Gioia
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My name is Gioia and my music focuses on the love of the world and of all people regardless of race, color or creed. My hope for my music is that it inspires people to look deeper at themselves, put aside their petty differences and see that we are all just human beings who share the same planet, thus, we are all in this together.
In the winter of 2010, I will release my second pop studio album titled, "Flawless". "Flawless" is being produced by two of Boston's best, Marc Soucy of AudioMusicVoice and Jared Hancock of SureFire Music Group (MTV's Making of the Band featured artist-Makio, MTV's featured artist-Brooke Hogan and River Dance lead singer-Hayley Griffiths).
Several years ago I flipped my car over 7 times. As I laid in the car after the crash, I was touched by an Angel. I then fought on as I spent the next 3 days on life support. It all ended well and the experience inspired the song "Angel on your Shoulder". A video for the song will begin shooting in Feb 2010. (See my myspace page for the complete story about accident and the track "Angel on your Shoulder")
http://www.myspace.com/gioiamyspaceBand/artist history
Gioia Bio:
Too often do we neglect or take for granted the artistic skills and talents that can touch or inspire many people, but for Gioia (pronounced "joy-ah"), his final realization came as the result of a dramatic, near-death experience. Hailing from the historic North End of Boston, Massachusetts, Gioia grew up as the product of an Italian family centered on strong cultural values and an exemplary work ethic towards all endeavors. "I was always taught that nothing would be handed to me", recalls Gioia. "So if I wanted anything in life, then it was up to me to figure out how to attain it and then make it happen".
Gioia was involved in singing at a young age and then, at the age of twelve, he attended a sold out concert with his big sister by the famous rock group "Kiss". At that moment, he recalls enthusiastically, "I was hooked!"Gioia continues, "I remember it clear as day; the lights, the fire, the elevating stage, the crazy, screaming fans, the costumes and the blaring, ear drum piercing music. For me, that was it. I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to be when I grew up...A ROCKSTAR!"
After staying involved with music throughout college, performing in various on-campus shows and graduating with a B.A. in communications, Gioia landed a job at Club Med Florida, as a scuba instructor and vocal performer. After a few months, he relocated to Orlando where he hoped to launch his career as a pop star. He worked as a waiter and recorded a demo of pop dance music. Gioia was hell bent on succeeding, and being very aggressive with his music career he invested thousands of dollars into a business deal that his producer was undertaking to launch an indie record label. Unfortunately, the deal turned out to be a scam and the producers lending partner was arrested by the FBI for fraud. At that point Gioia recalls, "I was very disappointed and jaded. I just had my life savings stolen from me with no possibility of recouping it. I was broke, my friends were pursuing reliable careers, and my parents were telling me to 'get a real job'. Without being able to play a musical instrument, I had reached a dead end and my passion for singing was wavering. So I caved in to all the surrounding circumstances and made the commitment to a full time professional job. I worked for a restaurant franchising company called 'Pasta Lovers' as a training manager. After the restaurant openings were all completed, I moved back to Boston, landed a job as a restaurant manager, got married and started a family".
As Gioia's family became his top priority, the idea of pursuing a successful music career eventually faded away; until one night when the unexpected happened. As Gioia was driving home from a late night of work, he began to doze off and got into an accident which flipped his car over seven times. At the crash scene, Gioia claims to have experienced a supportive spiritual presence. He later spent 3 days on life support. The entire event was a wake-up call for Gioia to be grateful for his life, but it also reignited his gift of music from within, inspiring him to write the song "Angel on your Shoulder". Gioia had now come full circle. (Read "The true story behind the track 'Angel on your Shoulder'" for all the details.)
Influenced by artists such as U2, Madonna, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, Gioia bridges modern pop and dance music. Currently, Gioia is wrapping up his sophomore album entitled Flawless (scheduled to be released in winter of 2010). This album reflects all of his musical influences through a dance-pop sound, which is also fused together with various other modern genres and a range of various subject matters which personally affect his life on a direct and also indirect level. These topics range with everything from life, death, the environment, and an underlying love toward humanity with a sense of global unity that exists beyond distinctions of race, color, or creed.
