Tomas Costanza
{{short description|Producer, musician, recording artist}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Tomas Costanza
| image = TomasCostanza.jpg
| caption = Tomas Costanza
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|9|2}}
| origin = Long Island, New York
| genre = indie, pop punk, pop, alternative rock, rock, hip hop, metal
| occupations = record producer, musician
| instruments = Guitar, Vocals, Piano, Drums, Keyboard, Bass, Synthesizer
| years_active = 1999–present
| associated_acts = Blues Traveler, Rachel Platten, Macklemore, 2 Chainz, Boys Like Girls, Benny Benassi, Diffuser
| website = {{URL|http://www.killingsworth.info/}}
}}
Tomas Costanza (born September 2, 1976) is a certified-platinum American record producer/songwriter and owner of the Killingsworth Recording Company.[http://www.grammy365.com/blogs/chicago-meet-your-mobfest-panelists-tomas-costanza Tomas Costanza MobFest Panelist Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402124557/http://www.grammy365.com/blogs/chicago-meet-your-mobfest-panelists-tomas-costanza |date=2012-04-02 }}. 2011. Born in Massapequa, New York, he was first noted in the music industry as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Diffuser.[http://www.punknews.org/review/77 PunkNews.Org Diffuser Review]. 2001 In addition to being signed to Hollywood Records in 2000,[http://www.hollywoodrecords.com Hollywood Records Official Site] several of the band's songs were featured on major motion picture soundtracks including Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Mean Girls and Mission: Impossible 2. As a record producer, Costanza has worked with artists such as Macklemore, Boys Like Girls, Darren Criss, Rachel Platten, 2 Chainz, Icona Pop[http://www.theprp.com/tag/tomas-costanza This is Hell Recording Updates with Producer Tomas Costanza]. 2010. and Trixie Mattel.[http://www.digitalspy.com/music/s103/the-x-factor/news/a308358/katie-waissel-to-announce-us-tour.html Katie Waissel News on Digital Spy]. US Tour Announcement
Life and career
=Childhood and Youth=
Costanza was born and raised in North Massapequa, New York. His father was a New York City police officer and his mother a school bus driver for the local middle school. While in his pre-teens, Costanza discovered the liberating bombast of hard rock, listening to bands like Van Halen and Black Sabbath while also becoming infatuated with the musical styles of Michael Jackson and The Bee Gees. At the age of 10, he began teaching himself guitar and bass. Costanza explains, "When I first heard Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It", I knew I wanted to be a rock star."
=Career Beginnings and Diffuser=
Costanza attended the High School of the Performing Arts to study classical composition with professors from the Juilliard School. He later attended Berklee College of Music but dropped out to pursue a career as a recording artist. In 1998, Costanza founded the band Flu Thirteen[http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1582600/a/In+The+Foul+Key+Of+V.htm Flu Thirteen album at CD Universe] which later became Diffuser. Hollywood Records signed the band in 2000 and released two critically acclaimed LP recordings including Injury Loves Melody (2001)[http://www.allmusic.com/album/injury-loves-melody-r514753 Injury Loves Melody] Diffuser album at AllMusic. 2003. and Making the Grade (2003).[http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6041289/a/Making+The+Grade.htm Making the Grade album] at CD Universe In 2010, Alternative Press magazine cited Diffuser as "One of the Top 22 most influential and underrated bands of 2000s."[http://www.altpress.com/magazine/issue/228_-_the_used Alternative Press Interview]. Issue 228. 2007.
Diffuser disbanded in 2003 to pursue other musical interests. Due to overwhelming support from a small but loyal following, Diffuser re-united in fall of 2007 to release their third studio album, Sincerely, Wasting Away.[http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/newmusic/exec/albumreviews.asp?id=751 Sincerely, Wasting Away] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109100121/http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/newmusic/exec/albumreviews.asp?id=751 |date=2011-01-09 }} New Music album review The band still plays shows on occasion.
=Artist & Repertoire (Disney/Universal)=
In 2003, Costanza was hired by Bob Cavallo [http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/bios/bob_cavallo.html The Walt Disney Company Management Team] to work A&R under Jason Jordan[http://www.sonicscoop.com/2010/02/03/birth-of-an-ar-man-jason-jordan-vp-of-ar-for-hollywood-records/ Sonic Scoop article] February 2010 for Hollywood Records. He also signed a publishing deal with Seven Peaks/Disney"Disney Music Group during the same time period. In 2007, he became Head of A&R for Chamberlain Records[http://www.chamberlainrecords.com/diffuser.html Chamberlain Records Official Diffuser Website] (Universal) where he produced artists such as Cold Forty Three,"[http://www.coldfortythree.com/ Cold Forty Three Official Website] The Anix,[http://theanix.com/ The Anix Official Website] Brianna Taylor,Brianna Taylor and Katie Waissel.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyXSNwsF7ks Katie Waissel YouTube Channel] In 2005, Costanza was noted in Blender magazine"[http://www.blender.com/ Blender magazine Official Website] as saying, "I'm not chasing after what's current. The music I sign has to be compelling and two steps ahead of the curve. I always hope people will like the artists I work with, but at the end of the day, I'm the one that has to love it."
=Producing, Songwriting, and Recognition=
Costanza established the Killingsworth Recording Company in 2003.[http://www.killingsworth.info Killingsworth Recording Company Official Website][http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/13542/tomas-costanza-named-head-of-a-r-for-killingsworth "Tomas Costanza Named Head A&R of Killingsworth"] All Access News 2006. Beginning with a facility in New York, he expanded to Los Angeles in 2008.[http://jonamordecor.com/killingsworth-recording-company Studio Architect. Recording Studio Designer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116235612/http://jonamordecor.com/killingsworth-recording-company/ |date=2011-11-16 }} 2008. In January 2009, Costanza was recruited by Academy Award-winning music supervisor Richard Glasser (The Illusionist, Crash, Revolutionary Road) to write for his film and TV placement company.
In 2013, Killingsworth Recording Company partnered with music licensing company Pulse/Hitcher Music and Imagem International to create custom music catalogs for film and TV. Killingsworth has scored music for networks such as Comedy Central, Disney Animation Studios, Viceland, the CBS Dream Team and TV shows such as Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin, Huang's World, Hood Adjacent with James Davis, The Academy Awards, American Horror Story, Grey's Anatomy, The Henry Ford Innovation Nation, RuPaul's Drag Race and How to Get Away with Murder.
Since 2014, Costanza has co-written and produced twelve Billboard #1 albums and licensed over 1000 song placements. Select placements include Apple, Galaxy, Ford, Google, Amazon, Target, as well as NBC, ABC, HBO, Showtime, Marvel, and Call of Duty.
He is currently working on a Broadway musical entitled DRAG: The Musical.
Songwriting credits
Songwriting credits include soundtracks such as Mission: Impossible 2, Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Summer Catch, The Nut Job and Zootopia which have collectively sold over 4.2 million copies worldwide R.I.A.A. Costanza also wrote and produced theme songs for Live with Kelly and Ryan, Viceland, YouTube, ABC, CBS and Disney as well as songs for The Good Wife, American Horror Story, The View, The Academy Awards, Grey's Anatomy, True Blood, Ugly Betty and Dexter.