Billy Jay Stein

Billy has loved music and science since he was a little kid. He began his piano training at an early age as a private student of the world-renowned concert pianist, Edward Edson. After saving up money from his paper route, he bought his first synth at the age of 11, the Moog Source. In junior high school, he created a mini recording studio in his bedroom.

When he was a freshman studying Neuroscience and Music at the University of Pennsylvania, he joined the Rock & Roll band, The Hatters. They built a huge following of college students and ultimately got a recording contract with Atlantic Records, releasing three albums. After graduation in 1991, they jumped on a bus and spent five years on the road, living in the mountains of Nederland, Colorado during breaks.

After The Hatters broke up in 1996, Stein moved to NYC, added more gear to his collection and started his company, STRANGE CRANIUM (a nod to his Neuroscience degree).

In 1996 while writing music for VH1, he met Michael Rosen, an accomplished television producer and songwriter. They had collaborated on several television series, and realized that by combining their expertise, experience, and insight, they could create a very user-friendly, world-class music catalogue. In 2006 they formed STRIKE AUDIO.

In 2008, Billy met synthesis master, Hiro Iida. In 2011, they began work on Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark with Bono and The Edge. They ran 8 MacBook desktop computers with an early version of MainStage and MainBrain, developed by Dave Linnenbank. Since Spider-Man, the STRANGE CRANIUM team has grown and is now responsible for programming and the electronic music design of over 100 shows.

Billy Jay Stein received the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album as the music producer and mixer of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.