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The RadioSirens
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Bio - Dr L's Music 
Larry Tarof ("Dr. L") is an Ottawa, Canada based musician with a loyal following who enjoys a reputation for more than a quarter century of outstanding pop/musical theater arrangements, choral arrangements, live performances, and original compositions. He has appeared live hundreds of times, gigs frequently as a jazz/cocktail pianist, and is kept quite busy accompanying/coaching musical theater. His growing body of original works (100+) includes jazz, musical theatre, pop/rock and sacred music. Within Ottawa's two largest synagogues, he runs a religious school music program and appears (vocals, guitar and piano) every Friday as Kabbalat Shabbat soloist at Temple Israel, and has directed multiple choirs and a Klezmer band at Agudath Israel. At the studio, he has produced many demos, hundreds of backup tracks, countless arrangements and six fully produced full-length CDs to date. As pianist/composer, Larry is delighted at the radio play and reviews for his 2012 CD "C is for Cosmopolitan" featuring all-original compositions, and for the 2011 staging of Olympus the Musical, an all-original musical collaboration with Jenny Tarof. Music runs in the family: his son Daniel appears on guitar in "Fearless" (2005) and "Shneur" (2008) and he collaborated on both "Fearless" and "Olympus the Musical" with daughter Jenny. He co-founded "11 note chords", which brought the "Piano playlist" app to the market (2012-2016). "Dr. L" was profiled in 2005 on CJOH-TV's popular "CJOH-TV Regional Contact" and has also appeared at other times on television in Ottawa. He is also presently the MD/accompanist for the Carleton University Musical Theatre Ensemble, and is involved with multiple original projects. "Dr L." is also a research & development ("R&D") scientist, having earned his a Ph.D. in semiconductor physics, and even has CEO, CTO and "Principal Scientist" day gigs in the high tech world interspersed with bouts of being a full-time musician. This eclectic multi-talented background drives the uniqueness of his producer/entrepreneurial/musicianship skills, which in turn enhance the reputation of his studio, "Dr L's Music", which has been in operation since 1992.
Currently held professional music positions
Musical Director/Teacher, Temple Israel Religious School music program (1994-2000, 2003-present)
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Define repertoire and pedagogy; teach Jewish music to students K-Grade 6
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Repertoire of 100 songs includes some of my original compositions
Soloist/accompanist, Temple Israel, Friday night services (2004-present)
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Soloist (vocals, guitar and piano) Sept'07-present
- Musical support on piano, guitar and vocal harmony for lay cantors '04-'07
Musical Director and Accompanist, Carleton University Musical Theatre Ensemble (2014-present)
- Direct all musical parts and harmonies, working with all performers
- Develop and play accompaniment for all performances
Vocal Tech, St. Lawrence College, Brockville campus (2019-present)
- Vocal, rep, interpretation
- One-on-one coaching
Current professional music activities
Accompanist/arranger/coach, musical theater (1992-present)
- Ottawa's busiest musical theater accompanist at Kiwanis Festival with a reputation for high quality
- musical theater accompaniment within Ontario, and at Provincials, and when geography permits, Nationals
- collaboration with many vocal studios within Ottawa, and within greater Ontario
- ~1000 clients served
- 100+ pieces performed annually during spring adjudication season for decades
- thousands of pieces performed in public for adjudication in aggregate
- hundreds of students with first place age category honors in Ottawa, advancing to "Trophy Night"
- 50+ students with honors in Provincials
- Always develop and use my own original musical theater arrangements
- Extensive musical theater coaching and mentoring - interpretation, text, vocal, delivery
Performing musician (1991-present)
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Piano, guitar, voice hundreds of professional appearances
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Musical theater, jazz, rock, pop, Klezmer, Jewish, Yiddish, classical
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Private functions, and as recommended pianist at Chateau Laurier, National Arts Centre, Brookstreet Hotel, etc. in Ottawa
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Private functions handled through Ottawa Wedding Piano and Piano for all occasions
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Pianist for Becky Abbott Trio (jazz), at one time in heavy rotation (e.g.at the Brookstreet Hotel)
Teacher, private studio (2004-present)
- Teach mainly piano, but also coach musical theater, guitar and voice
Teacher, Jewish studies (1995-present)
- Music - Temple Israel (1994-2000, 2003-present)
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation (50+ students Temple Israel, ~5 students Conservative)
- B'nai Mitzvah class, Temple Israel (1995-2000) trop, brachot, Hebrew; Music program,
Producer, Dr L's Music (1992-present)
- Produce piano and full band backups for singers (1000+ tracks produced)
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Produce demo recordings for singers
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Produce and act as musician/arranger for complete CDs for clients
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Produce/direct/arrange/perform on complete original CDs; >thousands of downloads sold
Composer
- >100 compositions in classical, sacred, jazz, musical theater, pop genres
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dozens of compositions used in public performance
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collaborations with multiple lyricists and singers
