Michael Walker, a native of the Washington D.C. area has been a professional musician and educator for more than 35 years. He has performed on live TV over 500 times, contributed to numerous recording projects, and performed more than 1000 live concerts since 1984. From 1984 to 1986 he was a featured member of the ‘Richard Roberts Live’ TV big band. From 1986 to 1989, he travelled with the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) group TRUTH. During his 3 ½ years with TRUTH, he travelled and performed throughout the U.S. as well as Brazil, the Bahamas, the Philippines and Japan. Michael left TRUTH in 1989 to take up residence in the Washington D.C. area where he spent the next 12 years doing free-lance playing and teaching. Michael moved to the Emerald Coast in 2001 and has since then established himself as a reputable musician and educator. He is currently the music director for the Downbeat Jazz Orchestra in Ft. Walton Beach and an active freelancer with other local groups. He plays lead trumpet with the Cloud 9 Orchestra.