Michael J. Schumacher is a composer, pianist, guitarist, improvisor and teacher based in Brooklyn, NY. He's worked with spatialized sound and algorithmic composition since the 1980s, creating multi-channel, generative "Room Pieces" presented in galleries, museums, concert halls, public and private spaces. He's been a modular synth enthusiast since the 1970s, when he was introduced to the Buchla and other synthesizers at Studio PASS (now Harvestworks) in New York. Later, while studying at Juilliard, Hubert Howe gave him the key to the Queens College electronic studio, where he had access to a Buchla and a Moog modular.

He generally uses synthesized sounds within compositions that are created using Max and other computer applications. His projects often expand the idea of the listening space, both architecturally and temporally: XI records has published a DVD set of five sound installations as computer applications, playable on up to eight speakers, which may be installed on a computer to create sound environments in the home. His building-wide installation at EMPAC, in Troy New York, ran 24/7 for one year. “Living Room Pieces” is a generative installation designed for home listening; in 2021 Schumacher made an edition of 10 for Raspberry Pi. “The Portable Multi-channel Sound System” is a complete immersive environment that fits in a suitcase, with which he has toured Europe and the United States.

His interest in the relationship of musical form and architecture led to the founding, with the generous support of Liz and Kirk Radke, of Diapason Sound Art, a gallery devoted to the presentation of multi-channel sound installations, long-duration performances and intermedia artworks. The gallery's two high quality sound systems and its attention to the details of heightening aural perception made it an optimal space for creating and experiencing minimalist and process-based work. In its 15 years of existence Diapason and its predecessor Studio Five Beekman presented over 300 artists, including David Behrman, Olivia Block, Kabir Carter, Ronald Kuivila, Alan Licht, Alvin Lucier, Phil Niblock, Pauline Oliveros, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Roden, Janek Schaefer, Stephen Vitiello, Achim Wollscheid, and others.

In the 1990s and 2000s Schumacher worked with La Monte Young and performed Young's piano pieces, as well as those of Terry Jennings and others in the Dream House, both as soloist and with cellist Charles Curtis. He also presented sound installations and concerts of his own electro-acoustic compositions in the Dream House.

Schumacher is the music director of the Liz Gerring Dance Company, with whom he has collaborated on a dozen evening-length works over the past 30 years. He also performs regularly with choreographer Sally Silvers.

As a guitarist he has recorded with The Donald Miller Trio and Dogbowl. Between 2012 and 2018 he released three records with his band Dinmachine.

He studied music composition with Stanley Applebaum, Bernhard Heiden, John Eaton and Vincent Persichetti and piano with Seymour Bernstein, John Ogdon and Shigeo Neriki, and has degrees from Indiana University and Juilliard. He also worked with La Monte Young, Giampaolo Bracali and Milton Babbit. He has collaborated with choreographers, poets, architects, musicians and filmmakers including Oren Ambarchi, Bruce Andrews, Charles Curtis, Ken Jacobs, Victoria Meyers, Donald Miller, Ursula Scherrer and Stephen Vitiello.

A new "Room Piece" was published by Superpang last summer and is available on Bandcamp.