Musician
A Manhattan native, I started playing the bass guitar as a teenager. Mostly self-taught, I learned on the job and became an experienced professional musician in New York City by doing a great variety of recording sessions, Broadway shows (Rent, Dreamgirls, Once On This Island, many more), playing concerts and clubs, and serving as musical director for various artists.
I then followed my interests and expanded my skills into songwriting, music production and recording, and composition. Now, through my teaching, I help others to acquire those skills.
Since 2010 I’ve been singing my songs with my band and special guests to a growing following in NYC clubs (pre-pandemic!). Listen to my songs – which I’ve written, recorded, produced, and mixed – on the Music page.
Teacher
I’ve been teaching since 1999 and created Tony Conniff Songwriting Workshops in 2007. I currently offer workshops and private coaching in Songwriting, Music Recording/Production, LogicPro, and more.
I teach at the Gotham Writers Workshop and the Collective School of Music as well as recently being a visiting lecturer at Drexel University and Bloomfield College. I also conduct Songwriting workshops for Gilda’s Club/Red Door in New York.
To learn more, visit the Workshops page. And click here for a teaching-related article about me.
Interview with Tony in the book “Profile of a Hit Songwriter” by Thornton Cline and Lacie Carpenter.
I’m excited to be included in this book with the likes of Burt Bacharach, Ted Perlman, and Tom Snow. My interview with Thornton and Lacie gives a good overview of my approach to the art, craft, practice, and business of songwriting.