Billy Jay Stein

Billy Jay Stein (also known as William Stein, Billy Stein and Strange Cranium) 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 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.[1]

Billy Jay Stein
Stein in his studio
Born	February 2, 1970 Bronx, New York
Occupation	Composer, music producer, musician
Spouse(s)	Laura M. Miles
Musical career
Years active	1993 – present
Website	http://www.strangecranium.com

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.[2]

Career

Stein became a member of the rock and roll band, The MadHatters, in 1989. The band, which included members Adam Hirsh (vocals, guitar), Adam Evans (guitar, vocals), Billy Jay Stein (keyboards, vocals), Jon Kaplan (bass), and Tommy Kaelin (drums), 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.[3][4] 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.[4]

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.[5]

In 1998, Stein founded Strange Cranium Productions, Inc.,[6] 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",[7][8] 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.[6]

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.[6][9]

In 2014 Stein composed the score for the feature film, Sister,[10] which was an Official Selection at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.[11][12]

Stein began touring with Linda Eder in 2000 as a keyboard player, becoming her musical director and pianist in 2008.[13][14][15][16] Stein has also been involved in multiple Broadway productions as keyboard player and Assistant Conductor. From 1997 - 2001 Stein played keyboards in Jekyll & Hyde.[17] From 2011-2014, Stein was the Electronic Music Designer, keyboard 1, and assistant conductor for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.[13]

Other credits for Electronic Music Designer include Fun Home (Original Broadway-current), Flashdance (National Tour 2012-current), Jekyll & Hyde (Original Broadway 2013), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Original Broadway 2014-current, London-current), Cinderella (National tour-current), Chess (1998), Fortress Of Solitude (Public Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center - 2014), Linda Eder: The Holiday Concert (Palace Theatre- 2004), Linda Eder at the Gershwin (Gershwin Theatre- 2001), Chess (John Houseman Theatre- 1998), Tuck Everlasting' Atlanta Alliance Theatre - 2015).[13][18][19][20][21]

In 2008 Stein founded Strike Audio, a music licensing company, with Michael Rosen.[22] 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.[22]

In 2015, Stein won a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album.[1][23] He produced and mixed Beautiful: The Carole King Musical with co-producers Steve Sidwell and Jason Howland.[1]

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.[24][25][26]

Personal life

Stein is married to Laura Miles.[27] They have two children and live in Manhattan.

Discography

Year	Album/Artist/Credit
2016	Tuck Everlasting (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Keyboard Programming
2015	Fun Home (Broadway Cast Recording) Keyboard Programming
2015	The Fortress of Solitude (The Fortress of Solitude Cast Ensemble) Synthesizer Programming
2014	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical [Original Broadway Cast Recording] 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	Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark 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 (Hammond), 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 (Hammond), Piano, String Arrangements, Wurlitzer
2006	One Life, Many Voices: For Hurricane Relief Arranger, Keyboards, Producer
2006	Révérence Henri Salvador Organ (Hammond)
2006	The Great American Trailer Park Musical [Original Cast Recording] 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 (Hammond)
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

References

1. "BEAUTIFUL Wins Best Musical Theatre Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards!". BroadwayWorld.com. Wisdom Digital Media. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
2. http://www.penntertainment.com/penn-alumni-know-vol-21/7/
3. "Live Thunderchicken CD Review". AllMusic.com. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
4. "The Hatters CD and Artwork". stuartcottingham.com. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
5. "The Definite Maybe". IMDb.com. DJM Films. 1997. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
6. Stein, Billy. "Strange Cranium". Strange Cranium. Strange Cranium. Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
7. "Sex in the City - Season 6, Episode 86, 'One'". HBO.com. HBO. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
8. "Sex in the City - Season 6, Episode 92, 'Splat'". HBO.com. HBO. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
9. "Billy Jay Stein". AllMusic.com. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
10. https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/archive/532089ebc07f5df7d20002b5-sister
11. "Billy Jay Stein". imdb.com. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
12. "Sister". tribecafilm.com. Tribeca Enterprises LLC. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
13. "Billy Jay Stein". ibdb.com. The Broadway League. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
14. "Life of a Freelance Musician in NYC". lindaeder.com. Linda Eder & The Voice. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
15. "The Ultimate Piano Man and So Much More, One on One with Billy Stein". lindaeder.com. Linda Eder & The Voice. Archived from the original on 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
16. "Old Friend, New Music--An Interview with Billy Stein". spigroup.com. Linda Eder & The Voice. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
17. "William Stein". playbillvault.com. Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
18. "Playbill Vault - Fun Home". playbillvault.com. Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
19. "Chess Concerts". amazing-journey.com. Michael Cerveris. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
20. "Flashdance The Musical". www.flashdancethemusical.com. NETworks Presentations. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
21. "Playbill Vault - Billy Jay Stein". playbillvault.com. Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
22. "About Strike Audio". strikeaudio.com. Strike Audio. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
23. http://www.hitfix.com/news/2015-grammy-awards-winners-and-nominees-complete-list Grammy in 2015
24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2016-12-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
25. https://www.rockettes.com/blog/qa-music-producer-and-vocal-designer-billy-jay-stein-and-annmarie-milazzo/
26. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zealnyc/the-new-york-spectacular_b_10841390.html
27. "Tribeca Film Festival Premiere of "Sister"". www.gettyimages.com. Getty Images. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)