March 2015
Joey Gandolfo ’08
“I’m living the dream.”
For most people, that is a common response when asked how they are doing. But it doesn’t always paint the entire picture and can be said with some sarcasm.
However, in the case of Joey Gandolfo ’08, it is the absolute truth.
Joey grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and used to dream of playing and producing music professionally. For the last two years that dream has been a reality. Currently living in Los Angeles, CA, he has been on tour as a DJ and guitar player with Warner Brothers Recording artist Jake Miller. He enjoys playing to sold-out audiences at venues across the country, including stops in Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale as part of the Jingle Ball concert series this past holiday season.
“I am very lucky now to be doing what I love and used to daydream about as a kid,” Gandolfo said. “If I at some point decided to move on from what I'm doing now, then my dream job is to be able to continue making a living producing music for other artists.”
His competitive nature allowed him to achieve his dream, and that was molded during his time at Saint Leo when he played on the men’s soccer team. He looks back fondly on his time at Saint Leo, including his opportunity to play for the school’s first Sunshine State Conference Championship winning team when the Lions claimed the league in 2005.
“I always felt like there was a strong sense of comradery and pride for being a student at Saint Leo,” he said. “There’s a level of community between fellow students and faculty that you just don’t get at other schools, which makes the Saint Leo experience incredibly unique.”
It’s hard to imagine that he finds time while rubbing elbows with some of the best and brightest in the music industry, but when he’s not on the road, he enjoys getting in the gym and playing basketball as often as he can. He also mentioned that while traveling from city to city, he tries to explore each area as much as possible to gain the most from the travel experience.
In all things, though, Joey says he remains grounded by the 3 P’s: “Practice, persistence, and patience. Patience is the absolute worst part but most important. I’m also a huge advocate of the cliché ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ ”
Keep up with Joey G. and his travels with Jake Miller by following him on Twitter and Instagram @ThisisJoeyG and visit his website, www.JoeyGandolfo.com.
On stage with Jake Miller at the BB&T Center in Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale, which he says is “Probably the most sentimental to me because I used to work as a bar back at this arena during breaks in college.”
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