Anthony Scrofano: Getting to Know One of Our Local Musicians

by Chris Smith

It all started on Christmas Day, 1993, on Lorain's east side. That was the day a five-year-old Anthony Scrofano received a gift from his parents that would change his life.

The gift was a "kind of fake, cheap" electric guitar that Scrofano says sent him down the path toward being a musician.

By age 12, he was taking lessons. By 16, he was writing songs and playing in a high-school rock band, and by the time he was 21, he was playing his first paid solo gigs.

The first place I played was Quaker Steak in Vermilion, and I was not ready," Scrofano recalls with a laugh. "I probably had an hour of material. And I did the national anthem like Jimi Hendrix, and everyone was like 'turn it off!'

Now at age 33, Scrofano has gone from those humble beginnings to playing his music all across Northeast Ohio. A staple of the growing entertainment scene in Lorain, Scrofano has played several establishments in town, including Speak of the Devil, Union Town Provisions, The Lorain Elks Lodge, Broadway Mary's, and The Shipyards.

Scrofano's first musical influences came from the CDs he would pilfer from his older siblings.

Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Ace of Bass, Bush —all those bands, all those CDs that I would kind of steal from them, get those songs stuck in my head," Scrofono recalled. "So that really made me want to get involved with music.

A multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano, Scrofano describes his style as folky indie, combining elements of '90s grunge-rock with more eclectic sounds and techniques.

I like to jam with people electric [sic]. But I do like looping acoustic guitar and making beats. A lot of falsetto and high-strained voice, too.

Scrofano credits being born and raised in Lorain with helping to broaden his musical sensibilities, citing Lauryn Hill as an unlikely musical influence.

We grew up in a very diverse area, and I think it gave me a preview for everybody's music," he said. "It's a very diverse city, you hang out with a lot of different people, and you pick out different things.

Scrofano's mix of eclectic sound and raw vocal power has been a successful formula, earning him regular bookings nearby. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he frequently played outdoor events at The Lorain Palace Theater and around the area. He credits the support of his wife, Ciara Scrofano, and a vibrant community of friends and family for his success.

Photo of Anthony Scrofano and wife, Ciara.

photo by Jason Shaffer

I'll tell her sometimes that I feel guilty about not being able to create new music and I just really need to get into the studio and work things out, and she'll be very supportive of that," Scrofano said of his wife. "She'll shut things down and sit in the room and tell me 'when you sing like that, when you end your note like that, it sounds weird, try not to do that' and she'll give me pointers on how to perfect the idea that I'm trying to get across.

The Scrofanos also collaborate on videography and photography, including weddings, promotional videos, YouTube videos, and personal projects. One recent project was a promotional video for Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. The Rev. "Father Alex" Barton, who Scrofano views as a friend and mentor, asked Scrofano to do the video.

He's [Barton] just good for the community. He had me do a video for him and try to have me do better with what I do. It challenged me. It was about the garden and the church helping the community.

Father Alex is one of the many people in the community who Scrofano considers instrumental to his success. Another is friend Michael Kokinda, an unofficial manager of sorts, who Scrofano relies on for help with bookings and promotion.

"He books a lot of shows, emails a lot of people. He does a lot of ad running. He's getting more knowledgeable with the cameras, if I need an extra hand, and goes to almost every show," Scrofano said of Kokinda.

Scrofano also credits relationships he's built with other artists in Lorain for helping him grow personally and artistically. Since high school, he's been friends with comedian David Morales, and they've collaborated on several shows.

We've always been kind of working through ideas for jokes and short videos," Scrofano said, continuing about a similar relationship he has with a local photographer. "Jason Shaffer is another one who kind of keeps me grounded with that, shows me ideas and teaches me a lot of things. It's just good to have a bunch of friends, because everyone's so different and everyone brings something different to the table.

As for the future, Scrofano hopes to grow his act.

I feel like I do want more [gigs] and I want bigger ones. I'd like to play at Rockin' on the River, but I think they only want bands. I really want to get better, I want to push myself, I want to learn more songs, I want to have a more complicated setup when I play.

But as for the present, Scrofano is happy to do what he loves in his hometown.

The way that the city has been evolving over the past few years is amazing. I thought I would have had to leave to do these things, but now there's all these businesses and events. It just makes it so much easier for artists to showcase themselves.

Anthony's Upcoming Shows:

July 24, The Lorain Elks Lodge, 6 p.m.

July 31, Speak of the Devil, 7 p.m.

August 6, Quarry Hill Winery, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

September 3, Quarry Hill Winery, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

And find Anthony on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and Facebook as Anthony Scrofano and Instagram as ascrofano.

photo by Jason Shaffer