Michael John Murphy is a folk musician based in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, Nebraska. He plays various instruments, including the guitar, piano, and

Native American flute The Native American flute is a musical instrument and flute that is held in front of the player, has open finger holes, and has two chambers: one for collecting the breath of the player and a second chamber which creates sound. The player breat ...

. He has been a singer songwriter based out of Omaha since the 1970s.

Music

His lyrics are often socially conscious or spiritual, and he uses personal stories and anecdotes in his shows. He has been writing songs since the 1970s, as noted by the lyrics to song, Liquor Stores, which begins: "I was working at a liquor store in July of '73". He started playing the Native American Flute in about 1983 after his mother, who had Native American ancestors, died.

Production and studio work

Murphy has worked with a number of other well known musicians, including

Brulé The Sicangu are one of the seven ''oyates'', nations or council fires, of Lakota people, an Indigenous people of the Northern Plains. Today, many Sicangu people are enrolled citizens of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation ...

Mark Holland Mark Holland (born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Health (Canada), Minister of Health from July 26, 2023 to March 14, 2025. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal Party, Holland represented Ajax ...

The Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...

, and Duane Martin, Sr. Murphy helped produce and does the instrumentation on Martin's 2010 project, Cante Tenza Olowan – Song for the Strong Hear

Activism

Michael has been involved with the Whiteclay Advisory Committee, a group of activists concerned about alcoholism on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and about the sale of alcohol on the border of the reservation in the town of

Whiteclay, Nebraska Whiteclay (; "whiteish or yellowish clay") is a census-designated place in Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10 at the 2010 census. A significant part of Whiteclay's economy was based on alcohol sales to residents of ...

. Along with Canupa Gluha Mani, he performed and produced the music for

The Battle for Whiteclay Whiteclay (; "whiteish or yellowish clay") is a census-designated place in Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. A significant part of Whiteclay's economy was based on alco ...

, a documentary about the Whiteclay issue. Murphy has been featured at the

Omaha Summer Arts Festival Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popul ...

, the Avoca Iowa Folk Festival, and the Lincoln Plainsong Festival. He frequently works with Winnebago leader,

Frank LaMere Franklin Dean LaMere (March 1, 1950 – June 16, 2019) was an American activist and politician. He was a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska from South Sioux City, and the son of a Gold Star Mother and a combat veteran father. He was a me ...

, on the Whiteclay issue and in 2015 recorded a song with LaMere about Whiteclay and Pine Ridge.

Music education

He has taught Native American flute at clinics and colleges in the midwest, especially the Omaha Metropolitan Community College and the Nebraska Indian Community College and St. Augustine Mission in

Macy, Nebraska Macy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,045 at the 2020 census. It is within the Omaha Reservation, and includes Omaha Nation Public Schools. History The first post office at ...

. Murphy is a member of the Nebraska Arts Council and the

International Native American Flute Association The World Flute Society (WFS), a successor to the International Native American Flute Association, is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural flute playing from around the world. WFS has a particular emphasis on the study and development o ...

. He has also taught workshops in flute decoration.

Discography

*Secret Thoughts (1996) *The Second (1998) *Sacred Hearts (2002) *Trail of Tears (2003) *Peace (2004) *Honor Songs of the Great White Father (2006)

External links

Official Home Page

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Michael John Songwriters from Nebraska Native American flute players Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska American people of Native American descent Living people Year of birth missing (living people)