Michael Naylor
Prof Faculty Performing Arts
Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Course(s) Taught:
About Michael Naylor
Michael Naylor, performed as a studio musician with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Julio Iglesias, Celia Cruz, and many Motown groups, in both jazz and studio music settings. After touring Europe, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, Dr. Naylor remained in Europe for six years, where he performed in and directed musical theater and light opera, composed music for German radio and film orchestras, and performed with many world music and jazz ensembles. He returned to Miami in 1983 where he composed music for film and media and instructed students in both vocal jazz and career development, he received his PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan, concentrating on global cultures and music, racial and cultural Creolization, and cultural exchange or fusion in multi-racial cultures. He has since taught career training, jazz, world music, and especially music appreciation at Oakland University, the University of Michigan, the University of Miami, FL, Wayne State University, and WCC. He served several terms as chair of the performing arts department at WCC during the period 1994-2012. Currently, he and his son Brandon (Ph.D. program in multi-cultural/urban ed.), together with numerous artists and educators from around the World have collaborated in creating an affiliate non-profit 501c3 organization to develop global cultural competency training for students and educators.
1977 - University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, U.S.
1982 - Coursework: Hochschule, Frankfurt, Germany
1985 - M.A. Composing for Film and Media, U.ofMiami, Coral Gables, FL, U.S.
1997 - Ph.D. Ethnomusicology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S
NAJA - National Association of Jazz Educators
SEM - Society of Ethnomusicology
2016 - "21st Century Music Theory: Practical applications of Music to Build Lives," Visions and Vibrations International, multi-media e-Book
2012 - Our Musical World multi-media e-Pub Series:
Book 1: Music & Art: Portals to Creative Confidence
Book 2: Assets of a Global Vision
Book 3: Native American: Sounds of the Past...Visions of a Future
Book 4: American Music: History & Legacy of Pain and Triumph
Book 5: Middle East & North Africa: the Arts & the Quest for Purpose
2006 - Our Musical World, 550pg. textbook and 4 CD's, published: Visions and Vibrations International, U.S.
Including: normalizing personal assessment of competency, cultural literacy and immersion learning as prerequisites to global cultural and curricular sensitivity in any discipline.