Scott Michal

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Biography

Scott is a Composer.

Scott Phillip Michal was born on July 19, 1958 in Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States. as the first child of Dr. Edwin Keith Michal PhD (1932 - living) and Dr. Elva Irene (Tice) Michal PhD (1933 - living)^[1]. His siblings were^[2]:

1. Teraysa Kay Michal (1961 - living)
2. Todd Richard Michal PhD (1962 - living)
3. Kelly Ann Michal (1968 - living)

Scott married Martha Kim Merchant (1958 - 1985), daughter of Dean Charles Merchant and Jacquelin Ann Cotterly, on July 28, 1979 at Epworth United Methodist Church in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA^[3]. Their children were^[2]:

1. Jessica Michal (1982 - living)
2. Joshua Paul Michal (1984 - living).

After Kim's death Scott married Barbara Naragon (1958 - living), daughter of Elwood Weaver Naragon and Doris Jean Richardson, on April 15, 1989 at 1st Presbyterian Church, in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA^[4].

Their Children were^[2]:

1. Alena Irene Michal (1989 - living).
2. Pearce Ian Michal (1991-living).

A short time after he was born, Scott's father, Edwin Keith Michal, was deployed to the Pacific Ocean as a pilot in the Air Force. Scott and his mother traveled to Mitchell County, Kansas where his Mother, Elva Irene Tice, had grown up. After his father was mustered out, the family moved to Lawrence, Kansas where his father took some additional classes to prepare for graduate school. In Lawrence they lived with Miss Josephine Burnham, an English Professor at University of Kansas. She had been the first female teacher hired at UK. she was working on writing s dictionary. In 1960 his father was accepted in to the graduate program in Physiology at University of Illinois in Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA. While Keith was studying, Scott's Mother, Elva Irene Tice, taught piano lessons. Keith completed his PhD in 1965 and the family, now with three children moved: to Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA, where Keith was appointed a Professor of Neuro Physiology at the Ohio State University^[5].

Having already started Piano Lessons with his Mom, Scott continued in his music studies in Columbus, adding Composition and Cello to his studies. In 1969 at the age of 12, Scott became a member of the Columbus Symphony Cadet Orchestra under the direction of revered pedagogue, Robert Culver. In his high school years, Scott moved on to the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, playing masterworks by Brahms, Mahler, Mendellsohn, and many others. In 1973, while the CSO Youth Orchestra was on tour in New York City, Scott met Kim Merchant. She had been a Violinist with the Cadet Orchestra as well. Scott was instantly smitten, though Kim was somewhat less impressed! By this time, Scott was under the tutelage of Dr. William Conable for his cello lessons, and he continued his piano lessons with his Mother. Scott recieved prizes in the Columbus Symphony Young Musicians Competition, The OMTA Compostition Contest, and the Bicentenial Prize, also in Composition. He played in several Chamber Music Ensembles, including with Jeremy Klapper, Kay Stern, Julie Snider, and Joseph Pasquarello^[2].

By this time, Scott knew he wanted to be a composer. He applied for College at the University of Illinois, where Igor Stravinsky was a Professor of Composition. He was accepted, and won a substantial scholarship, but, Scott was in love with Kim, and knew that while, her father would be teaching for one year in the War College in Montgomery, Alabama, and Kim was planning to attend Huntington College, for her freshman year, the plan was to return to Columbus and transfer to Ohio State, for her Sophmore Year. Scott and Kim had only gone on few dates, but they talked on the phone every night, and had become good friends. After graduating from High School^[6] In 1976, his high powered quartet with Kay, Julie and Joe worked on Bartok 1st String Quartet, and It was a profound experience. Discussions began about keeping the quartet together, by all attending Ohio State University together. In August, Scott suprised his parents by turning down his scholarship at University of Illinois, in favor of Ohio State. Since his father was a teacher there, it would be significantly less expensive as well^[2].

Scott attended Ohio State University between 1976–1980. He received a BM in cello performance while also completing the requierments for a degree in Music Composition and Theory. Scott and Kim were married the summer before their senior year in college, and returned for their senior year as a married couple. Scott was appointed as Cello TA at OSU, where he continued receiving the MM in Theory/Comp, and also completing the requirements for a Masters in Cello Performance in 1983. In 1981, Scott auditoned and won a one year position with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. The following year, he auditioned for the regular position which had since opened up and was appointed as a permanant member in 1983^[2].

Scott and Kim had been active as leaders of a youth fellowship group at their church, Epworth United Methodist Church, in Columbus, Ohio. Kim felt called to a life of service, and planned to continue on to Medical School, with the plan of moving to a third world country and opening a Medical Clinic. While Scott had thought about becoming a composer for movie scores, he realized he could compose anywhere, and was willing to go where Kim's mission took her. Kim became disillusioned with school. Bio-Medical Engineering had been recommended to her as a good way to get into Medical School, but the Bio-Med degree at the time was a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a few Med Classes sprinkled in. Kim was a straight A student, with particular apptitude in Math, but the Mechanical part of the Engineering degree was an anathema to her, and while she did finish her degree, she felt adrift^[2].

in 1982, after Scott had finished the classwork for his Masters, Scott and Kim, with newborn, Jessica set of a slightly different adventure. It wasnt just the Doctor part of the mission that had excited her, and we realized that there were other ways to live a life of service. They moved to Hocking County in SE Ohio, and joined the Intentional Community of Deep Woods Farms. For two years they lived in a tiny house, built and lived in a Yurt, practiced and learned Organic Agriculture using appropriate technology, while Scott drove back and forth to Columbus for Symphony rehearsals and teaching. They also became involved with Church World Service and in 1984 moved to Chillicothe, Ohio to found and run a CROP Walk, raising money to defeat World Hunger^[2].

