Billy Straus

Billy Straus is an American music producer and songwriter. He is known for his work in children's television including the Disney series Little Einsteins, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, the two PBS children's animated television series Bob the Builder and WordWorld. He produced and mixed original Broadway cast albums for The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, both of which earned him Grammy Award nominations. He won an Emmy Award for his work on Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? He founded Rock River Communications to introduce the concept of non-traditional music distribution into the retail marketplace.

Career

Straus was raised in New York City. While enrolled at Brown University in 1978, Straus started working as a recording engineer, recording live albums and broadcasts for artists such as George Jones, Miles Davis, Grateful Dead and Joni Mitchell.

Straus worked as an engineer at The Hit Factory recording studio in Manhattan, working with artists including Bruce Springsteen and Julian Lennon. In 1985 he started The Manhattan Recording Company, where he created The Manhattan Jazz Hour radio series, hosted by The New York Times jazz critic, John S. Wilson, and syndicated nationally by American Public Radio. Straus also composed and produced jingles for Miller Brewing Company and Mars, Incorporated. He produced for the a cappella musical group Rockapella in the late 1980s and 1990s including two albums spun off from the PBS television series, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? for which he won an Emmy Award. The company later moved to Brattleboro, Vermont and also has an office in California. Straus wrote the songs for the animated television series, Little Einsteins, in 2005, Bob the Builder and WordWorld.

In 2003, Straus wrote music and lyrics for Rock Odyssey, a musical adaptation of Homer's Odyssey. His song, Change in My Life, originally recorded by Rockapella, appeared in the Steve Martin film, Leap of Faith, in 1992. and two volumes of Christmas Remixed: Holiday Classics Re-Grooved.

In 1999 Straus launched Websound to provide internet radio for websites.

Awards and recognition In 2001 Straus and collaborator David Yazbek were nominated for a Grammy Award for producing the original Broadway cast album, The Full Monty, in the category of Best Musical Show Album. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which Straus also produced with Yazbek, was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the same category in 2005.

Straus won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Live and Direct To Tape Sound Mixing for Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? in 1996. He is the brother-in-law of economist and policy maker Paul Weinstein.

Works

Selected discography Russell Kaback: Message of Love (2013) – Producer, engineer Bob Marley: Roots, Rock, Remixed (2007) – Producer Shawn Colvin: Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (2003) – Producer, arranger with T-Bone Wolk Sean Altman: alt.mania (2002) – Producer, engineer The Full Monty - Broadway Cast Recording (2000) – Producer, mixer Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1996) - Songwriter, producer, engineer Falling Over You (1995) - with Sean Altman - Songwriter XTC: Cherry In Your Tree (1994) - Engineer, mixer Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World (1994) – Songwriter, producer, engineer Leap Of Faith: Soundtrack (1992) – Songwriter, arranger Donald Brown: Early Bird (1988) – Engineer The Hanoi Hilton Soundtrack (1987) – Engineer Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA (1984) – Engineer Office Killer (1997) – Song performer Joe's Apartment (1996) – Actor Leap of Faith (1992) – Songwriter The Hanoi Hilton (1987)

Television Little Einsteins (2005–2006) – composer/lyricist Dora the Explorer (2000–2002) – Composer/lyricist Out of the Box (1998) – Composer/lyricist Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996) Gullah Gullah Island (1995–1997) – composer/lyricist Capitol Steps Comedy Campaign – Composer/lyricist WordWorld Bob the Builder (1998–2004) – composer/lyricist (Uncredited)