Dr. Michael Cox is a tenured Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies who has taught at Capital since 1990. He currently chairs the Woodwind Area and teaches an Audiation Lab in addition to teaching jazz and classical saxophone to students majoring in Performance, Music Education, Jazz Studies, Music Industry, Music Technology, and Composition. For fifteen years he has also taught improvisation, jazz styles & analysis, woodwind repair, coached combos and saxophone quartets, and for two years directed Capital's vocal jazz ensemble. Beginning in 2008 Michael will serve as coordinator of graduate jazz studies for students pursuing the Master of Music Education-Jazz Pedagogy degree at Capital.
While making a career commitment to teaching full time at the collegiate level, Michael has maintained a continuous schedule as a freelance saxophone and woodwind soloist and performer in the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Columbus and Lancaster Symphonies, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, and numerous groups including Brasileira, the Science Gravy Orchestra, Magically Delicious, Too Far North and the Powerhouse Trio among others. Although primarily an alto, tenor, and soprano saxophonist, he recently assumed the clarinet chair in the popular traditional/New Orleans style group the High Street Stompers. In 1999 Michael released the rare but highly acclaimed Abstractions, Dedications and Red Dirt (CoJazz CJ-1007) featuring Matt Wilson on drums and Dennis Irwin on bass, and he occasionally leads his own trio or quartet, focusing on jazz standards, originals, and crossover styles. Current recording projects include a new jazz CD and a CD of French classical chamber music composed by Pierre Max Dubois, in addition to appearances on a new Columbus Jazz Orchestra CD and others.
Michael's educational credentials include independent studies with jazz luminaries Joe Lovano and David Liebman, mentoring with IAJE Hall of Fame educator Gene Aitken, concentrated study with renowned saxophone professors Roger Greenberg and Jean Lansing, a Doctor of Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master‚s degree in Music Performance from Wichita State University, and a Bachelor's degree from Cameron University in his home town of Lawton, Oklahoma. In the year 2000, Cameron University honored Dr. Cox with one of its three Alumni of the year awards, reflecting his commitment to academic tradition as well as his artistic pursuit of music as a performance art.