Daily Inspiration: Meet Michael W. Moynihan, Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael W. Moynihan, Jr.

Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Began playing the saxophone at age 9. Discovered the music of Charlie Parker in junior high and got hooked on jazz music. From there, I was driven to strive to master jazz improvisation. I was off to a promising start by the end of high school. Began attending Indiana University in Bloomington, IN in 2006 to study music, but left after three years. The rest of my twenties was fraught with mental health challenges.

I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder in my mid-twenties and suffered repeated psychotic episodes while struggling to come to terms with the need to take anti-psychotic meds for the rest of my life. I still managed to accomplish a lot in my twenties: I played 1000+ gigs recorded my debut jazz saxophone album and performed on multiple tours in locations such as Taiwan, China, the UK, Botswana, and South Africa. Worked on cruise ships as an orchestra musician. Earned my degree in General Studies in 2014 from the University of Arizona.

My last psychotic episode was in 2019 and was unfortunately catastrophic, leading to 3 months of jail time on Rikers Island in New York City. Ironically, at this lowest point in my life, I found saving faith in Jesus Christ while I was in jail. I am now a born-again Christian and have been healed by the power of the Holy Spirit to the point that I can continue my music career. I recently took advantage of the time I am serving on probation here in Tucson, AZ by returning to college to finish the music degree I started in 2006. I just graduated at the beginning of May with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies.

I believe my life is a testament to the healing power of God and the saving grace given through faith in Jesus Christ. I can honestly say that I would not be alive today without Jesus. I am currently performing and teaching in the Tucson area and I am eager to find out where the Spirit is leading me in my music career.

I have about another year left of probation, so right now I am focusing on my health while continually working on different musical projects. In June, I will be recording a new studio album of the 5-movement suite I composed for a jazz quartet entitled Offering. I also produce experimental Christian music in my home studio under the alias SON RISE, and I am currently at work on my 3rd SON RISE album.

For further insight into my journey to my Christian faith, here is a copy of my testimony that I shared on social media a while back: Dear friends, my heart is moved to share my testimony of the day I was saved in Christ Jesus. So here it goes…

In February of 2020, I was at the lowest point of my life. I found myself in a dark, dirty jail—Rikers Island, just outside of New York City. Before I was incarcerated, I had been an enemy of Christ. I was so vehemently anti-Christian that I had often attempted to astral project and attack Jesus Christ and God the Father in any way that I could.

Before I was saved, I was a kind of pantheist; I believed that all the religions were true and that there were many “gods” out there in the spiritual realm, all vying and competing for power. I believed that God the Father and Jesus Christ were just one sect of gods who happened to have dominion over our earth. I believed that God and Christ were our evil overlords and that it was my duty as a free human spirit to rebel against them at all costs!

On February 18, 2020, everything changed. On this day, my spirit, my soul was so BROKEN from years of rebellion against God, years of repeated psychotic episodes, incarcerations, hospitalizations, failed relationships, and futile attempts at a music career…that I GAVE UP. Utterly.

I simply gave up. I was so tired of fighting Jesus Christ, that I surrendered to Him. Mind you, I did not surrender in a spirit of reverence or respect, but I surrendered to Him in a spirit of defeat. I surrendered as an enemy combatant would to an opposing general. I surrendered to Christ, utterly and completely.

On February 18, 2020, as I lay in my cot in the dormitory of Rikers Island, I lifted my hands to the ceiling and in my mind, I said the only words that I could think to say to Him, “Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior.”

At that very moment, I felt something I had never experienced before: Something flooded into me. It felt like silty water, full of life-giving nutrients. It surged and filled my very soul. I could feel it healing the literal fractures and wounds in my soul. It was gluing my soul back together, fusing together so many shards of broken pottery, making me whole again. It was the Holy Spirit. The moment I confessed to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, He baptized me into the Holy Spirit. It was incredible. It was the first time in my life that I knew God.

I had searched for a connection with God my whole life, seeking him in Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Native American spirituality, and even satanism! But I never felt a real connection with the Father, until I confessed that Jesus is Lord. Of course, this makes sense because it is exactly what the Bible tells us!

In John 14:6, Jesus plainly states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” My experience of being baptized into the Holy Spirit SHOWED me that what the Bible says is TRUE. No one comes to the Father except through Christ.

As soon as I felt the Holy Spirit enter my soul (and He has remained with me ever since, just as scripture tells us) something else happened. I perceived that a sort of lens fell away from my eyes and ears. Suddenly I could hear and see with true clarity! It didn’t heal my eyesight or change my eye prescription, but all of a sudden, the colors were brighter! I rushed to read my Bible. All of a sudden, I could read and understand scripture with newfound clarity! I turned on my little jail radio.

The beauty of music overwhelmed me! Before, I had turned my nose up at pop music. Suddenly, I could hear the immense beauty in it. Of course, there is scriptural precedence for this kind of experience as well. On the road to Damascus, the apostle Paul had a similar experience in Acts 9:18: “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized[.]”