Flawless consists of powerful songs such as "The Fire Rages On", which speaks to the burning of the rainforest while challenging people to be environmentally responsible and accountable. "I'm big on environmental care, and the track reflects about the current state of the environment, the need for global awareness, and also the need for conservationist changes". Another substantial track, "Love Is All We'll Know" makes the statement that our true nature as human beings is solely to love one another. And on his most personal song, "Angel on your Shoulder", Gioia delivers an emotional and inspiring vocal performance channeling all he's experienced about love, life and nearing death on that faithful night and beyond. "When recording those vocals, I reconnected to those loved ones, including myself, who battled through life and death struggles, some of those who have survived and some of those who didn't. I hope the song inspires those of us who have had or know people dealing with their own life-and-death struggles, to stay hopeful and strive toward positive outcomes". Of course there are also plenty of songs to dance to and get excited about; from "Real", to "Angel Child", to "Turn U Out" with each song painting a vivid picture in the listener's mind through Gioia's considerable lyrics, colorful vocal arrangements and infectious production.
With production done entirely by Marc Soucy of AudioMusicVoice (El Kapitan and David Hull- bassist for Buddy Miles, The Joe Perry Project, rock trio Fahrenheit, James Montgomery, and live fill in for Aerosmith), and Surefire Music Group (MTV's Making of the Band featured artist-Makio, Brooke Hogan and River Dance lead singer-Hayley Griffiths), Flawless will stand as a work of art crossing various genres through originality of instrumentation, lyrics, and a number of personal experiences. "With each song, I aim to create something more than music. I want listeners to be able to envision what the song is about while also being emotionally moved and inspired. Whether they understand the message that I am trying to share with or they develop their own understanding, I want everyone to be able to enjoy and develop a connection to my music".
Since 'Gioia' means "joy" or "jewel" in Italian, then it is only right that Gioia's listeners should expect to take away jewels of hope, positivity, and unity from his music.
For booking or more information, please contact gioiamusic@yahoo.com and visit www.gioiamusic.com and www.myspace.com/gioiamyspace for news updates, song previews, and performance dates.
Written by Shawn Stewart
Edited by GioiaHave you performed in front of an audience?I love playing live! In 2009 I played 32 shows, from Maine to Florida but most were in the Northeast. It was a great chance to preview many of the tracks on my new LP and it gave me a good idea of what tracks would be fan favorites. Also all of my performances contain a striking multi-media component as each song I perform is accompanied by a corresponding montage of flash-cut video imagery, displayed on two 50 inch flat screen TV's. This original, self produced video presentation adds a state of the art dimension to my performance that is really unique.
I kicked off the 2009 tour in a great way, performing in Washington DC, on the eve of Barack Obama's historic inauguration as our 44th president. My performance was accompanied by a stirring video montage that captured the emotional and historical perspective of the moment at hand. It was an inspiring performance and experience for all attending.
The funniest stories of the year happened at that show too. As I tried to get to the gig, all of DC was in total gridlock from the thousands of people in town for the all the gala festivities happening that evening, so I was forced to abandon my car, and walk to the show in 15 degree weather. Pedestrians, all dressed in formal tuxes and gowns were everywhere and after about 20 minutes of wandering around our nations capital, I realized that the Ball was actually 3 miles away from where I was. I was very late, lost, frustrated and very FROZEN! Then my luck changed as I was able to flag down a 3 wheeled Rickshaw. Other people were bartering against me for his services, but I was able to convince him to pedal me, no lie, 3 miles to the hall! I don't think he realized what he was getting himself into as he ended up pedaling me all that way through DC, mostly UPHILL, in the freezing cold. All I kept thinking during the whole ride was how crazy this was and how cold he must of been cause I was still FREEZING! When we final arrived, his near exhaustion and frost bite cost me a pretty penny (lol) but it was well worth it as I got to the gig just minutes before I was scheduled to perform. What a ride! The craziness only continued into my performance, as in the middle of belting out one of my songs, my dental cap pop off my tooth! Luckily I didn't swallow it! After the show, getting back to my car was another adventure as most of the streets in DC had been closed to set up the bleachers for the inauguration parade in the morning, but I'll save that story for another time.
