Michael Peterson

My name is Michael Peterson. I am a saxophonist, composer, and educator. I lead a variety 
of jazz groups, including the MPQT, which has performed and hosted educational masterclasses all over the United States. I am a founding member of the blues-soul fusion 
group, Isaac Sloane and the Sound Brigade, which has released multiple recordings and continues to be in demand in the greater Texas area. 

While I spend much of my time trying to hone my craft both as a performer and composer, I find that art music is made in small group settings with limited boundaries and 
expectations. When composing, my music tends to be simplistic in design, and heavily 
reliant on the contributions and communications of others in the group. I aim to create improvisational “vehicles” that allow other musicians many pathways to express 
themselves. 

My artistic process comes from an almost meditative state. I aim to immerse myself in the 
moment and let the music happen in real time. While performing, this process is realized through communication with my fellow musicians; always listening to the information they are providing to help guide my improvisation. While I am composing, I try to find small fragments of a melody and take them to both expected and unexpected places, without  worrying about goals, rules, form, etc.