Written by Nicole Johnson
Joe Di Fore graduated from APU in 2015 with a degree in Commercial Music and completed his graduate degree at APU as well in Woodwind Performance in 2017. He is currently a freelance musician which has taken him places he would have never imagined. His career has involved recording, performing, and writing music for different bands, artists, films, television shows, commercials, and most recently, video games.
Di Fore says, “I don't believe I would have achieved nearly as much had I not attended APU. This is in large part due to the strong relationships and trust I had developed with both my professors and peers.”
For example, the saxophone professor at APU, Rusty Higgins, was able to recommend him for an 11 week summer tour of Australia with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. This involved traveling throughout the entire continent performing in several concert halls and venues, for thousands of people. Despite him being just 20 years old at the time (by far the youngest in the group), Rusty trusted that Di Fore would be a strong fit for the band after studying with him and coming to his lessons prepared every week. This tour has had a significant effect on his career. He currently not only works with other members outside of the band, but continues to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra now as the lead saxophonist.
Another way APU has helped Di Fore succeed in his career is the training he received in both playing and composing, preparing him well. He is now qualified foe a myriad of different jobs. Saxophone is his primary instrument, but he also plays flute and clarinet. When he was a student at APU, he would practice a number of exercises and pieces of music which helped him become proficient at all three of his instruments.
Without his training at APU, he would never have had been able to record music at such a high level as he is currently. Di Fore had the opportunity to record for a project coming out later this year entitled BTS World, a cinematic video game based around well known KPop group, BTS. The composers had him play several types of saxophones, clarinets, and flutes. He played a number of styles ranging from rock to orchestral film music. The music he played for the session was challenging, but it was due to his musical training at APU that he was able to play the music the way the composers wanted it and were pleased with the result.
When asked about advice for incoming students he said, “Two pieces of advice come to mind. The first is to be patient. When I was a freshman at APU, I was already playing in ensembles with peers older and more experienced than me who had already been working musicians for some time. From seeing my peers getting all these gigs around town, I began to wonder, ‘How come nobody has called me or recommended me for these gigs my peers keep getting?’ By the time I got to my junior and senior year, when people started calling me and recommending me for work, I began to realize it was because of the trust and relationships I had developed with others. It often takes time for others to feel comfortable and trust you enough to recommend you. This leads me to the second piece of advice, which is to develop and maintain strong relationships with your peers and professors because ultimately, they are the ones who will start up your career. It is important to keep in mind - while some of your closest friends at school may not be getting a lot of work yet, they may well end up getting their foot in the door in the business and will want to bring you along with them.”
For more information on Joe, visit http://www.joedifiore.com/.
