Michael Murphy (musician)

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Michael John Murphy is a folk musician based in Omaha, Nebraska. He plays various instruments, including the guitar and Native American flute. He has been a local singer songwriter in Omaha since the 1970s. His lyrics are often socially conscious or spiritual, and he uses personal stories and anecdotes in his shows. He has been writing songs for much of that time, as noted by the lyrics to his most popular bar song, Liquor Stores, which begins: "I was working at a liquor store in July of '73". More recently, he has garnered popularity with the Native American flute, which he started playing after his mother (who was part Cherokee) died. He has played the flute at various events in Nebraska and Iowa, and has played with other well known musicians, including Brulé, Mark Holland and The Young Bucks. His earlier flute work was especially influenced by the work of R. Carlos Nakai, leading some to mistakenly call the talented Navajo his mentor. As he mastered the instrument, his style became more eclectic, using the flute to explore themes in his guitar based folk songs, and layering the flute with guitar, piano, and even harmonica. His influences as a singer songwriter include Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, and Pete Seeger.

Recently his reach has been growing, as people try to learn about Native American culture. He has played for and worked with many tribal elders in Omaha, as well as being well connected in the Winnebago, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations, which has afforded him a trove of stories and connections. With the respect that such experienced has garnered him, Murphy has been featured at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, the Avoca Iowa Folk Festival, and the Lincoln Plainsong Festival. He has taught Native American flute as an adjunct professor at the Omaha Metropolitan Community College and the Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, Nebraska and has given workshops at the University of Nebraska, Peru State College, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Michael is a member of the Nebraska Arts Council and the International Native American Flute Association.