Michael Stone has been creatively inspired by the repertoire of the American popular songbook since his childhood, when he was first exposed to the music of Rodgers and Hart, Gershwin, Arlen, Mercer and many others he heard played on his father’s turntable. Through his over six years of performing with The Jazz Kings and his work as a regular featured singer with The Shedd Institute’s annual Oregon Festival of American Music, he has continued to explore this great body of music. A graduate of the UO’s School of Music, he has acted and performed in various theater venues, including, recently, Ragozzino Productions in Eugene and La Casa Sena’s cabaret dinner theater in Santa Fe. Michael resides in Portland where he coaches and acts for Playwrite, Inc., a non-profit arts program for at-risk youth, and operates his own small business offering downsizing and relocation services for seniors