This page is devoted to my work as a composer.  All of the songs you see on this page are also available via SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/jonmichalik.  I will not be posting all of my music on this site as that would make this gigantic!  I will be including video game-inspired pieces as well as some of my favorites from my collection.  I also apologize for my face being all over this page...I will be looking into getting a more appealing image for these songs :)
The Mirror's Reflection: Snowfall
A more ambient percussion chamber piece featuring solo piano.  I don't often write music as a pure extension of emotion, but in the winter of 2018, I was faced with a strong depressive spell.  Not knowing how to confront my feelings, I turned to expressing myself through music, and this is what came of it.  A reflection of myself amidst a backdrop of winter.  This is a live performance with the Moraine Valley Community College Percussion Ensemble performed in May of 2018 featuring myself on piano.
Star Sweeper
My first attempt writing in the J-Pop (Japanese Pop) musical form.  I think it turned out pretty fun despite this being my first original work in quite some time as well as my first time learning the style.  Heavily influenced by vocaloid music, Hatsune Miku in particular, Star Sweeper a 5-part percussion ensemble piece requested to be written to be performed by the Moraine Valley Community College Percussion Ensemble at the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Conference in January of 2017.
Snowscape
An electronic music project I worked on while attending Western Illinois University.  The piece depicts a wintery landscape dotted with samples of chimes and bells to personify the image of ice crystals.  As the piece progresses, a storm approaches and eventually recedes by the end.  Definitely a super fun project to have worked on and, since I love performing, I improvise some underlying progressions and melody as the storm comes and goes.  The overall ambiance is inspired by Metroid Prime.
And the Bell Tolls...
A piano solo written on a whim back in 2008.  I just kind of sat down and let my fingers do the rest.  I was feeling pretty inspired by the continuing motion of Midna's Lament from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the beginning of this piece.  It eventually opens up into a very floaty, ethereal feel and returns to the original motif by the end.  I also used a lot of moving fourth progressions based on early Final Fantasy music.
Adventuring Soul: Mvt. 3 Rising Calamity
Adventuring Soul is a three-movement vibraphone solo I wrote for the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest back in 2010.  I really pulled from a Hero's Journey arc to have the piece tell a story.  The third movement, Rising Calamity, is reminiscent of a final boss battle, the dialogue going into it, and the chaos that follows.  The piece uses a gratuitous amount of bluesy patterns and a hint of dissonance to emphasize the chaotic setting.
Slumber Dance
This one is actually a digitally modified arrangement of another song I've written of the same name.  Originally orchestrated for marimba, steel pan, djembe, violin, and voice, this song follows a similar style to Dragon Roost Island from Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.  The altered orchestration and digitally-applied echo feedback give it a totally different feel than the island setting the original depicted.
Celestial Confrontation
A boss battle theme for a game concept I've played with for years, but haven't had the time to work on.  The game involves battling the stars themselves.  The beginning of the song paints the twinkle of starlight and introduces the encounter with a motif inspired by Pokemon's legendary battles.  The battle theme itself pulls from both the fast motion of Pokemon and the mixed meter, progressions, and intensity of Final Fantasy VI battle music.