About
Michael Aquino
Michael Aquino is an award-winning Cuba-Rican sound designer, composer, audio engineer, musician, and performer born in Union City, New Jersey.
He co-founded Cocotazo Media, which produces fiction podcasts, music, and educational audio resources. Michael is the sound designer, composer, and audio engineer for their audio drama series Timestorm. Timestorm is a proud member of TRAX from PRX with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Timestorm is a silver medalist in the 2022 Anthem Awards, winner of a 2021 New Jersey WebFest award, an official honoree of the 2020 The Webby Awards, and a winner in the 2019 Audio Verse Awards. Michael also co-produced two benefit albums - Stuff This in Yer Face! and New Year | Año Nuevo - with You Don't Know Jersey. For more about his work with Cocotazo Media, visit www.cocotazomedia.com.
As an independent sound designer, composer, and audio engineer, he has worked with Audible, PRX, Electronic Arts, Boston Globe, People Magazine, Lantigua Williams & Co., Bucket of Eels, Fresh Produce Media, Pod People, and Girl Rising.
Aquino's debut solo album, Giants Will Fall, was released in October 2015. His follow-up EP, City Stars, was released by Cocotazo Music in October 2017. Aquino received two 2017 Audio Verse Awards for Best Music, Self-Contained Dramatic Production ("Blood Heart" with Ernio Hernandez) and Best Audio Engineering, Self-Contained Comedic Production (Something Inside That Head of Yours) and a 2019 Audio Verse Award for Best Vocal Composition in a New Production (Timestorm). Michael received a 2013 Jersey Acoustic Music Award (Top Male Songwriter category).
Michael is also a professional actor and has performed at regional and NYC stages. He is a co-creator of Mi Casa Tu Casa, a bilingual stage production. Michael is a member of the Actors Equity Association.