TAXI

John-Joe Michael Roarty

Born Joseph Michael Roarty on April 28th 1970 at Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City NJ, where he spent most of his childhood years in a sit down position rocking his head back and forth against a wall to songs from Sam Cooke, The Carpenters and various music genres from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. When the music was turned off he would bang and pound as like a percussionist in the appropriate fashion on the nearest convenient end table, while singing to the songs that he was accustomed to. This confirmed his initial display of natural rhythmic and dynamic patterns, along with consistency and relative pitch in which he wasn’t even aware he had at that time. These signs (as he states currently) were given to him in advance. A divine conformation and a reminder of the initial musical gifts for him to possess as a child that were a “kick off from God”(so to speak), spearheading and encouraging him to embrace the journey of music as a whole early on. In the not so distant future while residing between Hoboken and Port Monmouth NJ, his mother Lorraine approached him about lessons. At that time in the early 80’s John-Joseph’s wide musical scope ranged from the rock group KISS, to solo artist BARRY MANILOW and not to forget many of the various bands and “one hit” wonders of the 80’s that are his favorites to this day to say the least. He insisted on being a drummer and told mom to get him a drum set. Lorraine denied the request considering the residential circumstances at that time and also perhaps the landlord and other tenants. She then motioned to him, “what about the guitar?” (as this instrument would pave the road for him to play multiple instruments later on). He was recalcitrant at first but then reconsidered, so his parents bought him his first classical guitar. Although guitar lessons and their teachers became few and far between, along the way John-Joe seemed to be playing and teaching himself, and in accelerating knowledge and progression, while maintaining passion and persistence for the instruments he was discovering at that time. That same time his father James came across a second hand piano, so the piano was then added to the mix, along with the electric guitar, then the bass guitar followed, while peculiar vocal possibilities were being birthed and rehearsed with no prior vocal training. It was evident as time moved on that a seasoned musician was in progress here, with deep hearted passion, thriving potential, leading to possibilities of a long term committed and interchangeable musical lifestyle.

Approaching the late 80’s to the 90’s, he then moved to New Hyde Park (Long Island) NY. There while graduating high school, his relative pitch from childhood arrived at the level of perfect pitch as on some instances the band director from his school would rely on occasion for John-Joe to sing the note vocally to be able to tune the marching band players, if there were no electrical tuners or tuning forks(in such as a piano tuner uses) present. Then as this phase was coming to an end, he later converted his percussion sense throughout high school to be able to perform rapidly on a basic 5 piece drum set which ultimately fulfilled his previous childlike wish. He then started to experiment with basic home recording equipment and music gear which enabled his musical arrangements to be played back audibly instead of just staying in his head. Then coincidentally comes a long time friend named Vincent Syrek which was an associate graduate from ARTI (Audio Recording Technology Institute), asking John-Joe to buddy up with him and open a recording studio arranging an array of musical compositions for clients, wherein John-Joseph coveted the basic knowledge (at the professional level) of recording engineering/mixing and album production applications. This was a God given opportunity for him to be able to work on both sides of the spectrum simultaneously. On one hand as an artist performing while being recorded, and on the other hand the technical engineer running the control room in the recording studio environment (John-Joe at this point later on, would come to realize of his importance in the Producing and Co-Producing of some of the most influential album projects which credits him to this day of over 30 album projects and more to be announced, not including 500 of the already pending original songs and variated cover tunes that are waiting to be woven into future projects). Now to his surprise, KENNY G inspires him to take on the saxophone! Treading on undiscovered territory John-Joe prior had no interest in the brass and woodwind world, he only occupied the string and percussion area for the most part. But it wasn’t until the mid 90’s when he actually picked up an alto sax from his best friend and Co-Producer to this day Albert Burgos’ brother Frank. Then eventually the “soprano sax” got in his hands which was the initial element of instrument he longed to obtain.

Then he spontaneously decides to tweak up the music theory a bit by attending a semester at NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE in the study of rudiments and basic fundamentals of music theory and appreciation. On campus and in the classroom he again finds himself repeating his voluntary perfect pitch contributions to both his teachers and classmates as previously stated in his high school years. Off campus at that time he then again adds to the menu and encompasses the string harp, recorder, pennywhistle, harmonica, various man made instruments, and dabbles with an accordian from time to time.

He currently is a founding member and project director for SoundScape Productions- a division of SoundScape Services. He is sort out by many of his musical peers for session work in album production and on a Broadway scale as well. He also teaches “at home” musical lessons for all ages who have a desire to learn an instrument on either a beginner’s scale or intermediate basis. He hopes in the near future to be releasing his next album project. The rest is creative history in the making for John-Joseph both onstage and behind the scenes.

Throughout his musical timeline, John Joe’s influences range as past and present from both Christian and Mainstream artists with their various genres such as ALBERT BURGOS, PALMA PASQUALE, TIM AND MAUREEN RODGERS, MICHAEL AND VICTORIA PERRONE, KELLY TANZA, STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, PHIL KEAGGY, STEVE VAI, JOE SATRIANI, ERIC JOHNSON, STRYPER, JACI VELASQUEZ, LINDA EDER, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, CELINE DION, JOURNEY, FORIGNER, STYX, BOSTON, VINNIE MOORE, BABYFACE, RICHARD MARX, BILLY JOEL, DONNA SUMMER, WAYDE HAYES, ELTON JOHN, GEORGE WINSTON, ALANIS MORISSETTE, MAROON 5, just to name a few.