Michael G. McGuire began joined the staff at Eastern Michigan University in 1983 as a professor of Music Therapy. Raised in the St. Louis, Missouri area, McGuire held degrees from Michigan State University, and the State University of New York at Fredonia. His areas of expertise included psychiatric music therapy, and music therapy for adults, specifically adults who have suffered with substance abuse. McGuire was well renowned in his field winning awards and grants from EMU and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) including: Distinguished Service to the Profession Award (AMTA), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Great Lakes Region (AMTA) and many others. One of McGuire's greatest achievements at EMU was the creation of the Music Therapy Center, which opened in 2006.

In addition to being extremely accomplished in his field of music therapy, McGuire was a leader in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender movement. He worked with colleagues to create and found the campus LGBT Resource Center. This center has been a leadr in Michigan's higher education community ever since. McGuire also helped to create the EMU Stonewall Scholarship, which provides financial aid to LGBT student leaders on campus.

Michael G. McGuire died at the age of 63 on 2012 July 16 after battling with lung cancer. At the time of his passing, McGuire had served at EMU's director of music therapy for nearly thirty years.