Michael Crane is a marimba specialist based in Boston, MA. A composer-performer, Michael seeks to establish his own music in the repertoire, and to be an innovator in the ongoing development of the instrument.

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As a performer, Michael places an emphasis in performing his own works and adapting music from a variety of genres onto the marimba. Michael’s passion is to bring not only new music to the instrument, but also to expand and normalize the range of sounds and techniques outside of its current box. Outside of his own music, Michael pulls from a wide range of musical sources, ranging from Late-Romantic era piano solos, to jazz standards, to prog rock and metal. In 2018, Michael placed as a finalist in the Great Plains International Marimba Competition.

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As a composer, Michael brings unique and diverse textures, intricate harmony, and catchy melodies together to bring a signature sound to the marimba. His current philosophy in writing is to create music that is intricate and in some ways unorthodox, but also widely palatable for diverse audiences. His compositions have received recognition from various world-class marimbists. Michael's compositions are published through his website, where one can find recordings of his completed works. He has completed several commissions for his peers.

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In 2025, Michael formed a marimba duo with Josh Bellis, specializing groove based “four-hands” duets for one marimba. Much of the duo’s repertoire is comprised of original compositions and arrangements. Michael and Josh’s goal is to bring the marimba to new audiences by performing accessible music in public venues, including restaurants, bars, libraries and museums. The duo performs in the Boston area.

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As an educator, Michael teaches private lessons in percussion and is involved in high school music programs. Michael has worked with high school marching bands, percussion ensembles, and has been hired as a performer and educator for various summer camps. Michael spent two years working as a special education paraprofessional in the public school system, equipping him the skillset to work with a wide range of student needs. Michael enjoys working with students of varying age levels, and emphasizes an individual and empathetic approach in education - meeting students where they are at.

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Michael holds a Graduate Performance Diploma in Marimba from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied with Nancy Zeltsman, Ivana Bilić, and Matt Smallcomb. He also holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he studied with Kevin Bobo, John Tafoya, Michael Spiro and Steve Houghton. At IU, Michael was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in recognition of his musical understanding and technical proficiency.