A native of Austin, Texas, Third Coast director Michael Shay grew up in a musical household. The son of a piano teacher and brother to two musical sisters, Michael attributes his musical abilities to growing up in such a music-filled environment. As a newborn baby, toddler, and then pre-schooler, he played on the living-room floor as his mother taught piano lessons, soaking up the music he heard day after day. At age 8, he began taking piano and music theory lessons, and then took up the cello at age 12. He played in orchestras, and was also a student of the Austin Chamber Music Center, where he later became a teacher. As a teenager, rock and roll and folk music captured his attention, and he taught himself to play guitar and bass guitar, among other instruments. Since 2000, Michael has been playing professionally in multiple genres, including classical, folk, blues, rock, jazz, reggae, tango, Americana, Latin, funk, and more. He is also a recording engineer and producer, bandleader, singer, songwriter, and composer, working with artists such as Will Taylor and Strings Attached, Libby Kirkpatrick, Zoe Lewis, The Just Desserts, and the Michael Shay Band. He has released fouroriginal CD's and continues to perform professionally, especially with The Just Desserts.
Michael got his start as a music educator while living in the tiny town of Chacanta in Venezuela, where he was asked to give mixed-age group music classes for the children of the town. Upon his return to Denver, Colorado, he taught at the Montessori Children's House, where he received training in Montessori and Non-Violent Communication. There, Michael created a music curriculum for the 2-6 year old students, helping them compose their own songs and participate in singing, percussion play, chants, and movement. In 2002, Michael moved back to Austin, and since then has been teaching private lessons in cello, guitar, bass, theory, songwriting, piano, chamber music, improvisation, and collaborative composition.
After years of working with students of all ages in many styles of music and on many different instruments, Michael feels that his primary role as a music educator is to help people access their innate musical instincts and unlock their natural creativity. Understanding the immeasurable impact that those first years of life has on ones musical development led him to the desire to offer music classes for early childhood. When he first observed a Music Together class in Prescott, Arizona in April of 2006, it was the first time he had encountered a structured system and philosophy of music education (for any age group) that had such a high level of educational integrity while being SO MUCH FUN at the same time! He recieved Music Together teacher training two months later and was awarded a center director's license soon after. Michael is very excited to now be focusing his teaching efforts on what he believes is the best way he can invest in a more musical world for future generations.

A recent musical theater graduate of St. Edwards University, singer and actor Libby Dees will be co-teaching with Michael Shay during the fall session!

Monika Kiraly is a mother of two, an accordion and flute player, and has a little farm on the outskirts of Austin. Her extensive experience and education in child development, early childhood, special education, autism, educational psychology, linguistics, and parenting will bring a special presence and expertise to the classroom. She'll be co-teaching with Michael this fall.