Biography of Michael Black
Michael now resides in San Francisco and has taught at the University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University. He first came to the United States in 1984 to attend the University of California at Berkeley, on a Masters Degree Program in Kinesiology. Twelve years later he received his PhD in Sociology and he has remained in the bay area. Having left school at the age of fourteen he spent eleven years working at the famous Arthur Guinness Brewery in Dublin. When he was twenty five he got accepted at a small college in England to study Physical Education and he completed his B.Ed degree at the University of Limerick.
Whilst in the US he became very active in the music scene in San Francisco where he was a regular performer at the Plough and Stars pub for many years. As a banjo player and an accomplished guitarist he worked with many Irish artists including Paddy Keenan, John Whelan, Nollaig Casey and James Kelly. More recently Michael has re-juvenated his solo career, playing at various venues throughout the United States. In the past year he has performed in Maine, Utah, Texas, Philadelphia, and is planning a solo album this year.
He remains an active athlete running twice or three times a week and is an A-rated squash player. He also plays league soccer and coaches an Irish soccer team in the Golden Gate Women’s Soccer League. His three daughters, Ciara, Maeve and Catriona all play soccer and are avid Irish dancers.
