Michael began composing whilst in Grade 10. Several of his earliest works premiered by the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Gwyn Roberts. In 1978 Richard Mills premiered a movement from his suite "Four Tributes to Imperial Classicism" with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Michael studied composition at the Tasmanian Conservatorium with Ian Cugley and Don Kay. In 1985 he studied privately with Paul Patterson, Head of Composition and Director of Contemporary Music at the Royal Academy of Music, London. 

In preparation for his studies with Paul, in 1983 Michael conducted the brass and percussion sections of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for a recording of an extended work by him entitled simply "Fanfare". Michael's subsequent score "Sun Cycles" was given permanent placement in the Royal Academy Library.

Upon returning to Tasmania, Michael set up Contempo Music Publications, which sold works by local composers such as Don Kay, and also works from Wales and New Zealand.
Michael has received varied commissions, including those from Arts Tasmania, the British Arts Council (Berlin) and IHOS Opera. Michael's work is often focused on teaching the subtleties of  Afro/Cuban phrasing within Classical Music architecture. Examples of this include "Kitchen Table Rondo" for IHOS Opera (2010); "Beowulf's Lament" for Trombone and Tape, for IHOS Foundation Amsterdam (2016) and "The Eighth Trumpet of The End of Time", for Trumpet, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Tape (to be premiered in 2018).

Michael has worked frequently as a casual trombonist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (1980 - 1985), and was a founding member of The Tasmanian Trombone Quartet. Michael has worked in big bands, and in cabaret.

The two mainstays of his Teaching career were as a peripatetic composition and instrumental teacher at Matriculation level, and as a classroom teacher at St. Virgil's College 1989 - 2001 (Austin's Ferry Tasmania), where in later years he was Department Head.