MOTIF
CREATIVE
SERVICES
Michael W. Bradley
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
With over 18 years of experience in artistic and creative arts leadership, I started MCS to live out my passion of teaching and training creatives and artists to execute their gifts to their fullest potential.
My Journey
Minister Michael W. Bradley was born on September 10, 1989, to Wilken and Wanda Bradley in Washington, D.C. Michael, and his family attended Galilee Baptist Church, where at the age of 4, a young Michael gave his life back to the Lord. After moving to Summerville, SC, a Charleston suburb, Michael quickly became an active member of his church and school communities. Michael was a dedicated member of his school’s choral department and quickly moved from choir member to student director and composer. In 2005, Michael became the Worship Director of Apostolic Life Ministries, his home church. In 2008, Michael formed WORSHIP, a group of believers that spread the gospel through song. WORSHIP was formed while Michael attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he graduated with a B.M. in Music Education in 2012. While attending Berklee, Michael was licensed into the ministry on August 30, 2009, at his home church in North Charleston, SC. Michael has become a writer and director in the fields of Choral and Gospel music, respectively. Michael’s choirs have been able to perform for such prominent figures as Yo-Yo Ma and Damien Woetzel and at The White House for First Lady Michelle Obama. Currently, Michael is the Chair of the Music Faculty of Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s Only Public High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He has the esteemed pleasure of directing the award-winning Spirituals Ensemble, who has achieved top rankings at local and national music festivals. This year, the Spirituals released three albums and will appear in festivals in Atlanta, GA, and at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Michael has faithfully led and served in the Creative and Liturgical Artistic communities for almost 20 years.
My Artistic Journey
October 2019 - June 2023
Minister of Worship
Morning Star Baptist Church
September 2015 - September 2019
Director of Worship, Arts & Communications
Bethel A.M.E. Church
January 2014 - August 2015
Asst. to the Minister of Music
Morning Star Baptist Church
September 2012 - August 2013
Worship Leader & Choir Director
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
September 2008 - May 2012
Student Director
(Apprenticeship)
Reverence Gospel Choir
September 2005 - December 2007
Worship Director
Apostolic Life Ministries
Served as Senior Manager and Director of all worship, artistic and technical ministries and services for Morning Star Baptist Church. Led all worship services, special programs, funerals and weddings, including praise & worship, choir and guest artists. Led Sunday Morning Worship Services including Praise & Worship and the MSBC Choirs, led and/or appointed Worship leaders for all Worship Services including Mid-Week services. Coordinated with Pastor to facilitate and implement Special Worship services (Solemn Assembly, High Praise Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, Christmas and Thanksgiving services, Music Ministry events, etc.). Supervised all Worship & Arts Staff and musician schedules. Responsible for employment matters concerning all Worship Ministry personnel. Coordinate, implement and manage other ensembles and artistic programming such as the Men’s Fellowship Choir, REFUGE Young Adult Choir, REFUGEWorship, MSBC Live Recordings, Fund Raising initiatives, and Concert Series. Instituted the use of Planning Center Online: SERVICES: to help manage the scheduling of worship teams through services, and maintain an annual Worship & Arts department budget.
Senior manager and administrator over all Worship, Artistic and Communications Ministries of Bethel AME Church. Develops robust programming to enhance the dynamic worship environment for all members and guest of Bethel AME Church. Providing administrative oversight to the Worship & Arts Department, which consist of Dance, Deaf, Drama, Media and Technical Arts Ministries, with direct leadership over the Music Ministry. This includes working with worship leaders to provide a balanced musical selection of hymns and contemporary gospel music for all weekly rehearsals, bible studies, and worship services. Instituted the use of Planning Center Online: SERVICES, RESOURCES, GROUPS and CHECK-INS. Maintain department budget, build current musical repertoire, provide spiritual direction, logistical support, and provide and lead creative programming for Dance, ACCESS (Special Needs), Drama and Technical Arts Ministry Leaders to produce a uniform liturgical presentation of the arts at Bethel. Manage Communications for the Bethel Community (Internal and External); produce and maintain Bethel Calendar of Events and Communications Calendar to properly support and publicize all ministry events and activities to the Bethel and global community. Develop and implement the formal Bethel AME Communication Plan.
Responsibilities included assisting in the teaching, directing, and leading the Sanctuary Chorale, Joyful Noise Children’s Choir, Men’s Day Choir, Joshua XII and Adult Praise and Worship Team for rehearsals, bible studies, and worship services, with direct oversight for REFUGE (Newly Formed Young Adult Choir). Also, planned, arranged, and composed the 2015 Christmas Cantata.
Served as the Choir Director for the Mt. Zion Mass Choir and worship leader for the Praise and Worship Team for rehearsals, bible studies, and worship services, under the leadership of the Minister of Music.
Responsible for teaching the Reverence Gospel Choir and Overjoyed Gospel Ensemble at Berklee College of Music. This included selecting music with a weekly themed curriculum, rehearsing the musicians and programming the annual end-of-semester concert. This included a full stage plot, sound inventory and intricate tech and soundcheck schedule.
Responsibilities included teaching and leading the Praise and Worship Team and Choir for rehearsals, bible studies, and worship services and also providing leadership and oversight to the Dance ministry, Drama ministry and Audio and Visual Ministry with scheduling, planning, and budget for equipment and materials.