Get to Know Michael Banks
Get to know the members of the Salem Symphonic Winds through this series of mini-interviews! Don’t miss hearing all of the Salem Symphonic Winds musicians perform April 13, 2025 at 4:00pm during our world premiere of The Princess and The Wind.
Michael Banks
Michael plays the Euphonium and has been playing with Salem Symphonic Winds since January 2018.
About Michael
I started playing euphonium as a fifth grader in the year 1999 and have stuck with it throughout my life as my primary creative outlet. In 2014 I received a Bachelors degree in music composition from the UO and joined the "Oregon's Own" 234th Army Band as principal euphonium. I earned a second Bachelors degree in computer science in 2023 and now strive to work in the field of software engineering.
What do you enjoy the most about playing?
The feeling of expressing a beautiful musical phrase to tell a story that cannot be told with words.
Do you have a favorite musical memory?
In college as a composition major, I put together a recital of music I composed. I networked with performers to put together my own chamber groups and took the baton to conduct my own music.
Share a fun fact about yourself
I started playing the euphonium at 11 years old, and in the past 26 years I have never stopped honing music as a craft.
What is on your Spotify playlist or in your music library?
Many different niche things! I listen to music from all over the world (my favorite vocalist is the Faroese singer Eivør), I grew up listening to tons of film and video game soundtracks, and as a music major became obsessed with classical music (particularly Russian and French composers from the Romantic through Neo-Classical periods). I also listen to a lot of electronic trance music and buzz along regularly to it in my car!
List three words to describe the Salem Symphonic Winds
Communal, Eclectic, and Committed
