Biography
Here’s my bio, written in the 3rd person so that it’s easily utilized by those who need press or program copy.
MICHAEL POLLOCK was 21 when he got a job as staff piano player at the world-famous Comedy Store, accompanying standup comics and comedy improv groups from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m., six nights a week. Thus began decades of piano jobs and countless miles of travel by car, bus, plane and cruise ship.
He has manned the keys for a diverse collection of celebrities in concert: Jason Alexander, Chuck Berry, Sandra Bernhard, Roseanne and the late Kitty Carlisle Hart in her one woman show, My Life On the Wicked Stage. Michael’s TV credits as a piano conductor include The Tonight Show, Evening at the Improv, Dolly! and The Late Show.
He orchestrated the live Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Show for Universal Studios Hollywood, and played keyboards for the 2-year run of Department of Untapped Hilarity, Disneyland Resort’s first improv comedy revue.
As musical director of The Impromptones, Michael performed on Crystal Cruises and at various comedy festivals and clubs. He also accompanied ComedySportz Los Angeles in many venues around southern California and the U.S. For 6 years he played the show, Opening Night: The Improvised Musical at IOWest, a production widely respected as the gold standard in musical improv comedy, founded and directed by Shulie Cowen.
He composed music and lyrics of “Remember Tonight and Smile” for Columbia Pictures’ Punchline, starring Tom Hanks and Sally Field. Michael arranged the vocals and sang in the jazz quartet that serenaded Jack Lemmon in his final appearance on television – the Emmy Award-winning Tuesdays With Morrie. For The Drew Carey Show, Michael also arranged and sang in the comic barbershop quartet featured in the episode, Drew’s Reunion, guest-starring Bo Derek.
In 2005 Michael led the first master class in musical direction at the renowned Chicago Improv Festival. His books are in use by musicians and actors all over the world (Musical Improv Comedy; Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy; How to Write Funny Lyrics). In 2008 his piano educational series was published, Easy Piano in Every Key, Levels 1-4.
The Second City Los Angeles Training Center and Disneyland are Michael’s current homes-away-from-home. Now in his 7th year as musical director for Second City, he teaches musical improv and works with the upper levels of the conservatory program. At Disneyland he plays ragtime on Main St. USA and performs in 2 additional shows currently running in Frontierland. In 2008 his CD, Ragtime Michael Tickles the Ivories, became available in stores at Disneyland and on Amazon.com.
Michael is a student of the Spanish language, and finally earned Disneyland’s bilingual certification in May 2009. He is quite proud of his new “espanol” badge. He is a Texas native, lives in Hollywood and is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts and The Grove School of Music, where he studied composition and arranging with the late, brilliant Dick Grove.
