Gino Barletta is a native of the rural farming community of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania. From a very young age, he was exposed to a vast library of singers and songwriters, courtesy of his parents' varied tastes in music. The sounds of Luther Vandross, Frank Sinatra, Anita Baker, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Nat "King" Cole and SWV were no strangers to the Barletta household. However, at a young age, Gino expressed no interest in becoming a musician. For a majority of his younger years, athletics were the focus of both he and his older sister, Erika. It wasn't until age 7 that he was exposed to the idea of taking up music as a new hobby. Mostly as a result of his parents' desires, it was at this time that Gino began studying the piano. It was a rocky start to a new pastime--very little practicing was done--but he demonstrated very strong potential as a musician. A year later, another mandate came on behalf of his mother and father; Gino would begin voice lessons. Although his experience on the keys had until that point been very positive, he completely detested the idea of becoming a singer. Scared of what his classmates and teammates would think of him, it was, in fact, the last thing he wanted to do. But after the very first lesson, his opinion took a complete turn, and a new passion was born.
Over the next few years, Gino continued to pursue goals in both the athletic and musical realms, and it was becoming clear as time went on that his true gift was not on the basketball court, but rather behind the microphone. Still a boy soprano at that time (until age 13), he was a novelty in the music scene and became a local celebrity, performing as a guest artist at countless churches, fundraisers, parties, concerts, and local TV stations. He was no stranger to the front page of the newspapers either. His talents were quickly becoming widely recognized.
It was in 5th grade that Gino's life started revolving about his performance schedule when his music teacher approached him to audition for a community theater production of "Cabaret". He got the part, and after the show's 16-performance run ended, it was on to the next show... and the next. From that point on, Gino was in a new musical production every other month, often leading the casts in principal roles. His skills as an actor, dancer, and singer were growing each step of the way and were recognized by critics with rave reviews. Gino had become the quintessential "triple threat", and it seemed that Broadway was his next step. However, school was the priority at that time, so becoming a child star wasn't in the cards. That didn't stop him from finding success everywhere he was able to, though. Junior high was a productive time for Gino, and it was time to start competing with his voice to see if he really was the stand-out so many people believed he was. First place awards became commonplace on his shelf and he was even invited to tour Wales and England as the guest solo artist alongside the NEPA Choral Society's "Cantare" choir. But perhaps the greatest prize was a scholarship to the prestigious Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School, which Gino eagerly accepted.
While at Wyoming Seminary, Gino excelled both academically and musically. He was a member of the Madrigal Singers (who toured Germany for two weeks) and landed a principal role in every musical he did throughout his high school career there. The summer before his junior year, Gino was one of 8 singers chosen statewide to attend the Governor's School for the Arts 5-week intensive program. Also notable of this time was his participation in the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association District, Regional, and All-State choir festivals, at which he took several 1st and 2nd place ranks. As his senior year of high school rapidly approached, college seemed to be the next logical step in Gino's future, especially after having attended a preparatory school (and being inducted into the Cum Laude Society). With a 4.0 GPA and a God-given talent leading the way, Gino was accepted to every university he applied to, including the prestigious Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern universities. The only step left was to choose which school he would attend.
However, a revelation on Gino's behalf eliminated college from his immediate future. Instead, he packed his bags and decided to move to Los Angeles, California... on his own. Although he knew it was a risky move, his drive and determination have led him to incredible success in a very short amount of time. Since June of 2007, he has been active in the Los Angeles music scene (or as active as an 18-year-old can be), making appearances at The Gardenia, Hollywood Bar & Grill, B.B. King's, and Stevie's Creole Cafe. He is also a regularly scheduled singer at St. Julie Billiart Roman Catholic Church in Newbury Park, CA. Credit due to his manager, Marc McWilliams, Gino also had the opportunity to sing alongside R & B legend R. Kelly at Kelly's after-party during his "Double Up" tour stop in LA.
Seeing as how Los Angeles was expanding his horizons of opportunity, Gino knew it was time to expand artistically as well. It was after his move to the west coast that Barletta finally started to pen his own music, and in a few short months has proven himself to be an extremely prolific and accomplished songwriter, already having dozens of songs written. Barry Hankerson of Blackground Records thinks him "a very promising songwriter of the future". Needless to say, Gino has a long way to go before he is internationally known, but it seems that the journey has already begun and fame is just over the horizon. The next icon and musical legend has yet to emerge in the 21st century, but it seems that Gino Barletta may change all of that.
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