear this by clicking the ‘play’ button at the topmost image). He also has these last words of encouragement for everyone, ‘no matter what’s happening, with the right people around you, and with the right faith and courage, and hopefully, with some good music behind you as well, you can drive yourself out of any down time in your life, you really just have to keep on going and have faith.’
