william (bill) swayze
pianoman@asu.edu
2848 E Brown Rd Unit #35 / Mesa, AZ 85213
Spouse: Sherry L. Swayze
Children: Nohah
Education: Various classes at Oakland Community College, Wayne State University, numerous Conservatory and Private Lessons with Howard Lucas, Frederick L. Marriott, North Texas State University, UCLA,
and more.
Biography: Professional musician since age 15, I lived in Pleasant Ridge, MI until 1989 when we moved to Mesa, AZ. While in MI I performed many dates for Jack Reed Agency, Gail & Rice Agency and William Morris Agency. Worked with Dan Yessaian for Radio, TV and Industrial Films. Also recorded national commercials and Top 40 music for Artie Fields Recording Studio in Detroit. Accompanied Dance classes at Wayne State University and played for numerous churches as organist or pianist. Subbed when available for Broadway touring shows at Fisher Theatre.
After moving to Mesa, AZ, where I immediately started playing gigs and got another church gig I started at Arizona State University in 1991 after a 25-year career as a professional pianist, bassist, percussionist, recording session and touring musician, and composer/arranger for film, advertising and industrial recording sessions in Detroit, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
As an Improvisateur, I honed the skill of “composing while performing” during engagements in musical theatre, Motown, jazz and as a pianist for vocal and instrumental soloists. I also served as Music Director for over 10 years for the improvisational comedy troupe, “Open Forum/Contemporary Insanity” beginning in Detroit and then in Los Angeles. Back in Detroit I studied improvisation and classical organ / bell carillon with Dr. Frederick L. Marriott, himself a student of Marcel Dupre. Professionally, I played shows and recording sessions with Up With People, The Primo People, Steve Allen, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Brenda Russell (He played piano in the dark), Dick Shawn,Paul Lennon, Ike Cole (Nat's brother) and many other musical artists. I'm still enjoying a professional career as a church musician (pianist / organist) and I still play frequent dates as a pianist with my own and other Phoenix-area bands, while also accompanying for the Ballet Arizona professional dance company. I own SweetBytes Recording Studio in Mesa, AZ. In 2006, I was appointed one of two University Carillonneurs who performs on ASU's Symphonic Carillon located in Old Main at the Tempe Campus.
At the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, I play for dance classes in Postmodern Contemporary and Contemporary Ballet Technique and train, supervise and assign dance studio musicians for classes. Also, I'm a Sound Designer for Dance performances, and I operate the Concert Sound Studio 26 in the Nelson Fine Arts Center, and teach sound production classes for Dance Performance Theatre. Honestly, I'm having so much fun being so busy being a musician I have no idea when I will retire. I guess I will when a colleague puts their arm around me and says, "Bill, this just isn't working out anymore." Then I'll know it's time.