His Concerto for Pedal Steel Guitar and Orchestra is believed to be the first concerto ever written for the pedal steel guitar. It was premiered on April 16th, 2005, in a performance by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra with Gary Morse (of Dierks Bentley and Dwight Yoakam's bands) as soloist, and Paul Gambill as conductor. Levine also composed Divination By Mirrors for musical saw and strings. It was premiered in New York City's Merkin Hall in 1998 by the New York Virtuosi with Dale Stuckenbruck as the saw soloist. The piece makes extensive use of quarter tones and golden mean sections.
Levine has written several opera and musical theater pieces including Orpheus Electronica (2000), widely believed to be the first "rave opera".
Trained as a violinist, Levine began his career as a studio musician in New York in the 1980s, but then switched his emphasis to composition. He is, perhaps, best known as the composer for the television dramas Cold Case and Close to Home, both produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. In 2007, he scored the features Adrift in Manhattan and Columbus Day. He also produces, with Michael Wolff, the songs for the Nickelodeon TV preteen comedy series and combo, The Naked Brothers Band. Early in his career Levine wrote music for advertising including "Gimme a Break", the Kit Kat jingle (1986). In a 2003 study of earworms (tunes that get stuck in people's heads) Univ. of Cincinnati researcher James Kellaris named "Gimme a Break" as one of the top ten worst offenders.
In the mid-1980s, Levine led the New York City-based quartet, No Guitars, in which he sang and played electric violin. Patrick Moraz of Yes described him as "The Jimi Hendrix of the violin."
Michael has done extensive work for other film composers including Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rupert Gregson-Williams, and Cliff Martinez as an arranger and composer of additional music. He was the arranger of the choral version of Spider-Pig from The Simpsons Movie and composed the music for the murder scene in Veronica Guerin.
Levine continues to play violin on his and others' recordings. He also plays tenor violin and the ciola (pronounced chee OH la) an instrument the size of a viola but which sounds in the same range as a cello. He is the recipient of five ASCAP awards, two Clio awards, an NEA grant, a Meet The Composer grant, and a Massachusetts Arts Foundation grant.
The Park
Michael A. Levine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember them quite well
The sun was hot and I
Would have a pleasant time
In the days of my youth
Days in Walker Park
They will linger in my mind
The times that I would have
How they ended too soon
I can't help it when I think
Of the children that I'd see
The games we used to play
As we used up every day
And it's wild to me
That the smiles I see
Are only memories
Days in Walker Park
I need them once again
The visions make me cry
They only can reside
As pieces of the past
Days in Walker Park
They made me who I am
As long as I'm alive
I'll keep them deep inside
The memories will last
The memories will last
The memories will last
The memories will last
The song "The Park" by Michael A. Levine is a nostalgic and evocative piece that speaks to the power of memory and the lasting impact that certain places and experiences can have on a person's life. Through the lyrics, the singer reminisces about days spent in Walker Park, recalling the heat of the sun and the pleasant times he had there as a child. He reflects on the good and bad times he had in the park, noting that they always seemed to end too soon.
One of the most poignant aspects of the song is the singer's recollection of the children he used to see and play with in the park, and how those memories now bring him both joy and sadness. He marvels at how those fleeting moments of youthful happiness have been transformed into "only memories" that he can't help but cherish. Ultimately, the song is a testament to the enduring power of memory and the ways in which our past experiences shape who we are as people.
Overall, "The Park" is a moving and thought-provoking tribute to the importance of preserving our memories and holding onto the things that have made us who we are. It speaks to the universal experience of nostalgia and the bittersweet beauty of looking back on our lives with both joy and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Days in Walker Park
Remembering the time spent in Walker Park
I remember them quite well
The memories are vivid and clear
The sun was hot and I
The singer experienced the heat of the sun
Would have a pleasant time
Enjoying oneself during the visit
In the days of my youth
Referring to the singer's younger age
Days in Walker Park
Continuing to remember the time spent in Walker Park
They will linger in my mind
The memories will stay with the singer for a long time
The times that I would have
Remembering the experiences had in the park
The good ones and the bad
The singer had both positive and negative moments in the park
How they ended too soon
The singer wishes the time in the park was longer
I can't help it when I think
The memories are unavoidable when the singer thinks about the park
Of the children that I'd see
The singer recalls the sight of other children playing in the park
The games we used to play
Remembering the fun activities engaged in with other children
As we used up every day
The singer made use of every day spent in the park
And it's wild to me
The memories are surreal to the singer
That the smiles I see
The singer can still envision the smiles of the other children
Are only memories
Those happy moments are now only memories
Days in Walker Park
Continuing to share the memories of time spent in Walker Park
I need them once again
The singer yearns to relive those moments again
The visions make me cry
Remembering the past moves the singer to tears
They only can reside
The memories are the only things the singer has from that time
As pieces of the past
The memories are fragments of the singer's past
Days in Walker Park
Continuing to emphasize the significance of Walker Park
They made me who I am
The experiences in the park impacted the singer's personality and character
As long as I'm alive
The memories will stay with the singer for their entire life
I'll keep them deep inside
The singer will always cherish those memories
The memories will last
Reiterating the longevity and significance of the memories
The memories will last
Reiterating the longevity and significance of the memories
The memories will last
Reiterating the longevity and significance of the memories
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Peter Siringano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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