I too rose and was baptized, though not for several months later. Being baptized with water was pleasant, but I understood that it was merely an outward sign of the inner baptism of the Holy Spirit I had received that day in Rikers Island. I was born on 8/21/88, but I was BORN AGAIN on 2/18/2020. See how God works? That was the day I was given a NEW LIFE in Christ Jesus.

My old self was crucified with Christ, and God gave me a new heart and a new self in Jesus Christ. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6).

On February 18, 2020, I was saved. No longer was I dead in my life of sin. All my sins were forgiven thanks to the Holy sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross. I’m not special. I am a wretch and a sinner. I want you, dear friend, to know that the LOVE of Jesus Christ is available to YOU, RIGHT NOW.

All you have to do is say in your heart, “Jesus Christ, you are my Lord and Savior,” and he will grant you salvation, the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness of every sin you have ever committed, all AS A FREE GIFT. If you have ever felt empty, if you have ever felt a yearning for a connection with something higher than yourself, I invite you to reach out to God right now and proclaim Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

I am still not perfect, but I KNOW that the Holy Spirit is transforming me right this very moment into the man that God wants me to be, through Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s ironic and wonderful how during the lowest, most horrible three months of my life, in the dark, dirty prison of Rikers Island, I experienced the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE: The day I was saved by Jesus Christ and baptized of the Holy Spirit of God.

I want you to have the best day of your life too. I want you to come to know our Father who is in Heaven through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This option is always available. Take it right now. It is the most important thing you can ever do. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9) Step through that door right now. Don’t delay. You don’t know when your time is coming, so it is vital that you come to know Jesus at this very moment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. I hope that it has been a blessing to you and that it will cause you to draw closer to God through our Savior Jesus Christ. As the Bible says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:8). It is so true, as is every word in the Holy Bible. If you are a prodigal son, then come walking towards God, and he will gird up his tunic and come running to you! (Luke 15:20).

God bless you and keep you in His grace, that may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen! If you are so moved, please feel free to share this testimony with anyone and everyone!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I have seen my fair share of challenges. Schizoaffective Disorder is a very challenging illness to manage because there is a very slippery slope that leads to a point of no return where I no longer have insight into my own mental state. Once I slide into psychosis, it is very difficult to get the help I need because my personality changes, becoming very anti-social, and because I am an adult there is very little my loved ones can legally do to help me get treatment.

For this reason, my episodes of psychosis have usually led to jail time (I have been to jail 5 times since my first episode in 2012). In jail, I have been able to resume taking medications that help me recover from psychosis, but unfortunately, the record of my arrests and convictions stays with me forever, making it difficult to find employment. My illness is very difficult to explain to people, and difficult for people to understand.

It’s hard to summarize a decade-long battle with Schizoaffective Disorder on a job application asking for my criminal history. While I am not in control of what I do during psychosis, I can control how I manage my health when I am in my right mind. I am committed to taking the necessary medications for the rest of my life to manage my mental health and pursue a healthy, balanced lifestyle that promotes mental wellness.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an accomplished musician and independent artist. I am best known for my gift as a jazz saxophonist and improviser.

I have played countless gigs over the years, and have often been hired specifically for my unique voice as a soloist and for my knowledge of hundreds of jazz standards. My stylistic flexibility on the saxophone has enabled me to collaborate with artists of a variety of genres including pop, rock, jazz, afrobeat, hip-hop, electronica, and many more.

I am perhaps most proud of my accomplishments as a composer, bandleader, songwriter, and producer. I recorded my debut album Chronicles by Michael Moynihan Quartet, consisting of all my original compositions, in 2014. In 2019, I released a jazz-fusion album Purple Spectre by the band I spearheaded called Purple Spectre, also featuring all original compositions.

In 2019, I launched an experimental songwriting and production project called Bench Sailor, and I have released 9 albums and EPs of my original songs under that alias. In Bench Sailor, I wrote, performed, produced, arranged, mixed, and mastered everything myself. I carried this practice over to my experimental Christian music project, SON RISE, which is my new passion. I have released 2 SON RISE albums and one EP, and I am working on a 3rd album now.

I am currently striving to use my musical gifts to glorify God because I can think of no higher purpose for creating music than to glorify the Creator. Accordingly, I premiered a 5-movement suite for a jazz quartet called Offering at my senior recital in April. Offering’s five movements correspond to five types of Christian prayer: Thanksgiving, Adoration, Confession, Intercession, and Supplication. I have plans to create a studio recording of this suite in June of this year.

All the music I mentioned is available immediately for streaming wherever you get your music (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Pandora, etc.).

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Since I am best known for my work as a professional saxophonist, I think many people are unaware that I am passionate about my production projects Bench Sailor and SON RISE.

I think people would be surprised to find out that I am a singer and writer of songs with lyrics as well as an instrumental performer and composer.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://michaelmoynihanmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelmoynihanofficial/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mwmoynihanjr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2CpzQrV9B7nHodpBdxqPg
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mike-moynihan
• Other: https://linktr.ee/michaelmoynihan

Image Credits
Jpop Photon (Julius Scholsburg) and Seanloui Dumas