Vita

Musician, Performer, Composer, Journalist, Writer, Music Producer, Event Coordinator, Stage Director/Manager and Music Teacher

During musical career performed in fifty states in the USA and on five continents.  Journalism experience as an editor, staff writer and freelance writer for music instrument magazines, entertainment and general interest publications. Currently I am teaching guitar and songwriting to private students and at Kirk’s Studio for the Performing Arts Scottsdale Arizona while attending Arizona State University as a full time student and continuing to perform at various venues and events throughout Arizona.

Professional experience:

 Musical Contractor/ Musician/Stage Director/ Production Coordinator/ Tour Manager DBA The Monte Carlos 1982 to 2002 – Los Angeles, California

  • Bandleader- DBA- The Monte Carlos. Sole proprietor of full service entertainment company concerned primarily with musical contracting and concert performance. Functions included various and/combined responsibilities as: Musical Director, Conductor, Stage Director, Producer, Arranger, Guitarist, and Tour Manager. Oversaw staffs and work forces as large as one hundred and fifty people preparing for and executing events in venues and festivals with audiences as large as one hundred thousand people. Providing musical and production support for many important and well-known entertainers in the popular music field. In venues and locations as diverse as the Theater Soviet (Moscow, Russia), Universal Amphitheater (Los Angeles, California) The Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) Casino showrooms in Las Vegas, Reno and Tahoe, Nevada and The Sopot Music Festival (Poland)  to name just a few of the hundreds of venues and stages throughout the world with Internationally known artist. (for example: Chuck Berry, The Pointer Sisters, Del Shannon, The Shirelles, Ben E. King, the Turtles  among dozens of others

Dozens of Credits as Stage Director among them:

  • Stage Director  for Queen Mary Jazz Festival coordinated performances with over twenty four acts (Wynton Marsalis, Hiroshima , The Yellow Jackets, Diane Reeves among others.) 1988
  • Musical Director/ Bandleader for Disneyland’s “Blast from the Past” 1989 & 1990 backing up different artists every week for thirteen weeks (see above for partial list)
  • Musical Director/Bandleader for PBS Television Special “Let’s Rock Tonight” performing on guitar and conducting 7 tracks on CD recording of the performance 1990.

2002-2009

Performing Local Venues and Events- New year Eve Fiesta Bowl Block Party New Years Eve 2006/7,2008/9

City events and civic celebrations in Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale and other areas in Arizona.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2006

Musical Performer for private corporate events at resorts in the Scottsdale/Phoenix and throughout the Southwest area. Among the hotels performed at: The Phoenician, Scottsdale Plaza, Marriott Hotel, The Biltmore, The Boulders and The Wigwam as a solo performer, guitarist and singer and master of ceremonies while working toward a degree in Journalism at Scottsdale Community College and Arizona State University.

Occasional performer at Rawhide Wild West Town in Scottsdale Arizona.

Journalist:

2004 News Editor Campus News (Scottsdale Community College News Paper)

  • Editing staff of student writers, writing features, news articles and opinion

2004 Feature Writer for Switch Magazine

  • Features on ASU Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Musician features: The Strokes and Frank Sinatra Jr.

2003 staff writer Campus News (Scottsdale Community College News Paper)

  • Wrote features, news and opinion.

1984-1989 Audio Video Editor Music Connection Magazine Los Angeles

  • Wrote a bi-weekly column of opinion, and contributed features, news, cover stories artist and personality interviews, album and performance  reviews, motion picture, television book and product reviews

1986-1990 Contributing Editor  Guitar World Magazine

  • Wrote interview, cover feature, and product reviews

1986-1989 Musical Instrument editor  CREEM Magazine

  • Wrote interviews, features and product reviews monthly.
  • Features, news articles
Publications

Music Connection Magazine, Guitar World Magazine, Creem, Creem Metal, Performance, Players (film), College Musician, Hit Parader, Rockit, Campus News, Switch Magazine plus others

Written over 300 musical compositions

Owner Double Bill Music a subsidiary of Hogan Brinsley L.L.C. licensed by Broadcast Musical Industries (BMI) administrated worldwide by BUG Music

Selected Discography

Released The Dangerous Type- Billy Cioffi-1985- Solo Album

Billboard Magazine Spotlight Pick
Released CD The Monte Carlos- Billy Cioffi and the Monte Carlos-1995

Grammy Semi- Finals in four categories – charted six weeks Gavin Report- Americana airplay reports. Three songs featured in Showtime Cable TV Film

Released CD American Episodes-Billy Cioffi and the Monte Carlos-1997=Original Compositions = All Lyrics

Released CD Amurakin Music= Billy Cioffi and the Monte Carlos 2004

Grammy Semi-Finals in three categories  -  Airplay France

Released CD “Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear”- Billy Cioffi and the Monte Carlos- 2007

Produced CD “Love n’ Haight Guitars” promotion for Haight Guitars (Local custom Luthier) two original compositions and 10 artists- 2008

Music Compositions in Selected Films and Television

“Virtual Reality”.  Three songs featured in film “Blood Fist”.

The Governor – Independent Film (featured acting role plus music)

The Shield – FX cable television series – 2003

Boogies Diner – Canadian television series – 1999-2002

Virtual Reality – Showtime television film – 2000

The Unborn – Concord New Horizon Films – 1999

Blood Fist – Concord New Horizon Films – 1998

Skate Board Kid – Concord New Horizon Films – 1996

Poltergeist-3 – MGM Films – 1987

And Others

Education

  • Currently-ASU Graduate School-College of Arts and Sciences completing Masters Degree in English Literature
  • Arizona State University- Cum Laude Graduate 2009 Degree Bachelor of Arts- English Literature
  • English and Journalism Major – Member of the National Honor Society 2002 to Present
  • Scottsdale Community College- 2002-05- English Major
  • UCLA Creative Writing – 1998-1 semester
  • Los Angeles City College 1973-4 –Music Major-3 semesters
  • High School:  Vincentian Institute for Boys (Parochial-Private) Albany, New York Graduated 1967 –Regents Scholarship

Awards and Scholarships:

  • Nominated ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Honors Awards Spring 2009
  • ASU Dean’s List For Outstanding Scholars, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Fall 2007
  • ASU Nick Ivins Memorial Literature Scholarship Department of English 2007
  • Scottsdale Community College “Excellence Under the Stars” for “Academic Achievement”  Fall 2004
  • Scottsdale Community College – Excellence in Journalism as the “News Editor” April 21, 2004
  • Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club Scholarship-Adult Re-Entry Organization 2003/2004 Scottsdale Community College
  • Who’s Who of American College Students 2003 to present.
  • Robert Mugford Scholarship 2002 & 2003 Scottsdale Community College
  • Scottsdale Community College Honors Program 2002