Bio

Jason Loffredo

Having grown up on a farm in the middle of the desert, the futility of being a musician sort of comes natural to me.  Actually, I didn’t really grow up on a farm, (in a desert or otherwise.)  Nor do I really think that being a musician is a futile venture, (most of the time).  That was really just a joke, I was actually raised by a pack of wild Llamas in Siberia!  Then I moved to a nice suburban town outside of New York City called Armonk.  There I spent most of my time deciding if I wanted to be a jock or a musician.  I was probably the only kid in America that would finish the Football season as the starting center (4-20 was our team record for the three years I played), and go right into rehearsals as the flamboyant piano-playing role of Del DaCosta in City of Angels.  Well, at least I was probably the only kid that took both activities with complete and uncompromising seriousness.  In the end, I just didn’t like all the running, so the musician thing won out.

Assuming that there’s no place on the planet that could possibly be colder than Siberia, I decided to go to Syracuse University.  Well…we all know what happens when you assume.  Needless to say, I froze my kiester off getting a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, with a minor in Psychology.  While at college studying Music Education and Psychology, I really developed a thing for Composing and continued to develop my interest in Music Directing for Musical Theater.  I guess it could have been worse; I could have gone in a law student and come out a drummer.  (Insert appropriate drummer joke here).  Anyway, in addition to accompanying recitals, singing in the choir and all the other good stuff that goes with being a college music student, I managed to write a modest amount of vocal and chamber music.  Not the least of which included a piece involving a blender, sharp knives and a dozen or so varieties of fresh produce.  I also scored commissions from a member of the Syracuse Symphony and The Society for New Music.  Finally, just to keep it real, I actually was a member and then a band leader of a Contemporary Christian band for a program called Sunday Morning Live.  Or as it turned out sometimes after particularly rough Saturday nights, Sunday Morning Sort-Of-Alive.

During my last Summer at Syracuse I traveled up to NH for the summer to do Summer Stock for the first time at The New London Barn Playhouse.  While there, aside from being totally brainwashed into a career as a Music Director, I met my wife Melanie, an actress, whom I adore immensely despite her lack dishwashing ability.  (She claims it’s just a really tough skill that most people can’t do, but I, on the other hand possess the rare talent necessary to enter the competitive dish washing arena, and I should be very proud.)  Since New Hampshire, I’ve been slowly building up a resume as a Music Director, Composer, Pianist, Arranger, Vocal Coach, Professional Music Engraver, Studio Engineer, Nuclear Physicist, Brain Surgeon, Dog Breeder, and Proctologist.  (Sometimes I get Vocal Coaching and Proctology mixed up though.  You should see the look on an actor’s face when I mistakenly ask them to bend over.  Priceless!)

Some notables include an Off-Broadway show called Children’s Letters to God. Three summers and a short Off-Broadway stint with a political satire show called the News In Revue, where I really honed my skills as an arranger and bleeding heart liberal.  (Arranging a mini Western Opera starring Sheriff George W will do that to you.)  I toured in a van with Amelia Bedelia and the Baby, a bus with Crazy for you, and finally crossed the Mississippi in a conversion van with My Way a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.  I knew I hit it big when My Way rolled into Butte, Montana and we played a theater called “The Mother Lode Theater”.  (And that’s no joke.) I also worked as an employee of the Circus!! (And for those of you who are thinking "I told you so", ok, you got me.) But I was just a sub for the keyboard player of the Big Apple Circus, so, for the majority of you who thought I'd go in as the freak show, Ha, you're wrong!!! I also helped 32 thousand State Farm insurance agents sell insurance. Well, that's the theory anyway. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but the bottom line is that I was the associate Music Director for an industrial show for State Farm Insurance. That in and of itself isn't really all that interesting, but what is interesting is that the show itself was written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, Directed by Tony Stevens and starred Alice Ripley, Everett Bradley, and a small army of current and former Rockettes, just to name a few. Accompanied by a 27 piece orchestra, in which I had the dubious honor of being 2nd Keyboardist and Librarian for, this was the largest scale I had ever worked on. And working side by side (literately) with Jason Robert Brown was quite inspirational. Hopefully, my contribution has translated to a few Life Insurance policies sold. lol

For alost two years I was spreading the good word, (not sure what the word was but I was definitely spreading it), as the Music Director for the smash Off-Broadway show, Altar Boyz. And you all thought I didn't have religion. Ha... I also was a regular sub on keyboards and as a conductor for Broadway's Xanadu and Legally Blonde. In case you're wondering, yes, between those three shows, my musical soul currently has a permanent cavity brought on by all the sugary-pop-music-goodness. On another note, I managed to find my true calling in life, yes, I was the coach and everyday third-baseman for the Altar Ballz Broadway Show League slow-pitch softball team. So, we only won three games the whole summer, but how good could a team of altar boys possibly be? Other recent adventures include card counting, making a daily habit of saying, "wow, the economy can't possibly get any worse ", and taking an online IQ test in which I scored 131. (However the results of the IQ test do not take into consideration the points deducted for the stupidity of wasting an hour and a half on an online IQ test).

Currently, I'm back subbing with the Altar Boyz, and also with the Disney mega hit The Little Mermaid. And working on a show of new music called Jason Loffredo: The Rhythm Inside. Besides that, I'm clenching my teeeth holding my hat and otherwise praying that the Great White Way doesn't become the Great Wrong Way.

Though I’ve been spending the majority of my time in the last four years music directing, I have managed to complete a score for a full scale musical called Jack and Jill The Musical.  Albeit, not as quickly as my collaborator would have liked, but it is done, and now awaiting production.  We’ve gone through a couple of readings, a demo or two, and a couple of revisions of the show.  All of which has been tremendously exciting, frustrating, rewarding, and time consuming all at the same time.  But I love the show, I love what I’ve done with the show, what Jay has created in the show, and I can only hope that if you’ve actually gotten this far in my bio, then maybe you care enough about me that you’ll send me 10, maybe 20 grand or so.  That will give us a good starting place. 

I’d ask my folks for money, but the Siberian Government just won’t let me back there for some reason.  I don’t know, they said something about my interest in the Llama population was too creepy or something.

So now you’ve read all that I want you to know about me.  Ha-ha, no juicy secrets for you!!!  And if you haven’t fallen asleep yet, good for you.  If you have, WAKE UP!!!!  Either way, it’s time to move on to a different part of my website.

Here's a rare moment of spare time.

Notice the mild confusion over what to do.

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