As the CROP Walk approached, Kim, now with two children, became concerened with what appeared to be a case of chronic Mastitis. Unfortunately, in October, she was diagnosed with Inflamatory Breast Cancer, a particularly virulent form of cancer. Scott and Kim's life was suddenly transformed from dreaming about a life of service to dealing with the reality that this diagnosis brought. Hours were spent discussing what to do about the kids, her fears, not of dying, but of the pain, and about what my life should look like after she was gone. She approached death with the same regard for Intentional Living that we had practiced while at Deep Woods, and in Chillicothe^[2].

After her death, I was determined to continue to live my life for our children. I threw myself into getting through the stages of grief as quickly as possible. This, of course, is not how grief works. I found myself floundering just getting through each day. Fortunately, I had amazing support from Kim's parents and family, and from my parents, and the Symphony made the transition from night time rehearsals to daytime, which was much easier to work around the kids schedules. I found a wonderful Widow and Widowers with Young Children support group, and found that I was not alone. But, I was alone^[2].

In 1989 A new cello player came to sub with the Symphony, and Scott's stand partner, Marjorie Chan suggested that they would be perfect for each other. At the same time a friend of Barb's independently suggested the same thing to her. Less than a year later, they were married. In 1994, we took a leap of faith and quit our jobs to move to Appalachian South Eastern Ohio. we began a music mission, working with under-served children and families, not only in music, but helping out in every way that we could, mucking out chicken sheds, helping build outbuildings, inviting our professional musician friend for impromptu concerts, and starting after school string projects. Scott also started a job as Composer in Residence to the Ariel Opera House, writing music for their professional symphony, community theater, and youth orchestra while conducting the youth orchestra. We also built our own homestead, house, barn, woodshed, garden, and raised goats, chickens and turkeys while homeschooling our four children. Ten years later we were both invited to teach at the University of Rio Grande, a school with much the same mission that we felt and that had strong connections to Wales. In 2015, Barbs parents health was failing, and we felt we needed to move close to them and help make their last years as fulfilling as possible so we moved to Medina Ohio. Scott taught as an adjunct at Lakeland Community College and became active in the Cleveland Composers Guild. A few years ago, he retired and is now composing and working on the family genealogy project begun during the Great Depression by his Great x3 Aunt. It was passed down from generation to generation with Scott's Mom and Dad working on it for the past 25 years. Barb is still teaching a few classes as an adjunct at Tri-C Community College and enjoying being semi-retired. We love visiting with our children, three of whom live within and hour of us, (Jessica works at Kent State in Development, Alena is a Librarian at the College of Wooster (recently ranked as the 8th best college library in the country) and Pearce is a web developer for Wolfe Brothers, a regional heating and cooling supply company. Our other son, Joshua is the Professor of French Horn for UMass Amhearst where he lives with his wife Allyson, and our grandson Clark^[2].

Sources

1. ↑ "Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1911". [database on-line]. URL: [1] Record for Scott Phillip Michal, 19 Jul 1958, Newport News, Virginia, USA. Certificate1958043763. cites Virginia, Births, 1721-2015. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} Personal Reflections Scott Michal, Personal reflections of Scott Michal. In the possesion of Scott Michal.
3. ↑ "U.S., Marriage Abstracts, 1970, 1972-2007". [database on-line].[2]. Scott P Michal and Martha K Merchant,Certificate 55007, Vol 9972 28 Jul 1979. Cites "Ohio Marriage Index, 1970 and 1972-2007". Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, 2008.
4. ↑ "Ohio, Marriage Abstracts, 1970, 1972-2007" (Provo, UT, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010), Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com.. "Ohio, U.S., Marriage Abstracts, 1970, 1972-2007". [database on-line] [3].Scott P Michal and Barbara S Naragon. 15 Apr 1989. Franklin county, Certificate 14161, Vol 14104. Cites "Ohio Marriage Index, 1970 and 1972-2007". Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, 2008.
5. ↑ Genealogy Notes by Elva Tice Michal, 1998, Elva Tice Michal. Genealogy Notes. Manuscript, Pharr, Texas. 1998, In the possesion of Elva Tice Michal. '
6. ↑ "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999". (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com.. "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999". [database on-line]. [4]. Scott Michal, Columbus Northland Highschool, 1974.

see also:

• "Index to Public Records, 1994-2019". [database on-line] .URL:[5]. Scott Phillip Michal, Jul 1958; cites Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings.
• "U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1". (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com.. "U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1". [database on-line]. [6]. Scott P Michal. Cites Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings.
• "U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2". (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Ancestry.com, Record for Scott P Michal. [7].