Michael Straugh is a composer, recording artist, pianist and guitarist. His first album of contemporary piano solos, True North, was released in December of 2004. His piano solos have been embraced as meditative, romantic, and healing. Features "A Winter's Tail" (Top 10 at Broadjam for 8 weeks); "Adagio"; "Looking Back" & " Ekta" (Top 10 at American Idol Underground). Michael's influences include a disparate group of musical styles and artists. The clearest connections are George Winston and Michael Gettel, but elements of Lyle Mays and Elton John are also evident. Composers he counts as influences include Aaron Copland, Franz Reizenstein, and Antonio Vivaldi; and having grown up in the 1970s, Ian Anderson and Justin Hayward have had their affect as well.