Michael Palma

Born on December 15th, 1985 in Irving, Texas—the used-to-be home of the Dallas Cowboys—Michael Adam Palma began classical lessons at the tender age of 5. Between now and the time Palma was twelve, he has taken on an extraordinary career as a jazz performer. Michael has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Greg Osby, Mark Turner, Jimmy Cobb, Tootie Heath, Benny Golson, Delfeayo Marsalis, George Garzone, Roy Hargrove, Jason Palmer, Jiggs Whigam, Paquito D’Riveria, Ralph Peterson, Bill
Pierce, Barry Riese, Rich Perry, and Hal Crook to name a few. Palma is world renowned and continues to perform all over the states as well as in Japan, Spain, and France.

He attended Booker T. Washington HSPVA (Norah Jones, Erykah Badu, Roy Hargove etc.) in Dallas, TX where he received numerous Downbeat Magazine jazz education awards for his improvisation skills and compositions. He received a full scholarship from the Berklee College of Music from where he graduated in 2009. Aside from performing jazz, Palma’s composing skills have been internationally recognized and his work has been heard on the television programs Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Expose, and America’s Best Dance Crew as well as television stations ABC, NFL Network, MTV, and Superstation. He is a BMI composer. He is currently a full-time faculty member at the University of North Texas in the Jazz Studies Department where he teaches 3 classes on jazz improvisation, a piano techniques class, as well as private jazz lessons. Palma recently started a new Jazz/Rock Trio titled, “Michael Palma and Shadowboxer.” He also, along with Steve Pruitt, a renowned percussionist, founded “Social Sounds," a pop/dance live band comprised of creative and great music.