Michael Hearst

Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer. He has composed soundtracks for the movies To Be Takei, Magic Camp, Chicken People, and The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin among others. His album, Songs For Ice Cream Trucks has been blared by at least 50 ice cream trucks around the world. And Songs For Fearful Flyers, which includes voice-work by fearful flyer Whoopi Goldberg, has soothed many nervous travelers. As an author, Hearst has written a four-part book series, each book geared toward a grand theme: Unusual Creatures, Extraordinary People, Curious Constructions, and Unconventional Vehicles. Each book includes a companion album, and Unusual Creatures was also made into a PBS Digital series, hosted by Hearst. Michael Hearst is also a founding member of the band One Ring Zero, who have released nine albums, including the literary collaboration As Smart As We Are, featuring lyrics by Paul Auster, Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, and Neil Gaiman, among others; Planets, a collection of new compositions to represent the solar system and beyond; and The Recipe Project, in which the band has taken recipes from today's top chefs (Michael Symon, Tom Colicchio, David Chang, etc.), and sing them word for word. Hearst has performed and given lectures and workshops at universities, museums, and cultural centers around the world. He has toured with The Magnetic Fields, performed with The Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, and has appeared on such shows as NPR's Fresh Air, A+E's Breakfast With The Arts, and NBC's The Today Show.