معرفی
Michael Barrett Dixon serves as an Adjunct Instructor of Music History (Popular Music) in the Music Department at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also teaches at the University of Richmond, Richard Bland College, and Brightpoint Community College. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Dixon brings a unique blend of academic knowledge and professional music industry experience to his teaching.
Dr. Dixon earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music theory and composition with a music business emphasis, along with a Master of Science in Instructional Technology, all from East Carolina University. His educational background perfectly bridges his dual careers in academia and professional music.
- Music History and Popular Music instruction
- Electronic music composition and production
- Instructional technology and online course design
- Modern dance music composition
- Literary music adaptation (notably Sara Teasdale poetry)
- Vintage synthesizer expertise
His recent musical output shows remarkable breadth across genres including electronic, synth pop, rock, alternative, jazz, soundtrack, classical-crossover, and new age. Dixon's One Way Ticket (2025) represents his most ambitious project yet, blending science fiction themes with electronic music production. His work often explores conceptual themes, as evidenced by projects like Aquarium (2019) which uses aquatic life as musical inspiration and The Teasdale Album (2023) which sets century-old poetry to modern electronic music.
Dixon has received notable recognition for his compositions commissioned by modern dance choreographers including Patti Weeks, Richard Southerland, Marissa Nesbit McCray, and Patricia Clark. His music for academic purposes, such as the THEA 1000 Documentary and Music for Modern Dance, demonstrates his ability to create functional yet artistically significant work.
Beyond academia, Dixon works as a Senior Learning Experience Designer in the healthcare sector, applying his instructional technology expertise. With over 900 compositions to his name since beginning at age 13, he continues to be remarkably productive as both an educator and recording artist, regularly releasing new music worldwide while maintaining his teaching responsibilities.
