Michael Van Bodegom Smith is a Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and brass instrumentalist whose work spans animated children’s programming, indie film and theatre productions, and summer blockbusters. Hailing from Chicago, Michael honed his skills writing additional music for composers like Dara Taylor, JP Rende, and Amanda Jones, developing a reputation for his patient collaboration, rapid problem-solving, and innovative, out-of-the-box creative solutions.

 

Starting his career under the mentorship of renowned composer Dara Taylor, Michael quickly racked up credits from critically acclaimed movies and TV series such as The Invitation, Strays, and Marvel’s Ironheart. Leveraging this experience, he then branched out on his own by contributing to series like National Geographic’s Katrina, Netflix’s international hit series Princess Power, Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake, and widely recognized franchises like Pokémon: Path to the Peak and Star Wars Outlaws. Over the past five years, Michael has music directed four full-length stage musicals, two of which were original pieces, and has written and recorded original scores to seven plays based in both Los Angeles and Chicago. Additionally, one of his own musicals was honored as an award-winning production at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, adapted into a feature film, and is currently being workshopped in various places around the United States.

 

Outside of his work in visual media, Michael is an avid participant in the Los Angeles music scene as a songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. His original music ranges from instrumental compositions for the concert hall to Pop-Funk/RnB fusions. As a performer, Michael frequently gigs for independent artists around Los Angeles and works as a session musician for film and TV. His credits as an instrumentalist include titles like The Ghost of Molly McGee, Lego Star Wars, and Zombies: The Reanimated Series. Michael is a proud voting member of the Television Academy and the Recording Academy. He is also professionally affiliated with the Society of Composers and Lyricists, Composers Diversity Collective, The Alliance for Women Film Composers, and WVZ MFG Publishing Co.

 

Based in Mid-City with his partner in crime and colorful fish, Michael is a dedicated practitioner of MMA, long hikes, and anything involving being out and about with good company.