Performer
Steven L. Rosenhaus sings (tenor-baritone) and plays
guitar (acoustic, electric), mandolin, ukulele, keyboards,
and some penny whistle and harmonica.
He is currently learning 5-string banjo and relearning violin (properly this time).
Beginnings
"I'm not a 'ham.' Hams can be cured." — SLR
Steven L. Rosenhaus has been compelled to perform in various capacities since (according to his parents) he began singing before he could talk. He performed in public for the first time at the age of ten (see photo) standing on a chair, singing "My Friend the Witch Doctor" into the wrong end of a microphone because the microphone stand was stuck and couldn't be lowered.*
A year or so later Steven auditioned for the television show Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour (one of many precursors to America's Got Talent), but lost out in the first round to the ventriloquist act Willie Tyler and Lester. By the time he turned 13 Steven was enamored with pop and folk music, particularly with songs of The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. He asked for, and got, his first guitar for his bar mitzvah. Within a year he was playing songs and starting to write his own. They were really terrible songs, but you have to start somewhere.
In high school Steven took up violin and played in the school orchestra, where he met several friends, including fellow guitarist and budding violinist Arthur Shapiro. The two bonded over music and, with another friend Andrew Ricci, formed Triangle. Triangle managed to get good enough to perform at the Bitter End a few times, once opening for the Roche Sisters.
(Note: Steven was, in a word, weird as a kid. The chair incident happened because Steven was taking tap dance lessons at the time, but kept missing lessons due to illness. His mother convinced the teacher, Honi Coles [yes, Honi Coles], to let Steven sing at the school's recital instead. This was also about a year after Steven took acting lessons from (pre-Kojak) Telly Savalas and John Cassavetes. But that's another story [on the “Actor” page].)
The Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, Part 1
After high school Triangle dissolved so each member could go their own ways but still remained (and remain) friends. Steven bought a mandolin he found at a pawn shop (which he still plays) and using his knowledge of guitar and violin he taught himself to play. His first mandolin gig was playing the solo in Resphigi's Feste Romane, for the NY Youth Symphony, in Carnegie Hall!
At the same time Arthur and other friends got Steven interested in more traditional folk music. The group, some 5 or 6 people at any time, called itself Friends of the Miller. During summers many would meet up at the South Street Seaport for "sea shanty night" with The X-Seamans Institute. One thing lead to another, and one summer Steven was asked to temporarily take over for John Townley in TXSI, as the two have similar skill sets. Singing with the X-Seamen was a lot of fun, and gave Steven the opportunity to sing with Pete Seeger on the sloop Clearwater, perform on WQXR-FM, and more.
Photo (L to R): Keith DeCandido, Alexandra Honigsberg, David Honigsberg, Steven L. Rosenhaus, Rik Cleary
The Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, Part 2
As Steven's involvement with classical music and composition became more intense he wound down his performing and singer-songwriter activities. He stopped altogether until the late 1990s, when he met violist/violinist/singer/more Alexandra Honigsberg. Short version: she played viola for a concert of my music and, when she learned I play guitar and mandolin, insisted I meet her husband David. They had a band called The Don't Quit Your Day Job Players. Why that name? Everybody in the band was a professional writer of science-fiction, fantasy, and so on. The band mostly played at science-fiction conventions (cons). One member, Pete Heck, had moved and couldn't be in DQYDJP anymore, so Steven was asked to fill in for one or two gigs. He did, and then was asked to join as a regular member. Performing with the band got Steven writing songs again, and eventually contributed six songs to the group's second CD, Blues Spoken Here (unfortunately out of print).
The album was co-produced by Steven L. Rosenhaus and James T. Oakar, and James plays the classical guitar solo on Then The Music Begins. Steven is also joined by percussionist (and science-fiction/fantasy writer!) Keith R.A. DeCandido on a few numbers,
but Steven does the vocals and all other instrumentals.
Here's the YouTube link to the full A Man Like Me album: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_g401Ker0-DXlqmLC_ljEQ
In the meantime, enjoy the selections below.
“A Man Like Me”