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two staged musicals produced in Ottawa
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recent discography below
Selected professional performance credits
- Musical Director and accompanist: Carleton University Musical Theatre Ensemble (CUMTE) production "Songs for a New World", 2018
- Musical Director and accompanist: CUMTE production "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", 2018
- Musical Director and accompanist: CUMTE revue "Broadway North: a tribute to the Canadian musical", 2017
- Musical Director and accompanist: CUMTE production "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", 2016
- Musical Director and accompanist: CUMTE revue "Pop goes the musical", 2015
- Bass (vocal): Musica Ebraica concert "Prayer and Celebration: Liturgical music from around the world", 2015
- Director, multi-instrument arranger and pianist, Agudath Israel Kabbalat Shabbat ensemble, 2010-2011
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Musical Director, performance pianist, co-producer and composer: "Olympus the Musical" - both Workshop and Showcase, won $2000 ARTicipate grant, 2011
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Musical coordinator and performance pianist: various concerts in support of Isaac Muzikansky: "My Parents' Favourite Yiddish Songs" -- Yiddish music CD, 2011
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Pianist: Jennifer Gould's concert DVD for her Juno Award winning "Music Soup", 2009
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Pianist and arranger: backup tracks for GOYA's production "New Clothes for the Empress", 2009
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Pianist and arranger: backup tracks for GOYA's production "Dads in Bondage", 2008
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Pianist and arranger: backup tracks for GOYA's production "A little bird told me", 2008
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Tenor, accompanist, composer: Musica Ebraica concert "Joy and Faith", 2008
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Co-Musical Director, performance and rehearsal accompanist: Ain't Seen Noth'n Yet's production of Steven Sondheim's "Putting it together", 2006
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Performance and rehearsal accompanist: Suzart's production of "You're a good man, Charlie Brown", 2006
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Producer, arranger and musician: 15 minute orchestrated soundtrack for Kanata Children's Chorus production of "Oliver", 2006
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Profiled on CJOH-TV for "Regional Contact" May 28, 2005
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Invited judge: 2005 and 2006 Ottawa Kiwanis Idol
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Musical Director and performance pianist: RadioSirens' productions of "Fearless", multiple Ottawa venues, 2005
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Ba'al Korei (Torah reader): Agudath Israel, 2004
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Producer and musician: backup tracks for Nemesis production "Showbuzz", 2004
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Musical Director, performance pianist, composer and arranger: Dr L & Lila Rose's production of "Cupid 911", 4th stage National Arts Centre, 2004
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Performance and rehearsal accompanist: Kanata Children's Chorus production "Scrooge", 2003
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Performance and rehearsal accompanist: Nemesis production "Extravaganza", 2003
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Performance accompanist, Kostas Haitas' production: "Mama, a Rainbow", 2002
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Accompanist: Stephanie Gorin casting for Mirvish Productions, Mamma Mia, 2002
- Larry Tarof: "C is for Cosmopolitan" -- original compositions, jazz piano CD -- composer/producer/pianist -- 2012
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Olympus the musical First cast recording -- original compositions, musical theatre CD -- composer/producer/pianist -- 2011
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Isaac Muzikansky: "My Parents' Favourite Yiddish Songs" -- producer/arranger/musician -- 2011
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Shneur: "Modeh Ani/Gratitude" -- Hebrew music CD -- producer/arranger/musician -- 2008
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RadioSirens: "Fearless" -- pop music CD -- composer/producer/musician -- 2005
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Dr L and Lila Rose: "Cupid 911" -- musical theatre CD -- composer/producer/musician -- 2004
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Numerous backup and demo CDs produced/performed not listed here -- client list is available upon request
Selected additional positions previously held
Director, Agudath Israel Adult Choir (2004-2013)
- Direct SATB choir with cantorial soloist for synagogue and concert singing
- Choir enjoyed excellent reputation in the community and in greater public, including for Israel's 60th anniversary attended by Federal Cabinet
- Repertoire includes my original compositions and arrangements
Director, Agudath Israel Youth Choir (2006-2013)
- Direct two- and three-part youth choir for synagogue and concert singing
- Choir enjoyed successful appearances in synagogue and in greater public, including for the Israeli Ambassador
- Repertoire - my original arrangements tailored to each cohort's capabilities
Principal, Creative, 11 note chords (2012-2016)
- Goal was to "bottle" Larry’s techniques for bringing piano playing app for pop/rock/jazz to the public
- Successfully developed "Piano playlist" app, which taught how to play the same piece at multiple levels and with multiple rhythms/feels
Contract performance instructor, Jazz/Rock piano, Carleton University 2008-c.2010
Accompanist, Kanata Children's Choir 2002- c.2006
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