Bio

Joey Arcuri is a professional musician from Ithaca, NY. A performer and teacher, his musical background spans broadly from classical, jazz, musical theater, singer-songwriter genres, and pop music. Often recognized as the bassist of the band, Driftwood, Joey also maintains an active freelance career. Driftwood, a folk rock band from Binghamton, NY, has toured nationally and shared stages with Old Crow Medicine Show, Rusted Root, Greensky Bluegrass, Marty Stewart, Leon Russell, and Donna The Buffalo. Joey’s freelance career has placed him on stages with Clay Aiken, Melinda Doolittle, Jane Monheit, Cheryl Bentyne, and Hank Roberts (just to name a few).

Growing up in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District in the Syracuse, NY area, Joey was exposed to a fantastic music department, which eventually led him to pursue his double bass studies at SUNY Purchase. Joey completed his undergrad at two institutions - SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music and Ithaca College School of Music. At Purchase, Joey studied with Tim Cobb, the principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic. At Ithaca, Joey studied with Dr. Nicholas Walker, Professor of Music at Ithaca College. Joey’s Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Bass Performance was completed in 2009 at Ithaca College. With 14 years of performing and teaching after undergrad, Joey decided to go back to school to pursue a Master’s in Music Education degree at Syracuse University. Graduation will take place in the spring of 2023.

Joey Arcuri loves to teach. He has held a private lesson studio for 14 years now. From 2019-2022, he served as a faculty member at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) in Ithaca, NY. Joey is also a clinician; he takes part in music presentations in public schools and runs workshops at music festivals. With Driftwood, Joey has collaborated with the Roots in the Schools organization, bringing musical acts into the public schools. Here, musicians perform for students, speak on the business side of music, and share stories of what it’s like to be in a touring band.

The summers of 2021-22 brought Joey into the faculty of Ithaca College’s Summer Music Academy (SMA). At SMA, Joey has worked both classical and jazz camps at the high school division. Coaching a chamber group, jazz combo, repertoire class, and teaching private lessons are just a handful of the teaching opportunities that take place at SMA.

Having a classical and jazz background mixed with years of popular music experience has allowed Joey Arcuri to diversify his music portfolio. Working intimately with Driftwood for 13 years has exposed him to the music industry and has nurtured his singing, songwriting, and collaborative abilities. Driftwood has been on dozens of cross-country tours. They have also released 5 studio albums and 2 live albums. Driftwood is always creating new music, videos, and content to feed their fan base at live shows and on social media platforms. Additionally, Joey is currently working on his debut solo album as a singer-songwriter.

This is an exciting new chapter for Joey Arcuri. With his private lesson studio, performance schedule, and graduate studies, life has been busy and rewarding. Having proficiency on the double bass, electric bass, cello, and guitar keeps him diverse in his creative pursuits and teaching. He has certainly diversified his musical palette as he establishes a new network of colleagues at Syracuse University and devotes his study to brass, woodwind, strings, percussion, conducting, and choral music. At 36 years of age, Joey Arcuri looks forward to the musical ventures that lie ahead.