All in all though, it was a fondly memorable evening!
Your musical influences
Seal, Rob Thomas, Madonna, Simon LeBon, Justin TimberlakeWhat equipment do you use?
Cordless Shure mic, and vocal cords will travel...Anything else?
The true story behind the track "Angel on your Shoulder"
At 3am, on one very cold November night... the unexpected happened.
As Gioia was driving home from work, he began to doze off and lost control of his car. As the car began to swerve from one lane to the next, Gioia panicked and slammed on the brakes causing the car to spin out of control and flip over seven times. Gioia was critically injured, suffering from broken ribs, a chipped vertebra, a bruised heart and bleeding lungs but because he didn't suffer any head trauma, he remained completed coherent for the whole ordeal. What occurred next, with his life now on the line is extraordinary. "It was a surreal experience but I was aware and able to remember everything", Gioia recalls. "Once the car finished rolling, I was laying on the inside of my upside down car, on its roof. I was all alone. No other cars had pulled over; no other cars were even driving by. The pain in my back was excruciating. I remember the first thing I did when the car stopped rolling was wiggle my fingers and toes just to make sure I wasn't paralyzed, which I wasn't. I was so thankful for that. I tried to crawl out of the car but I was in waaaay too much pain. Still, I was determined to get out of the car because I felt so strongly that if I stayed in that car I was going to die. So again, I tried to crawl out of the car but I just couldn't physically do it. Frustrated, I slammed my hand down and screamed. At that moment, as if to answer my frustration, I heard a soothing woman's voice say to me, 'Everything's going to be alright, help is on the way'. I immediately looked around but no one was there. No woman, no other cars...I screamed back, 'Someone's got to get me out of this fucking car right now!' I listened but there was no response. Again, no one was there with me, I was all alone. So I said to myself, 'Alright then, I guess I'll just have to wait it out', and I stopped struggling to get out of the car. I just put my head down, and trusted what was said to me. About five minutes later, an ambulance pulled up to my car. I was relieved to finally see somebody... anybody. The EMT's talked to me for a few moments before discussing among themselves how to safely remove me from my crushed car. After a few minutes they decided they couldn't wait any longer. The exact quote from one of them to the other was, 'He looks like shit! We've got to get him out of there right now!' I was very lucky but as it turned out, even luckier than I could imagine. In the ambulance they told me that no one had called them, they just coincidently happened to be driving by my accident on their way to the hospital with a another patient. Luck struck again as the hospital was only a few miles away. At that point I remember thinking to myself I was home free and would be better by the morning...."
But for Gioia and his family, this ordeal was far from over.
Gioia spent the next 3 days on life support surrounded by his loved ones, clinging to his life, fighting to overcome not only the traumatic injuries from his car accident but also a life threatening 106 degree fever which developed from a bad cold he had caught days before the accident. Gioia continues, "Over the next 3 days, the doctors informed my family several times that they believed I was not going to survive the night. The internal injuries alone were serious enough to kill me but once my fever spiked to 106 degrees, they thought that would be the final nail in my coffin... As the doctors treated me around the clock, it was hell for my entire family as my loved ones watched my heart monitor, praying it wouldn't stop. The doctors, my family, me....we all battled and luckily, I pulled through. Funny, when I returned to consciousness I thought it was just the next morning after the crash. What a surprise when they told me I nearly died!"
As for the woman?s voice Gioia heard, he firmly contends it was a feminine spiritual presence. ?I wouldn?t go as far as saying I am convinced it was the voice of God but it certainly was not of this world or my imagination. Its soothing presence gave me great comfort and strength, leaving me filled with a feeling of peace and love. It inspired me to fight on and it absolutely left me with a feeling that we are not alone.? (The EMT?s that rescued Gioia did confirm that he was alone when they arrived at the crash site and also that no 911 call was received by them about the crash.)
During the recovery period, Gioia wrote the lyrics and melody for "Angel on your Shoulder", inspired by his recent spiritual and life changing event.
From that point on, music would again be Gioia's greatest passion.Admin
frank
@gioiamusic
