Michael is Dalton Parents Association President, Maria Giacchino's brother. His nephews, both Dalton students, introduced him to their respective peer groups. Michael presented a slide show depicting his life's journey and how he made his way from his family's Italian immigrant roots to his current status as one of Hollywood's most sought-after movie score composers.

Using movie clips from "Up" and "Star Trek III," he revealed his process when creating soundtracks which promote the story of the project, remarking that he constantly reminds himself, "It's not about me." He emphasized that any form of collaborative work requires individuals to let go of their own focus in favor of contributing to the success of a project. He described his collaborations with producers and directors as "playful" and fun but also critical in helping to make a project as good as it can be. He also emphasized story telling as an important central focus of his and many other professions and encouraged the students to be storytellers.

After an extensive question and answer period at the end of his presentation, Michael advised the students to "follow those things that you love..." to stay with those things about which one is most passionate.

Read more about Michael's impressive career @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Giacchino