Scott Gendel

Keyboards

Scott “Needs a Nickname” Gendel has been subbing with the Red Hot Horn Dawgs for 5 years or so, and is thrilled to have recently become a full member of the group, playing keyboards and singing sometimes too!

He is a freelance musician for a living, which means Scott has approximately ONE MILLION different jobs. These are mostly in the classical music field, and include: being the principal pianist and vocal coach for Madison Opera! Composing & arranging original music which has been performed by artists including cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Madison Symphony Orchestra! (Yes, THAT Yo-Yo Ma!) Coaching professional opera singers, and performing with them in recital! Working as Music Director for the touring company Opera For The Young!

But Scott also does lots of other stuff, like teaching private composing lessons, being the Music Director for theatre companies, singing tenor professionally with the Madison Choral Project, reviewing high school musical theatre productions as part of the Overture Center’s Jerry Awards program, and a bunch more odd musical jobs he can’t remember right now. 

As a keyboard player & rock singer, Scott was a founding member of the touring Frank Zappa cover ensemble The Furious Bongos, though he’s since left that group because he likes staying home too much to tour. He is currently co-writing a double album as part of the experimental group The Parlour Trick, and he also co-wrote & performed an album of 90s-influenced power pop with his “oh no we don’t perform IN PUBLIC” band, The Landed Gentry. Scott also has a ridiculous 80s cover band in town, but every time they get together, they’re too easily distracted, so they only play a gig once every 5 years or so.

Playing with the ‘Dawgs is a great joy for Scott, the perfect opportunity to take things a little less seriously & remember how to party while tickling the keys. He loves all the music, from Italian verismo opera to Scandinavian heavy metal to 70s Laurel Canyon folk to jazz-inflected hip-hop to 80s cheese, and everything in between. If you start talking to Scott about any of this, it’s going to be hard to make him stop, so you should probably just take his word for it.

Scott lives in Monona with his incredible wife Megan, who actually listens to all his ramblings, and his two teenage daughters. Megan is a healthcare provider with no musical ability, but she knows good music & a good party when she sees them, so she’s on board for everything Red Hot Horn Dawgs. His daughters both sing in choirs, so who knows, maybe some day they’ll join him in a band! A guy can dream.