Selected Projects: 2009-2017

"The New Colossus" (2017) for SSAATTBB a cappella choir

Written for Benjamin Olinsky and the 18th Street Singers, Washington, D.C.​ 

World Première: 18th Street Singers of Washington, D.C., Benjamin Olinsky, artistic director, First Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C., January 27-28, 2018

Live Recording & Sheet Music Available Here

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"Elsewhere" (2017)

Virtual Reality Sound Art Installation 

D.C. Listening Lounge's "Sound Scene X: Dissonances" sound art exhibit

The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Gallery and Scultpure Garden, Washington, D.C.; July 8, 2017

VR/360 Video by Mona Kasra

Audio by Michael Austin

Exhibition Program

This piece can be viewed using a smartphone and Google Cardboard (or other VR viewer) here. 

“Interview with Jessye Norman” (2017)

Hour-long episode of From the Archives (a weekly radio program on HBCU SiriusXM Channel 142).

Originally aired on Feb. 2, 2017; re-aired Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, 2017. Recording engineer and episode producer.

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"(In)frequency" (2016)

Sound Art Installation 

D.C. Listening Lounge's "Sound Scene IX: Sculpting Sound" sound art exhibit

The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Gallery and Scultpure Garden, Washington, D.C.; July 9, 2016

Video by Mona Kasra

Audio Programming/Installation Design by Michael Austin

Exhibition Program

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"Life on the Gangies" (2016)

Short film directed by Indira Sumani

Sound designer, recording engineer, and composed two original musical works for film

Winner:

   Award of Merit: Individual Achievement in Music – Documentary – Southern Shorts Awards Winter 2017

Official Selection of:

   Cannes Short Film Festival (Cannes, France)

   Hollywood Intl. Independent Documentary Awards (Los Angeles, CA)

   Twin Rivers Media Festival (Ashville, NC)

   Northern Virginia International Film & Music Festival (Fairfax, VA)

   The New York Indian Film Festival (New York, NY)

   Illinois International Film Festival (Chicago, IL)

   Long Island International Film Expo (Bellmore, NY)

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"Resting Place" (2015)

Sound art installation 

1st Annual Society for Ethnomusicology “Sounding Board” sound art exhibit

Companion Gallery, Austin, TX; December 3-6, 2015.

Click here to listen.

Exhibition Program

“Human Heart (Overture)” (2011/2015)

Updated with experimental video by Kelly Wittenberg

69th Annual University Film and Video Association Conference, August 4-8, American University, Washington, D.C.

Music for Upstairs Inferno (2015)

Feature-length documentary, directed by Robert Camina. Composed 3 pieces for original score.

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Click here for more information about this film and to see cinematic trailers.

Winner:

   Jury Award: Best Men’s Documentary Feature - North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Raleigh-Durham, NC)

   Audience Award: Best Men’s Feature - North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Raleigh-Durham, NC)

   Best Documentary (Feature) - 2015 Long Beach QFilm Festival  (Long Beach, CA)

   Festival Favorite - Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival

   Paragon Award - N. Louisiana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

   Audience Award: Favorite Documentary - N. Louisiana  Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

   Festival Favorite - Out on Film (Atlanta, GA) 

   Jury Award: Best Documentary - Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

   Closing Film/Jury Award: Feature Film - Pride Film Festival (Bryan/College Station, TX)

   Festival Spotlight Film - FilmOut (San Diego, CA)

Official Selection of:

   North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Raleigh-Durham, NC) [August 22, 2015]

   Long Beach QFilm Festival (Long Beach, CA) [September 12, 2015]

   Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival (Palm Springs, CA) [September 18, 2015]                  

   Northern Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (4 screenings, Shreveport, LA) [September 19, 20 and 24, 2015]

   Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival (Atlanta, GA) [October 3, 2015]

   Portland Queer Film Festival (Portland, OR) [October 6, 2015]

   ImageOut: The Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival (Rochester, NY) [October 10, 2015]

   Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (Seattle, WA) [October 17, 2015]

   Austin Film Festival (2 screenings, Austin, TX) [November 1 and 3, 2015]

   Columbus International Film + Video Festival [November 7, 2015]

   OutReels Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) [November 13, 2015]

   OUT at the Movies of Winston-Salem Film Festival [November 15, 2015]

   Pride Film Festival (College Station, TX) [January 16, 2016]

   Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival [January 22, 2016]

   OUTVIEW - Athens International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Athens, Greece) [April 15, 2016]

   Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (Dubuque, IA - 2 screenings) [April 22 and 23, 2016]

   QFest (St. Louis, MO) [April 25, 2016]

   Emerge Film Festival - Lewiston/Auburn, ME [April 29, 2016]

   MiFo LGBT Film Festival (Miami, FL) [May 1, 2016]

   FilmOut (San Diego, CA) [June 4, 2016]

   Frameline 39 (San Francisco, CA) [June 23, 2016]

   QCinema International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (monthly series, Ft. Worth, TX) [July 14, 2016]

Theme music for NewsVision (2015)

Student-produced news series for WHUT, Washington, D.C. PBS affiliate.

Jennifer Thomas, executive producer and advisor.

Click here to listen.

Theme music for From the Archives (2014)

Radio series for HBCU – Sirius XM Channel 142. Sonja Williams, executive producer.

Click here to listen.

TX Music NY Stages: “The Music of Michael Austin” (2013)

Concert of songs, string quartet, arrangements, film scores, and electronic works. Featuring Haylay Anna Norris, Jillian Cox, Luis Ramos, and David Davila. Underground Lounge, New York, NY, March 14, 2013.

“Until I die there will be sounds…” (2012)

Soundscape/field recording

Part of “100 x John” project by Ear to the Earth to commemorate the 100th birthday of John Cage.

Published online at www.eartotheearth.org/johnx100.html

“Until I die there will be sounds…” (2012)

Ear to the Earth in Collaboration with M.A.P.S. at the White Box (NYC) present 100X John: A Global Salute to John Cage in Sound and Image. Dec. 20-23, 2012. Live presentation.

“U Have Been Disconnected for Flooding” (2011)

Work for experimental web-based QWERTY keyboard instruments with intractive video.

Cabinet of Curiosities: Electro-Baroque Suite of Found Sounds (2011)

Mvts. I. “Overture” (Human Heart) and II. “Allemande” (Mystic Cat)

National Association of Composers/USA (NACUSA) –Texas Chapter International Conference, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, March 25-26, 2011.

Sound Installation for “Coastlines: Images of Land and Sea” (2010)

Dallas Museum of Art

Created in collaboration with students at UT-Dallas and the Université du Sud Toulon Var, Ingémédia Department, in Toulon, France. April-August 2010

Served as lead composer for the project; composed original music for 5 galleries and 2 individual “soundscapes,” or aural interpretations, of paintings in the exhibit.

Click here for more information.

"One on One" (2010)

Short film directed by Luis Midence

Composed original music for film

Official Selection of:

   Frameline 35 San Francisco International GLBT Film Festival

   New York City International Film Festival

   Melbourne Queer Film Festival

   Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

   San Diego Latino Film Festival

   OUTRAgeous: Santa Barbara GLBT Film Festival & Lesbian Film Festival

   Long Beach Q Film Festival

   Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival

   Long Island GLBT Film Festival

   North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

   TLAGay Short Film Contest

   Red Wasp Film Festival

   Dallas International Film Festival

   Out Takes Dallas

Pulcinella, by Igor Stravinsky, new arrangement for piano quartet (2009)

Performed by Musica Nova Ensemble at UT-Dallas (with Robert X. Rodriguez)

“Soundscape” project for Dallas Museum of Art (2009)

Composed sonic art to be displayed with pieces of art in the DMA’s permanent collection.

Now featured as part of the DMA’s smARTphone Tours.

“Island of Eternity” (2009)

Multimedia installation/interactive narrative based on Casares’ novel The Invention of Dr. Morel; created with Jason Barnett and Frank Dufour

Sound design and composed original music for installation

"Uncertain" (2009)
Short film directed by Luis Midence

Composed original music for film

Winner:

   Best Movie Award – Cosmic Film Festival (Dallas, TX)

Official Selection of: 

   Dallas International Film Festival

   Cosmic Film Festival (Dallas, TX)

   The Awareness Festival: Heal One World (CA)

“CarellaEve” (2009)

Webisode directed by Candace Barnhill. Composed original theme music for webisode series; acted as sound design consultant for each episode

"The Longest Moment” (2009)

Animated film directed by Todd Fechter, produced by ATEC Short Films.

Composed original music for film

Official Selection of the Dallas International Film Festival