Video: Michael Feinstein Reflects on His Love of the American Songbook

Michael Feinstein, the champion of the Great American Songbook, reflects on a career spanning five decades in which he’s not only performed timeless standards but lived them. According to CBS News, he attributes much of his musical passion to his childhood in Columbus, Ohio, where, at age five, he began playing tunes by ear long before formal lessons. Despite feeling socially isolated, he gravitated toward classical and Broadway music, forging a deep emotional connection with the harmonic richness of the repertoire. Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles, where a fortuitous encounter with Ira Gershwin led to a six‑year role as Gershwin’s music assistant—an experience Feinstein calls the most thrilling of his early life.

As Feinstein’s profile rose—catalyzed by his 1986 debut at the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room—his ambitions expanded beyond performance. He amassed a treasure trove of memorabilia, including rare scores and recordings, and became a recognized archivist and curator of American musical history. More recently, he has embraced a broader mission: to bring this music alive for younger audiences. 

To support that mission, Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in Carmel, Indiana. The foundation features a museum of songwriters’ archives, a performing arts center, and a selective Songbook Academy that immerses about 40 high school students annually in intensive study and interpretation of American standards. He insists that the Songbook continues to evolve—he considers artists like Carole King, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Neil Sedaka as rightful inheritors of the tradition. 

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas