Meet accomplished composer and artist Michael Geroux
by Margery Frisch
MANITOWANING—The town of Manitowaning has the distinction and privilege of an orchestral composer living in its community. Down a quiet road, ending with a stunning view of the bay, sits a modest home where Michael Geroux and partner, Rex Leonard reside.
Mr. Geroux has been composing music for over 30 years and in that time has learned every aspect of the business to where he produces his own artisan CDs from start to finish.
Michael Geroux wears his heart on his sleeve, and this is evident in his compositions. Even an untrained ear feels the emotions that sweep through his music.
“I was still working on The Traveler when I woke up on May 28th, 2021, at 4:00 in the morning. That’s when I usually head to the studio, but that day I thought I’d stay in bed, and I picked up my iPad intending to look at the news and possibly fall back to sleep.” But he saw the headline: 215 unmarked graves found at residential school in BC. “It just hit me hard,” he said, “then came Angry Dawn, which is all about my working through the emotions of the impact that story had on me.”
He explains how, when he writes something, he must remain in that mood and he will stay away from people, just to keep himself in that headspace. The pieces of the CD follow his emotions as he worked through his feelings. He wasn’t sure of how to end it; where to end it, but he felt a healing piece was the next step. In all his work, the titles he gives his pieces so aptly reflect the mood and emotion of the work.
‘garden music’ was written and produced in 1999. “At that time, people thought I was right off my rocker.” Michael said, “Because it was what is now called, Studio-in-the-Box; my music is all done electronically, although it’s all live players, it’s programmed electronically. Way back then, technology was not what it is today, and I spent a massive investment in hardware and software and learning how to make an orchestra come out of a computer, without the musicians being in the room.” He went on to say that ‘garden music’ is a ballet and, though people thought he was ‘off his rocker,’ “it paid the rent for 10 years, so I guess it wasn’t such a bad idea,” he added with a wry smile.
“I practically invented Studio-in-the-Box and now, about 90 percent of the soundtracks in Hollywood films are made using Studio-in-the-Box technique. I should have copyrighted that idea,” he said and laughed.
In ‘garden music,’ as in all of his compositions, the titles evoke the images the music portrays. You can ‘see’ the butterflies flitting; you can imagine the march to the garden with the stomping melody; the snake slithering. aspects of sitting in the sun makes you want to do just that, with the meditative strings to calm you.
Following one’s passion is not an easy road to travel, so many setbacks and letdowns. Michael Geroux has had his fair share. After an unpleasant experience and consequent letdown recently, he began a new piece, with the constant refrain: “It’s just as easy to be kind,” his way of dealing with unpleasant people. Rather than fight with them, he chooses to be kind. His song goes along with that refrain but in the end…doesn’t that work both ways? The ending does a turn around and makes us think of how we treat others. “It’s just as easy to be kind…to……me!”
A fascinating man, a composer with a passion for his work and for the world, you can see Michael’s beautiful videos: This is What Art Sounds Like – Manitoulin and Every Child Matters (22n Me) on his YouTube channel: @MGGeroux and you can learn more about him and the music he creates at mgmusic.name. No matter your musical preference, expand your horizons, get lost in the textures and layers and emotions of this composer’s work.
