John Schrader Band

JOHN DAVID SCHRADER's songs sound like....ugh..this damn question! How about "Springsteen meets the Beatles on steroids" or "a rock n roll milk shake where everyone tastes a little something from their past/present" or "a musical slice of life that everyone can take a bite from."

JOHN DAVID SCHRADER (Songwriter, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Keys, Drums) 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. Upon finding an old box of 45 records in his mom's attick filled with artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Chuck Berry and many others, John was hooked! He 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! 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.

John's first CD, "From Discontent", was recorded and mixed by John at JLS Sound also and from there, he went to Nevessa Productions in Woodstock, New York to master it with Chris Andersen. John shot, directed, and edited three music videos from the album. In 1990, 1992 and 1996, he was a semi-finalist Billboard and Musician Magazine's songwriting competition. John also completed a commercial for which he Directed, was Director of Photography and scored, recorded and performed the original music. The commercial, which airs on WCBS and CNBC, garnered John the Videographer Award and the Communicator Award. The piece can be streamed at Barone Media.

John had scored several soundtracks for independent films and TV/Radio commercials. John composed the musical soundtrack for a film by Director Yat-Hong Chow called "China." The film was awarded "Best Fiction Film" and "Best Original Soundtrack" at the 1997 City Visions Film Festival in New York City. John is been involved in all aspects of production for video and audio-- production, post production, etc. John also taught media production at The State University of New York at New Paltz.

THE BAND:

DENNIS STYLES (Bass) has lived in the Hudson Valley his whole life. He attended elementary school with John and shared his band mates’ love of music since an early age. He recalls listening to Herb Albert, John Coltrane, Johnny Cash and other vintage vinyl on his dad’s hifi stereo, but enjoyed a particular appreciation for artists like James Brown, Parliament, and Sly. He bought his first guitar at age 8 at a garage sale for $10, and played it mercilessly until he could play along with songs on the radio. He played guitar and bass in a number of garage bands in high school while he continued to explore the 70’s funk scene and developed a real interest in euro funk/fusion. He fell in love with the bass guitar and developed an insatiable appetite for groove laden music. He was listening to Tower of Power, EWF, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Level 42 when everyone else was listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd. He picked up a vintage Fender Jazz bass and started to teach himself funk slap technique used by Larry Graham and Mark King. Over the years, he has been influenced by other great bass players, including Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Rocco Prestia, Marcus Miller, Bootsy Collins, and Verdine White. Fast forward to the present, and a chance encounter with John led to an audition, and he joined the band in 2010!