Bio

Grew up required to play music, hearing music from my folks who played/composed/arranged/sang/orchestrated/conducted (you get the picture), and I was required to always be taking lessons in something — if not piano, then clarinet, then drums, then piano again, later singing. If none of those, then theory, arranging, even studying Def Leppard song form with my father when he was smart enough to realize the way to get me to do something was to include Joe Elliott (lead singer for Def Leppard).

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Played in bands until I realized I needed a bigger vocabulary in music, so I decided to study formally. When I told my Dad I wanted to study at Berklee College of Music, he suggested Film Scoring. Can’t thank him enough for this. Even though now I’m more of a song writer, I feel like every song is a film score. What a joy.
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Came to town (Los Angeles, CA) and got to work for my film scoring idol, Michael Kamen, as an admin. As well as Elmer Bernstein, and a list of other composers who have taken the baton (Alexandre Desplat, Alex Wurman, Jon Anderson, Ed Shearmur, Paul Haslinger). I got to be star struck every day at work.
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I soon found Harriet Schock (Grammy-Nominated, Platinum-Selling songwriter), my mentor in song writing who I think of every time I write a lyric. I highly suggest studying with her — she’ll get the truth out of you.
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I got to record an EP (“Cheap & Alive”) with Berklee Alumni, life-long colleague and partner in music crime, composer/producer Philip Howard (https://www.philiphoward.com) and composer/producer Evan Frankfort (http://www.evanfrankfort.com) as well as engineers Brian Vibberts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Vibberts ) and Alan Yoshida. I also got to work with Jon Butcher on some of my earlier songs, and it was he who gave me the confidence to pursue song writing.

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I got to play in my own band where incredible musicians took the time to learn and play my music and always graciously killed it.* I got opportunities to play with established artists sometimes, often through the generosity friends and believers in me.
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I was honored with receiving Los Angeles Women in Music’s (LAWIM) Comet Award as the best songwriter/performer of 2008-2009 (Harriet Schock, Anna Montgomery, Kelly Fitzgerald, Gaby Moreno are all previous winners) and even though I shouldn’t feel attached to it, it means so much to me. 
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I got to play with the most amazing local artists, who usually became my best friends, in their bands as synth/piano side-man (maybe my favorite job). Learned much from all of them. They helped shape me. Tanya Winch, Anna Montgomery, Harriet Schock, Marisabel Bazan, Sam Winch, Brother Barry, more will come to mind. If you have not heard their musics, please look them up. Wonderful writers all of them.
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I have been playing with my core band (called The Sally Zito Project) for 16+ years now. Currently we back up Steven Ryan (https://www.facebook.com/thelegendarypotroast/) in a Tribute to Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. We’ll be playing out so tune in.
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I am a member of The Over Tones, an a cappella group created and led by Rachel Zumberge, that is producing incredible music. Rachel, Elyssa Helfer, Aaron Fish, Daniel Nebons, are just some of the in-house arrangers. Actually, so many in this choir arrange our pieces. Please come to a concert if you are near the Los Angeles area. I think they are so fun and healing! https://theovertonesacappella.com/meet-the-choir/
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And I write, and I write, and I write. I have been committed to writing and recording new music every 2 weeks for almost 3 years now, and I thank my friend and fellow alumni (and my favorite new artist, actually) Nicholas Gotten, for holding me to this. I post most of them on my website www.sallyzito.com.  None even NEAR perfect, but thankfully, that isn’t what music is about.
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My parents gave me this gift. The gift isn’t that I have something unique or special. The gift is that I have become accustomed to engaging with music in many different ways, so much so that I can now turn to music to alchemize pain, to express things inexpressible, or to evoke a feeling, present a truth (even without lyrics). We all have this gift, actually.
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Thanks for stopping by my bio! 🙂
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–Sally
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*The Sally Zito Project live performance personnel through the years has consisted of (loosely in order of joining the band, as best I can remember) Brady Steele, Bass; Tricia Steele, percussion; Barry Zito, guitar; Tanya Winch, vocals,; Anders Fransson, drums; Bonnie Zito, vocals; Yolanda LaVerde, synths; Lonnie (R.I.P.), trumpet; Pam MacLean, vocals; Nathan, guitar; Anna Montgomery, vocals; Catte Adams and Janelle Sadler, vocals and mentorship; Dave Bauer, drums; Yohei, guitar; Yu, guitar; Matt Pensabene, bass; Cyndi and Francesca, vocals; Kevin Brabant, guitar; Lorenzo, drums; Darren Mora, live sound engineer (and member of the band); and more will come to mind.