Bearsville Theater
John Schrader Band with Special Guest
Friday, February 27, 2009
9pm
Admission $10
John was raised in Kingston, NY… a small city about 2 hours north of New York City. His love for music started at an early age when he would dress up like Elvis Presley and put on little shows for his Mom and Dad. John started his formal musical education in the 3rd grade when he began playing the violin. The drums followed in the 4th grade. While in High School, John started teaching him self guitar and piano while still playing drums in the school and outside of school in his band that never had a name! (Those were the days Bobby and Eric!) While earning a degree in music w/ a concentration in Composition/Performance, he added vibes, guitar, bass, piano and some woodwinds/brass to his abilities. John also earned a degree in media production w/ a concentration in Film/Audio/Video production/post-production and has worked in NYC for years in film/audio production. He now owns his own studio (JLS Sound) and recently opened his own production company (Bugbird Productions) where he scores instrumental music for film/tv. John is an active member of ASCAP and owns his own publishing company - Mahmnic Music Publishing.
John's writing began in strength upon his diagnosis of cancer. "everything I was going through and had gone through growing up needed a voice", says John. John's music reflects the pains of losing from a young age - the long climb up from what some call a dead end town - a constant struggle to "tell his story." The loss of his father at age 9 was to be the rocky start that would shape John's views on life. John also lost his beloved Mother Lorraine to Leukemia in 2006. "She was my hero...she was my best friend..she got me through my bout with cancer...It's not possible to put into words what she meant to me", says John. And that's just what he writes about - his loss - his life. His song's are his "slice-of-life." Their themes of pain, struggle, anger and yearning to "get out" yet still embracing with pride, the streets and places that shaped him are palpable.
John was 21 when he was diagnosed with aggressive testicular cancer and was given time frame of 5 years after the surgery as a gage for his survival rate. "Funny Man" came as a result of this time in John's life. That song is now featured on a benefit CD ofr cancer survivors through the organization I2Y. I2Y Founder Matthew Zachary says of John, "It's pretty common knowledge that music is a universal language that transcends time, race, religion and pretty much everything else. What isn't common is how often a musician comes along with the purest of creative instinct, the deftness of a fine craftsman, the passion of love's greatest gift and the soul-churning anguish of life-altering medical experience and harmonizes those collective influences into something truly original. It has been my distinct and humble pleasure and honor to not just be a fan of John Schrader but a personal friend as well." After John was considered "disease-free", he began slowly piecing together his own studio and trying to rebuild after his set backs. To this day, JLS Sound (Named for his Father's initials) is where everything is laid down. John is a multi-instrumentalist and usually performs all the vocals and all the instruments on all of his recordings.
291 Tinker St., Woodstock, NY - (845) 679-4406