To take a break from the recording studio, Michael heads back to elementary school where he spends a week leading young students through a magical process to create their own musical compositions through his Artist in Residence program.

During his residence, Michael visits each classroom in an effort to connect with every student in the school. First, he guides the class through the process of writing lyrics about a topic of their choice. One group of kindergarteners wanted to write a song about chickens hatching, aptly named "Chicken Eggs in the Incubator."

After the lyrics are written, the children gather around Michael's piano and experiment and improvise with their voices to come up with a melody in the moment. Michael plays the role of a guide, encouraging the kids to draw from their own inner musical imagination and inspiration.

"The creative process requires us to get silly and serious, loud and quiet, while always being respectful," explains Michael. "I especially enjoy seeing how many of the shy kids gain the confidence to talk about their ideas as the classroom becomes a safe place to share what they hold inside."

At the end of the program, all of the classes perform their songs for the students, teachers and parents. Each school then receives a CD produced by Michael with a compilation of all the classroom songs. "The kids take great pride in their creations, and I am proud to play a part in their personal discovery of music," he says.

Michael started this program in 1994. Since that time, he has helped children at more than 120 schools compose their very own songs and produce their very own CDs.