Billy Jay Stein
Billy Jay Stein is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, music director, record producer, electronic music designer, and mixing engineer. He won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album for producing and mixing .
Early life and education
Billy Jay Stein was born on February 5, 1970 in Bronx, NY. He began studying the piano at the age of six. After graduating from Jericho High School, Stein attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the biological basis of behavior with an emphasis on neural systems, and minored in music.Career
Stein became a member of the rock and roll band, The MadHatters, in 1989. The band, which included members Adam Hirsh, Adam Evans, Billy Jay Stein, Jon Kaplan, and Tommy Kaelin, officially changed their name to The Hatters in 1993. Their blend of blues-influenced rock, with high-energy funk and some folk established The Hatters on the club circuit. Atlantic signed the band in 1993, and released Live Thunderchicken, taken from their club appearances. In 1994, they recorded their debut studio album, The Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overlord, and their final album, You Will Be You was released in 1995, just prior to the band's break up.In 1996 Stein returned to New York City, where he attended classes in orchestration and conducting at the Juilliard School and began working with former Hatter bandmate, Adam Hirsh, AKA Tree Adams. Together they composed the score to the film Definite Maybe.
In 1998, Stein founded Strange Cranium Productions, Inc., a full service music company. Heading up Strange Cranium Productions, Stein has composed music for television shows such as MTV's "Boiling Points", VH1's "The List", HBO's "Sex In The City", and Showtime's Nurse Jackie. Productions by Stein under Strange Cranium include "Handel’s Messiah Rocks", featuring the Keith Lockhart and Boston Pops Orchestra, and The Other Side Of Me, by Linda Eder.
Stein has played on recordings with artists such as Linda Eder, Kate Voegele, Sons of Sylvia, Kevin Hammond, Laura Izibor, Joe Budden, East Village Opera Company, Cartel, Darlene Love, Jet Lag Gemini, The Damnwells, Henri Salvador, Bernard Lavilliers, Born Cages, The Bacon Brothers, IVO, and Ray Charles.
In 2014 Stein composed the score for the feature film, Sister, which was an Official Selection at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
Stein began touring with Linda Eder in 2000 as a keyboard player, becoming her musical director and pianist in 2008. Stein has also been involved in multiple Broadway productions as keyboard player and Assistant Conductor. From 1997 - 2001 Stein played keyboards in Jekyll & Hyde. From 2011-2014, Stein was the Electronic Music Designer, keyboard 1, and assistant conductor for.
Other credits for Electronic Music Designer include Fun Home, Flashdance, Jekyll & Hyde, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Cinderella, Chess, Fortress Of Solitude, Linda Eder: The Holiday Concert, Linda Eder at the Gershwin, Chess.
In 2008 Stein founded Strike Audio, a music licensing company, with Michael Rosen. Strike Audio is a leading provider of exclusive, world-class music for television. With 15 award-winning composers writing and producing full-time, Strike Audio’s music airs somewhere around the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Strike Audio cues have been featured on more than 350 television series and specials, including Pawn Stars, Duck Dynasty, Long Island Medium, and Wahlburgers.
In 2015, Stein won a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. He produced and mixed with co-producers Steve Sidwell and Jason Howland.
In 2016, Stein was the Composer, Music Producer, and Arranger for The New York Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Personal life
Stein is married to Laura Miles. They have two children and live in Manhattan.Discography
| Year | Album/Artist/Credit |
| 2016 | Tuck Everlasting Keyboard Programming |
| 2015 | Fun Home Keyboard Programming |
| 2015 | The Fortress of Solitude Synthesizer Programming |
| 2014 | ] Editing, Mixing, Producer |
| 2014 | Fun Home Keyboard Programming |
| 2012 | Jekyll & Hyde: 2012 Concept Recording Engineer, Keyboards, Mixing, Producer, Synthesizer Programming |
| 2012 | Steadfast Clay Aiken Vocal Engineer |
| 2011 | Gravity Happens Kate Voegele Keyboards, Programming |
| 2011 | Now Linda Eder Arranger, Engineer, Featured Artist, Mixing, Producer |
| 2011 | Electronic Design, Keyboards, Synthesizer Programming |
| 2010 | Revelation Suns of Sylvia Hammond B3, Piano, Wurlitzer |
| 2010 | Tried & True Clay Aiken Engineer, Vocal Engineer |
| 2009 | Handel's Messiah Rocks Joyful Noise Arranger, Engineer, Mixing, Producer |
| 2009 | Let the Truth Be Told Laura Izibor Engineer, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer |
| 2009 | Soundtrack Linda Eder Engineer, Keyboards, Musical Direction, Piano |
| 2008 | Fire the Cannons Jet Lag Gemini Keyboards, Programming |
| 2008 | Olde School The East Village Opera Company Engineer, Programming, Pro-Tools |
| 2008 | The Other Side of Me Linda Eder Arranger, Audio Production, Bass Engineer, Composer, Digital Editing, Drum Programming, Guitar Engineer, Keyboard Engineer, Main Personnel, Organ, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer, Synthesizer Bass, Vocal Engineer |
| 2007 | Cartel Cartel Keyboards, Member of Attributed Artist |
| 2007 | It's Christmas, of Course Darlene Love Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Main Personnel, Piano, Synthesizer, Wurlitzer |
| 2007 | Throwing Rocks at the Sun The Mercury Seed Hammond B3, Keyboards, Piano |
| 2006 | Air Stereo The Damnwells Keyboards, Organ, Piano, String Arrangements, Wurlitzer |
| 2006 | One Life, Many Voices: For Hurricane Relief Arranger, Keyboards, Producer |
| 2006 | Révérence Henri Salvador Organ |
| 2006 | The Great American Trailer Park Musical|The Great American Trailer Park Musical Audio Production, Mixing, Producer |
| 2005 | Altar Boyz Producer |
| 2005 | The East Village Opera Company The East Village Opera Company Keyboard Programming |
| 2004 | Carnets De Bord Bernard Lavilliers Organ |
| 2004 | Will & Grace: Let the Music Out! Keyboards |
| 2003 | Becstasy Becky Baeling Composer, Songwriter |
| 2003 | Broadway My Way Linda Eder Keyboards |
| 2003 | Don't Pick It Up Mrs. Grundy Organ, Soloist |
| 2003 | Joe Budden Joe Budden Keyboards, String Arrangements, String Writing, Strings |
| 2002 | Dust The Mercury Seed Keyboards, Musician, Piano |
| 2002 | Gold Linda Eder Keyboards |
| 2001 | Another Day Gone Ben Rogers Organ, Wurlitzer |
| 1995 | Wiggly, Vol. 2: Bootlegged Keyboards, Vocals |
| 1995 | You Will Be You The Hatters Piano, Vocals |
| 1994 | The Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overload The Hatters Bass, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals |
| 1993 | Live Thunderchicken The Hatters Composer, Keyboards, Vocals A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening Marcus Goldhaber Arranger, Hammond B3, Producer, Wurlitzer The Breithaupt Brothers Songbook, Vol. 2: Just Passing Through Engineer Urban Beatz, Vol. 2 Billy Jay Stein Primary Artist Urban Beatz, Vol. 3 Billy Jay Stein Primary Artist |