Shem von Schroeck
Encyclopedia
Shem Schroeck also known as Shem Von Schroeck (Son of Arthur) is an American
musician, a singer, bassist
, and drummer
. Eldest son of musician Artie Schroeck
, Shem was a member of the band Ambrosia
, playing with them off and on since 1989, and then worked with Kenny Loggins
in the 1990s. He was also a backup musician for many other artists such as Steve Perry
, Marie Osmond
, Tom Jones
, and Jim Messina. Starting in 2004, he also added opera
to his repertoire, singing as a tenor
.
, he grew up in a very musical environment, as his mother was a musician as well. As a child, Shem would often accompany his parents on tours or to recording studios. He learned how to play the drums at the age of 3, then piano, and began playing bass at the age of 12. In an interview, he stated that at the age of 16, he would sometimes play bass during his father's recording sessions. He attended the Manhattan School of Music
, studying composition with a minor in bass-playing, and then moved to Los Angeles in 1989. His first desire was to be a drummer, as his father and grandfather had been, but he realized that there was more of a demand for bass players, so he started focusing on that instrument instead. He performed in musical theater for awhile, and was also part of a tribute band to The Police
. Other members of the band included Ken Edmondson on drums, and John Defaria (composer of "Get On Your Feet
" for Gloria Estefan
). Defaria knew Kenny Loggins
, and that his regular bassist, Freddie Washington
was going to be be busy with another project, so Defaria recommended Schroeck for the job. Loggins liked Schroeck's work, and Schroeck spent the next three years performing off and on with Loggins' band, from 1994–1996.
Starting in 1989, von Schroeck began playing with the band Ambrosia
, and continued with them for many years.
In 1992, Schroeck was a backup musician and vocalist on Patti Dunham's album Repertoire, and in 1998 he played backup on Julius Papp
's album Go Deep with Julius Papp. He worked with Marie Osmond
on her 2007 Magic of Christmas
tour, and has also toured with Tom Jones
, Jim Messina, and Christopher Cross
, Tanya Tucker
, Peter Cetera
, Sheena Easton
, Patti Austin
, and Amy Grant
. Schroeck also did work on television. Through Kenny Loggins, he knew Vicki Randle
, a regular vocalist on The Tonight Show
, who would frequently invite Schroeck to join the band as a backup vocalist.
In 2003, he was a guest musician on the television special Lifetime's 4th Annual Women Rock! Songs from the Movies.
In 2004, he won the El Camino Symphony Competition, singing a piece from a Wagner opera. He was noticed by famed opera tenor Jon Vickers
, who encouraged Schroeck to pursue his own career in opera. He is a principal tenor for the Millennium Wagner Opera Company, and has been a guest conductor
at pops concerts with multiple symphonies. In 2005, he appeared in the documentary Loggins & Messina: Sittin' in Again.
In 2010, von Schroeck was a guest soloist with the Verdi Chorus in Los Angeles. As of 2011, von Schroeck continues to tour off and on with Kenny Loggins
, or sometimes Don Felder
of the Eagles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician, a singer, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
. Eldest son of musician Artie Schroeck
Artie Schroeck
Arthur "Artie" Bruce Schroeck is an American musician, best known for arranging and composing popular songs and jingles. He has won multiple Clio Awards, such as when he composed the music for the 1981 ABC-TV promo "Now is the time, ABC is the place". He also composed the 1982 promo "Come on...
, Shem was a member of the band Ambrosia
Ambrosia (band)
Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in southern California in 1970. Ambrosia had five Top Forty hit singles between 1975 and 1980.-Formation and inspiration:...
, playing with them off and on since 1989, and then worked with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
in the 1990s. He was also a backup musician for many other artists such as Steve Perry
Steve Perry (musician)
Stephen Ray "Steve" Perry is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Journey from 1977–1987 and 1995–1998. Perry had a successful solo career throughout the late 1980s and early '90s.Perry's voice has garnered acclaim from musical peers and music...
, Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, and Jim Messina. Starting in 2004, he also added opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
to his repertoire, singing as a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
.
Biography
The oldest of three children to musician Artie SchroeckArtie Schroeck
Arthur "Artie" Bruce Schroeck is an American musician, best known for arranging and composing popular songs and jingles. He has won multiple Clio Awards, such as when he composed the music for the 1981 ABC-TV promo "Now is the time, ABC is the place". He also composed the 1982 promo "Come on...
, he grew up in a very musical environment, as his mother was a musician as well. As a child, Shem would often accompany his parents on tours or to recording studios. He learned how to play the drums at the age of 3, then piano, and began playing bass at the age of 12. In an interview, he stated that at the age of 16, he would sometimes play bass during his father's recording sessions. He attended the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, studying composition with a minor in bass-playing, and then moved to Los Angeles in 1989. His first desire was to be a drummer, as his father and grandfather had been, but he realized that there was more of a demand for bass players, so he started focusing on that instrument instead. He performed in musical theater for awhile, and was also part of a tribute band to The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
. Other members of the band included Ken Edmondson on drums, and John Defaria (composer of "Get On Your Feet
Get on Your Feet
"Get On Your Feet" is a single by Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1989 in U.S., Japan and UK and in 1990 in Europe as the second single from the album Cuts Both Ways....
" for Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
). Defaria knew Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, and that his regular bassist, Freddie Washington
Freddie Washington (bassist)
"Ready" Freddie Washington is an American session bassist who has played with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, Al Jarreau, Aaron Neville, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, B.B...
was going to be be busy with another project, so Defaria recommended Schroeck for the job. Loggins liked Schroeck's work, and Schroeck spent the next three years performing off and on with Loggins' band, from 1994–1996.
Starting in 1989, von Schroeck began playing with the band Ambrosia
Ambrosia (band)
Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in southern California in 1970. Ambrosia had five Top Forty hit singles between 1975 and 1980.-Formation and inspiration:...
, and continued with them for many years.
In 1992, Schroeck was a backup musician and vocalist on Patti Dunham's album Repertoire, and in 1998 he played backup on Julius Papp
Julius Papp
Julius Papp is a house music producer and DJ whose roots lie in Disco of the '70s and New Wave of the '80s.Papp was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and got tuned into dance music through the city’s flourishing club scene and diverse radio broadcasts...
's album Go Deep with Julius Papp. He worked with Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
on her 2007 Magic of Christmas
The Magic of Christmas (Marie Osmond album)
The Magic of Christmas is a Holiday album released in 2007 by American country music singer, Marie Osmond. It was Osmond's first studio album since 1989's Steppin' Stone, as well as her first Christmas album....
tour, and has also toured with Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Jim Messina, and Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
, Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
, Patti Austin
Patti Austin
-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
, and Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
. Schroeck also did work on television. Through Kenny Loggins, he knew Vicki Randle
Vicki Randle
Vicki Randle is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer, known as the first female member of the Tonight Show Band, starting with host Jay Leno in 1992...
, a regular vocalist on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, who would frequently invite Schroeck to join the band as a backup vocalist.
In 2003, he was a guest musician on the television special Lifetime's 4th Annual Women Rock! Songs from the Movies.
In 2004, he won the El Camino Symphony Competition, singing a piece from a Wagner opera. He was noticed by famed opera tenor Jon Vickers
Jon Vickers
Jonathan Stewart Vickers, CC , known professionally as Jon Vickers, is a retired Canadian heldentenor.Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto...
, who encouraged Schroeck to pursue his own career in opera. He is a principal tenor for the Millennium Wagner Opera Company, and has been a guest conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
at pops concerts with multiple symphonies. In 2005, he appeared in the documentary Loggins & Messina: Sittin' in Again.
In 2010, von Schroeck was a guest soloist with the Verdi Chorus in Los Angeles. As of 2011, von Schroeck continues to tour off and on with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, or sometimes Don Felder
Don Felder
Donald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
of the Eagles.
External links
- Official website bio
- http://www.myspace.com/shemsessions