Zupe: Press

 

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Zupe

Zupe, 39, of Altoona, has been performing piano professionally for 25 years and records at his own home studio.

His Christmas CD, "Christmas Piano," is available at CDBaby.com. You can visit his Web site at www.zupe.net.

What's the one thing that would surprise people most about you as a performer?

The fact that I write music for hit TV shows such as "Malcolm In The Middle," "The Simple Life," "Dateline NBC," "MTV Road Rules" and "Real World."

Where is your favorite place to perform?

Wherever my audience happens to be that night.

What song do you perform that you hope your mother never hears?

Songs an artist wouldn't want his/her mother to hear aren't worth performing, let alone recording.  Besides, half my audience is made up of mothers!

Who are your biggest musical influences?

My music teacher, the late David C. Dysert of Johnstown, Duke Ellington, Bobby Darin, Miles Davis, Donald Fagen and Bruce Honsby, to name a few.

How would you describe your music?

I play music people enjoy dancing or listening to.  Be it Glenn Miller all the way to Matchbox 20, depending on my audience.  Music is the grand social elixir.

What's in your CD player right now?

"San Paulo," a new song I co-wrote with Chuck Knepper.  You should hear this thing!

How did you get interested in music?

I've been singing as long as I've been able to put two words together, so trying to pinpoint how I got interested is difficult to say.  But, with the encouragement and involvement of my parents and teachers, I've been able to make a successful career out of this.

What's your favorite song to perform, original or other?

"Take The 'A' Train."  This jazz standard allows me to really push myself, technically, as a pianist, and it's never the same twice.

And "Black Magic Woman" because it takes a lot of finesse to make a guitar solo sound convincing on a keyboard!

What keeps you motivated?

Money.  Girls.  Free beer.  Seriously, knowing that I get to do what I truly love to do - and being able to make a living at it - is enough motivation to last me a lifetime.