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.

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 (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;; same year Atlantic signed the band, 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 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.

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 and become 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 to 2014, Stein was the Electronic Music Designer, keyboard 1, and assistant conductor for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

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).

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. Strike Audio, with 15 award-winning composer writings and producing full-time, airs music 24 hours a day and seven days a week, around the world. Strike Audio cues have been featured on more than 350 television series and specials, including Pawn Stars, Duck Dynasty, Long Island Medium, and Wahlburgers. He produced and mixed Beautiful: The Carole King Musical with co-producers Steve Sidwell and Jason Howland. The production featured unique arrangements of hit music and legendary compositions by artists including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Shawn Carter, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Sting, and Frank Sinatra.

From 2018 to 2020, Stein was the electronic music producer and designer for Tina Fey's Mean Girls, which ran on Broadway from 2018 to 2020.

In 2020, Stein also co-produced and mixed the Carole King classic, “You've got A Friend”. A video that has been viewed, nearly 1 Million times, and generated thousands of dollars in support of the Actor's Fund. The music video is a collaboration between artists from four continents; all of whom had performed/played the show “Beautiful”, including in London, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto, New York, and all over the US.

In 2020, He also engineered and mixed the music for the event Night of Covenant House Stars.The event featured Dolly Parton, Jon Bon Jovi and Meryl Streep and raised over $1 Million dollars for Covenant house.

In 2020, one of Strike Audio's master tracks (Mystery by Bernd Schoenhart) was sampled on the 21 Savage & Metro Boomin's SAVAGE MODE II, which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 Chart on October 11, 2020.

Stein is the head of the team that created and maintains Strange Cranium's MainBrain Show Control Software. The proprietary software allows a music conductor to easily control, adapt, and rearrange prerecorded audios. The system is used nightly to control audio playback in many Broadway and touring shows.

Billy Jay Stein has one of the largest collections of vintage and modern synthesizers in the world. He has also been featured in Keyboard and Electronic Musician Magazines.

Personal life Stein is married to Laura Miles. They have two children and live in Manhattan.

Discography

Year Album/Artist/Credit 2020 Savage Mode II (21 Savage & Metro Boomin) Publisher 2020 A Killer Party (Original Cast Recording) Music Producer, Mixer 2019 Tootsie (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Electronic Music Design, Keyboards 2018 Mean Girls (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Electronic Music Design, Keyboards 2017 Amélie, A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Electronic Music Design, Keyboards 2017 The Band's Visit (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Electronic Music Design, Keyboards 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