Michael Done - musician

Michael Done is a versatile musician, songwriter, poet and reflective writer. Over his lifetime, his expansive musical journey has been intertwined with a heart-felt explorations of self and spirituality.

 

The musical and spiritual aspects of Michael’s life have always been close companions.

 

In 2010, this brought him into friendship with Deva Premal and Miten, internationally acclaimed exponents of Indian chant and ethereal contemporary spiritual music. Michael’s composition Lokaha Samasta became one of Deva and Miten’s most popular pieces with over 7.5 million hits on YouTube, and he has performed many times with them at chanting retreats in Australia and Greece.   

 

Indian musical influences coupled with Michael’s interest in various Eastern spiritualities drew Michael to ‘Kirtan’, an immersive form of call-response chanting that enables participants to be internally centred, sensorily engaged, aesthetically nourished and joyfully connected to themselves and those around them.

 

In his hometown, Perth, Michael has become a well-respected Kirtan musician, leading and participating in Kirtan events at festivals, meditation events and retreats. At 70, Michael wound back his regular Kirtan activities but he is still frequently invited to play and sing at special events. This includes two memorable writers’ festival appearances with his close personal friend, author Brigid Lowry.

 

Michael continues to play, sing and compose but also enjoys giving attention to his other artistic wing, writing.

 

He is a life-long journal-keeper and a sensitive poet. Some of his lovingly crafted reflective writings are posted on his personal blog, www.michaeldone.com, which he cheerfully (but wrongly) claims “no one ever reads”. He lives in the Perth suburb of Shenton Park beside tranquil Lake Jualbup, with occasional cow-sitting excursions to a small out-of-town farm. He runs a home-based business, and joyfully shares most of his time with his partner, close friends, daughter, grandchildren and their two gorgeous golden retrievers, TaylorDog and Livi.