Tommy Strazza has been a staple of the New Jersey music scene for the better part of the last decade as both a singer/songwriter and lead guitarist for several bands (Hey Bulldog, Okra Winfrey, G-Man Syndicate) and solo artists (Anthony Walker, Anjelia, Emily Grove, and Michael Askin to name a few). He recently announced that he was launching a new business called Mixes by Tommy Strazza. It's the culmination of an idea that he's had for a few years. New Jersey Stage reached out to him to learn more.
Tell me about Mixes by Tommy Strazza. What is the focus of the new business? Great sounds, great sounds, great sounds!!! I love the craft and process of making recordings. I have been at it for long time, and around 5 years ago, I became very serious about learning how to get great sounds. I was blessed with a really good set of ears, and after years of wondering if I could get better sounds than whoever I was paying to get me those sounds, I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and start learning how to get them for myself, and other people. After that, I have been a very passionate student, and am now ready to assist others in achieving the best sounds possible for their projects.
What you mean by achieving the sounds that your recording project needs and deserves? I usually come in after they are finished recording. Post production, mostly. I do track and produce other artists. I produced and recorded Melissa Anthony's upcoming LP. I am currently mixing and mastering that, and it will hopefully be out in 2018.
I feel that when you put your heart, energy, and over extend your disposable income for that particular month(or more) for your recording project, I feel that it deserves to sound the way that you want it to. I will do my best to make that happen for the artist.
I want the artist to feel that they are getting their money’s worth. The same way I want my fans to feel when they come to see me play.
When did you first get into producing and mastering? What led you in that direction? I have always been interested in the art of recording. Between that, the current cost of studio time, and the amount of material I was coming up with awhile back... I realized that I probably won't be able to afford to record, mix, and master anywhere near as much music as I was creating. Plus, after 5 lp's of only being partially-to-just-about satisfied with their respective sounds, I asked myself an honest question... "Do you think you could get it to sound better?" My answer was, and is... YES. Then, I REALLY got into the art of mixing, and have been aggressively studying it like I first started playing guitar, and then singing. I started buying preamps, compressors, interfaces, Pro Tools, and a whole lot of plugins!!!
Give your best sales pitch: why should a musician turn to you for this? Simply because I have been there. I understand how difficult, frustrating, and expensive it can be to achieve the sounds that you want. It can be really tough to get there, and you realize along the way why some of your favorite records cost as much as they did to make. BUT... The technology is now here, and we can now get the very same results on a computer, if you have the ability and desire. I feel that I have both and want to help share what I know, at prices that won't sink the artist.
I'm sure your fans will want to know, when will we hear new music by Tommy Strazza? Will you have to put your music aside while getting this going? Nope. I'm a musician and performer til the very end. The Strazzacasters debut E.P. should be out this year, and I am working on a new solo record, as well. My hero is Prince. I aim for the kind of greatness that he did. I don't know if I will ever get there, but that's what I'm going for. He was an "all of the above" kind of guy. I don't dance as well as he did, though. Haha.
If you are a musician and interested in contacting Tommy, email him at: [email protected]
For more information on Mixes by Tommy Strazza visit his Soundcloud or Facebook page.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
